OPEN HEAVENS FOR 23RD MAY 2026
TOPIC: SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED II
MEMORISE:
Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; — Psalm 13:3
READ: Judges 16:19-21 (KJV)
And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
MESSAGE:
There was once a young man who was the secretary of a cult group at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in South-West Nigeria. One day, he gave his life to Christ and decided to leave the cult. Immediately, the other cult members decided to kill him because he knew their secrets.
One night, after arriving in his hostel from the library, he was very tired, so he said a quick prayer and got on his bed to sleep. As he lay on his bed, the Holy Spirit nudged him to get up and pray. He got on his knees, said another short prayer, and tried to sleep again. However, he got another nudge to pray, and he just thought to himself, “Well, let me pray just as God wants.” He did so, and as he got up from his knees, he saw a huge demon with charms all over its body walk into his room, even though the door was locked.
The demon made its way towards him, and he immediately started rebuking it in Jesus’ name. Slowly, the demon retreated from the room.
When he told me about the incident, I asked him, “Are you sure you weren’t dreaming?” He replied, “I’d have thought I was dreaming too; however, because of how I shouted when rebuking the demon, my roommate moved on his bed, and as he did so, his leg touched the demon as it retreated. My roommate’s leg, which touched the demon, swelled to three times its normal size, and he spent a year treating it.” Being spiritually discerning can be the difference between life and death.
As we read in Balaam’s story yesterday, disobedience to God’s instructions can prevent a Christian from discerning spiritual things. Are there instructions the Lord has given you to follow? Don’t try to negotiate your way out of complete obedience to Him. Always obey God’s instructions, because it will make your heart more sensitive to hearing Him.
Toying with sin will make a believer become spiritually dull. Samson didn’t know when his hair was cut because sin had made him spiritually dull. He was fast asleep and didn’t know that he was in trouble until Delilah woke him up. When he awoke, he wanted to fight the Philistines as he had always done, but he was unaware that God had left him.
Beloved, flee disobedience and sin so that you will remain spiritually discerning. May you not become spiritually insensitive and sleep the sleep of death, in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to obey You at all times so I never become spiritually insensitive.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Nehemiah 8-10
HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD
When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Chorus:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear,
Not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief nor a loss,
Not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.
About RCCG and Open Heavens
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is a global Pentecostal denomination founded in 1952 by Reverend Josiah Akindayomi and now led by Pastor E. A. Adeboye as General Overseer. Headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, RCCG has spread to over 200 countries with millions of worshippers worldwide.
Open Heavens is the daily devotional of RCCG, written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye. First published in 2003, it has become one of the most widely read daily devotionals in the world. Each edition includes a memory verse, Bible reading, message, prayer point, and hymn. The devotional is known for its practical, Bible-based teachings that address everyday Christian living, spiritual warfare, and faith.
The devotional for 23rd May 2026 is the second part of the series on spiritual discernment, focusing on how disobedience and sin dull spiritual sensitivity, using the tragic example of Samson.
BRIEF COMMENTARY
Based on Open Heavens 23rd May 2026 – “Spiritually Discerned II”
The Sleep of Spiritual Insensitivity
In today’s devotional, Pastor Adeboye continues his teaching on spiritual discernment, moving from Balaam’s blindness to Samson’s slumber. Both men had great spiritual gifts, but both became spiritually insensitive. The result: Balaam walked into danger, and Samson woke up in chains.
The memory verse, Psalm 13:3, is a desperate prayer for spiritual awakening: “Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” David fears not physical death but spiritual slumber—a state where his eyes become heavy, his discernment dims, and he becomes vulnerable to the enemy.
The Testimony of the Cult Secretary
The devotional opens with a powerful testimony that illustrates the life-or-death importance of spiritual discernment. A young man who had left a cult was targeted for death by his former brothers. One night, exhausted from studying, he said a quick prayer and went to bed. But the Holy Spirit nudged him repeatedly to get up and pray. After the third nudge, he prayed earnestly. As he got up from his knees, he saw a huge demon covered with charms walk into his locked room. He rebuked it in Jesus’ name, and it retreated.
When his roommate’s leg touched the retreating demon, it swelled to three times its normal size and took a year to heal.
The lesson: If this young man had ignored the Holy Spirit’s nudging, he would have been dead by morning. His spiritual discernment—his sensitivity to the Spirit’s prompting—was the difference between life and death.
