OPEN HEAVENS 16 JULY 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL & COMMENTARY

OPEN HEAVENS 16 JULY 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL & COMMENTARY

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TOPIC: DELIVERANCE FROM THE BURDEN OF DEBTS

MEMORISE:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
— Luke 4:18 (KJV)

READ: 2 Kings 4:1-7 (KJV)

1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

OPEN HEAVENS 16 JULY 2026 TODAY MESSAGE

Today, I will discuss the burden of debt as another category of burdens. Some years ago, we had a housemaid who would always sing, “The fire is burning the bush, and the bush is not consumed. How great is our God!” every time we asked her to bring up a song during our family prayers. One day, it occurred to me to ask her what the unconsumed bush she always sang about was. When I did, I discovered that she became a housemaid because her parents were heavily in debt and could not pay their bills. Therefore, we decided to pay off all the debt. After paying the debt, the next time we asked her to suggest a song when we wanted to pray, she sang something different. This time, her song was, “He has done it for me. What my father cannot do, He has done it for me.” If you are under any burden of debt, I pray that this will also be your song soon, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s Bible reading tells us the story of the widow of one of the sons of the prophets who was in debt. When the creditors threatened to sell her sons into slavery as a means to offset the debts, she cried unto the Burden Bearer, as there was nothing she could do on her own, and the tide turned. God gave her more than enough to pay her debts and live comfortably with her sons.

It is God’s desire for all His children to live debt-free because debts are heavy burdens, and debtors are always at the mercy of their creditors. This is why Proverbs 22:7 says that the borrower is a servant to the lender. The only thing God permits you to owe other people is love (Romans 13:8). If you are currently struggling under a heavy burden of debt, call unto Him today and ask Him to turn your financial situation around for good. No matter the size of the debt, the Burden Bearer will step in and help you to overcome it. As 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, He is able to make all grace abound towards you and give you sufficiency in all things. He will not only ensure that you become debt-free, but He will give you the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) and make you a lender to nations (Deuteronomy 15:6). I pray that God will bless you with His abundance and indeed make you a lender to nations, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please make me a lender to nations, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Isaiah 4-8

HYMN 29: WHEN PEACE LIKE A RIVER ATTENDETH MY WAY

Verse 1:
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Chorus:
It is well, it is well,
With my soul, with my soul!
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Verse 2:
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

(Chorus)

Verse 3:
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

(Chorus)

Verse 4:
And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

(Chorus)

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 16 JULY 2026 COMMENTARY

MEMORISE: Luke 4:18
This verse is Jesus’ mission statement, read from the scroll of Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue. It declares His anointing to preach deliverance to captives and set at liberty them that are bruised. Daddy Adeboye anchors today’s devotional on this text because debt is a form of captivity—financial bondage that robs freedom, peace, and joy. Jesus came to set the captives free, and this includes those held by the burden of debt.

BIBLE READING: 2 Kings 4:1-7
This passage tells the story of a widow of one of the sons of the prophets. Her husband died, leaving behind a massive debt. The creditor was coming to take her two sons as slaves. She had nothing in her house but a small pot of oil. Elisha instructed her to borrow empty vessels from her neighbors, shut the door, and pour the oil. The oil flowed until every vessel was full. She sold the oil, paid the debt, and lived on the remainder. This is a powerful picture of supernatural provision and complete deliverance from debt.

The Housemaid’s Song: From “The Fire Is Burning” to “He Has Done It for Me”

1. The Song of the Unconsumed Bush
A housemaid always sang, “The fire is burning the bush, and the bush is not consumed. How great is our God!” When asked what this meant, Daddy Adeboye discovered her parents were heavily in debt, and she had become a housemaid because they couldn’t pay their bills. The “fire” was their debt; the “bush” was their household, burning but not yet consumed.

2. The New Song
After Daddy Adeboye paid off the debt, the housemaid’s song changed to: “He has done it for me. What my father cannot do, He has done it for me.” Before the debt was paid, she sang of survival. After the debt was paid, she sang of deliverance. If you are under debt, I pray this will also be your song soon—not “the fire is still burning,” but “He has done it for me.”

