OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL: FRIDAY JANUARY 9TH 2026

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TOPIC: FREEDOM OF WORSHIP I MEMORISE :  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1   READ : Matthew 6:21-24 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.   MESSAGE All humans have the freedom to worship whatever they want to. Even in countries where people are restricted from worshipping publicly, nobody can restrict anyone from worshipping his or her 'god' privately. This freedom to worship has been given by God; however, you must be ...
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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. DEFERRING GRATIFICATION? : WEDNESDAY 23RD JANUARY 2019

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MEMORISE:
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

READ: Hebrews 11:24-26

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

MESSAGE
At a point in a person's life, he or she must defer gratification in order to succeed in this world and in the hereafter. This truth must sink into the heart of every Christian, especially the younger generation. It is unfortunate that more often than not, people do not see the need to defer gratification. They want to enjoy everything right now! Unfortunately, life is not utopian in nature. The reality is that there is no gain without pain. Even our salvation which some people erroneously describe as "free" was paid for by the Saviour. He agonised on the cross to procure our liberty. Whether in the temporal or eternal realm, gratification requires deferment.

Daniel stands  as a great example of someone who deferred gratification. His act of sacrifice as a young fellow upholding God's covenant is recorded on Daniel 1:8:

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself”.

The moment Daniel and his brethren matriculated into the University of Babylon, caterers were assigned to feed them with all sorts of delicacies, including the royal wine, but Daniel deferred these fringe benefits in order to excel. No wonder, Daniel eventually enjoyed the largesse of occupying a high office after he and his colleagues graduated and became ministers in the king's cabinet. This is the reward of deferring pleasure. Unfortunately, some children of God refuse to postpone enjoyment in the present world for eternal bliss in the world to come. 1 Corinthians 9:25 says:

“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible”.

Even our Lord Jesus Christ deferred the pleasure of food and chose to suffer hunger when the devil told Him to turn stone into bread (Luke 4:1-4). This was what Esau could not do, and he sold his birthright for a meal (Genesis 25:29-34). Beloved, for you to make it to heaven, you need to forgo certain things that may not necessarily be sinful but may constitute a hindrance to your spiritual growth and cause you to be vulnerable to sin and its enticing allurements. For this reason, 1 Corinthians 6:12 says:

“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any”.

Learn to be like Apostle Paul who considered as being worthless those things which should have been valuable to him, so that he could attain the high calling of God (Philippians 3:7-8).

ACTION POINT:
Consider those things you are doing or using which can serve as impediments to your Christian calling and do away with them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Mark 15-16, Isaiah 22:5-25

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

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