Open Heaven 12 April 2023 TOPIC: Destiny Destroyers: Pride II
MEMORISE: “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” – James 4:6 (KJV)
READ: 1 Peter 5:6 (KJV)
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 8-9
MESSAGE:
From our memory verse for today, we see that God resists the proud. In other words, God opposes the proud. If the Almighty God is your opponent, how will you ever win? The major problem of proud people is that they don’t even know that they are proud. They call it other beautiful names like self-respect, self-confidence, or they say, “I am just honouring my position”. Saul was asking Samuel to honour his position in 1 Samuel 15:30 when he lost his throne. David on the other hand danced like a commoner even as king and was mocked by his own wife. He told her, “I am dancing for the One who made me king in the place of your father” (2 Samuel 6:16-21).
During praise and worship, you will know who is proud and who is not. Look at children; because they aren’t seeking to protect any position or anything like that, they just praise God, dancing the best way they can. During a service we held in one of the Universities in Nigeria, the Vice Chancellor danced even more than the students. God looked down from heaven and saw that, so when some weeks later the enemy rose up to remove him, the Lord of hosts fought on his behalf and gave him victory. When you humble yourself, God fights your battles for you.
After one of the biggest programmes we ever held – tagged Lekki ’98, I got back to the Camp and that night during my prayer walk, between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., I suddenly heard God say, “Son, bend down and draw the figure of a man in the sand”. I drew the figure and then He said, “Stand up and wipe out what you have drawn with your foot”. I did that, and then He said, “Son, if you ever forget who is in charge, I will wipe you out and nobody will ever remember you came into the world”. It does not matter how high God has taken you, He can bring you down with the snap of His fingers. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall”.
You would be wise to become more humble as you rise, because the higher you go, the greater the fall if you become proud.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant unto me the grace and wisdom to humble myself before You from now, in Jesus’ name.
HYMN 10: In Christ Alone
1 In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when striving cease,
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
2 In Christ alone who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied,
For every sin on Him was laid,
Here in the death of Christ I live.
3 There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day,
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine,
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
4 No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Could ever pluck me from His hand,
‘Til He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I stand.
