Open Heaven 4 December 2023 Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – BUILD INTIMACY WITH GOD
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
Open Heavens 2023
Date: 2023-12-04
Topic: BUILD INTIMACY WITH GOD
Memory Verse: Luke 10:20 – Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Bible Reading: Luke 10:38-42
Message: Intimacy with God should be your greatest heart’s desire. The desire for power to work miracles must be secondary compared to the desire to be intimate with Him. Believe me honestly, if you focus on intimacy with God, signs and wonders will follow effortlessly.
In Luke 10:19-20, after Jesus had given His disciples authority over all the powers of the enemy, He told them not to rejoice in that fact, but rather that their names were written in Heaven. God prefers for you to be close to Him than that you have power to do His work.
In our Bible reading for today, when Jesus went to visit the two sisters, Martha was occupied with serving Him, while Mary sat at His feet, spending quality time with Him. Martha thought she was doing the right thing and told Jesus to instruct her sister to join her, but He told her that Mary had done the one needful thing, which is to spend time at His feet. He said further, “Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Someone can take a position in Church away from you or even deprive you of the opportunity to serve God in a particular area, but no one can take your intimacy with God away from you. That is what you should guard more than anything else. According to Jesus Christ Himself, that is the one needful thing.
When Jesus was on the cross in great pain, and being mocked by people who hated Him, He kept hanging on to life. When He no longer felt the presence of God, at that point, even with all the pain, He cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46-50). He bore all the pain and shame, but could not bear to be separated from God.
Beloved, intimacy with God must be your priority above all else. God desires to build intimacy with His children. He is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24) and not just those who are seeking what they can get from Him.
Hymn: I Am Thine O Lord
Points: Intimacy with God must be to you as breath is to your lungs.
Bible in one year: 2 Corinthians 5, 2 Corinthians 6, 2 Corinthians 7, 2 Corinthians 8, 2 Corinthians 9
Title: I Am Thine O Lord.
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.
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
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. 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.
Open Heavens 2023 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. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
ALSO READ: CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW US ON TWITTER ⊗ OPEN HEAVEN ⊗ JOEL OSTEEN DEVOTIONAL⊗ ABOVE ONLY ⊗ OUR DAILY BREAD ⊗ SEEDS OF DESTINY ⊗ JOYCE MEYER DEVOTIONAL ⊗ RHAPSODY OF REALITIES ⊗ JOHN HAGEE ⊗ MFM DAILY DEVOTIONAL ⊗UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHESTDCLM DAILY MANNA ⊗ JOHN PIPER DEVOTIONAL ⊗