Topic: Change Your Definition of Prayer [Tuesday October 31, 2017]

In the days of His flesh [Jesus] offered up definite, special petitions [for that which He not only wanted but needed] and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was [always] able to save Him [out] from death, and He was heard because of His reverence toward God [His godly fear, His piety, in that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father]. — Hebrews 5:7

Have you ever heard the biblical phrase “pray without ceasing”? To many, that sounds daunting and impossible. How could anyone bow their head, kneel, and pray 24 hours a day?

We need to have a more accurate and practical definition of prayer. Too often we view prayer as a very specific process that can only happen once we’ve gone to a private place and shut the entire world out.

But do you realize that even directing a thought toward God qualifies as silent prayer? It’s true! Prayer is communicating with God, so when the Bible says to “pray without ceasing” it means to always be open to communication with God. That could mean a two-hour prayer session, or it could be something as simple as being aware of His presence as you go throughout your day.

God has not made prayer complicated. He intends for prayer to be an integral, ongoing part of our everyday lives. So today, change your definition of prayer, and you can experience the joy that comes from constant communication with the God who loves you.

Prayer Starter: God, help me change my definition of prayer and show me ways to communicate with You day-in and day-out. Thank You for Your constant presence in my life.

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries

Topic: Overflowing laughter — Wednesday 1, November 2017.

Memorise: And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. – Genesis 21:6

Read: 2 Kings 2:1-15 (KJV)

1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

Bible in One Year: James 4-5, 1 Peter 1, Hosea 9, Hymn: Sing Hymn 4 – Through the love of God our Savior

MESSAGE:

In Joshua 7, after the Israelites had defeated the people of Jericho, Joshua sent a handful of soldiers to attack Ai. Because Ai was just a little town, he expected victory without a sweat, but to his utter dismay, his people were defeated. After receiving the sad news, he fell on his face overwhelmed by shame, because defeat brings shame. The enemies would have laughed, wondering how a small city such as Ai could defeat Israel. However, while Joshua was lying before the Ark of the Covenant with his face to the ground, God told him the cause of the defeat and what to do to have victory again. Have you been defeated by a weakness or an enemy you considered too weak to bring you down? I declare to you that this is your season to laugh! The Lord will show you the way to victory today, and your laugher will begin.

Coming up next: Open Heavens 2 November 2017: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Expect Tests

Moreover, beyond laughter, there is something called overflowing laughter. In today’s Bible passage, when Elijah was about to be transported to Heaven, Elisha his servant had some unpleasant experiences everywhere he went with his master. As they visited each of the schools of prophets, the sons of the prophets, who were students in those schools, called Elisha aside and said to him, “Daddy’s boy, everywhere daddy goes, you go with him. Do you know that your daddy will be going finally today, and you will have no one else to follow about? We shall soon see what will become of you.” Every time they say this, Elisha replied them saying, “I know my master is going today, but mind your own business.” After Elisha was taken to Heaven and his mantle dropped, Elisha grabbed it, smote the river like his father had done, and the River Jordan parted into two for him to go through. The sons of the prophets, who were watching from a distance, came and bowed down to him. They had no choice but to admit that indeed, the spirit of Elijah now rested on him. The greatest laughter comes when your mockers become your servants. When God called me into ministry, a lot of people laughed. The greatest laughter came from my village, where they said, “Look at him – the only lecturer from this village who we thought was going to become an important personality. We knew something was wrong with him the moment he joined that church of ‘Amen’ and began saying ‘Amen’ Amen”. Nevertheless, today, God has given me overflowing laughter. Wherever they are laughing you to scorn, the Lord will give you overflowing laughter in Jesus Name!

Action Point: Pray that everyone who has been experiencing sorrow, disgrace and shame for long in your local assembly will begin to experience overflowing laughter from now on 

Hymn 4: Through the love of God our Savior

Verse 1
Through the love of God our Savior
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favor;

All, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us;
Perfect is the grace that sealed us;
Strong the hand stretched out to shield us;
All must be well.

