OPEN HEAVENS 15 JULY 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL & COMMENTARY

OPEN HEAVENS 15 JULY 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL & COMMENTARY

TOPIC: DELIVERANCE FROM MATERIAL BURDENS

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MEMORISE:

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
— Joel 2:25 (KJV)

READ: Haggai 1:2-8 (KJV)

2 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.
3 Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.

OPEN HEAVENS 15 JULY 2026 TODAY MESSAGE

Today, I will discuss material burdens as another category of burdens. The devil seeks to put material burdens on people because he knows that when someone is living in poverty, it will be easier for him or her to fall into temptations that involve material things.

The widow of Zarephath and her son watched their food supplies deplete daily until they had only one meal left. To make matters worse, a severe famine had struck the land; everything was dry, and they had no hope of finding another meal. Therefore, they resolved to eat the only meal that was left and prepare for death. However, the Burden Bearer stepped into their situation and turned things around such that what wasn’t enough became sufficient to sustain them throughout the famine (1 Kings 17:7-16). I pray that the Almighty God will deliver you from any material burden that may be in your life, in Jesus’ name.

There was once a very wealthy man who had a quarrel with his wife. As the quarrel got heated, she told him that by the time she was finished with him, he would travel everywhere within Lagos on foot. The man laughed because at the time, he had 14 cars. Unfortunately, however, things began to go downhill for him, and at one point, he had only one car left and 50 kobo in his pocket. Then he began to think to himself, “If I use the 50 kobo with me to fuel my car, I will have nothing to eat. However, if I buy food, I will have to walk everywhere I need to go, just as my wife had said.” That was when he came to Jesus Christ, and Jesus took over his situation. When he shared the testimony of his turnaround, he was dedicating two new houses at once.

In today’s Bible reading, Haggai rebuked the Israelites for abandoning God’s house and living just for themselves. He told them that they were experiencing a lack of material resources as a result. The people sowed much but reaped little, and the little they earned wasted away. Beloved, if you want to experience material prosperity, seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness wholeheartedly. Mind His business, and He will ensure that you live in material abundance all the days of your life. If you have lost any material thing, turn to God today, and He will restore it to you, just as He promised in today’s memory verse.

PRAYER POINT:
Lord Jesus, I bring all my material burdens to You today. Please help me carry them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Isaiah 1-3

HYMN 52: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

Verse 1:
There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

Chorus:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

Verse 2:
There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

(Chorus)

Verse 3:
There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

(Chorus)

Verse 4:
There shall be showers of blessing,
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

(Chorus)

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 15 JULY 2026 COMMENTARY

MEMORISE: Joel 2:25
This verse is God’s promise of supernatural restoration. Daddy Adeboye anchors today’s devotional on this text because it declares that no loss is final when God steps in. The locusts, cankerworms, caterpillars, and palmerworms represent the devouring forces of the enemy—economic collapse, bad decisions, natural disasters, and spiritual attacks that strip away material resources. God promises not just recovery but full restoration of the years consumed.

BIBLE READING: Haggai 1:2-8
This passage is God’s rebuke to the Israelites who had returned from exile. They lived in paneled houses while God’s house lay in ruins. God responded: “Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough… he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.” Their material lack was directly connected to their neglect of God’s house. God commanded them to build His house, and then He would take pleasure in it and be glorified. This shows that material burdens often have spiritual roots—and the solution is to prioritize God’s Kingdom.

The Devil’s Strategy: Material Burdens Lead to Temptation
The devil seeks to put material burdens on people because poverty creates a pressure cooker for temptation. Desperation leads to compromise (stealing, fraud, corruption). Hunger overrides principles, leading to selling integrity for a meal. Lack breeds anxiety, hoarding, and exploitation. Proverbs 30:8-9 says, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; lest I be full, and deny thee… lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” God wants His children free from material burdens—not for luxury, but for spiritual stability.

The Widow of Zarephath: From Last Meal to Endless Supply (1 Kings 17:7-16)

1. The Desperate Situation
The widow and her son had only a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse—enough for one small cake. A severe famine meant no hope of more food. They resolved to eat their last meal and die. Her material burden was not a temporary cash flow problem; it was a death sentence.

