OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: SATURDAY JANUARY 18TH 2025

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TOPIC: PRODUCE SONS MEMORISE :  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient towards all men. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 READ : Philemon 1:10-18 10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: 11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me: 12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels: 13 Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel: 14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. 15 For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; 16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? 17 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. 18 If he ...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: MONDAY 4TH DECEMBER 2023

TOPIC: BUILD INTIMACY WITH GOD

MEMORISE
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Luke 10:20

READ : Luke 10:38-42

38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

MESSAGE
Intimacy with God should be your greatest heart's desire. The desire for power to work miracles must be secondary compared to the desire to be intimate with Him. Believe me honestly, if you focus on intimacy with God, signs and wonders will follow effortlessly.

In Luke 10:19-20, after Jesus had given His disciples authority over all the powers of the enemy, He told them not to rejoice in that fact, but rather that their names were written in Heaven. God prefers for you to be close to Him than that you have power to do His work.

In our Bible reading for today, when Jesus went to visit the two sisters, Martha was occupied with serving Him, while Mary sat at His feet, spending quality time with Him. Martha thought she was doing the right thing and told Jesus to instruct her sister to join her, but He told her that Mary had done the one needful thing, which is to spend time at His feet. He said further, "Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Someone can take a position in Church away from you or even deprive you of the opportunity to serve God in a particular area, but no one can take your intimacy with God away from you. That is what you should guard more than anything else. According to Jesus Christ Himself, that is the one needful thing.

When Jesus was on the cross in great pain, and being mocked by people who hated Him, He kept hanging on to life. When He no longer felt the presence of God, at that point, even with all the pain, He cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"(Matthew 27:46-50). He bore all the pain and shame, but could not bear to be separated from God.

Beloved, intimacy with God must be your priority above all else. God desires to build intimacy with His children. He is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth John 4:24) and not just those who are seeking what they can get from Him.

KEY POINT 
Intimacy with God must be to you as breath is to your lungs.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Corinthians 5-9

AUTHOR: PASTOR E . A ADEBOYE
HYMN 8: I AM THINE O LORD 

1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
  And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
  And be closer drawn to Thee.

 Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
  To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
    To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
  By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
  And my will be lost in Thine.

3 O the pure delight of a single hour
  That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
  I commune as friend with friend!

4 There are depths of love that I yet may know
  Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
  Ere I rest in peace with Thee.

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