The Widow’s Debt: A Testimony of Supernatural Provision

1. The Desperate Situation
The widow had a massive debt she could not pay. The creditor was coming to take her two sons as slaves. She had no husband, no income, no resources, and no collateral. She was completely helpless.

2. The Burden Bearer’s Response
God gave her more than enough to pay her debts and live comfortably with her sons. What she had was a pot of oil. What God provided was oil that flowed into many vessels—more than enough. Her debt was paid in full, her sons were freed, and there was enough left to live on. She did not try to fix it herself; she cried out to God, and the tide turned.

God’s Desire: Debt-Free Living
It is God’s desire for all His children to live debt-free because debts are heavy burdens, and debtors are always at the mercy of their creditors. Proverbs 22:7 says the borrower is a servant to the lender. When you are in debt, your decisions are constrained, your income is not your own, you cannot give freely, and you live under pressure. The only thing God permits you to owe is love (Romans 13:8). Love is always due and brings freedom, unlike financial debt which brings bondage.

The Promise: God Can Turn Your Situation Around
If you are struggling under the burden of debt, call unto Him today. No matter the size of the debt, the Burden Bearer will step in. 2 Corinthians 9:8 promises that God is able to make all grace abound toward you, giving you sufficiency in all things. He will not only make you debt-free but will give you the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) and make you a lender to nations (Deuteronomy 15:6).

How to Be Set Free from the Burden of Debt (Practical Steps)

1. Acknowledge That You Cannot Do It Alone
The widow did not try to pay the debt through her own efforts. She had nothing. Cry out to God. Stop trying to solve the problem with more debt, more schemes, or more desperate measures.

2. Cry Out to the Burden Bearer
Pray specifically: “Lord, I am under a burden of debt. I cannot pay it. I ask You to intervene.” Pray persistently, desperately, and expectantly—like the widow.

3. Use What You Have (The Pot of Oil Principle)
The widow had a small pot of oil, seemingly useless. Ask God: What do I have that I have overlooked? What skill, resource, or opportunity have I dismissed as too small? Use it. Obey. Watch God multiply it.

4. Obey Practical Wisdom While Trusting God
God’s deliverance often involves both supernatural provision and practical obedience: create a budget, cut expenses, increase income, stop borrowing, and tithe and give (giving breaks financial curses).

5. Declare That Your Song Will Change
Don’t keep singing “the fire is still burning.” Start declaring: “He has done it for me. What I cannot do, God will do for me. My debt is being paid. My freedom is coming.” Your words shape your faith, and your faith shapes your future.

Warning: Do Not Let Debt Keep You from Serving God
Debt is a burden, but it is not the end. Do not despair, do not compromise your integrity, do not abandon God, and do not give up on giving. Giving breaks the cycle of lack.

Conclusion: Your Prayer for Debt Freedom
Daddy Adeboye closes with a prayer that God will bless you with His abundance and make you a lender to nations. Do not settle for a life of debt. Cry out to the Burden Bearer today.

Pray this:
“Lord Jesus, I come to You as the Burden Bearer. You anointed to preach deliverance to captives and set at liberty them that are bruised. I am bruised by debt. I am captive to creditors. I have been singing ‘the fire is still burning’ for too long. Today, I cry out to You. Like the widow in 2 Kings 4, I have nothing in my house—but I bring my small pot of oil to You. Like the housemaid whose family was in debt, I ask for someone to help pay what I cannot pay. But above all, I ask for Your supernatural intervention. Turn my situation around. Pay my debts. Set me free. Give me the power to get wealth. Make me a lender, not a borrower. And let my song change from ‘the bush is not consumed’ to ‘He has done it for me.’ I receive my freedom today. In Jesus’ mighty name.”

Action Steps:

1. The Debt Inventory: Write down every debt you owe—to whom, how much, and the interest rate. Face the full reality. Then bring that list before the Lord in prayer.

2. The Cry of the Widow: Set aside 30 minutes this week to cry out to God specifically about your debt. Pour out your desperation. Ask Him to intervene.

3. The Pot of Oil Search: Identify one resource you already have that you have overlooked—a skill you could monetize, an item you could sell, a connection you have not utilized. Take one step to use it this week.