Samson: The Mighty Man Who Didn’t Know God Had Left
The Bible reading gives the tragic example of Samson. He was a Nazirite from birth. The Spirit of the Lord moved upon him mightily. He killed a lion, slaughtered 1,000 Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone, and carried away the gates of Gaza.
But sin dulled his senses.
Delilah nagged him until he told her the secret of his strength: his uncut hair—the sign of his consecration to God. Then:
She lulled him to sleep on her lap.
She called a man to shave off the seven locks of his head.
She woke him saying, “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.”
He awoke thinking, “I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.”
Then comes the most tragic words in his story: “He wist not that the LORD was departed from him.”
Samson didn’t know. He thought he was still strong. He thought the presence of God was still with him. But sin had made him spiritually dull. He was fast asleep while his hair was being cut. He didn’t know he was in trouble until Delilah woke him, and by then it was too late. The Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and bound him to grind grain in prison.
The Connection Between Obedience and Discernment
The devotional draws a direct line between obedience and spiritual sensitivity.
Balaam wanted to go because of money, so God had to speak through a donkey to get his attention.
Samson toyed with sin, so he lost his strength without even realizing it.
The young man obeyed the Holy Spirit’s nudging, and his life was saved.
When you obey God promptly and completely, your heart becomes more sensitive to hearing Him. When you negotiate, delay, or disobey, your spiritual senses grow dull. You become like Samson—strong in your own mind but powerless in reality.
How Sin Dulls Your Spiritual Senses
Sin makes you sleep when you should be alert. Samson was fast asleep while Delilah cut his hair. The young man was exhausted, but the Holy Spirit woke him. Sin makes you comfortable at the wrong times.
Sin makes you think you are still strong. Samson thought, “I will go out as at other times.” He didn’t feel any different. His muscles still felt strong. But the source of his strength was gone. Sin deceives you into thinking nothing has changed while everything has changed.
Sin makes you blind to danger. Samson didn’t see the Philistines coming. He woke up already captured. The young man, because he was sensitive to the Spirit, saw the demon entering and fought it.
Sin makes you lose what you never realized you lost. The most tragic phrase in Scripture: “He wist not that the LORD was departed from him.” You can lose your anointing, your protection, your discernment—and not even realize it until disaster strikes.
How to Stay Spiritually Alert
Flee disobedience and sin. The devotional says: “Flee disobedience and sin so that you will remain spiritually discerning.” Not resist—flee. Not negotiate—flee. Run from anything that would dull your senses.
Obey promptly. When the Holy Spirit nudges you to pray, pray. When He tells you to speak, speak. When He warns you to stop, stop. Do not delay. Prompt obedience keeps your spiritual senses sharp.
Check your spiritual vital signs regularly. Ask yourself: Do I still hunger for God’s word? Do I still sense His presence in prayer? Am I still sensitive to His promptings? Is there any unconfessed sin blocking my connection?
Pray for lightened eyes. The memory verse is a prayer: “Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” Pray this daily. Ask God to keep your spiritual eyes open, alert, and sensitive.
Stay in the company of the awake. Stay close to believers who are spiritually discerning. Their alertness can protect you.
Conclusion: Don’t Sleep the Sleep of Death
Samson woke up blind, bound, and grinding grain in a prison. The man who had killed a thousand Philistines became a laughingstock for his enemies. All because he played with sin and lost his discernment.
Do not let this be you. When the Holy Spirit nudges you to pray, pray. When He warns you to stop, stop. When He prompts you to obey, obey.
Your spiritual discernment is the difference between life and death. It is the difference between victory and captivity. It is the difference between finishing your race and grinding in prison.
Prayer Point from the Devotional:
Father, please help me to obey You at all times so I never become spiritually insensitive.
Action Steps:
Identify any area of disobedience – is there an instruction from God that you have been delaying or negotiating? Obey it today.
Check for “Samson” patterns – are there areas where you have been toying with sin, thinking you can handle it? Flee today.
Practice immediate obedience – when you sense the Holy Spirit prompting you, even in small things, obey immediately. Build your sensitivity.
Pray Psalm 13:3 daily – write it down. Pray it every morning: “Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.”
Stay awake – if you find yourself spiritually drowsy (no hunger for the Word, no desire for prayer, no sensitivity to the Spirit), stop everything and seek God. Do not let the drowsiness deepen into sleep.
Discover more from Open Heavens and RCCG Daily Publications
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
