OPEN HEAVEN

     OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL­—MONDAY-3/8/2015-RETARDED PROGRESS-BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

RETARDED PROGRESS

MEMORISE

       For when for the time you ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.     Hebrew 5:12

Read

 Genesis 49:1-4

1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the Excellency of dignity, and the Excellency of power:

4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

                                                                                                                                            KJV

MESSAGE

       A state of progress in which forward or upward movement is so slow, sluggish or negligible, to the point of becoming an embarrassment, can be referred to as retarded progress. When a 13-year old teenager is still being fed with a feeding bottle or is behaving like a two-year old child, growth in such a case is referred to as retarded. Sometimes, it is better not to make any progress at all then to make the type of progress that brings embarrassment. Retarded progress can also be seen as a trapped destiny. When Jacob was about to die, he called all his children together and began to make certain pronouncements over each of them depending on how they had lived their lives. When he was the one supposed to receive the double portion generational blessing, it would be denied him. Jacob categorically stated that he would not excel. From that day, the future of Reuben that looked so bright and promising became bleak. His destiny was trapped.

       I met a particular man of God some time ago. We had last seen each other some five years before. I asked him, “How are things?” “All is well” he replied. “How is your church?” I asked. “Oh, the church is good”, he said l, and so I asked, “What is your attendance like presently?” desiring to know how the church was actually doing. “We are now about 105”, he replied. Surprised, I said “I thought the last time we met some five years ago; you said your attendance was about 100? So five years later, it has only grown by 5 people? Even if you were winning a soul per month that period, you should have added at least 60 members.” Then he replied, “Please pray for me; I think I am suffering from the spirit of retardation.

    One unfortunate thing about retardation is that in some cases, because of the negligible growth or improvement that has been recorded, the victim may be considered to have made some progress. As a result of this false progress, consideration will not be given to putting on the type of effort that would have been required to salvage the situation if there was no progress at all. Is your progress being impeded? Is your destiny boxed? Is the sight progress you have recorded becoming an embarrassment to you? Call on the Lord today for help. Every power that has retarded your progress or destiny is destroyed today in the mighty Name of Jesus.

Prayer point

Father, fast-forward my progress that has been slowed down by the enemy today.

 Bible in one year

 Nehemiah 10:1-12:26, John 8:12-30