Thoughts by irene

11/05/2026

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY MAY 11TH 2026

TOPIC: BLESSED ARE THE PERSECUTED

MEMORISE:

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. - (2 Timothy 3:12)

BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 5:10-12 (KJV)

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for their's is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

MESSAGE:

All Christians will experience tribulations in the world (John 16:33), and being persecuted is one of the tribulations that every true believer must face. It is true that persecution is naturally unpleasant; however, it is a thing of joy to know that Jesus promised in Matthew 5:10 that those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are blessed and will inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Today's memory verse says that every believer who chooses to live a godly life must experience some form of persecution, whether it is severe or mild. In whatever form it comes, persecution is naturally unpleasant. Therefore, to escape it, some believers compromise their faith and begin to conform to the world. As a believer, your witness for Christ will not be effective if you compromise your faith at every hint of persecution. Christians who compromise their faith in the face of persecution miss the opportunity to become more effective witnesses for Christ.

Every time the apostles endured persecution, they were presented with a greater opportunity to witness Christ to others. In Acts 4:1-3, the religious leaders in Jerusalem ordered Peter and John to be thrown in jail until the next day and threatened them severely not to preach in the name of Jesus anymore. After that incident, the apostles experienced God's power in a greater dimension and received more boldness to speak God's word (Acts 4:31-33). When they were scattered abroad after Stephen's death, they witnessed Christ everywhere they went, and the gospel spread mightily as a result (Acts 8:4).

Child of God, whether you are persecuted for not compromising your Christian values or outrightly punished for preaching the gospel, God's grace is sufficient to keep you from turning away from Him. His strength will carry you through every difficult moment when you keep your focus on Him. If you are experiencing persecution for being a Christian, know that you are not alone. When Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, He referred to Himself as Jesus, the One whom Paul was persecuting (Acts 9:4-5). This means that those who persecute you are also persecuting Jesus, and He is fully with you in your tribulations.

Beloved, don't ever give up on your faith in the face of persecution; instead, draw strength from the One who promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He is the ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1), and He will be with you always, even to the end of the world (Matthew 28:20).

KEY POINT:

Blessed are those who endure persecution for righteousness' sake; they shall inherit the kingdom of God.

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 CHRONICLES 12-16

HYMNAL: 10 IN CHRIST ALONE

1 In Christ alone my hope is found;

He is my light, my strength, my song;

this Cornerstone, this solid ground,

firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace

when fears are stilled, when strivings cease;

my Comforter, my All in All;

here in the love of Christ I stand.

2 In Christ alone who took on flesh;

fullness of God in helpless babe.

This gift of love and righteousness

scorned by the ones He came to save;

'til on that cross as Jesus died

the wrath of God was satisfied;

for ev'ry sin on Him was laid;

here in the death of Christ I live.

3 There in the ground His body lay;

Light of the world by darkness slain.

Then bursting forth in glorious day,

up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory,

sin's curse has lost its grip on me;

for I am His and He is mine,

bought with the precious blood of Christ!

4 No guilt in life, no fear in death;

this is the pow'r of Christ in me.

From life's first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man

can ever pluck me from His hand;

'til He returns or calls me home,

here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand!

10/05/2026

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY MAY 10TH 2026

TOPIC: BLESSINGS WITHOUT SORROW

MEMORISE:

The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. - (Proverbs 10:22)

BIBLE READING: 1 PETER 5:8-9, JOHN 10:10 (KJV)

1 Peter 5:8-9 (KJV)

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

John 10:10 (KJV)

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

MESSAGE:

Many people want to get rich at all costs, and as such, the devil lures them into all sorts of sinful acts. Some of them eventually get the riches they want, but such riches always come with many sorrows. Only the blessing of God comes without sorrow, as we see in today's memory verse.

The devil never desires anything good for anybody. He may pretend as if he wants the best for a fellow, but he is a great deceiver and is incapable of giving anyone anything good. Instead, he is interested in stealing whatever God has given His children. John 10:10 reveals his true intentions when dealing with anyone: to steal, kill, and destroy. If you yield to the devil's temptation to engage in sin, you are giving him permission to steal from you, kill you, and destroy you.

