OPEN HEAVENS 27 APRIL 2026 DEVOTIONAL
ATTRACTING GOD’S HELP III
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye | General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)
MEMORISE
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” – James 4:10
READ: Psalm 10:17-18 (KJV)
17 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
MESSAGE
Today, I will conclude the teaching I started two days ago by discussing humility as another way of attracting God’s help. Today’s Bible reading makes us understand that God listens to the desires of the humble and delivers them from every form of oppression. In this area of your life, you must be in a state of total surrender to Him. Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
When you present your body as a living sacrifice to God, it means that you have surrendered completely to Him, and He now has total control over your life.
In 2 Kings 5:11-12, Naaman was about to lose his miracle because of pride. He felt that a man of his social and financial status should be treated in a special way. If not for the fact that his servants advised him to obey the prophet of the Lord by dipping himself in River Jordan seven times, he probably would have died as a leper.
Child of God, whenever you come before your heavenly Father, do not consider whatever wealth or achievements you might have. Rather, you should always approach the Almighty God in total surrender so you can receive His help. I have walked with God for some decades now, and one of the things I can say about Him is that He hates pride. In fact, He said in James 4:6 that He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. This tells us that God is always quick to help the humble.
David’s humility made him enjoy God’s help countless times in his lifetime. He never argued with God; rather, he saw himself as a mere work of creation before Him (Psalm 8:4). As a result, God continued to help him until he died at a good old age, full of riches and honour (1 Chronicles 29:28).
Beloved, if you want God to arise for your help, you must surrender your life totally to Him. You must acknowledge Him as the Owner and Controller of your life, and when you go before Him in prayers, you must totally disregard your social or financial status. With utmost humility in your heart, make your requests known to God, and I can assure you that He will arise and help you, even beyond your wildest imagination.
KEY POINT
Pride is a major hindrance to attracting God’s help.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
2 Kings 24-25
OPEN HEAVENS 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 or a fear, not a sigh or 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 or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favour He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
COMMENTARY (Separate from the Devotional)
Introduction: The Humility That Attracts Divine Help
In today’s devotional, Pastor E.A. Adeboye concludes his series on attracting God’s help with the most important quality of all: humility. Without humility, your cries for help may go unanswered. Without humility, your service may go unrewarded. But when you humble yourself before God, you position yourself for His lifting power.
The memory verse from James 4:10 contains one of the most direct promises in Scripture: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” Notice the order: first humbling, then lifting. Not the other way around. We don’t get lifted so we can be humble—we humble ourselves, and God does the lifting. The humbling is our part; the lifting is His.
What Humility Really Means
The devotional defines humility not as thinking less of yourself, but as total surrender to God. It is presenting your body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1)—holy, acceptable, completely available to God. It is acknowledging that He is the Owner and Controller of your life, not you.
This kind of humility means:
You don’t argue with God’s instructions
You don’t insist on your own way
You don’t bring your status or achievements before Him as bargaining chips
You come empty-handed, desperate, dependent
Naaman: The Miracle Almost Lost to Pride
The story of Naaman is a powerful warning about what pride can cost you. Naaman was a great man—commander of the Syrian army, wealthy, respected, victorious. But he was a leper. When he came to Elisha for healing, he expected special treatment. He expected the prophet to come out, wave his hand over the leprosy, and call on God dramatically.
Instead, Elisha sent a messenger with a simple instruction: “Go and wash in Jordan seven times.”
Naaman was furious. He said, “Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.” He expected a performance. He expected recognition of his status. Instead, he got a command to dip in a muddy river.
His pride almost cost him his miracle. He turned away in rage, ready to go back home still leprous. But his servants—bless them—approached him humbly and said, “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?”
Naaman listened. He humbled himself, went down to the Jordan, dipped seven times, and came out with skin like that of a little child.
The lesson is clear: pride blocks miracles; humility opens the door.
