Thoughts by irene

03/06/2026

03/06/2026

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2026.

TOPIC: A BRAND-NEW HEART 3

MEMORISE
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. - (2 Peter 3:18)

READ: Matthew 13:5-6,20-21 (KJV)

Matthew 13:5-6 (KJV)

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

Matthew 13:20-21 (KJV)

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

MESSAGE

The second kind of soil Jesus described in His parable about the sower is 'Stony places'. This soil type can be compared to people who receive the word of God with joy but turn their backs on it when they begin to encounter tough situations in their lives as a result of persecution.

Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you... - (John 15:20)

In the Scripture above, Jesus said that His followers will be persecuted as He was also persecuted. Furthermore, Paul told Timothy in (2 Timothy 3:12) that every true follower of Christ will experience persecution in one form or another. Being persecuted is a painful experience, and believers are not immune to it. In fact, going through the fires of persecution helps Christians to grow in faith (1 Peter 1:6-7, James 1:2-3). Despite this, however, the devil manages to convince some believers that the pain they are experiencing as a result of persecution is proof that God is unfaithful and that He does not love them. The devil succeeds in doing this because such Christians have not grown in the knowledge of God through His word and are largely ignorant of His ways, character, and power. Thus, their foundation in faith is very weak, and they are easily swayed by the devil.

It is good to hear the word of God and even be excited by it. Beyond that, however, every believer has the responsibility to build themselves up spiritually (1 Corinthians 3:9-10), and one of the ways to do this is by increasing their knowledge of God through His word. There is a popular saying that ignorance is bliss, but this is not true for a believer. Being in a state of ignorance about the word of God and making no efforts to build yourself up spiritually is very dangerous because it can lead to destruction (Hosea 4:6).

Beloved, do not allow yourself to fall victim to the wiles of the devil and be destroyed by him. Don't just listen to the word of God from various ministers and get excited by it, or be a believer who only opens the Bible on Sundays. Rather, be like the Bereans who took responsibility for knowing God by themselves (Acts 17:10-11). I pray that as you sow the seeds of the word of God daily into your heart, you will reap bountiful fruits of His goodness and mercy, in Jesus' name.

KEY POINT
Growing in the knowledge of God through His word is important for every believer.

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Job 31 - 34

HYMN 4 - TO THE WORK! TO THE WORK! WE ARE SERVANTS OF GOD

1. To the work! To the work! We are servants of God, Let us follow the path that our Master has trod; With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew, Let us do with our might what
our hands find to do.

CHORUS
Toiling on, toiling on,
Toiling on, toiling on,
Let us hope, let us watch,
and labour till the Master
comes.

2. To the work! To the work! Let the hungry be fed, To the fountain of life let the weary be led! In the cross and its banner our glory shall be,
While we herald the tidings,
"Salvation is free!"

3. To the work! To the work! There is labour for all, For the kingdom of darkness and error shall fall; And the name of Jehovah exalted shall be, In the loud-swelling chorus,
"Salvation is free!"

4. To the work! To the work! In
the strength of the Lord, And a robe and a crown shall our labour reward, When the home of the faithful our dwelling shall be, And we shout with the ransomed, "Salvation is free!

02/06/2026

https://youtube.com/shorts/PfJ5veWJqn8?si=Wc4_mW4_lkqv1iS8

02/06/2026

… imagine, just a sling and a
stone🤣

02/06/2026

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY JUNE 2ND 2026

TOPIC: A BRAND-NEW HEART II

MEMORISE:
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. - (Psalm 42:1)

BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 13:3-4,19 (KJV)

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

MESSAGE:
The first type of soil that Jesus mentioned in the Parable of the Sower is 'The way side', as we see in today's Bible reading. This soil type refers to people who hear God's word but do not understand it or act upon it. This category of people do not study their Bibles, and even when they do, they don't ask their pastors or Bible Study teachers any questions. They never seek to understand God's word; they only hear His word and move on with their lives. Many of the people in this category are ceremonial churchgoers; they are often raised in Christian homes, so it is normal for them to attend church on Sundays. I was once this type of Christian. I thought that my father, being a church volunteer, and my name being Enoch, was proof that I was a child of God. I heard God's word several times, but I never studied it. I thank God that He gave me a new heart when I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ.

Beloved, are you the same way I was? Are you only reading this devotional because it is the norm in your church, family, or office to do so? Do you ever dig deeper to understand what is discussed? When you study your Bible, do you get bored after reading the second or third verse? If you answered "Yes" to these questions, you need to ask God for a new heart; a heart that yearns to know Him more. Ask God to give you a heart that finds His word interesting and loves to spend time in His presence. Most importantly, ensure that you take some time every day to study your Bible. You can start by reading a bit further on the topics discussed in this devotional each day, or using the Bible-in-one-year passages. You may not understand much when you begin doing these things, but as you remain consistent and ask God to help you, the Holy Spirit will start explaining the Scriptures to you, and soon, your heart will begin to soak in God's word and yield great fruit.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to seek to understand God's word more each day. When you make this your priority, you will begin to experience His peace and favour in ways you have never done before. I pray that your life will indeed be a bountiful harvest of God's goodness, in Jesus' name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me a heart that yearns for Your word more than anything else.

