Topic: Sit Down [Joyce Meyer’s Devotional Monday August 27, 2018]

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever. — John 14:16

Today’s Scripture says that we are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. I read past that passage one day, and the Holy Spirit stopped me. I noticed that after His resurrection and ascension, Jesus is often depicted as being seated at the right hand of the Father.

Do you know what people do when they sit? They rest. To be seated in heavenly places with Jesus is to enter an “inner rest.”

Sometimes when you start to get nervous and upset, anxious or worried, tell yourself, “Sit down.” That does not mean just your physical body; it also means your soul—your mind, will, and emotions. It is important to let your entire being rest and just wait on God. Wait expectantly for God to do what you cannot do.

Don’t worry, get frustrated, or become fearful while you rest. We often feel that we should always be “doing” something. The promise of God’s peace is not made to those who work, struggle, and strive in their own strength, but to those who enter God’s rest.

Prayer Starter: Lord, teach me how to sit down in Your holy rest. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional HERE’’

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries.

Open Heavens 28 August 2018 Tuesday Daily Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye – Are You Still in the Faith?

Topic: Are You Still in the Faith?

Memorise: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”– 2 Corinthians 13:5

Read: Psalm 139:21-24 (KJV)

21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 78-80, Matthew 26:47-68

Open Heavens 28 August 2018 Tuesday MESSAGE:

It is possible for a person who once walked with God to drift out of the faith. This is the reason why 2 Corinthians 13:5 says:

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

From this scripture, we see that it is also possible for a person not to know that he or she is no longer in the faith, especially if such a fellow has become a reprobate. To become reprobate can be likened to spiritual insanity. When a person is psychologically insane, he or she can no longer differentiate between good and evil. For example, a mad person wandering around naked will regard someone who is properly dressed as abnormal for putting on clothes. In the same way, when a child of God who has been taught to be properly dressed now begins to dress half nude in the name of fashion, something fundamental has gone wrong in his or her life. The fellow must conduct a critical, biblical examination of his or her faith.

The Psalmist made a wise request from the Lord in Psalm 139:23-24. He asked the Lord to carry out a thorough search of his inner man to see if there was anything contrary to His nature in it. This suggests that we can pray to the Lord, as the Revealer of all secrets, to reveal the true state of our hearts to us. When a reprobate person prays this prayer sincerely, God will come to his or her aid to remove the scales covering the eyes of the heart from seeing its true state. The Psalmist prayed that God should graciously find out to him any iota of wickedness that might exist in him and lead him out of it onto the way of righteousness. The easiest way the Lord does this for His genuine children is through His written word. In Psalm 119:9, the Holy Spirit reveals the secret of righteous living, saying:

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”

The word of God enables us to examine whether we are still in the faith. It acts as a mirror that shows our true state (James 1:22-25). When God’s word illuminates your ways, you will see where you might have erred (Psalm 119:105). The word does not stop at revealing sin in our lives, it also cleanses us from sin, but only if we allow it impact and change our lives (Ephesians 5:26-27). Beloved, if you sincerely want to examine whether you are still in the faith, study the word.

Action Point: Open Heavens 28 August 2018 Tuesday

Pray the psalmist’s prayer in Psalm 139:23-24: “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Also Read: Open Heavens 27 August 2018 – Eating Your Parent’s Sour Grapes?

Open Heavens 28 August 2018 Tuesday Hymn 2: I Need Thee Every Hour

1. I Need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

Chorus:
I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee,
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh bless me now, my Saviour;
I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour;
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour;
Teach me Thy will,
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfil.

5. I need Thee every hour,
Most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.

Open Heavens 28 August 2018 Tuesday Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven 28 August 2018.

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

Engaging the Power of Faith for Fulfilment of Prophecies! By David Oyedepo

Topic: Engaging the Power of Faith for Fulfilment of Prophecies!

Welcome to the concluding part of this teaching! I hope you were blessed by the teaching of last week. Today, we shall focus on: Engaging the Power of Faith for Fulfilment of Prophecies!

