Topic: Divine Favor III [Open Heavens 4 Sunday February 2018]

Memorise: “The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.” – Proverbs 14:35

Read: Genesis 39:1-6 (KJV)

1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

Bible in One Year: Exodus 26-27, Romans 9:1-18

MESSAGE

Do you know that you can attract divine favour through your attitude to work? When we diligently carry out our duties, whether secular or spiritual, as unto the Almighty God, we are bound to be divinely favoured. It is the will of God that every employee does the right thing to justify the wages he or she earns. This was the reason why the Holy Spirit moved Paul to instruct us to be diligent in our service to our employers, be they private or government institutions (Ephesians 6:5-7). We all need divine favour, not only to succeed but to succeed without stress. What can we do to attract divine favour in our chosen careers? The answer is diligence and faithfulness to the terms of our agreement with our employers. There was nothing extraordinary in what Joseph did in Potiphar’s house; the only difference between him and other slaves was the divine favour operating in his life through diligence. No wonder the wisdom of God in Proverbs 22:29 says,

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”

The first time I travelled overseas, it was to Canada for a conference of applied mathematicians. I knew no one there, and neither did I know what kind of food I would be eating over there. All my wife could do at home was to pray that God would take care of me. Meanwhile, someone in Canada went to see the list of mathematicians coming to their university for the conference. As he was looking through the names, he saw my name, Enoch Adeboye, and he mused to himself that he never could tell if the owner of the name was French or not. He therefore decided to locate the room where I was staying, and resolved within himself that when he got there, he would speak Yoruba and that if I responded, he would know that I am Nigerian. On getting to my door, he knocked and I asked “Who is that?” His response was “Emi ni”, meaning “It’s me.” I therefore responded in Yoruba language that he should come in. Long story short, before the end of that day, I was eating pounded yam in Canada. My wife, who had been worried about the type of meals I would be eating, knew it was nothing but divine favour that granted me access to pounded yam in Canada. You need to understand that divine favour can come in any way or form. The danger is that, more often than not, most people take some forms of divine intervention for granted especially when such intervention does not affect them the way they expect. One more lesson we should learn here is that there is nothing too small or too big to pray about, especially when it requires divine favour. May the Lord show you divine favour today in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point: Father, I need Your divine favour in my vocation, business and home in Jesus’ Name.

Hymn 11: O God, Our Help In Ages Past

1. O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

2. Under the shadow of Thy throne,
Still may we dwell secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure

3. Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same

4. A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone,
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

5. Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away:
They fly forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

6. O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while life shall last,
And our eternal home.

Flatimes’ Notice Board: Please do not prolong your salvation if you have not repented. Many are going home daily and tomorrow maybe too late.

Open Heavens 4 February 2018, 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. If you missed yesterday’s devotional click to read Open heavens 3 February 2018.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

FEBRUARY 2018 HOLY GHOST SERVICE

Bible Passage: Luke. 11:21-22

Luk 18:22 — Luk 18:23 (CWSB)

22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

PRAYER POINT

Father, answer my prayers by fire tonight.

ANNOUNCEMENT

1. March, 2018 Special HGS – March 1-3, 2018. Theme: STRONGER THAN YOUR ENEMIES – PART 3. Subtitle: GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN.

2. Special Divine Encounter – Monday to Friday. It can be watched

3. Special Prayer for Nigeria – February 13, 2018 at the Old Arena. 10am to 1pm. It will be covered on Dove Television.

We are going to solve some problems simultaneously:

Equation 1

There are certain problems beyond man.

Equation 2

There is no problem beyond God – Lk. 18:27

Equation 3

Man can hide from man.

Equation 4

No man can hide from God- Ps. 139:7-12.

Equation 5

Security agents can be compromised.

Equation 6

God cannot be compromised. His holiness is not negotiable- Isa. 6:1-9.

Equation 7

Man can sponsor evil-Esther 3:8-9.

Equation 8

God cannot sponsor evil – Job 8:20.

There is ONLY ONE ANSWER:

THE PRAYER WARRIOR IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THE ACTIVIST.

In another way (THE CORONARY):

THE ENEMIES OF GOD AND THE CHILDREN IF GOD MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE: BOTH OF THEM UNDERATE THE POWER OF PRAYER.

Some of us have come to understand 2Corin.10:4-5.

