Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Tuesday, 4th July, 2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY JULY 4TH 2017

THEME: HAVING A SERVANT SPIRIT         

Memorise:

For whither is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Luke 22:27

Read: Luke 22:24-27

22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

Message:

Signs and wonders easily flow in an atmosphere where authority is respected. The moment a person becomes rebellious or refuses to submit to the authority of leaders, God withdraws and so do His signs and wonders. If you want God to use you in the miraculous, learn to remain submissive to the authority of those set over you by God. Moreover, another attribute of the fellow God will use to perform signs and wonders is the possession of a servant spirit. If you take a critical look at the person of Philip as recorded in the book of Acts, chapters 6 and 8, you will see a man who happily obeyed when he was sent to serve food as an usher, even though he was full of faith, power and the Holy Spirit. If some people had such credentials as these, they would suddenly become very choosy in the nature of assignments they are willing to carry out. If a pastor asks some workers to clean the toilet today, they may give the pastor a look that says, “Don’t you know who I am? Is it because I am a worker in your church? In my place of work, I am a Managing director” Nobody is contesting with you. The truth remains that in God’s kingdom, a worker is a servant. When you get to your office, you can be the boss there, but when you are in God’s house, you must be prepared to serve. Do you know that anyone who is unwilling to serve can never reach the top in God’s house?

You need to always remember that even the Lord Jesus Christ came as a servant! In Luke 22:26, He admonished us with these words:
“But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.”

Not only did He instruct us to serve, He himself did exactly that. He came as one who serves (Luke 22:27). Do you remember He washed the feet of his disciples (John 13:5)? This is why I teach my students at the School of disciples that the hands that cannot do manual labour cannot heal the sick. Some people have abandoned house chores to their domestic workers and other helpers. If you really want God to use your hands to perform signs and wonders, then you must engage them in manual labour. By virtue of my position as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, people try to keep me from doing chores. However, do you know that even with all the help and assistants at my disposal, when I realized they are not around, I quickly iron some of my wife’s clothes or go to the kitchen sink to wash some plates? I know what I am doing. Are you a servant or a lord that everyone must obey?
 
Prayer Point:

Father, give me the servant spirit of Jesus Christ, so that I may serve others just as He did.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Samuel 14
Lamentation 4:19-5:22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: TAKE MY LIFE

1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless 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 pow’r 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.