Open Heaven 29 May 2023 – Life: Season 2
MEMORISE:“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10 (KJV)
BIBLE READING: Matthew 6:1-8
1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Read Yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
We discussed the first season of life yesterday and will be discussing the second season today. In the second season of life, a person’s greatest desire will be to impress. At this stage, he or she wants to be perceived as a success by everyone. For example, choristers and pastors in this stage will typically seek to impress others when they sing and preach respectively. A person in this stage may be financially comfortable already, but would be seeking prestige. This is the season that King Saul was in 1 Samuel 15:24.
And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
King Saul had money and power, but he also wanted to impress the people and that got him into trouble.
If you are doing things because of what people think of you, you are likely to get into big trouble soon. The cheer of people may seem good now, but soon you will realise that those who are shouting, “Hosanna today” will be the same ones shouting, “Crucify Him” tomorrow. This is why you must shun what people think and do what is right, whether it is the popular opinion or not.
The Holy Ghost Congress which we hold in Nigeria is a week-long programme, with Friday recording the largest attendance – running into millions. There was a singer who was invited to minister on the Thursday of the Congress. She refused, saying she would only come to sing on Friday when the crowd would be largest. Of course we withdrew the invitation because she was not interested in singing for God but for the crowd.
Those who are more concerned about how they look on social media are risking being destroyed by the same people they are trying to impress. Think about it: if you are trying to impress people, it means that you will always want to jump on the next trend. Trends never end; this means that you would be caught in a never-ending rat race. If you are currently at this stage of trying to impress people, you are still immature and must be deliberate about growing into the next season of your life.
REFLECTION: Why do you do the things you do and buy the things you buy? Sincerely check yourself: are you living to impress people or please God?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 9-12
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – Life: Season 2 – written by Pastor Enoch Adeboye
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Open Heaven 29 May 2023
