OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL-TUESDAY-25/8/2015-TIME TO FAST-BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
TIME TO FAST
Memorise
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1
Read
Matthew 9:14-15
14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
KJV
MESSAGE
It is good to fast, but it is important to know why you should fast. One of the reasons why we fast is so that we can be empowered to deal with demons and forces of darkness. In Matthew 17:14-21, a demon-possessed boy was brought to Jesus’ disciples, but they could not cast out the demon. They later asked the Lord why. He told them that some demonic cases may not be solved by praying alone, but by combining prayers with fasting. We fast in order to be battle-ready, so that whenever the devil raises his ugly head, we are able to give him a good knock. Some people are surprised and disappointed when they do not succeed in casting out demons after quoting Luke 10:19. This scripture says:
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
If you want this scripture to be effective in your life, then you must learn to fast and win souls to Christ. When you win souls to Jesus, you automatically put on the boots of the gospel, and as a result, no demon will be able to harm you.
Moreover, we also fast while preparing for high-powered ministrations, just like our Master who began His ministry with a fast (Matthew 4:1-2). Some people ask God to fulfil His promise that we would do the same works Jesus did and even greater works (John 14:12). To those people, Jesus says “Fine, simply start where I did – with a 40-day fast.” Many years ago, during the centenary celebration of modern Pentecostalism in Azusa, Los Angeles, and a lot of speakers from prominent ministries were invited from across the globe. From Africa, only two people were invited to speak, and by the grace of God, I was one of them. There was a special room where the speakers waited before moving to the stage. All kinds of food and drinks were available in this room. When I got there, I saw those slated to speak eating, drinking and chatting. An usher asked me what I would like to have, but I declined. The lady then asked, “Won’t you take even a cup of tea?” In my heart, I knew that was not the appropriate time for me to eat or drink. It was time to hook on to the Spirit so that my ministration would be impactful; so, I took nothing. After God used other speakers powerfully, when it was my turn, the fire fell. If you truly want your sermons to be effective, feed your spirit and not your flesh. As you wait on Him today, you will have greater results.
Action Point
Use one to three days to wait on the Lord, just to thank, praise and worship Him.
Bible in one year
Genesis 39:1-41:36, John 20:1-23, 20
OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL-MONDAY-24/8/2015-INSANITY TERMINATED INSTANTLY-BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
INSANITY TERMINATED INSTANTLY
Memorise
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her and that right early. Psalm 46:5
Read
Mark 5:1-15
OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL-SUNDAY-23/8/2015-HEAVEN AT LAST-BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
Mark 5:1-15
1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand ;) and were choked in the sea.
14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.
15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
KJV
MESSAGE
Different people experience different stages of progress. While some people experience progress without wheels, some others experience progress with wheels but without an added push. However, there are some who experience the level of accelerated progress which has wheels and speed. The progress that suddenly moves someone from the bottom right to the top shall be your portion this season! Elisha, the servant of Elijah, experienced this type of progress (2nd Kings 2:1-15). While he and Elijah were travelling from place to place, the other sons of the prophets mocked him. On the day his master was to be taken away, they mocked him. On the day his master was to be taken away, they mocked him saying, “Mr. Dedicated! Instead of joining us to acquire theological degrees at the school of prophets, you are busy following Elijah about. We shall see what will become of you when God takes your master home today!” These sons of the prophets must have believed that one of them would be Elijah’s successor, but in a twist of fate, when Elijah was take away, Elisha was the one chosen by God as his successor. When they saw Elisha parting River Jordan and walking through on dry ground, they acknowledged that what they were hoping to get had been given to him instead. They all had no choice but to bow down before Elisha (2nd Kings 2:15). All those mocking you today shall soon bow to God in your life, in Jesus’ Name.
Not only does accelerated progress affect work, position and finance, it can also move a person from a state of insanity to sobriety in an instant. The mad man of Gadara did not undergo 10 weeks of deliverance coupled with fasting and prayer. He met Jesus at the height of his insanity, and the very next moment, he was saved and transformed into an evangelist. Many years ago, a bank manager ran mad. It took four hefty policemen to grab him, handcuff and chain him. He was being taken to the psychiatric hospital when, in a brief moment of sanity, he begged them to take him to the Redemption Camp. He told them that if his legs could just touch the soil at the Redemption Camp, he would be free. When they brought him, I was in my office close to the expressway. He was very wild, but I asked them to release him. They refused, because of the difficulty they had experienced in capturing him at first, but I insisted that they should set him loose, since he had said he just wanted to step on the soil of the camp. Immediately he was set loose and he stepped on the soil of the Redemption Camp, he became completely healed. As witnesses of this miraculous event, the policemen asked me to pray for them. I told them to give their lives to Christ first, and they agreed. Your healing and deliverance shall come suddenly, in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer Point
Father, send your power of deliverance to set free all those with issues of insanity around us.
Bible in one year
Genesis 37-38, John 19:17-42