Verse 2
Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well;
Ours is such a full salvation;
All, all is well.
Happy still in God confiding,
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
Holy through the Spirit’s guiding,
All must be well.

Verse 3
We expect a bright tomorrow;
All will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well.
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
Or in living, or in dying,
All must be well.

Open Heavens 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.

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.

Topic: Don’t Play Dead [Tuesday October 31, 2017]

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. – Matthew 11:12

The Amplified Bible translates Matthew 11:12, “…a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion.”

I want you to get violent today. Yes, violent, determined, zealous. I want you to get so committed to the things of God that you’ll withstand any attempt to take them away from you.

Too many believers these days are like the Israelites. They’re wandering around in a wilderness of defeat because there’s an enemy in the promised land. They’re being robbed of their rightful inheritance because they’re afraid to fight him. They keep hoping that somehow they’ll find a way in without using force. But they won’t! You have to make demands where Satan and his associates are concerned.

When God sent the Israelites into Canaan, He said, “Send the armed men to go before you.” They were to go up armed—ready for the fight. He knew they’d have to fight to take the land. He never promised them that they wouldn’t. What He promised them was they’d win every time.

The same is true for you. You can’t just lie down and play dead when you’re dealing with the devil. He’s not going to let go of any area of your life—of your health or your finances or anything else—without a fight. He’s not going to give it up unless you force him.

Quit sitting there in the wilderness. Quit sitting there while the devil steals the blessings of God out from under you. You have God’s permission and His power and His ability to take the land. Get violent enough to do something about it…today!

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 31:1-8

This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith – prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.

Topic: Hope for the Future [Tuesday October 31, 2017]

For our citizenship is in heaven; from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. — Philippians 3:20 (NASB)

If you are moving to a new home, you want to know all about the community to which you are going. And since we will spend eternity some place, we ought to know something about it. The information concerning heaven is found in the Bible. When we talk about heaven, earth grows shabby by comparison. Our sorrows and problems here seem so much less, when we have keen anticipation of the future.

In a certain sense the Christian has heaven here on earth. He has peace of soul, peace of conscience, and peace with God. In the midst of troubles and difficulties he can smile. He has a spring in his step, a joy in his soul, a smile on his face. But the Bible also promises the Christian a heaven in the life hereafter.

Prayer for the day: Father, as I face whatever trials come my way, I will take heart in the glorious promise of heaven—knowing I shall be with You!

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

Topic: How To Experience Eternal Life Today [Tuesday October 31, 2017]

John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Text: John 17:3

In order to fully understand what eternal life is, it is helpful to understand what it is not. Eternal life is not living forever. Everyone lives forever in either heaven or hell. Also, eternal life is not living forever in the blessings of heaven as opposed to being tormented in hell.

John 3:36 and 5:24 show that eternal life is a present tense possession of the believer.

Here, Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ.

As we have already discussed, the word “know” is speaking of intimacy instead of mere intellectual knowledge. Therefore, eternal life is having an intimate, personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son.

According to John 3:16, this intimacy with God is what salvation is all about. Forgiveness of our sins is not the point of salvation: intimacy with the Father is. Of course, Jesus did die to purchase forgiveness for our sins because unforgiven sins block us from intimacy with God. Sin was an obstacle that stood between us and God. It had to be dealt with and it was. Anyone who views salvation as only forgiveness of their sins and stops there, is missing out on eternal life.

Salvation is intended to be the way to come back into harmony with God.

Instead, it is often presented as the way to escape the problems of this life and the judgment of hell later.

Most non-believers are so occupied with their “hell on earth” that they don’t really think or care about their eternal future. They are fed up with religion and are looking for something that will fill the emptiness inside.

Only intimate relationship (eternal life) with our Father can do that.

This message was written by The Association of Related Ministries International (ARMI) is an extension of Andrew Wommack Ministries (AWM). ARMI is a unique partnership committed to providing resources to help like-minded ministers succeed in a spirit of excellence and to draw from the experience and expertise of both the AWM and Charis Bible College staff. (www.awmi.net).