OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MONDAY JANUARY 8TH 2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MONDAY JANUARY 8TH 2024

THEME:  NEW YEAR RESOLUTION VII

MEMORISE:

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for lam holy.

1 Peter 1:16

*BIBLE READING: EZEKIEL 14:6-8*

6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:

8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

*MESSAGE:*

Over the past six days, we have been  studying some resolutions I made for this year, and have been encouraging all users of this devotional to adopt them as well. I have said that in my walk with God this year, I will worship Him, ask for His help, humble myself, give to Him, trust Him and draw close to Him more than ever before. However, all these would be impossible to achieve if I do not make up my mind to live holy more than ever before.

This year, I am determined never to do anything that will offend God. I will live holy more than ever before!

Amos 3:3 says: "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Please check how you have been living in the past years, do you think God will be happy to come close to you knowing fully well that His eyes cannot behold iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13)?

If you really want to get close to God, and you want Him to solve all your problems this year, then you must repent of all your sins and forsake them. Don't continue to live in sin and expect God's help. Shall we continue in sin and expect God's grace to abound? Apostle Paul's response to that question was, "God forbid!" (Romans 6:1-2). Grace is God's help, and it cannot abound upon a sinner.

All your seeds, worship, prayers, and so on that you have decided to do this year will be wasted if you do not lIved holy life. In other words, if you do not want all your efforts to live by these resolutions this year to be fruitless, You must live holy. God does not hear the prayer of sinners (Psalm 66:18), neither does He accept their sacrifice of sinners (Isaiah 59:1-2).

Beloved, for all the resolutions we studied over the past six days to  produce the desired result, you must be deliberate

about living holy more than ever before this year and beyond.

This year, I will not only love righteousness more but will also hate iniquity more. That way, God will anoint me even much more than ever before (Hebrews 1:9)

The Almighty God will grant you all-round success and  as you make up your mind to live holy and also adopt all the other resolutions we discussed over the past six days, in Jesus' name

*ACTION POINT*

Determine to live holy more than ever before this.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*

Genesis 26-28

*AUTHOR:*

PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

*HYMN 23: 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,

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,

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,

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,

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,

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,

Ever, only, all for Thee.