Years ago, a female student of mine while I was a lecturer said to me, "Daddy, I have found a young man who wants to marry me." I congratulated her but she said, "No! That is where the problem is." She then proceeded to tell me that her father had informed her that he had offered her to a marine spirit, and if she ever got married, she would die. Her father also told her that if she didn't die, whoever she got married to would die on the wedding day. She then told me, "Now, this young man has approached me for marriage, and I have a feeling that it is the will of God that I get married to him. However, I don't want to say 'yes' to him because I don't want the marine spirit to kill him. What should I do?" I laughed and told her, "I know the Father of all spirits." I then prayed a simple prayer in the name of Jesus and told her to go ahead and accept the young man's proposal. Two years later, I was in a church in Yaba, Lagos, when this young lady walked up to me. She was carrying a baby in her hand, and she said, "Sir, do you remember me?" I replied, "Of course!" I asked her about her husband, and she pointed to a handsome young man. If that lady had not run to Jesus, she would have lived under the bo***ge of losing every man who showed interest in her.

Beloved, satan's 'blessings' always come with truckloads of sorrow. However, when God blesses you, He gives you a sorrow-free package.

KEY POINT:

Only the blessings of God come in sorrow-free packages.

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 CHRONICLES 8-11

HYMNAL: 30 WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

1 When we walk with the Lord

in the light of his word,

what a glory he sheds on our way!

While we do his good will,

he abides with us still,

and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a burden we bear,

not a sorrow we share,

but our toil he doth richly repay;

not a grief or a loss,

not a frown or a cross,

but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

3 But we never can prove

the delights of his love

until all on the altar we lay;

for the favor he shows,

for the joy he bestows,

are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

4 Then in fellowship sweet

we will sit at his feet,

or we'll walk by his side in the way;

what he says we will do,

where he sends we will go;

never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]

09/05/2026

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY MAY 9TH 2026



THEME: SECRETS TO LONGEVITY VI



MEMORISE: So the people rested on the seventh day. Exodus 16:30



READ: Genesis 2:1-3

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.



MESSAGE

When I became the General Overseer of RCCG, I was so concerned about the church's growth that I was always fasting, praying, and preaching to the extent that I gave myself no rest or holidays. I did that for years, until suddenly, I discovered that while preaching, I would lose my voice completely after about 15 minutes. Even though I followed all kinds of recommendations to combat the issue, one of which was drinking tea with honey, it persisted. One day, an elderly woman who had noticed what was going on approached me and said, "Sir, you are suffering from Teacher's disease." I told her that I had never heard of that, and she replied, "You keep teaching, and you aren't resting your voice. Now, it is in rebellion." I asked her how to cure it, and she responded, "Rest your voice for 15 days." "How will I do that?" l asked, and she said, "You can still teach without losing your voice for 15 minutes; when you can't last 5 minutes, you will do what I've said." Therefore, for the first time after becoming General Overseer, I went on holiday. I travelled to Germany and stayed in a house that had a sauna. My host told me that it warms the body from the inside out, and when I enter, I must exit after 15 minutes at most because I would have been sweating profusely. I went into the sauna, and 5 minutes later, there was no sweat. After 10 minutes, there was still no sweat. It wasn't until after 15 minutes that I noticed a little sweat. I was in that sauna for 45 minutes before any real sweat came out. I had stressed my body so much that it wasn't functioning as it should anymore. Since then, I discovered that if I am to last long in the assignment that God has given to me, I must rest every now and then.

Beloved, if you want to last long, you must always take time to rest. Today's Bible reading tells us that God rested after He finished the work of creation, and that is a pattern that every Christian must emulate. It is very dangerous to keep working hard and not take time to rest because exhaustion can kill. Don't sabotage yourself. When it comes to fulfilling your God-given purpose on the earth. Take regular scheduled rests, and you will keep yourself in optimal physical condition, so you will be able to keep running your race.



KEY POINT

Knowing when to rest and relax your body is key to longevity.



BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 5-7



AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE



HYMN 28: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah

pilgrim through this barren land;

I am weak, but you are mighty;

hold me with your powerful hand.

Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,

feed me now and evermore,

feed me now and evermore.



2 Open now the crystal fountain,

where the healing waters flow.

Let the fire and cloudy pillar

lead me all my journey through.

Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,

ever be my strength and shield,

ever be my strength and shield.



3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,

bid my anxious fears subside.

Death of death, and hell's Destruction,

land me safe on Canaan's side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises

I will ever sing to you,

I will ever sing to you.

