Open Heaven 30 December 2019 by Pastor E.A Adeboye

TOPIC: Be Watchful!

MEMORISE:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” – (1 Peter 5:8)

READ: 1 Peter 5:8-10 (KJV)
8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour;

9. Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

10. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

MESSAGE:
The topic of today’s devotional is not a piece of advice that can be ignored; rather, it is an express command to be taken seriously if we want to cross the finishing line of our Christian faith. In Matthew 26:41, during His hour of distress, our Lord said unto His disciples:
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

A quick lesson here is that temptation is a reality of life. The only way out of it is to watch and pray to ward off the tempter and his agents. Today’s Bible reading tells us why we must be vigilant and watchful: our adversary, the devil, is busy looking for whom to devour. He is described by the Lord as a thief with a threefold mission: to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). In spite of the fact that we have an indomitable Ally in the person of our Lord, He Himself laid down an example for us by watching and praying. We can therefore not do without being watchful and prayerful in our Christian calling.

What are we to watch out for? We need to watch out for the tempter’s tricks, some of which can take the form of the lust of the flesh. Samson did not watch enough to see the ditch his flesh was leading him into. Even when his parents warned him against the Philistine maidens, he refused to heed their words of reason, choosing instead to follow the leading of his flesh. Judges 14:3 says:
“Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.”

Open Heaven 30 December 2019 by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Another thing we must watch out for is the lust of the eyes. The world is full of abominable scenery nowadays. We must be careful of what we look upon and what we see around us. The fortunate thing is that these horrible images are creeping into the church nowadays – first to the pew and now the altar. Lastly, we must watch out for the pride life. Pride destroyed the devil and he is introducing it into people’s lives today to destroy them. The church is becoming too flamboyant these days, and this is distracting us from our core assignment. Please don’t be caught in this trap of the devil. (1 Thessalonians 5:6) says:
“Therefore let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”
Let all your actions guided by sobriety and watchfulness, so that you don’t become a champion of yesterday.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, help me to live soberly in this perverse generation, and guide my feet not to be caught in the devil’s traps.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Song of Solomon 1-4, Malachi 2:17-3:15

HYMNAL:
Hymn 4 – Take my life, and let it be

1. Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2. Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine:
Take my heart, it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Open Heaven 30 December 2019 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.