Thoughts by irene

30/11/2025

OPEN HEAVENS 2025 DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUN, NOV 30, 2025

TOPIC: SOURCES OF PROPHECY 2

MEMORISE:
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” - (Matthew 7:15)

READ: Matthew 7:15-21 (KJV)
15. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

16. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

17. Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

18. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

19. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

21. Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

MESSAGE:
Yesterday, I started teaching about the sources of prophecy and how a prophecy can come from the human spirit. Today, I will discuss some ways prophecies can come from the devil.

The prophecies that come from the devil are lies with some elements of truth in them to confuse and derail the recipients. The devil might even misinterpret a portion of the Scriptures to support his lies so that a believer will think that the prophecy is from God. When a prophecy comes from the devil, it is only a matter of time before it produces the fruits of the devil. When satan gets to a place, he has three assignments: to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Any prophecy from him will eventually steal from those who believe it, kill their joy and dreams, and destroy their hope.

When the young girl in Acts 16:16-18 said some prophetic words, they had many elements of truth in them. However, Paul knew that her words were from the devil. The devil wanted the people to keep their focus on the girl and not on Jesus. He wanted to distract men from knowing Jesus. The devil knows how to say things and manipulate them to come to pass. Some people hear prophecies from the devil and just ignore them; however, that can be dangerous. There was a very wealthy man who quarrelled with his wife, and she told him that by the time she was 'done' with him, he would have to walk to get anywhere within Lagos. When the woman said that, the man laughed because, at that time, he had fourteen cars. Before long, however, he lost all his cars until he had just one left and only 50 kobo in his pocket. He then said to himself, "If I use this 50 kobo to fuel my car, what will I eat? If I buy food with the money, then I will have to walk around Lagos like my wife prophesied." That was when he came to Jesus Christ, and Jesus began to remedy his situation. On the day he shared his testimony, he dedicated two new houses. I pray for you today that any negative prophecy that might be working against your life and destiny is nullified, in Jesus' name.

Beloved, you must be careful about the people you give permission to speak into your life. If someone speaks something that is contrary to God's will into your life, plead the blood of Jesus and cancel it immediately.

KEY POINT:
If anyone speaks something negative into your life, plead the blood of Jesus and cancel it immediately.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Corinthians 5-9

HYMNAL:
HYMN 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 for ever flow,
All for sin could not atone,
Thou must save and Thou alone.

3. Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace,
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, 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 judgement throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

29/11/2025

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29TH 2025

TOPIC: SOURCES OF PROPHECY 1

MEMORISE:
“Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols.” - (Ezekiel 14:4)

BIBLE READING: EZEKIEL 14:1-7 (KJV)

1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.

2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:

MESSAGE:
Prophecies come from three major sources: the devil, the human spirit, and the Holy Spirit. Today, I will discuss prophecies from the human spirit.

When a prophecy comes from people's spirits, they will say things that they sense will happen, but most times, they won't happen. Many times, a person could get excited and think, in that moment, that he or she has heard from God; however, it could be that the person only heard from his or her human spirit. This is why you must put your emotions in check whenever you want to hear from God so that you won't hear from your human spirit and assume you heard from God. When you are expecting to hear from God, and your mind is fixed on a particular result that you want, you will likely hear a confirmation of that result from your human spirit and assume that God has spoken.

When I was much younger in ministry and there were signs that I would be travelling frequently on ministerial assignments, an airline offered me some really good packages. I was excited by the offer and prophesied that the airline would prosper and never suffer any disaster. Shortly after my declaration, the airline suffered a plane crash. I could have just prayed for them and blessed them; instead, I prophesied based on my emotions.

If you do not let go of your emotions and allow God to sincerely search your heart, you will hear the idols of your heart giving you the go-ahead when you approach God for His counsel in prayer. For example, if a young lady is asking God about which one of her suitors is His choice, she needs to control her emotions despite her personal preference and give God total control concerning the matter if she really wants to hear from Him. If she asks God about His choice but discovers that her heart is fixed on the one she likes during her prayers, she should find a neutral person to pray with her because she just might hear from her human spirit telling her to go ahead with her preference. She must also genuinely want to hear from God because today's memory verse says that if you approach a prophet with idols in your heart, God will answer you according to those idols.

Beloved, train your human spirit to totally submit to God so that whenever you need to hear Him, your emotions won't interfere with His counsel.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please search me and remove every idol in my heart that can prevent me from hearing Your voice accurately.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 CORINTHIANS 1-4

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 28 GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
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.