08/05/2026

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY MAY 8TH 2026



THEME: SECRETS TO LONGEVITY V



MEMORISE: To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. Isaiah 28:12



READ: 1 Kings 19:4-8

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.



MESSAGE

Today, as I continue to discuss the secrets to longevity, I will highlight the importance of recharging your physical batteries.

Your physical batteries must not be neglected, as you need them to succeed in your spiritual assignments. For example, Moses had a spiritual assignment to lead the Israelites out of captivity and take them into the Promised Land. While this assignment was primarily spiritual, it also had a lot of physical demands on him, and he would have failed woefully if he hadn't heeded Jethro's counsel, which saved him from wearing himself out before his time. He was overworking himself and ignoring the need to refuel his physical batteries by taking rests when required (Exodus 18:13-26). Tomorrow, I will discuss more about taking rests.

Another way to refuel your physical batteries so you can endure and succeed in the path that God has set before you is by eating right and at the right time. In 1 Kings 18-19, Elijah had used his spiritual batteries to call down fire from heaven, call down rain, and outrun the king's chariot. All those exploits must have depleted both his physical and spiritual batteries because when he heard that Jezebel was after his life, he took to his heels. He ran for three days and nights, then asked God to take his life. He fell asleep right where he made the request, and thankfully, God sent an angel to wake him and feed him twice, so he could refuel and successfully complete the long journey he had ahead of him.

I wonder what would have happened if the angel hadn't woken Elijah, and Jezebel had caught up with him while he was exhausted and asleep. Many people with glorious destinies have found themselves sleeping until Jezebel caught up with them and killed them because they had neglected their bodies, and it failed them at a critical time. By Jezebel in this context, I am referring to sin. For instance, if a married man fasts so much that he neglects his sexual needs and does not get intimate with his wife for a long time, his body could revolt due to suppressed sexual desires when he is alone on a trip. This could lead him to commit a sexual sin that can put an abrupt end to his spiritual journey.

Beloved, you must learn to relax your body and cater to its needs according to God's will at different times, so you can enjoy longevity and run your race successfully.



KEY POINT

You must not neglect your body if you want to remain on course and fulfil God's will for your life.



BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 1-4



AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE



HYMN 28: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah

pilgrim through this barren land;

I am weak, but you are mighty;

hold me with your powerful hand.

Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,

feed me now and evermore,

feed me now and evermore.



2 Open now the crystal fountain,

where the healing waters flow.

Let the fire and cloudy pillar

lead me all my journey through.

Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,

ever be my strength and shield,

ever be my strength and shield.



3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,

bid my anxious fears subside.

Death of death, and hell's Destruction,

land me safe on Canaan's side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises

I will ever sing to you,

I will ever sing to you.

07/05/2026

07/05/2026

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY MAY 7TH 2026



THEME: SECRETS TO LONGEVITY IV



MEMORISE: Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

Luke 6:21



READ: Psalms 107:8-9

8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.



MESSAGE

As l continue teaching about the secrets to longevity, I want to discuss the importance of refueling while walking on the path that God has set before you. To enjoy longevity, especially in the kingdom of God, you must refuel and recharge your spiritual batteries regularly.

God designed man in such a way that he would constantly need refueling. This is why He made sure that every day would be followed by a night so that after working very hard during the day, you can sleep at night and refuel your energy. Likewise, after breakfast in the morning, it is normal to feel hungry after a few hours, especially if you have expended lots of energy. God designed you to eat at varying intervals so you can refuel your energy. For guns to remain effective, they must be reloaded after they have been fired. Likewise, if a believer wants to remain on the path that God has ordained for him or her, the believer must always recharge his or her spiritual batteries. For example, a Christian cannot function effectively based on the Scriptures he or she studied last year or the fasting and prayers embarked upon three years ago. Such a Christian will be weak and become easy prey for the devil; hence, there must be constant refueling to remain spiritually fit.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:6

God created hunger to remind us that we are running low on fuel, so we can eat to restore our energy. Just as He created physical hunger as a signal to eat and replenish energy, He also created spiritual hunger and thirst as a sign that you must recharge. When you feel hungry for God's word, excited when it is time for Bible Study, or are always looking forward to praying, you are spiritually healthy.

However, if you don't attend to that hunger, you may not feel it anymore after a while. If a believer does not feel hungry for spiritual things anymore, it means that he or she is already empty and is on the verge of dying spiritually.

