OPEN HEAVENS 23 APRIL 2026 DEVOTIONAL – DIVINE VISITATION I

OPEN HEAVENS 23 APRIL 2026 DEVOTIONAL

Topic: DIVINE VISITATION I

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By Pastor E. A. Adeboye | General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)

MEMORISE
“Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.” – Job 10:12

READ: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (KJV)

1 And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4 And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

MESSAGE

Today’s memory verse shows that God’s visitation brings life and preservation. When God visits a fellow, things begin to change positively in his or her life. His visitation always leaves a lasting mark in the lives of those He visits.

In today’s Bible reading, God told Samuel to go to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king. When he got there, Jesse presented all his sons to him, except David. This shows the extent to which David was disregarded by his own family. However, the Almighty God had arranged a divine visitation for David while he was busy looking after his father’s sheep. God instructed Samuel to anoint him in the presence of his family members, and from that day on, things began to change positively in his life.

“And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 28:13-14)

In the Scripture above, the Almighty God visited Jacob, and from that day on, the blessings of the Lord became evident in his life. He became prosperous and continued to find favour in the sight of God and man.

When God visited Sarah, she laughed for joy, and those who heard her story rejoiced with her (Genesis 21:1-6). God also visited Hannah, and her years of barrenness and sorrow vanished (1 Samuel 1:19-20). Likewise, when He visited Joseph, his years of suffering, slavery, and hardship vanished overnight; he woke up as a prisoner but ended the day as Pharaoh’s second-in-command (Genesis 41:14, 41-44). The day God visited the man at the pool of Bethesda was the day he walked. Before then, he had been paralysed for 38 years (John 5:1-2).

Beloved, my Daddy specialises in making the impossible possible. If you are stuck in what seems like a hopeless situation, cry out to Him today and ask for a divine visitation. Inasmuch as you are His child, He will heed your cry and cause a positive turnaround in your life. I pray that God will visit you today, and every impossibility in your life will become possible, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please visit me and everything that concerns me, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
2 Kings 14-16

OPEN HEAVENS HYMN 48: PASS ME NOT, O GENTLE SAVIOUR

1. Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,
   Hear my humble cry;
   While on others Thou art calling,
   Do not pass me by.

Chorus:
Saviour, Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

1. Let me at Thy throne of mercy
   Find a sweet relief;
   Kneeling there in deep contrition,
   Help my unbelief.

2. Trusting only in Thy merit,
   Would I seek Thy face;
   Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
   Save me by Thy grace.

3. Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
   More than life to me,
   Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
   Whom in heav’n but Thee?

COMMENTARY

Introduction: The God Who Visits the Forgotten

One of the most comforting truths in Scripture is that God specializes in visiting those whom everyone else has forgotten. When you are overlooked, disregarded, and hidden in the background, that is exactly when God shows up to change everything.

The memory verse from Job 10:12 captures the essence of divine visitation: “Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.” God’s visitation is not just a nice experience—it is preservation. It keeps your spirit alive when circumstances want to kill it. It maintains your sanity when madness threatens. It holds you together when everything else is falling apart.

David: The Boy They Left in the Fields

The Bible reading tells the story of David’s anointing, and the details are striking. Samuel, the great prophet, arrived at Jesse’s house with a divine assignment: anoint the next king of Israel. Jesse, understandably excited, gathered all his sons to present them to the prophet.

One by one, they passed before Samuel. Eliab—tall, handsome, impressive. Surely this was the one. But God said no. Abinadab? No. Shammah? No. Seven sons in total, all presented, all rejected.

Then Samuel asked a question that must have stunned Jesse: “Are here all thy children?”

Jesse hesitated. “There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.”

Think about what this means. Jesse had seven sons worthy of presentation. He brought out the best, the most eligible, the most impressive. But David was so insignificant in his father’s eyes that he wasn’t even called in from the fields. He was left with the sheep while his brothers met the prophet. He was forgotten.

But God had not forgotten him. While Jesse was presenting his seven sons, God was waiting for the eighth. While Samuel was rejecting one after another, God was looking at the field where a young shepherd boy was watching sheep. The boy no one thought to invite became the man God chose to anoint.

When David finally arrived, probably dusty and smelling of sheep, God said, “Arise, anoint him: for this is he.” And in that moment, everything changed. The forgotten boy became the chosen king. The disregarded youngest became the ancestor of Messiah.

What Divine Visitation Does

The devotional gives multiple examples of what happens when God visits:

Sarah – God visited, and her years of barrenness ended. She who had been childless into old age became the mother of Isaac. Her laughter of despair became laughter of joy (Genesis 21:1-6).

