Open Heaven 12 January 2024 – It Shall Be Well 4
Open Heaven 12 January 2024 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – It Shall Be Well 4
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Open Heaven 12 January 2024 TOPIC: It Shall Be Well 4
MEMORISE: “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” – Matthew 17:21 (KJV)
READ: Matthew 17:14-21 (KJV)
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 39-41
Open Heaven 12 January 2024 MESSAGE
Over the past three days, I discussed some things you must do this year for it to be well with you, and they are: living righteously, praising God, and praying fervently. Today, I will look at fasting as another thing that you should do so as to enjoy all-round wellness.
Our Bible reading for today is an account of the failure of the disciples of Jesus Christ to cast out the demon that was responsible for a young man’s madness. However, when Jesus intervened, the young man was instantly healed. Surprisingly, some Bible translations have tried to downplay the importance of fasting and praying in the life of a Christian by deliberately omitting verse 21 from the 17th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. The word of God is settled forever in heaven (Psalm 119:89). Our Lord Himself did not only pray; he also fasted a great deal (Luke 4:1-2).
Also Read: Open Heaven 11 January 2024 – It Shall Be Well 3
Beloved, as you pass through this new year, add fasting to righteous living, prayers and praises to the Almighty God. You will experience His abundant goodness, and it shall be well with you. Experience has convinced me that fasting does not kill; it can only make you physically and, more importantly, spiritually stronger. My life is a testimony; I will be 82 years old in a couple of months by the grace of God, and I still fast regularly! I am stronger than many young people who eat three square meals with snacks in-between!
As a young Christian, I did not start with marathon fasting, so if you are not used to the spiritual exercise of fasting, you can start by skipping your breakfast and praying instead. You can then move to skipping both breakfast and lunch. Before long, you will graduate to fasting for 24 hours, and then you will graduate to engaging in marathon fasts for days like Jesus Christ, who fasted for forty days and forty nights.
Lastly, I should mention that when you are fasting, you are bound to be hungry. You will need a lot of self-discipline to ensure that you do not break your fasts prematurely. May God grant you the grace to fast and pray, and it shall indeed be well with you all through this year and beyond, in Jesus’ name.
Open Heaven 12 January 2024 KEY POINT
When you fast, you are bound to be hungry. You need self-discipline to overcome the pangs of hunger.
Open Heaven 12 January 2024 HYMN 23 – Take My Life, And Let It Be
1 Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Open Heavens 2024 Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven for Today 2024
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