Beloved, nobody lasts long in God's kingdom without consistent spiritual hunger and refueling. If you ever get to a point where you don't feel hungry for God's word, cry to God to renew your spiritual hunger. May you always hunger and thirst after righteousness so you will be empowered to fulfil God's purpose for your life, in Jesus' name.



PRAYER POINT

Father, please renew my spiritual hunger and help me to seek You at all times with all my heart.



BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 27-29



AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE



HYMN 8: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1 I need Thee ev'ry hour,

Most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine

Can peace afford.



Refrain:

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Ev'ry hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.



2 I need Thee ev'ry hour,

Stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their pow’r

When Thou art nigh.



3 I need Thee ev'ry hour,

In joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide,

Or life is vain.



4 I need Thee ev'ry hour,

Teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises

In me fulfill.

06/05/2026

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY MAY 6TH 2026



THEME: SECRETS TO LONGEVITY III



MEMORISE: Flee also youthful lusts : but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22



READ: Genesis 39:10-13

10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.

12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,



MESSAGE

Over the past two days, I have discussed the importance of knowing when to hide and when to fight as key secrets to longevity. Today, I will be discussing another secret to longevity: knowing the times to run.

When you go through the Scriptures carefully, you will understand that part of the identity of God's children is that they are wise and strong. For example, 1 John 4:4 says that greater is He that is in us (God) than he that is in the world (the devil), which shows exactly how powerful we are as believers. However, when it comes to dealing with sin, especially lust, today's memory verse says that we are not just to run away, but we are to flee! The anointing doesn't work on lust, which means that, no matter how strong or anointed you are, the only thing that works is to flee! You might be asking yourself, with all the anointing on Daddy G.O. and the great amount of time he has spent with God, does he still flee from lust? The answer is, yes. In fact, I even flee more now than I used to when I was a younger Christian. This is because l understand that whoever is in a race needs to run faster towards the end so as to win the prize.

Lust, however, is not the only sin we are to flee from; we must also flee from all kinds of sins. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says that you should abstain from every appearance of evil. This means that the moment something seems evil, you should stay away from it. For instance, if a group of people around you seem to be interested in evil, you should stay away from them.

Psalm 1:1 says that you are not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful. You can greet them and preach to them, but do not befriend them. 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"

Beloved, if you want to succeed in the race God has set before you, you must flee from all sins and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.



KEY POINT

Flee anything that has an appearance of evil.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 24-26



AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE



HYMN 31: YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION

1 Yield not to temptation,

For yielding is sin;

Each vict’ry will help you,

Some other to win;

Fight valiantly onward,

Evil passions subdue;

Look ever to Jesus,

He will carry you through.



Refrain:

Ask the Savior to help you,

Comfort, strengthen and keep you;

He is willing to aid you,

He will carry you through.



2 Shun evil companions,

Bad language disdain;

God’s name hold in rev’rence,

Nor take it in vain;

Be thoughtful and earnest,

Kindhearted and true;

Look ever to Jesus,

He will carry you through.



3 To him that o’ercometh,

God giveth a crown;

Through faith we will conquer,

Though often cast down;

He who is our Savior,

Our strength will renew;

Look ever to Jesus,

He will carry you through.

05/05/2026

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY MAY 5TH 2026



THEME: SECRETS TO LONGEVITY II



MEMORISE: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7



READ: Ephesians 6:10-17

10 iFinally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:



MESSAGE

Yesterday, I started sharing some secrets to longevity and how believers can stay the course on the path that God has set before them. Today, I will share another secret to longevity: knowing when to fight.

When you are confronted by the devil, you shouldn't run or hide; rather, you must stand and fight. The devil is not a gentle spirit; he tries to cheat his victims out of their rights, steal from them, kill them, and destroy them (John 10:10). Therefore, every time he raises his ugly head, you must resist him immediately and put him in his place with the sword of the Spirit (the word of God). Many people think that they can cohabit with the devil and enter into agreements with him. For instance, they might have a family tradition of making certain sacrifices to deities for protection, and they think that by keeping the traditions alive, the devil will leave them alone. However, this never works because the devil is a great deceiver; he is a big liar, and he is the father of lies (John 8:44). He is not someone to make deals with, which is why today's memory verse says that you should resist him so that he will flee from you. You should not partner with him or shake hands with him.