Hannah – God visited, and her sorrow vanished. The woman who wept at the temple, who was provoked by her rival, who poured out her soul in desperate prayer—became the mother of Samuel, the prophet who would anoint kings (1 Samuel 1:19-20).

Joseph – God visited, and his years of suffering ended overnight. In the morning, he was a prisoner, forgotten in a dungeon. By evening, he was Pharaoh’s second-in-command, ruling Egypt (Genesis 41:14, 41-44).

The man at Bethesda – God visited, and thirty-eight years of paralysis ended in a moment. The man who had no one to help him into the pool walked out carrying his bed (John 5:1-2).

Jacob – God visited, and a fugitive running from his brother became the father of twelve tribes, the recipient of the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 28:13-14).

This is what divine visitation does. It doesn’t just improve your situation—it transforms it completely. It takes the forgotten and makes them famous. It takes the barren and makes them fruitful. It takes the prisoner and makes them prime minister.

You May Be Forgotten, But Not by God

The devotional speaks directly to those who feel overlooked:

You may be the one left out when opportunities are shared
You may be the one not invited to the table
You may be the one working in the background while others get recognition
You may be the one your family disregards
You may be the one society has written off

But hear this: God sees you. Just as He saw David in the fields, He sees you in your hidden place. Just as He knew where Joseph was in prison, He knows where you are right now. And He is arranging a divine visitation that will change everything.

How to Position Yourself for Visitation

1. Stay Faithful in Your Current Assignment
   David was doing his job when God visited him. He was tending sheep, protecting the flock, being faithful in the small thing. He didn’t neglect his duties because he felt overlooked. He kept working, and God visited him at his post.

2. Don’t Despise Your Low Position
   David could have resented being left with the sheep. He could have complained about his brothers getting all the attention. But he didn’t. He accepted his place and waited on God. Your humility in the low place positions you for elevation.

3. Be Ready When Called
   When Samuel sent for David, he came immediately. He didn’t say, “Tell the prophet to wait while I clean up.” He came as he was, and God accepted him. Be ready to respond when God’s call comes.

4. Cry Out for Visitation
   The devotional says, “If you are stuck in what seems like a hopeless situation, cry out to Him today and ask for a divine visitation.” God responds to desperate prayer. Hannah cried out, and God visited. The man at Bethesda didn’t even ask, but Jesus saw him. Your cry reaches His heart.

5. Expect Impossibilities to Become Possible
   The devotional declares: “Every impossibility in your life will become possible.” When God visits, natural laws don’t apply. Barren wombs conceive. Prison doors open. Sheep fields become palaces.

The Pattern of Visitation

Notice the pattern in all these testimonies:

Hopeless situation: Barrenness, prison, paralysis, rejection
Divine intervention: God sees, God hears, God comes
Complete transformation: Laughter, promotion, healing, kingship
Lasting impact: The change is permanent, not temporary

This is not just improvement—this is reversal. This is not just help—this is visitation.

What Kind of Visitation Do You Need?

The devotional asks: what area of your life needs God to visit?

Barren areas: Places where nothing is growing, no matter what you do
Prison areas: Places where you feel trapped, unable to escape
Paralyzed areas: Places where you’ve been stuck for years
Forgotten areas: Places where no one notices or remembers you
Impossible areas: Places where human resources have failed completely

Whatever your need, God’s visitation is the answer.

The Prayer Point

The prayer point is direct: “Father, please visit me and everything that concerns me, in Jesus’ name.”

Notice the scope: “everything that concerns me.” Not just one area, but all. Your health, your family, your finances, your career, your destiny. Ask God to visit it all.

DECLARATIONS BASED ON THE DEVOTIONAL

I DECLARE that God’s visitation is coming to me!

I DECLARE that even if I have been forgotten by man, God has not forgotten me!

I DECLARE that like David, I will be visited in my field of obscurity!

I DECLARE that like Sarah, my barrenness is ending!

I DECLARE that like Hannah, my sorrow is turning to joy!

I DECLARE that like Joseph, my prison is becoming a palace!

I DECLARE that like the man at Bethesda, my long-standing paralysis is ending!

I DECLARE that every impossibility in my life is becoming possible!

I DECLARE that God’s visitation will leave a lasting mark on my life!

I DECLARE that I am not overlooked; I am chosen!

PRAYER

Father, I cry out to You for a divine visitation. You saw David in the fields when his family forgot him. You saw Joseph in prison when everyone else moved on. You saw Hannah at the temple when she was desperate. See me, Lord. Visit me today.

Turn my hopeless situation around. Make every impossibility in my life possible. Let my visitation leave a lasting mark.

Father, please visit me and everything that concerns me, in Jesus’ name.

In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

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