28/11/2025

28/11/2025

🥰

The Glory Dome.

28/11/2025

28/11/2025

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28TH 2025

TOPIC: PRAISE AND WORSHIP

MEMORISE:
"But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. Psalm 5:7

BIBLE READING: 2 CHRONICLES 1:6-13

6 And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

8 And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.

9 Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.

10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:

12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

13 Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.

MESSAGE:
Some Christians get to church services late because they only start getting dressed to go to church when the praise and worship session must have started. They believe that the sermon is the main service; however, this is not true. Worship is actually the major part of the service, which is why a church service is often called a worship service’. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of Israel. Right from the beginning of a church service, God is already moving. Christians who understand this always go to church early because they know that while the praise and worship session is going on, they can hear from God and receive an impartation from Him.

It Is unfortunate that many ministers of God do not take praise and worship sessions seriously. When the choir is singing choruses and praising God, many pastors are still sitting in their offices, writing letters and giving instructions because they feel that the main part of the service has not started. By the time they get on the pulpit, the service is almost over because a major part of the service is the praise and worship session. If you worship God well enough, you will see Him in action.

When believers know that they can do nothing without God (John 15:5), they will not miss praise and worship sessions for anything. In today’s Bible reading, the Bible tells us that Solomon worshipped God by offering a thousand burnt offerings to Him. It was an act of worship, the kind that the people around him had never seen before. That night, God paid him a visit and told him to ask for anything he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge so that he could serve God the way he ought to, and the Bible says that God granted him his request and added other blessings. The Bible also says that before him, there was no one like him, and after him, there will never be anyone like him (2 Chronicles 1:12).

Beloved, make it a duty to never miss any opportunity to worship God by dancing and singing praises to His name, especially during church services. If you sing and dance for Him regularly, He will set you apart for greatness. However, if you feel you are too big to dance before Him or worship and give Him thanks, He will also see you as being too big to be carried to the top.

KEY POINT:
The praise and worship session is a major part of any church service.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ROMANS 15-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY

1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is Thy health and salvation!
Join the great throng,
Psaltery, organ, and song,
Sounding in glad adoration.

2 Praise to the Lord,
over all things He gloriously reigneth;
Borne as on eagle-wings, safely His saints,
He sustaineth,
Hath thou not seen
How all thou needeth hath been,
Granted in what He ordaineth!

3 Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy way and defend thee,
Surely His goodness and mercy shall ever attend thee;
Ponder anew,
What the Almighty can do,
Who with His love doth befriend thee.

4 Praise to the Lord!
O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath breath join with Abraham's
Seed to adore Him!
Let the "Amen"
Sum all our praises again
Now as we worship before Him.

27/11/2025

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY NOVEMBER 27TH 2025

TOPIC: YOU CAN'T CHANGE ANYONE

MEMORISE:
“And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” - (John 16:8)

BIBLE READING: 1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-5 (KJV)

1 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.

2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?

3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.

MESSAGE:
In (1 Corinthians 3:6), Paul said that he planted, Apollos watered, but it is God who gave the increase. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts sinners to repent of their sins and become members of the body of Christ.

Beloved, no matter how eloquent you are, you cannot save a soul. If eloquence is required for people to turn to Jesus, the 3,000 people who got saved in Acts 2 would not have cried out to God in repentance because Peter was an ordinary fisherman, and his words were likely to have been unrefined. However, when the Holy Spirit came upon him, the people who heard him were convicted. When they heard his preaching, they were pricked in their hearts and asked what they should do (Acts 2:37). Paul, who was well-educated, knew that he could not save anyone by his preaching alone and that his eloquence could not soften any man's heart. This is why he said in today's Bible reading that his speech and preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

Only the Holy Spirit can soften people's hearts. He alone can bring light to the darkness in a sinner's soul. (2 Corinthians 4:4) says that the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. Satan does not want people to be saved, so he blinds their eyes and keeps them from accepting Jesus. This is why you need the Holy Spirit when you go out to evangelise; He alone can destroy the lies of the devil in the minds of men. Without Him, your preaching will be mere words. People may clap for you because of your eloquence, but their hearts will not be changed, and they will remain hardened in their sins. However, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you won't need to say much before people surrender their hearts to Jesus.

