OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL: MONDAY MAY 11TH 2026

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