OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL: SUNDAY APRIL 19TH 2026

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TOPIC: REVERSING FAILURE   MEMORISE :  Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; Psalm 30:11   READ : Luke 5:1-10 1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto the...

ABUSE OF POWER FORBIDDEN Monday 4 June 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Memorise: But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:6
Read: 2 Samuel 12:1-10
One thing God cannot stand is oppression. He cannot tolerate abuse of power or office. As we know, all power belongs to God (Psalms 62:11; Matthew 28:18). Whatever power you have been given to exercise is simply delegated. Daniel 4:25-26 says God rules in the affairs of men. He is interested in who becomes what and how they use the power God has given to them. In 2 Samuel 12:1-14, when David abused his power by taking another man’s wife and murdering him, God was grossly displeased and judged him by saying that the sword shall never depart from his house. That judgement was a fatal one! It is like saying, because you arranged the death of my innocent servant, in your lineage, the enemies will always have a reason to fight and kill your descendants. The harvest of David’s sin was beyond the normal: it was extraordinary! This tells us that as a believer, you must be afraid of oppression a fellow believer, especially the less privileged. It is even worse if the fellow is very dedicated to God. Why? One offence against him could earn you a generational harvest of the same evil you did-making you no different from Gehazi.
It is a very dangerous thing to abuse one’s authority. The reason God puts you there or allowed you to get there is so that you can positively touch lives, and improve the lot of those under you, be it in government, church or work place. With all his wisdom and wealth, Solomon only succeeded in oppressing the poor Israelites hence after his death, the whole nation went to Rehoboam- Solomon’s son and successor- to ask that he made his father’s yoke on them lighter (1 kings 12:1-4). Is your presence in that position or office bringing smiles to the less privileged brethren?
KEY POINT:
According to Matthew 18:6, drowning is a lighter punishment for oppressors of believers compared with what they will receive for their oppressive acts. Are you an oppressor?
 
Bible in one year: Psalms 4-6

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