It is important to know that the Bible is a bank of prophecies because every statement therein is prophetic in nature. It is written: Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them (Isaiah 34:16; see also 2 Peter 1:19-21). Thus, every prophecy from God as contained in the Bible is ordained for fulfilment. As it is written: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it (Isaiah 55:11). However, we must understand that prophecies are not religious wishes; but the unfolding of God’s agenda as it relates to individuals, people, institutions or nations. Thus, prophecies will require our faith to be fulfilled. In other words, when we believe prophetic verdicts, they become binding on God to perform (Luke 1:45; Deuteronomy 18:21-22).

But, what is Faith?

Faith is not a Religious Theory, but a Mystery of the Kingdom: It is written: Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience (1 Timothy 3:9). Theories and principles are forces in the natural realm but faith is a spiritual force that invokes God’s hand into our situation and delivers unbelievable results. For instance, when the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, He felt virtue flowed out of Him and she was made whole instantly. When Jesus later met her, He said, “Thy faith has made thee whole.” This means faith taps into divine virtue for our change of story and that is what makes it a mystery in the Kingdom (Mark 5:25-31).

Faith is not a Belief System, it is a Spiritual Weapon: Through faith Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego tapped into divine nature and quenched the fiery furnace. It is written: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens (Hebrews 11:33-34). Their understanding provoked their faith and translated their bodies from the terrestrial to the celestial realm, which could not be consumed by the furnace (2 Peter 1:4; Ephesians 6:16; Daniel 3:28; 1 Corinthians 15:38-41).

Bible-based Faith is of the Heart and not of the Head: When Bible faith takes root and comes alive in our hearts, it rules and dominates our minds (Romans 10:10). As a result, we operate at levels higher than our natural understanding. This helps us to understand that through faith, we are empowered to overcome, dominate and determine what happens in our lives (1 John 5:4; Isaiah 55:8).

Bible-based Faith Manifests its Power through the Tongue: Bible faith is impotent without the active engagement of our tongues (Mark 11:23). This is because it is by the words of our mouth that we are justified or condemned. Moreover, whatever we are not willing to declare with our mouths, God is not committed to deliver (2 Corinthians 4:13; Proverbs 18:21; Matthew 12:37).

How then, do we engage the Power of Faith in the Fulfilment of Prophecies in our Lives?

Inject Faith into the Prophetic Word: Talking about Abraham, the Bible says: And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God (Romans 4:19-20). Whatever God speaks with His mouth, His hands are able to perform. Thus, it is by His hands that prophecies are fulfilled; however, it is our faith that invokes His hand to perform (Luke 1:45; Isaiah 53:1).

Be Expectant: The reason many people’s faith do not deliver is because it lacks the required expectations. Like I always say: What we don’t expect, we are not permitted to experience. For instance, Abraham engaged the force of expectation until he saw the manifestation of Isaac in his life. The Bible records: Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be (Romans 4:18).

Engage Faith-filled Thoughts: We must be careful about what we think because our thoughts determine our takes in life. It is written: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he… (Proverbs 23:7). The thoughts of fulfilment of prophecies must occupy our minds because if God said it, then He is too faithful to fail. Therefore, we must gird up the loins of our minds and think only of things that are of good report (Philippians 4:8). In addition, we must not allow our minds to wander in doubts, because a double-minded man cannot receive anything from God (James 1:6-8).

In summary, we must note that our faith does not only grow by revelations from scriptures but also through anointed books of proven authors. For instance, Philip was sent to help the understanding of the Ethiopian Eunuch for his faith to grow. It, therefore, implies that our level of understanding would be limited except we humble ourselves and learn from God-ordained vessels. Remember, it is to us according to our faith and our faith is determined by our level of spiritual understanding (Romans 10:17; Acts 8: 26-39). However, to access spiritual understanding, you must be born again. Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so.

Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!” For further reading, please get my books: Unlimited Power of Faith, Exploits of Faith, Born to Win and Satan get Lost.

I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have five services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:20 p.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280; or E-mail: [email protected]; Face book: www.facebook.com/davidoyedepoministries/; Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin

Please click HERE to read other inspiring MESSAGES by Bishop David Oyedepo

David O. Oyedepo is a Nigerian Christian author, architect, preacher, and the founder and presiding bishop of the mega church, Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel