Open Heavens Daily Devotional For 8th September, 2018
Theme – A GODLY FATHER
MEMORISE:
“A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” Proverbs 13:22
READ: Genesis 12: 6-8
6. And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
7. And The LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto The LORD, Who appeared unto him.
8. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded An Altar unto The LORD, and called upon The Name of The LORD.”
Isaiah 51:1-2
1. Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek The LORD: look unto The Rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
2. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
MESSAGE
A. It is clear from 3 John 1:2 that God’s Plan is for you to prosper.
1. 3 John 1:2 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
2. Also, in John 10:10, Jesus Christ promised abundant life to all His followers.
3. John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
4. Having prospered you, part of God’s Expectations is that your children will be even more prosperous than you are.
5. It is indeed a great blessing from The Lord when our children live better lives than ours.
6. This is what God did in Abraham’s life.
7. God said to him in Genesis 22:16-17: “By myself have I sworn, saith The LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in Blessing I will Bless thee, and in Multiplying I will Multiply thy seed as the stars of The Heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;”
B. In this proclamation, God did not only promise to Bless Abraham, He also swore to multiply his seed.
How marvelous!
1. In Genesis 24:34-35, we begin to see the manifestation of God’s Blessing in Abraham’s life as a person.
2. Genesis 24:34-35 “So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.”
3. In Genesis 26:12-14, we see the fulfillment of God’s blessing of multiplication upon Abraham’s son, Isaac.
4. Genesis 26:12-14 “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.”
5. However, God did not stop there. Abraham’s grandchildren waxed even stronger in wealth than Isaac.
6. Even Esau, who was denied his father’s blessing of the first born, was so rich that he had 400 bodyguards in his service.
7. Genesis 32:6 “Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
8. As for Jacob, Genesis 30:43 says: “And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.”
9. When it came to the turn of Abraham’s great grandchild, Joseph, he became de facto emperor of the then civilized world.
10. Genesis 41:40-44, Genesis 41:57 “So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.”
C. The secret of Abraham’s ever increasing multitude generational blessings lies in the fact that he laid a good foundation for it.
1. For example, Abraham always built Altars to The Lord, meaning he was a true worshipper of God.
1. Genesis 12:6-8 “Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.”
2. Genesis 13:18 “Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.”
3. He was also a payer of tithes, even before the Law of Moses institutionalized it 4. Genesis 14:18-20. Abram and Melchizedek: “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was The priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of Heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all”
5. Furthermore, Abraham paid his first fruits in Isaac, whom he loved so much.6.(Genesis 22:1-18), and in addition, he was a godly father in whom God testified that He knew he would train his children in the fear and worship of The Lord.
6. Genesis 18:17-19 “And The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
D. Beloved, for the sake of our descendants, I encourage you to be a godly parent.
1. I assure you that Our God is a covenant keeping God. 2. For your sake, generations of children coming after you shall be mightily favored, if you lay the foundation of godliness and the fear of The Lord in your family today.
3. Can The Lord Count On You To Do That?
PRAYER POINT:
Father, through the help of Your Holy Spirit, Please make me a Godly parent in Jesus, Name. Amen 🙏!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 139-143, Mark 4:21-41
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN: A NEW THING
(Tune: There shall be showers of Blessing)
1. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because GOD will do new things
Sinners will soon be forgiven
Prodigals will come home soon.
Chorus:
Shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Rivers in desert now flowing
Halleluyah to our king.
2. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Sickness and sorrow will be gone
Bondage will be forgotten. Chorus:
3. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
The barren will be fruitful soon
Failure will be forgotten. Chorus:
4. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Poverty will be forgotten
Stagnancy will soon be gone. Chorus:
5. We will soon shout Hallelujah
Because God will do new things
To all miracles are given
There shall be celebrations. Chorus:
6. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Many will have testimonies
Of prayers answered fully. Chorus:
7. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
One of us will chase a thousand
Two will conquer ten thousands. Chorus:
8. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Songs of praises we will sing
Halleluyah to our King. Chorus:
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!*