OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL APRIL 26TH 2023

DATE: WEDNESDAY APRIL 26TH 2023

MEMORISE: And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

It is common knowledge that the Church is meant to be for people called out by God. Christ is the Head of he Church because the most important part of anybody is the head. The head is so important that when you want to take a passport photograph, all you take is a picture of your head. The heart, kidney and liver can be transplanted, but there has never been a successful head transplant.

Is Christ your head? If your answer is yes, is He your vision? The eyes are a major part of the head and we know how important vision is. Where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18).

Is Christ your hearing? If Christ is your hearing, then your faith will continue to grow because Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The word is Jesus Christ (John1:1, 14).

That will lead us to the nose. What you breathe in and out counts because according to Acts 17:28, “For in him we live, and move and have our being…” You are alive as a Christian if you’re breathing in and breathing out Christ.

Who controls your brain? What do you allow your mind to dwell on? Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” Philippians 4:8 tells us the kind of thoughts we should have: pure, lovely, virtuous, good and praise-worthy thoughts.

Who controls your mouth? What do you eat? Who do you praise – God or man? John 4:24 says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth”. How do you pray? Who controls you in prayer? John 14:14 says, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, l will do it”.

You will be a successful Christian if Christ is your Head – the Controller. Our prayer should thus be, “Christ, please be my head”, because if all is well with the head, you can handle whatever is before you. If something goes wrong with the head, every other thing will go wrong.

Lord, please be my head from now, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2King 22-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: I AM THINE O LORD

1. I am Thine O Lord

I have heard Thy voice

And it told Thy love to me

But I long to rise in the arms of faith

And be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

To the cross where Thou hast died;

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord

To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord

By the pow’r of grace divine

Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope

And my will be lost in Thine.

3. Oh, the pure delight of a single hour

That before Thy throne I spend

When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God

I commune as friend with friend.

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know

Till I cross the narrow sea

There are heights of joy that I may not reach

Till I rest in peace with Thee