2. The Burden Bearer Steps In
Elijah asked her to make a cake for him first. She obeyed, putting God’s servant before herself. The result: the barrel did not waste, and the cruse did not fail. She and her son ate for many days throughout the famine. The miracle was not a one-time multiplication but a daily supply. What seemed like the end became a testimony of supernatural provision.

The Man with 14 Cars: Complete Loss and Restoration

1. The Quarrel and the Prophecy
A wealthy man with 14 cars quarreled with his wife, who said he would walk everywhere on foot. He laughed, dismissing her words as anger, unable to imagine his wealth could disappear.

2. The Downward Spiral
Things began to go downhill. Eventually, he had only one car left and 50 kobo in his pocket. He faced an impossible choice: use the 50 kobo to fuel his car or buy food. His wife’s prophecy was about to come true.

3. The Turning Point
That was when he came to Jesus Christ, and Jesus took over his situation. He later testified of his turnaround while dedicating two new houses at once. Not a financial plan, not a loan, not a bailout—Jesus. The Burden Bearer stepped in, and the man who had lost everything was soon dedicating two new houses.

The Root of Material Burdens: Neglecting God’s House (Haggai 1)
The Israelites prioritized their own homes while God’s house lay waste. As a result, they sowed much but harvested little, ate but were not satisfied, and earned wages that disappeared into “a bag with holes.” Their material burden was directly connected to their neglect of God’s house. The cure was to “consider your ways” and build God’s house. When they prioritized His house, He would take pleasure in them and be glorified.

How to Be Free from Material Burdens (Practical Steps)

1. Put God’s Kingdom First (Matthew 6:33)
Stop prioritizing your comfort over God’s work. Seek first His Kingdom through giving, serving, and obedience, and He will add everything you need.

2. Give Even When You Have Little
The widow gave her last meal to the prophet. That act of faith unlocked supernatural provision. Do not wait until you have “enough” to give.

3. Come to Jesus When You Reach the End of Yourself
The man with 14 cars tried everything else before coming to Jesus. Do not wait until you have only 50 kobo left. Bring your material burden to the Burden Bearer today.

4. Check Your Spiritual Priorities
Ask yourself: Am I tithing faithfully (Malachi 3:10)? Am I supporting the work of God’s house? Am I neglecting any area where God has asked me to give? The hole in your pocket may be a spiritual issue.

5. Believe God for Restoration (Joel 2:25)
Do not accept loss as final. God promises to restore the years the locusts have eaten—not just the money, but the time you spent struggling, the opportunities you lost, and the harvest that was devoured.

Warning: The Hole in Your Pocket May Be Spiritual
If you are sowing much but reaping little, if money disappears as if in a bag with holes, if you lack despite hard work—consider your ways. The problem may not be the economy but your neglect of God’s house. Malachi 3:10 says to bring all tithes into the storehouse and prove God. The cure for the bag with holes is obedience in giving.

Conclusion: Your Prayer for Material Restoration
Daddy Adeboye closes with a promise: if you have lost any material thing, turn to God today, and He will restore it.

Pray this:
“Lord Jesus, I come to You as the Burden Bearer. You lifted the material burden from the widow of Zarephath. You turned around the situation of the man who went from 14 cars to 50 kobo. You restored the years the locusts ate. Today, I bring my material burden to You. Forgive me for any area where I have neglected Your house—where I have built my comfort while Your work suffered. I repent. I will seek Your Kingdom first. I will mind Your business. I will give even when it costs me. And I ask You: restore what I have lost. Restore the years. Restore the harvest. Restore the resources that the devourer has eaten. I believe that the same God who filled the widow’s barrel and cruse can fill my storehouses. I receive Your promise. In Jesus’ mighty name.”

Action Steps:

1. The “Holes in Your Pocket” Audit: Look at your finances over the past year. Have you been sowing much but reaping little? Does money seem to disappear? Ask God: Is there a spiritual root to this material lack?

2. The First Fruits Commitment: If you have not been tithing, start today. If you have been tithing, consider giving an offering above the tithe. Put God’s Kingdom first in your finances.

3. The Restoration Declaration: Write down one material loss you have experienced. Pray Joel 2:25 over it: “Lord, restore the years the locust has eaten.” Thank Him for restoration before you see it.