God’s War on Pride
Daddy Adeboye states plainly: “He hates pride.” This is not an overstatement. Scripture is filled with God’s opposition to the proud:
Proverbs 6:16-17 lists “a proud look” as the first of seven things God hates
Proverbs 16:5 says, “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD”
James 4:6 declares, “God resisteth the proud”
1 Peter 5:5 repeats, “God resisteth the proud”
The word “resisteth” is strong—it means God sets Himself in opposition to the proud. He actively works against them. If you are proud, you are not just missing out on God’s help—you are facing His resistance. But to the humble, He gives grace. He gives help. He gives favour.
David: A Model of Humility
The devotional points to David as an example of someone who enjoyed God’s help throughout his life because of his humility. Despite being a king, a warrior, a psalmist, David never forgot his place before God.
In Psalm 8:4, he wrote: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” He saw himself as a mere work of creation, amazed that the Creator would pay attention to him.
When the ark of God was brought to Jerusalem, David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a linen ephod—not his royal robes. When his wife Michal despised him for it, he replied, “It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father… Therefore will I play before the LORD, and I will yet be more vile than thus” (2 Samuel 6:21-22). He was willing to be even more undignified in his worship.
Because of this humility, God helped David continually. He died at a good old age, full of riches and honour. His humility opened the door for a lifetime of divine assistance.
How to Practice Humility Before God
1. Present Your Body as a Living Sacrifice
Romans 12:1 calls this your “reasonable service.” It means giving God complete control over your life—your time, your resources, your plans, your relationships, your future. You are no longer the owner; you are the steward.
2. Come Empty-Handed Before Him
When you pray, don’t bring your resume. Don’t remind God of your achievements, your status, your wealth. Come as a beggar in need of bread. The ground is level at the cross.
3. Obey Without Arguing
Naaman almost lost his miracle because he argued with God’s instructions. When God tells you to do something—even if it seems beneath you, even if it doesn’t make sense—obey. Humility says, “Your word is final.”
4. Accept Lowly Positions
Jesus washed feet. David danced in an ephod. The greatest in the kingdom are the servants of all. Don’t be too important to serve, to clean, to help, to be unnoticed.
5. Welcome Correction
The humble person can receive rebuke. Naaman’s servants corrected him, and he listened. When someone speaks truth to you—even if they are beneath you socially—receive it. It may save your miracle.
What Pride Costs You
The devotional implies several costs of pride:
Lost miracles – Like Naaman almost experienced
God’s resistance – Active opposition from heaven
Unanswered prayers – God hears the humble, but the proud He knows afar off
Stolen blessing – What should have been yours goes to someone more humble
What Humility Gains You
Conversely, humility brings:
God’s attention – He hears the desire of the humble
God’s help – He is quick to help the humble
God’s lifting – He raises the humble in due time
Sustained blessing – Like David, you can end your life full of honour
The Surrender That Attracts Help
The devotional emphasizes that humility is not just an attitude—it is an action. It is presenting your body as a living sacrifice. It is total surrender. It is saying to God, “I am Yours completely. Do with me as You please.”
This kind of surrender is what attracts God’s help because it removes the biggest obstacle to His work: you. When you stop trying to control things, God can take control. When you stop leaning on your own understanding, He can direct your paths. When you stop trusting in your status, He can fight your battles.
DECLARATIONS BASED ON THE DEVOTIONAL
I DECLARE that I humble myself before the Lord, and He lifts me up!
I DECLARE that God hears the desires of the humble, and my heart is heard!
I DECLARE that I present my body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God!
I DECLARE that I surrender completely to God; He has total control over my life!
I DECLARE that pride will not rob me of my miracle; I walk in humility!
I DECLARE that God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble!
I DECLARE that like Naaman, I obey God’s instructions without argument!
I DECLARE that like David, I see myself as a mere work of creation before the Creator!
I DECLARE that God’s help is attracted to my humility!
I DECLARE that I will end my life full of riches and honour because I walk humbly with my God!
PRAYER
Father, I come before You in humility. I lay down my status, my achievements, my pride. I present my body as a living sacrifice to You. I surrender completely—my life, my family, my future, my all. I don’t come with demands; I come with empty hands.
Forgive me for the times I have approached You with pride, expecting special treatment because of who I am or what I have done. Help me to be like David – humble, worshipful, and surrendered.
Lift me up, Lord, in Your time and Your way. I receive Your grace. I receive Your help. I receive Your blessing.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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