Open Heaven 14 January 2023
MEMORISE: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” – John 15:16 (KJV)
BIBLE READING: Romans 9:15-26 (KJV)
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
Read yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
Some people think that God is doing great things for them because they deserve it. They think because of all that they do for God, then it is only expected that He would bless them as He does. Believe me honestly, everything that God does, He does for His name’s sake – not for you, but that His name will be glorified (Psalm 106:7-8).
Don’t become arrogant, God could use anyone else. There are people who pray, study the Bible and are even more talented than you, but God chose you; you should be grateful for that. In any case, if we were to count iniquity, who will stand? (Psalm 130:3). When people see the things God is doing in The Redeemed Christian Church of God, they think I must be special. The only thing special about me is that God chose me, because even from as far back as when I was a little child, God had promised my Father-in-the Lord that The Redeemed Christian Church of God would go round the world. It had nothing to do with me at all; God just decided to glorify Himself through this Church and it is only by grace that He chose me to be the General Overseer. He could have chosen anyone else. There are people far more qualified than I, but it is by grace that I was chosen.
When you see people still drowning in sin, don’t judge them because you are on your way to heaven; rather, pray that God will save them by His grace. It is by His grace that you are not the one on the way to hell. Never forget that it is He who is working something out for His name’s sake. You are only graced to be a recipient of God’s blessings. The people of Israel may have thought that God parted the Red Sea and drowned Pharaoh and his army because they were so special. He did it for His name’s sake. They were only graced to be the ones He did it for. Romans 9:17 testifies to this:
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
KEY POINT: Father, thank You for Your grace over my life. Please don’t let me ever stop enjoying help from Your throne of grace.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 44-44
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – Praying For Leaders – written by Pastor Enoch Adeboye
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Open Heaven 14 January 2023