Beloved, you cannot go into a strong man's house without first binding him (Mark 3:27). To bind the devil and stop his activities in the lives of men, you need the power of the Holy Spirit. Before you preach to people, ask the Holy Spirit to work on their hearts. He is your Helper, and He is in you to help you become an effective soul winner. I pray that the Holy Spirit will work mightily through you to bring many lost souls into the kingdom of God, in Jesus' name.

KEY POINT:
You need His power and help to be an effective witness for Jesus Christ.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ROMANS 11-14

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 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, O I need Thee;
ev'ry hour I need Thee;
O 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. [Refrain]

3 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
in joy or pain;
come quickly and abide,
or life is vain. [Refrain]

4 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
teach me Thy will;
and Thy rich promises
in me fulfill. [Refrain]

5 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son. [Refrain]

26/11/2025

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26TH 2025

TOPIC: LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

MEMORISE:
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

BIBLE READING: JOHN 9:1-7

1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

MESSAGE:
When people claim to be good at something, they need to prove it by doing that thing remarkably well. When they do this, people will pay attention to them. Beloved, complaining that people do not notice your talents will achieve no result. Instead, prove your abilities by doing whatever you can from wherever you are, no matter how small it may seem. Soon, people will see your light and come to the brightness of your rising (Isaiah 60:1-3).

You can be very talented; however, if you don’t work hard and use your talent, people won’t take notice. Today’s memory verse says that you should let your light shine for people to see your good works and glorify your heavenly Father. Did you notice the word ‘works’ in that verse? You must work for people to see you. Someone showed me a newspaper article in which a reporter was making a joke about the miracles God has performed in my life. The person who showed me the article said, “Daddy, what’s your comment?” I told him that I had no comment. I don’t have any comments about such jokes because I am too busy doing God’s work, and I can’t be distracted by trivial issues.

Today’s Bible reading tells the story of a man who was born blind. When Jesus’ disciples started to debate about whose sin caused the man’s predicament, Jesus redirected their attention to what was important. He told them, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” Then, He spat on the ground, made some mud out of the clay, anointed the man’s eyes, and told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam – the blind man returned with brand-new eyes. Jesus went about doing the work of the Father throughout His human ministry; He was so busy doing good that everywhere He went, people took note of Him and followed Him.

Beloved, when you go about doing the work of the One who sent you, you will become like a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden and a candle on a candlestick that gives light to everyone in a house (Matthew 5:14-15). People might not like a light bulb’s design, but nobody can ignore its importance. If you want to be so relevant that people cannot do without your unique contributions, let your light shine by focusing on doing the work that God has committed into your hands.

REFLECTION:
Are you allowing your light to shine by actively using your gifts?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ROMANS 8-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

1 Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
Looking unto Jesus,
Who is gone before!
Christ, the Royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See His banner go!

Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
Looking unto Jesus
Who is gone before!

2 At the name of Jesus
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 Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane;
But the Church of Jesus,
Constant will remain,
Gates of hell can never,
'Gainst the Church prevail;
We have Christ's own promise,
And that cannot fail.

5 Onward, then, ye people,
Join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song;
"Glory, praise and honour,
Unto Christ the King",
This, thro' countless ages,
Men and angels sing.

25/11/2025

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY NOVEMBER 25TH 2025

TOPIC: LET THEM FLY

MEMORISE:
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” - (Joel 2:28)

BIBLE READING: NUMBERS 11:10-29 (KJV)

10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.

14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;

20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.

22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

23 And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.

25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.

28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

MESSAGE:
In today's Bible reading, God took part of the spirit upon Moses and put it on 70 elders because he had complained that the burden of leading the Israelites was too much for him to bear. When the 70 elders began to prophesy, a young man came to tell Moses that two men who were not part of them were also prophesying. On hearing this, Joshua told Moses to stop them. However, Moses replied that he didn't mind if the Lord put His Spirit on all His people because that was His ultimate will. Moses was a true leader, and true leaders allow their followers to fly.

Someone once asked a pastor, "Why don't you encourage the Holy Ghost baptism among your congregation?" He replied, "Because if they get the power of the Holy Spirit, they will outrun us, their pastors." This amazed me because my prayer is that my children will be greater than I am. Every time I pray for the pastors in RCCG, I ask God to double the anointing on my life and give it to them because, if that happens, my job will be easier. For example, when a co**se is brought to the church to be raised back to life, wouldn't it be wonderful if an usher could call the dead person back to life without my intervention or any other pastor's intervention.

