Memorise: Looking into Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
Read: Genesis 37:5-11 (KJV)
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
Bible in one year: Job 25-29, Amos 3:3-4:3, Hymn: Sing hymn 8
Message:-
Down through the ages, visualizing the future has always been one of the attributes of great men and women.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect example of a person who kept His focus on the future He saw ahead of Him. Today’s memory verse reveals that this attribute helped Him to accomplish His task on earth. He endured His arrest, humiliation and death, even though He had the power to prevent it all, because He knew the glorious future awaiting Him after His work on earth was done. When He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and one of His disciples tried to defend Him by draw his sword, Jesus commanded him to stand down, saying in Matthew 26:53-54
“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”
Those who can visualize their glorious future ignore the present obstacles in their way, forging ahead to reach their goals. An example disposition exposed him to the fury of his brothers, resulting in his enslavement and imprisonment, the glorious future he saw kept him undeterred. He kept faith in the God of his fathers and would not be corrupted by the promiscuity of his master’s wife. In Genesis 39:9c, His response to her evil advances was this:
“how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
Beloved, the ability to visualize the future will enable you work hard and live holy, even in the face of hardship, suffering and persecution. Students who catch a glimpse of the honour awaiting them at the end of their academic programmes will ignore any suffering attached to their burning of the midnight candle. A pregnant woman endures the pain of labour because of the joy of another life coming through her. As a child of God, it takes seeing the glory awaiting us in the future to endure the attacks of the enemy. Having seen this future glory, Paul in 2nd Corinthians 4:17-18 wrote:
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
We must not allow the present situation in the world to becloud our vision of heaven. Our Lord said we should not let our hearts be troubled, for He will soon return to take us home (John 14:1-3). We must keep this vision of the glorious future alive in our hearts.
Action Point: Father, let the vision of Your glorious return continually burn in my heart in Jesus’ Name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
FASTING AND PRAYER POINTS SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER
DAY 16: PRAYER AGAINST EVIL ACTS IN THE NATIONS
TEXT: Matthew 24:7-8
1. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me. Bless His Holy name. Psa 103: 1
2. Thank God for a new day and for the salvation of your soul
3. Let us bless the name of the Lord. Truly; it has been of the LORD’S mercies that we were not consumed, because his compassions* has not failed us. Lam 3:22 Psa 34:1
4. Father, we thank you for the relative peace in (Put your country).
5. Father, let your peace that passeth all understanding reign in (Put your country) in Jesus’ name. Philippians 4:7
6. Father in all the ways, we have contributed to the evil happenings in this nation, please forgive us in Jesus’ name. Jeremiah 4:2
7. Lord Jesus, please destroy by your power all the works of evil (Put your country) in Jesus’ name. 1 John 3:8
8. Father; disappoint the devices of all the crafty ones in this nation so that their hand will not be able to perform their wicked enterprise in Jesus name. Job 5:12
9. Father; release confusion into the camp of the enemies of my nation in Jesus’ name. Genesis. 11:1-9
10. Father; let every association of the wicked against this year Holy Ghost Congress be broken in pieces in Jesus’ name. Isaiah 8:8-10
11. Father; in Nigeria, and in some other Nations, break the jaw and the arms of all kidnappers and ritualist in Jesus’ name. Psalms 10:15, Job 29:17
12. Heavenly Father; please let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end in my nation in Jesus’ name. Psalms 7:9
13. Oh God; let the triumphing of the evil ones in my nation come to an end in Jesus’ name. Job 27:17
14. Lord of Host let every god that did not create heaven and earth in (Put your country) Perish in Jesus’ name.
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