Open Heavens 2014: Thursday December 4, daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Secrets of Abundance I

Topic: Secrets of Abundance I [Thursday December 4, 2014]

Memorise: I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. - 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

Read: Genesis 26:12-14

26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. 

26:13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 

26:14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

MESSAGE:

You must be prepared to work hard if you want abundance. Nevertheless, it is quite a different thing to work hard, and another thing to experience abundance. Although God may grant you open doors to financial favour, it is your responsibility to work towards getting to the pinnacle of all-round abundance. To achieve this, you will be required to do a great deal of hard work.

Diligence in hard work is always rewarded. Farmers work hard to reap beautiful harvest. When farmers sow seeds, they begin to grow, but weeds also alongside the seeds sown. Therefore, besides nurturing the good seeds, you must also work hard to get rid of weeds. You are not only expected to work hard, but also to pray hard. Anyone who desires an encounter with the Almighty, which would yield the ultimate abundant blessing, must be ready to work and pray hard.

　　　　“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” - 1 Corinthians 3:6

Paul may plant and Apollos may water but it is God alone who gives the increase. You must learn to pray hard and call upon God to give you increase. Lazy people cannot experience all-round blessing.

Those who are not prepared to work and pray hard are not yet ready for any form of meaningful breakthrough. Remember to put God first when your harvest begins. The Bible commands that we must honour God with our first fruits. Some people harvest and allow the proceeds to waste away.

Until you learn to honour God with your substances, you will not be able to benefit even from the harvest you have laboured for. The Bible attributes one of the reasons for fruitless efforts to failure to put God first in our harvests (Haggai 1:4-6). Some people gather their harvests and put them in bags with holes. The problem of leaking bags emanates from failure to honour God by giving Him the first fruits of our harvest. If you do not give to God, you may end up wasting away the proceeds of your harvest. Those who harvest into bags with holes are those who refuse to put God first. Put God first in all your earnings as from today and you will experience abundance.

Action Point: Think of the ways you have been robbing God of His tithes and first fruits. Repent and perform restitution.

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 31

Open Heavens Daily Devotional 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.

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