PRAYER POINTS

1. Father, wherever those who are shedding blood are hiding, expose them and deal with them.

2. Father, all those who are condoning evil- all those who are conniving with them- expose them and deal with them.

3. Father, all those who are sponsoring evil and bloodshed- expose them and destroy with them.

4. Father, anyone focusing on me, my family, Your Church, for evil intentions, destroy them.

It is not possible for a sinner to be stronger than his enemies because the hands of a sinner are weak.

Prov.13:15- the sinner is programmed to fail by God Himself.

Prov.11:21- A sinner cannot go unpunished.

Deut.28:1,7- When enemies come against you one way, they will flee seven ways if you are a child of God. There is no way the enemies can win.

However, Deut.28:1, the sinner runs when nobody is pursuing him.

Jn.5:13-14- If God graciously gives a sinner victory, something terrible can still happen to him if he continues in sin.

Rm.6:23- the wages of sin is death.

BUT:

If the sinner will surrender to Jesus, God will give him life.

Deut.30:19-20- A choice to choose life.

PART B

Bible Passage: Mk.11:22-23

A mountain symbolizes a huge enemy. A hindering force. One that says that

What Do We Do If we fund such a mountain in our lives?

1. Don’t ignore the mountain. You have to confront in order to conquer.

What you tolerate stays. What you confront moves.

Matt.18:18.

As long as you tolerate the mountain, it will stay -2Kgs.4:1-7.

Matt.8:1-4- A leper tgat came to Jesus.

Mk.10:46-52 – For 40 years Bartimaeus had been begging. He had surrendered to darkness until one day when he cried and was freed.

Joshua 5:13-6:5- Joshua was faced with the wall of Jericho and he didn’t ignore it. While trying to confront the wall that help came through an angel. Let us together confront the mountain today.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, I need help. Help me right now.

2. Talk to the mountain.

Engage the mountain in a conversation.

What kind of conversation?

There are two of us now and one of us has yo move- and that it is the mountain that will move.

Ps.16:8- I have set the Lord always before me, He us at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Ps.62:6- The Lord is My Rock and my salvation: he is myMy defends. I shall not be moved.

Ps.125:1.

Heb.13:8- Jesus Christ

Acts 17:28- In Him I live, I move and have my being. You can’t move me unless you mountain can change Jesus.

He is also living in me – Gal.2:20.

Ps.121:1-3.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, in the Mighty Name of Jesus, I say unto the mountain “MOVE!

3. You have to explain to the mountain why it has to move. The principal reason why it has to move is because it is blocking your view.

Prov.29:18- Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Ps.100:2- I am to serve God with GLADNESS.

Acts 3- the Name man by the Beautiful Gate.

Neh.8:10.

Job 17:7- Sorrow dims eyes. You can’t see clearly.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, in the Mighty Name of Jesus, everything that is not allowing me to serve You with GLADNESS must go tonight.

4. You have to tell the mountain ” I AM NOT ADVISING YOU.

There are different ways of talking In the Scriptures:
Advice -Deut.30:19

Pleading – Ezk.33:11- God is not happy with the death of a sinner.

A command -Matt.28:18-20

Decree: a stronger way of speaking – Gen.1:1-3.

Job 22:21-28- You will understand why Daddy G.O. is so crazy about holiness.

Christian life becomes enjoyable if when you decree a thing and it comes to pass.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, tonight, I decree, in the Name of Jesus, every mountain in my life, move now.

5. You should TELL THE MOUNTAIN WHERE IT SHOULD GO. “BE THOU CAST INTO THE SEA.

The Lord is saying that we must FINISH THE JOB TONIGHT.

Joshua 11:22- Goliath came from the leftover.

When you kill Goliath to tonight, you must cut the head -1Sam. 17:49-51.

Joshua 7:1-26.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, every mountain leaving me today, must go to the sea and perish there. Every one of them.

6. You must be specific.

1Pet.2:24- If healing

If demons are troubling you – It is WRITTEN Rev.12:11

Phil.2: 10 – Mountain, at the Name of Jesus, bow.

If poverty – Jesus became poor that I might become rich -2Corin.8:9.

If persistent failure- Tell failure I rebuke by the presence of Jesus in my boat – Lk.5:1-11

If stagnation- I rebuke by the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER POINT:

In the Mighty Bame of Jesus, mention your own mountain.

7. Remember to return all the glory to God.

Life is war.

Always thank God because you will need Him again.

Judges 15:14-19- Samson bound, the enemies, the Jaw bone of an ass. He began to boast.

Never forget to give glory to God.

Some minutes will be given to us to praise God.

MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR PERMANENT VOTER’S CARD.

Ask God for that special thing you want Him to do for you.