OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 

DATE:  WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8TH 2023

THEME:  TOTAL SURRENDER 1

MEMORISE:  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. Romans 12:1

READ: Matthew 16:24 -27

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

MESSAGE

Everyone who surrenders all to Jesus will enjoy many great blessings. Unfortunately, many Christians don't know this, often choosing to do their own will rather than submitting completely to God. Beloved, don't be mad be 'one leg in and one leg out'. Don't be lukewarm. 

How do you know if you have totally surrendered to God? Check your decision making process. Do you involve God in the decision on what to do per time? Apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20,  "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless l live; yet not l, but Christ liveth in me: and the live which l now live in the flesh l,live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

When you are totally surrendered to,God, you would de living to do His good pleasure (Phillipians 2:13). Have you really surrendered to God?

The interesting thing is that start out in total surrender to God, but as He begins to,prosper them, that surrender diminishes. When they were living in a small apartment, it was easy to surrender their home for use as House Fellowship, but when God rewarded them with a mansion in a highbrow estate, they would claim that the security measures in their community would make that difficult.

The higher you go, the greater should be your surrender to God.

There was a brother in the Church many years ago who never missed a service, but then one day, a man of God came to preach and prophesied to him that he would soon become a millionaire". Within six months, this brother's life had changed dramatically. Before long, he stopped coming to Church, claiming that he had become so,busy as his business had expanded. One day, l heard he had a stroke so l sent for him. When he arrived, he explained that he had the stroke upon learning that a contract had been withdrawn from him at the stage when he would be paid. If only he had totally surrendered to the Lord who blessed him! May you surrender totally to God as He blesses you, in Jesus' name.

PRAYER POINT 

Father, please grant me the grace to totally surrender my life to You, in the name of Jesus. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Number 3-4

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 O 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 yet may know

  Ere Thee face to face I see;

There are heights of joy that I yet may reach

  Ere I rest in peace with Thee.