TUESDAY 30TH OCTOBER 2018 THEME: LACKING PEACE?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

 
DATE:  TUESDAY 30TH OCTOBER 2018

THEME: LACKING PEACE? 

MEMORISE:

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

READ:   John 14:26-31

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

MESSAGE

One of the signs by which you know that God is with you or that His presence is in whatever you are doing is when you have peace in your heart. Peace is the state of harmony that is made available to the children of God through a right relationship with Him and a good relationship with their fellow human beings. Peace is associated with the presence of the Prince of Peace, Jesus. His presence is made manifest in the world today by the Holy Spirit. The absence of peace in a person’s life leads to fearful worry or anxiety. It is not God’s plan for a child of God to process a distressed state of mind that is filled with concern over present or future challenges. For this reason, the Holy Spirit says to us in Philippians 4:6:

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

God knows that the pressure of the needs we face in this world can rob us of His peace, and so He sent us these words to help us recognize the right thing to do when confronted with challenges. Worrying about your needs or the challenges you are confronted with will not change anything; rather it is a snare of the devil to cause sickness such as high blood pressure in people. I pray that you will not be a victim of hypertension, stroke or heart disease in Jesus’ Name.

The Bible reveals Jesus as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). This means that wherever there is turmoil or crisis, once Jesus is invited into the situation and the presence of the Holy Spirit is called upon, a sense of wellbeing, contentment and wholesomeness will be restored immediately. This is what happened in Mark 4:39, when Jesus rebuked the storm after the disciples called upon Him:

“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

The name of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit establish peace in god’s children, irrespective of the outward circumstances around them. True peace is therefore an indication of the presence of Jesus, made manifest by the Holy Spirit, in any given situation. I pray that the presence of God that brings lasting peace will abide with you today in Jesus’ Name. if you are passing through a stressful and difficult time in your life, if you are going through serious financial crises or your marriage is in turmoil, if you are experiencing psychological or emotional trauma that defies solution, it is time to call on the Name Jesus and invite the presence of the Holy Spirit into your life. As you do so, God will grant you all round peace today in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT:

Make your request known to God concerning every need that has robbed you of His peace.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Jeremiah 31

Luke 12:57-13:17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!