Many pastors do almost everything in their churches because they feel they are the only ones who can handle them; such pastors only end up stressing themselves unnecessarily. How can God bring increase to the church if ministers don't endeavour to raise others to serve God in ministry? When pastors ask God to empower their congregations, and all their members are on fire for God, there will be a great revival, and the ministry will move forward. While it is true that when everyone in a congregation carries a measure of God's power they may become restless and grow tired of just hearing the pastor preach, a wise pastor won't hold them back. Instead, the pastor should train them and put them in new territories so they can impact others with the anointing they've been empowered with. Yes, they might make some mistakes, but with the pastor's guidance and God's help, they will succeed.

Beloved, if you're a leader in any capacity, seek the growth and empowerment of the people who serve under you because it will make your job easier. In addition, when they become empowered, let them fly.

KEY POINT:
True leaders seek the empowerment of the people who serve under them so they can fly.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ROMANS 4-7

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 4 - TO THE WORK! TO THE WORK! WE ARE SERVANTS OF GOD

1 To the work! to the work! we are servants of God,
Let us follow the path that our Master has trod;
With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew,
Let us do with our might what our hands find to do.
Refrain:
Toiling on, toiling on,
Toiling on, toiling on:
Let us hope, let us watch,
And labor till the Master comes.

2 To the work! to the work! let the hungry be fed;
To the fountain of life let the weary be led;
In the cross and its banner our glory shall be,
While we herald the tidings, "Salvation is free!" [Refrain]

3 To the work! to the work! there is labor for all;
For the kingdom of darkness and error shall fall;
And the name of Jehovah exalted shall be,
In the loud-swelling chorus, "Salvation is free!" [Refrain]

4 To the work! to the work! in the strength of the Lord,
And a robe and a crown shall our labor reward;
When the home of the faithful our dwelling shall be,
And we shout with the ransomed, "Salvation is free!" [Refrain

24/11/2025

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY NOVEMBER 24TH 2025

TOPIC: MARRY RIGHT

MEMORISE:
"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." Psalm 32:8

BIBLE READING: JUDGES 16:4-21

4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread

13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

MESSAGE:
Today, many men are afraid to get married even though they are mature enough, have good jobs or businesses, and are financially stable. Usually, this is because they do not want to marry the wrong ladies as wives. Likewise, many women are hesitant to get married despite being courted by many men because they do not want to make wrong choices when it comes to choosing a life partner.

It is important for Christians to know that once they are married, there is no going back. Marrying the wrong spouse can be hell on earth. Nobody goes on a long journey without adequate preparations, and marriage is a lifelong journey. This is why, if you are not yet married, you need God’s help to make the right decision regarding your partner on this lifelong journey. Some people have rushed into marriage only for them to find out that their partner is self-centered and foolish. Some have chosen spouses by their physical attributes alone and ended up with a physically okay but spiritually deficient partner for their journey. When the journey became tough, their spouses were neither spiritually sensitive nor capable of strengthening their faith. When choosing who to marry, believers must not allow physical attributes to dictate for them.

Samson was a man who was destined to be great. His glorious future was foretold before his birth, and he was truly on a path to greatness before the woman he chose as a partner, Delilah, cut short his destiny. Before then, Samson had compromised his faith in many areas, and he became insensitive to God’s leading. Therefore, he chose to love Delilah based on her physical attributes. Judges 16:4 says that he saw her in the valley of Sorek and loved her; he allowed himself to be enticed by her beauty. A valley is a low place, and if a believer is in a low place spiritually, where the fellow has compromised his or her values and disobeyed God’s principles, such a believer is not in a good place to make marital choices because he or she might make the wrong choice. Such a believer must first return to the Lord and ask Him to restore him or her before thinking about choosing a spouse.

Beloved, if you are not yet married, God wants to lead you to make the right choice about whom to marry. You must, however, be living in obedience to His words and principles for Him to lead you to make the right choice.

KEY POINT:
Hearing from God is critical when it comes to choosing the right person to marry.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ROMANS 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 28: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

1 Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven!
Feed me now and evermore;
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven!
Feed me now and evermore.

2 Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer! Strong Deliverer!
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
Strong Deliverer! Strong Deliverer!
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

3 If I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Bear me through the swelling torrent,
Land me safe on Canaan's side:
Songs of praises! Songs of praises!
I will ever give to Thee.
Songs of praises! Songs of praises!
I will ever give to Thee.

4 Saviour, come! We long to see Thee,
Long to dwell with Thee above;
And to know in full communion,
All the sweetness of Thy love,
Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!
Take Thy waiting people home
Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus!
Take Thy waiting people home.