Today's Bible reading says that believers wrestle against principalities, powers, the rulers of darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. It also says that believers must put on the whole armor of God, but you will notice that there is no piece of armor to protect our backs. This means that the moment a believer turns his or her back on the devil, he will attack the believer. Therefore, you should never turn your back to run away from him. For instance, if you perceive that the devil is trying to attack your marriage, simply calling a family meeting will not suffice because the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 that the weapons we have been given for warfare are not physical. Rather, you must send the devil packing out of your home by going against him with the sword of the Spirit (the word of God). Likewise, if you observe that some strange things are happening in the ministry that God has placed in your hands or that the devil is trying to attack your job or business, get up and fight! Never turn your back on the devil; he does not play fair.

KEY POINT

Your response to the devil should never be to run and hide; rather, you must stand and fight.



BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 20-23



AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE



HYMN 12: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

1. Onward, Christian soldiers!

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before.

Christ, the royal Master,

Leads against the foe;

Forward into battle,

See his banners go!



[Chorus]

Onward, Christian soldiers! Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before.



2. At the sign of triumph

Satan’s host doth flee;

On, then, Christian soldiers,

On to victory.

Hell’s foundations quiver

At the shout of praise;

Brothers, lift your voices,

Loud your anthems raise.



3. Like a mighty army

Moves the Church of God;

Brothers, we are treading

Where the Saints have trod.

We are not divided;

All one body we:

One in hope and doctrine,

One in charity.



4. Onward, then, ye people;

Join our happy throng.

Blend with ours your voices

In the triumph song:

Glory, laud, and honor

Unto Christ, the King.

This through countless ages

Men and angels sing.

04/05/2026

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY MAY 4TH 2026

TOPIC: SECRETS TO LONGEVITY 1

MEMORISE:

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; - (Ecclesiastes 3:7)

BIBLE READING: ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8 (KJV)

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

MESSAGE:

I am 84 years old, I have been born again for 53 years, and by God's grace, I have been the General Overseer of RCCG for 45 years. To the glory of God, I am still working tirelessly for my Daddy even at my age. I have remained a strong Christian, and the church has continued to grow by God's grace. Over the next few days, I will share some secrets about longevity with you and tell you how to remain on God's path for your life without going astray.

The first secret to longevity is knowing when to hide, when to fight, and when to run. Many Christians think that because they are in Christ, they never have to hide; after all, the One with all power is backing them up. This is why many believers have not stayed on the path that God has set before them and have ended their race prematurely. In (1 Kings 17:1), after Elijah told the king that there would be no rain until he commands it, it was God Himself who told him to go and hide. There will always be a time to hide if you are going to last long. Elijah had proclaimed himself as the only one who could bring the rain back, so naturally, I believe that there would have been a lot of pressure on him to command the rain to return. Therefore, rather than facing that pressure, he had to go into hiding.

Whenever you notice that there will be pressure on you to say certain things or take some actions prematurely or without specific instruction from God, you should go into hiding. For instance, no matter how pressured I feel to speak before elections in Nigeria or when something significant happens, I always keep silent if God has not yet spoken. This is why people still want to hear what I have to say after all these years, because they know that it will be from God.

Another time to hide is when brethren try to fight you. God never supports Christians fighting each other; rather, we are to love one another, which is what differentiates us from unbelievers (John 13:34-35). Therefore, to ensure that you do not get into fights with brethren who are trying to pick fights with you, don't respond to them; rather, go into hiding. May God give you the wisdom to hide yourself when required so that you can stay the course and fulfil His perfect will for your life.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please give me the wisdom to know when to hide.

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 CHRONICLES 17-19

HYMNAL: 19 ROCK OF AGES, CLEFT FOR ME

1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

let me hide myself in thee;

let the water and the blood,

from thy wounded side which flowed,

be of sin the double cure;

save from wrath and make me pure.

2 Not the labors of my hands

can fulfill thy law's demands;

could my zeal no respite know,

could my tears forever flow,

all for sin could not atone;

thou must save, and thou alone.

3 Nothing in my hand I bring,

simply to the cross I cling;

naked, come to thee for dress;

helpless, look to thee for grace;

foul, I to the fountain fly;

wash me, Savior, or I die.

4 While I draw this fleeting breath,

when mine eyes shall close in death,

when I soar to worlds unknown,

see thee on thy judgment throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

let me hide myself in thee.