OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2026.

TOPIC: BREAKING COVENANTS 2

MEMORISE
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. - (1 John 4:4)

READ: 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

MESSAGE

Years ago, one of my daughters in the Lord came to me and said, "Daddy, a young man approached me and said he wants to marry me." I congratulated her, but she replied, "Daddy, my father told me that I was dedicated to a river goddess when I was born, and a covenant was made that whoever I marry is going to die on our wedding day. I don't want the young man to die." I told her that I know someone stronger than the river goddess. We prayed a simple prayer, and she left. The next time I saw her, she was happily married and already had a baby. I declare that any evil force that might be hindering your progress is destroyed today, in Jesus' name.

A new and greater covenant can cancel a previously existing one. For instance, if you want to break a covenant with someone, all you need to do is enter into a covenant with someone greater; the greater fellow can release you from the lesser person's covenant by force. If a person enters into a covenant with the devil, the moment he or she enters into a covenant with God, He will wipe out all evil covenants from the fellow's life. God's covenant is superior to any other covenant. Our God is stronger than the strongest; therefore, once a person enters into a covenant with Him, He will bind any strong man who was previously in charge of the fellow's life and throw him out.

It is also important to note that the devil still seeks to retain his strongholds in the lives of people even after they have become born again. A stronghold is a deeply entrenched evil pattern that the devil has instilled in a person, and it must be addressed. Otherwise, the person will continue to operate under its influence even after he or she has become born again. Such strongholds typically include bitterness, pride, generational curses, anger, and other similar issues.

Beloved, (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) urges us to pull down strongholds and cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. If you are a party to any evil covenant or are under the influence of any demonic stronghold, cry out to God today to deliver you by His mighty power. I join my faith with yours and decree that you are completely free from any evil covenant or demonic stronghold that might be in your life, in Jesus' name.

KEY POINT
Having a covenant with God annuls every evil covenant in a person's life.

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Lamentations 1 - 2

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 strivings 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, 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
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of this beautiful Sabbath morning. Thank You for life, for Your mercy, for Your protection, and for bringing us safely into a new day.

Lord Jesus, help us to slow down today and remember that You are our Creator, our Provider, and our source of strength. Fill our hearts with peace and our homes with Your presence.

Forgive us for the things we have done wrong, the words we have spoken carelessly, and the opportunities we have missed to do what is right. Give us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us.

Father, bless our families, our work, our businesses, and our plans. Give us wisdom to make good decisions, courage to face challenges, and patience to wait for Your timing.

Where there is worry, bring peace.
Where there is weakness, bring strength.
Where there is confusion, bring direction.
Where there is lack, provide.
Where there is discouragement, restore hope.

May this Sabbath remind us that our success does not come from our strength alone, but from You.

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24

Lord, guide us throughout this day. Help us to be a blessing to someone, encourage someone, forgive someone, and demonstrate Your love through our actions.

We place this Sabbath, our families, our future, and everything we are working toward into Your hands.

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, we pray.
Amen.

Happy and Blessed Sabbath!

BEFORE SATAN GETS YOU, HE FIRST DESTROYS YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM.
The devil has many ways of getting his prey, one of the most effective means he uses is to destroy your support system. His first target is the good people around you. People who can strengthen, encourage, and protect you.
When we become isolated from godly friends, family, mentors, and our church community, we become easier targets for discouragement, temptation, fear, and defeat etc.
The enemy knows that so he creates misunderstanding between you and those who genuinely care about you. Once he succeeded in doing this, he has already won half the battle. He will tell you lies such as, "No one love or care about you" "No one will ever understands you," "You don't need anyone," "They are against you."
Sadly, many people fall victim to these lies and walk away from the very people God placed in their lives for support.
The Bible reminds us in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10:
"Two are better than one... If either of them falls down, one can help the other up."
God never intended us to fight life's battles alone. He surrounds us with people who pray for us, encourage us, correct us, and help us remain strong in difficult times. Jesus surrounded Himself with disciples and close friends during His earthly ministry. Even the Son of God valued godly companionship
Once you notice yourself becoming isolated, constantly offended, or withdrawing from everyone, pause and ask yourself: Is this truly wisdom, or is the enemy trying to disconnect me from my support system?
Protect your relationships, value those who sincerely pray for you. Appreciate those who lovingly correct you. Stay connected to your church and fellowship with other believers. Don't allow pride, offense, or unforgiveness to destroy the people God has placed around you.
Remember, when the enemy cannot stop God's purpose for your life, he often tries to separate you from the people who could help you fulfill it. Don't let the devil succeed.
Ask God to open your eyes to recognize their value so that you will not fall into the trap of isolation, offense, or pride but to protect your relationships from every attack of the enemy.
Finally, guard your support system as carefully as you guard your dreams. The people God has placed in your life are often part of His answer to your prayers. Stay connected, stay humble, and stay prayerful.