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOB 25-30

HYMNAL:3 ANCIENT WORDS

1 Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart
Oh, let the Ancient words impart.

Words of Life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e'er we roam
Ancient words will guide us Home.

Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.
Holy words of our Faith
Handed down to this age.

Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of Christ.
Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world.

They resound with God's own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart.
Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.

We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.
Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.

We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.
Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.

We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.
Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.

We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.

01/06/2026

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY, 1ST JUNE, 2026

TOPIC: A BRAND-NEW HEART I

MEMORY VERSE: Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12

BIBLE TEXT
Ezekiel 36:25-30
[25]Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

[26]A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

[27]And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

[28]And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

[29]I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

[30]And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.

MESSAGE

According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, when a fellow becomes born again, he or she immediately becomes a new creature. In Ezekiel 36:27, God said that He will take away our stony heart and replace it with a heart of flesh. When people give their lives to Jesus Christ, they exchange their stony hearts for hearts of flesh. However despite this, the world is plagued with many people who claim to be believers, but whose hearts appear not to be different from those of unbelievers.

Sadly some people who serve as ministers of God also still appear to have hearts like unbelievers. Some of them go as far as not forgiving fellow ministers who have offended them. This Is wrong, and it was not so at the inception of the Church. The Bible says that the Church was in one accord Acts 1:14 and believers were called Christians because they were Christ like (Acts 11:26). Unfortunately, however, you might find some self professing Christians today accepting bribes or dancing in night clubs because they still have stony hearts.
From the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-23, it is very clear that there was nothing wrong with the seeds that were sown. The seeds which Jesus revealed to be the word of God were potent. God's word is always potent however, despite the potency of the seeds, only a fraction of the yielded a harvest. The reason some of the seeds did not bear fruit was the ground on which they fell and as Jesus explained the heart of a fellow in which the word of God is sown is the major determinant of whether the word will bear fruit in his or her life or not.

Beloved if you are Iiving in sin, or if you allow the circumstances around you to determine how you receive the word of God and how it will operate in you, then you have a stony heart, and God's word will not bear fruit in you. For His word to bear fruit in you, you must repent of any sin that might exist in your life and cry out to Him to wash you clean, transform you, and give you a heart of flesh. God will answer you and make your heart a fertile ground for His Word to grow. I pray that you will continually experience the blessings in God's word as you surrender your life completely to Him, in Jesus' name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please give me a heart of flesh and let Your word bear fruit in me.

BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 21-24

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.

Chorus:
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 power 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.

31/05/2026

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY MAY 31ST 2026



THEME: DEPEND ONLY ON THE GOOD SHEPHERD



MEMORISE: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10:10



READ: Psalms 37:3-7

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.



MESSAGE

A man once swallowed a charm that was supposed to make him wealthy, but he remained poor. On top of that, he was told that he would die after seven years because of the charm he had swallowed. When he had just about two weeks left to live and was already staring death in its face, he ran to the RCCG. When he told us his ordeal, we told him that our God is the Great Deliverer. He gave his life to Christ, and when we said a simple prayer for him, he vomited what he had swallowed. He remained consistent in church for two weeks, rejoicing because of what the Lord had done for him. Then, suddenly, he stopped coming. When we went to check on him, he said, "The herbalist who made the charm for me told me that I swallowed it wrongly:" He swallowed another one, and this time, he became very wealthy. The herbalist told him he would live only for seven years to enjoy the wealth, and when the time was about to elapse, he suddenly had a 'brilliant idea. He decided to relocate to London as he felt that demons could only operate in Africa. Sadly, however, he died on the plane.

My Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, used to say, "Your father will take care of you with whatever he has. If he has evil, he will use it to take care of you, and if he has good, that is what you will get from him." The devil doesn't have anything good in him; if you go to him for anything, be sure that whatever he gives you will be evil. Jesus, however, is the Good Shepherd; whatever comes from Him is always good.

According to today's Bible reading, trusting and depending on God is your access to His goodness. Those who trust in Jesus will receive the power to become sons of God John 1:12). They will have authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm them (Luke 10:19). No weapon that is fashioned by the devil against them will prosper (Isaiah 54:17), and they will eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19).

Beloved, do you depend only on the Good Shepherd? Those who depend on Him are like Mount Zion; regardless of the situation around them, they cannot be shaken (Psalm 125:1). Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).



REFLECTION

Do you depend on the Good Shepherd for your needs, or do you seek ungodly alternatives?



BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 17-20



AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE



HYMN 19: ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME

1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood,

From Thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Save me from its guilt and power.



2 Not the labor of my hands

Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

All could never sin erase,

Thou must save, and save by grace.



3 Nothing in my hands I bring,

Simply to Thy cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress,

Helpless, look to Thee for grace:

Foul, I to the fountain fly,

Wash me, Savior, or I die.



4 While I draw this fleeting breath,

When mine eyes shall close in death,

When I soar to worlds unknown,

See Thee on Thy judgment throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee.