Open Heaven 29 June 2023 – Entering God’s Presence 2
Open Heaven 29 June 2023 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Entering God’s Presence 2
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Open Heaven 29 June 2023 TOPIC: Entering God’s Presence 2
MEMORISE: “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.” – Psalm 50:23 (KJV)
READ: Psalm 118:19-21 (KJV)
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord:
20 This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 141-150
Open Heaven 29 June 2023 MESSAGE:
Yesterday we identified righteousness as a precondition to access God’s presence. Once a person has clean hands and a pure heart, he or she would be able to access God’s presence with thanksgiving and praises as stated in Psalm 100:4:
Enter into his gates with thanksgivings, and into his court with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Also Read: Open Heaven 28 June 2023 – Entering God’s Presence 1
If you try to get into His presence with complaints or even requests, the gate will not be opened to you. Only those who approach Him with thanksgiving are attended to. However, your thanksgiving will get you into His gates, but your praises will get you into His courts. Being in His courts is definitely a step higher than just getting into the gates. The keepers of the gates always check for how well you can praise God before they admit you in. If they see that you are not one who is willing to praise God, they will lock you out. David seemed to be talking to the keepers of the gate when he said in Psalm 118:19, “Open to me the gates of righteousness: l will go into them, and l will praise the LORD.”
It is as though God had instructed them thus: “If anyone comes here with complaints or requests without thanksgiving or praise, don’t open this gate for the fellow”. That is why when Jesus was teaching us to pray in Luke 11:1-4, He said we are to start with, “Our Father who hath in heaven, hallowed be thy name”. If you start your prayers that way, you are guaranteed access to the presence of God, where you can then present your requests.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. – John 4:23
Since the Father seeks true worshippers, it means that whenever you worship Him, you draw down His presence to wherever you are. Psalm 22:3 says that He inhabits the praises of His children. You won’t have to struggle to get into His presence again if you will just fill your heart with thanksgiving and praise.
Open Heaven 29 June 2023 ACTION POINT
Spend at least one hour just praising God today.
Open Heaven 29 June 2023 HYMN 16: Praise Him Praise Him, Our Blessed Redeemer
1 Praise him, praise him! Jesus, our blessed redeemer!
Sing, O earth, his wonderful love proclaim!
Hail him, hail him! Highest archangels in glory!
Strength and honor give to his holy name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard his children.
In his arms he carries them all day long.
Refrain:
Praise him! Praise him! tell of his excellent greatness.
Praise him! Praise him! ever in joyful song.
2 Praise him, praise him! Jesus, our blessed redeemer!
For our sins, he suffered, and bled, and died.
He our rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
hail him, hail him! Jesus, the crucified.
Sound his praises, Jesus who bore our sorrows,
love unbounded, wonderful, deep, and strong.
3 Praise him, praise him! Jesus, our blessed redeemer!
Heav’nly portals loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever!
Crown him, crown him! prophet, and priest, and king!
Christ is coming, over the world victorious.
Pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong.
Open Heavens 2023 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 2023
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)
