Open Heaven Daily Devotional 11 April 2024, Thursday Reading Guide
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Open Heaven Daily Devotional 11 April 2024 TOPIC: The Challenges of Being Anointed (2)
MEMORISE:
“But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” – (Luke 12:48)
READ: Mark 6:31-34 (NIV)
31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
OPEN HEAVENS TODAY 11 APRIL 2024 MESSAGE:
In continuation of my discussion from yesterday, one of the challenges of being anointed is that anointed people are perceived to be stronger than they really are. Because they pray and God answers immediately, people think that they don’t need prayers themselves. Also, because they lay hands on the sick and the sick get healed, people think that they are superhuman and can never be weak or tired. Because they preach and souls get saved, there is a tendency to think that they never get tempted, whereas, they probably face temptations more than other people.
Moses made just one mistake in 40 years of leading the Israelites, but God said he would not get to the promised land. He had been interceding for Israel whenever they did terrible things, and God had been forgiving them. Now, in his own case, there was nobody to plead for him.
Do you want to be heavily anointed? Be ready to work endlessly. When I discovered that the Bible says that we should earnestly covet spiritual gifts, I was happy. I asked for double the anointing on Elisha, Peter, Paul and Jesus Christ when He was on the earth and then asked that all should be combined and doubled again. God warned me then that I was asking for a dangerous thing because people would not let me rest. When people see that you are anointed, they will bring all their problems to you. Even after you minister to them from the altar, they will still want to see you personally. You cannot send them away because the purpose of the anointing is to serve.
When I employed a personal assistant, and he asked, “What are our work hours?” I said, “We start the day at 5am and only God knows when we will close.” This is why raising other people who will also become anointed is necessary. RCCG is in over 190 nations in the world. How will I cope if every member comes to me with their problems? This is why each local assembly has anointed pastors that can pray for the members; only the cases they can’t handle come to me. God has also made things easier by making it possible for me to pray from the altar and anoint handkerchiefs which are used to perform the miracles that people would have called the General Overseer to pray about in the past.
A lot of responsibilities and challenges come with being anointed, so if you desire to be anointed, you should be ready to embrace them.
KEY POINT:
The anointing comes with challenges and responsibilities.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Kings 8-9
HYMNAL:
Hymn 23 – Take my life, and let it be
Open Heaven Daily Devotional 11 April 2024 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.
