OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL : SUNDAY 31ST MAY 2026

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TOPIC: DEPEND ONLY ON THE GOOD SHEPHERD MEMORIZE : The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (KJV) READ : Psalm 37:3-7  3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. MESSAGE : A man once swallowed a charm that was supposed to make him wealthy, but he remained poor. On top of that, he was told that he would die after seven years because of the charm he had swallowed. When he had just about two weeks le...
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OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL: MONDAY MAY 11TH 2026

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TOPIC: BLESSED ARE THE PERSECUTED
 
MEMORISE: 
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12
 
READ: Matthew 5:10-12 

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs 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
A 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 28:2 0).
 
KEY POINT
Blessed are those who endure persecution for righteousness' sake; they shall inherit the kingdom of God.
 
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 12-16
 
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
 
HYMN 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 
Till on that cross as Jesus died 
The wrath of God was satisfied 
For every sin on Him was laid 
Here in the death of Christ I live  
There in the ground His body lay 
 
3 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 power of Christ in me 
 life's first cry to final breath 
Jesus commands my destiny 
No power of hell, no scheme of man 
Can ever pluck me from His hand 
Till He returns or calls me home 
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

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