Open heavens daily devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY, 25TH SEPTEMBER, 2024

TOPIC: GOD’S BLANK CHEQUE

MEMORY VERSE

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Colossians 4:2

BIBLE TEXT

Daniel 10:3-19

[3]I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

[4]And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;

[5]Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:

[6]His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

[7]And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

[8]Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

[9]Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.

[10]And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.

[11]And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.

[12]Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

[13]But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

[14]Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

[15]And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.

[16]And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.

[17]For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.

[18]Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,

[19]And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.

MESSAGE

Prayer is one of the greatest weapons that God gave to man; the ability to call on Him anytime we want and have Him answer us. It is a signed blank cheque to His children. The question now is, how come some Christians deon’t use this blank cheque? The answer is in Psalm 10:4 “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”

Christians that do not pray are proud; it means that they do not have God in all their thoughts because they think they are smart enough to solve all their problems. 1 Corinthians 1:25 says that no matter how wise you are, the things of God that may appear foolish far exceed human wisdom, and the things that seem weak far exceed human strength. It is foolishness not to pray.

One day, when I was a child, I was playing football in front of our house. At a point, I kicked the ball to the top of the roof, and it got stuck there. I was little, so I couldn’t see the ball. I tried using a stick to get the ball down from the roof, but I was not able to. My dad was sitting close by, but l didn’t call him for help. At last, when I was tired, I asked for his help, and he said, “You saw me here all this while,but you didn’t think to ask for my help.” He stood up and, with one sweep of his hand, brought the ball down. I thought I could bring the ball down by myself, and I kept stressing myself to do so even though I could have just asked my dad for help and gotten the ball easily. Many people stress themselves unnecessarily, running from pillar to post in search of solutions to problems that can easily be solved on their knees in prayers to God.

God gave you a blank cheque in Jeremiah 33:3: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

I have been using my blank cheque at every opportunity, and God has been answering and showing me great and mighty things that I did not know. Will you also begin to use your blank cheque?

KEY POINT

Prayerlessness is foolishness

BIBLE IN A YEAR

Zephaniah 1-3

HYMN 22 SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

1 Sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer!

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father’s throne

Make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief,

My soul has often found relief,