THE PILGRIMS GUIDE 

SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2026

STRENGTH THROUGH HIS SPIRIT 

A WORD FROM THE WORD:

"That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,." Ephesians 3:16 NKJV.

In this life, especially as a believing child of God, there are battles that you cannot win by physical strength, emotional intelligence, mental intelligence or willpower. Your true victory begins in your inner man, the very spiritual core of your being. When your inner man, powered by God's Spirit is strong, external situations and circumstances would surely lose their power to overwhelm you.

Paul the apostle, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit had a clear understanding of this truth, and so his prayers were not for external blessings, but for inner strength. Reasons for this are simple: When your inner man is strengthened, the following (though not exhaustive will definitely be evident.

1). You will endure and overcome challenges without breaking down.

2). You will firmly withstand situations and circumstances that overwhelmed others.

3). Your view will always be from God’s perspective instead of reactionary actions resulting from fear.

4). Your demeanour and walk will be in anchored in peace even in times of turbulence.

So many lives, even that of Christians, are in disarray because their inner man is not strengthened by God's Spirit. One of the mistakes God's children make is to daily feed their bodies, and neglect and starve their inner man, yet expect to walk in victory. The Holy Spirit helps you draw strength from Him through prayer, God's Word, worship, and a consistent walk with God (Jude 20).
Your inner man receives supernatural strength when your spirit is fortified, and you become unshakable.

Won't you rather draw strength for your inner man through His Spirit?

PRAYER BULLETS:

Father LORD, strengthen me in my inner man by Your Spirit. Renew my courage, fortify my faith, and fill me with divine strength for every assignment You have given me.

FURTHER READING:

Isaiah 40:29-31; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Colossians 1:11.
__________________________________________

Amaobi Nwachukwu 2026.

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Revelation 21:1-5

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
2 I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.
4 ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”

Revelation 21:1-5

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
2 I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.
4 ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”

ANOTHER 5 STARS REVIEW

Reviewer 1Platform Review
Aug 20, 2026
Why The White Man Rules

I had to slow down while reading this one because the argument the author makes is definitely not an easy one to take in. Why The White Man Rules: An Apology takes a very specific position and builds the entire discussion around one question: why has the White man come to dominate so much of the modern world? The author’s answer is rooted almost entirely in his interpretation of the Bible and God’s promises.What caught my attention is that the word “apology” doesn't mean what I first assumed it would. The author spends time explaining that he is using the word in the older sense of a defense or justification, rather than an admission of wrongdoing. He is very direct about that purpose, stating that the book “defends the domination of the world by the White man.”The book then takes the reader through Scripture, particularly the promises made to Israel, and tries to connect those biblical promises to the United States and the British Commonwealth. The author argues that these nations represent the fulfillment of promises concerning a “Great Nation” and a “Commonwealth of Nations.”I found the most interesting part to be how consistently the author brings everything back to God's faithfulness to His promises. Whether you agree with his interpretation or not, you can see exactly what he is trying to establish. The later chapters shift toward faith, redemption, and Christ, presenting these ideas as the second major thread running through the book.This isn't a book I'd describe as casual reading. It makes some very strong claims, and I imagine readers will have very different reactions depending on their own religious and historical perspectives. But I appreciated that the author doesn't hide his central argument or soften it to make it more comfortable. He wants the reader to wrestle with his interpretation of Scripture and history.

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Our hero makes a cup of Turkish coffee, gets his pack of cigarettes, and goes into his room, responding to some emails and messages, then goes to exercise in his home gym; the workout is the same with dumbbells, sometimes light barbell deadlifts, and simple moves with weights.
He posts the workout live on YouTube; he has a YouTube channel, even though he does not know why he cares, but it gives him something to do when there is no work; it was a Monday; that's when he goes to church for bible study and a family prayer meeting.

Being a Coptic Orthodox Christian is different; he loves the church, but he is always uneasy and confused and does not know where he stands about his faith; he believes in the creed.

He was born on 9/9/1986; now he is 39 years old, has a lot more wisdom and knowledge about life and work, and he tries to follow Christ, but he always feels like he is not doing enough; being with mental illness determines what he can and cannot do, although he may pass as totally normal.

It goes into his head: what is normal, who defines it, or how being normal can be defined; he is like 60% analytical, and the rest is just total and utterly unrealistic “he is out of his mind in the remaining 40%.”

He comes back from church, takes his medication, and goes to sleep. He dreams of his father; they are having a conversation. Before he gets up, he tells his father I will talk to you when I get up, that is weird.
:
His father passed away like 10 years ago, and before that he had progressive supranuclear palsy and became paralyzed for the last 10 years of his life.

This is the way with dreams, unrealistic and never complete, but sometimes his thinking is more unrealistic than his dreams.
But if you ask him what his dreams are, he will not be able to answer; this is a question that he never had an answer to.

Others dream of fame and fortune, but he thinks being unknown is amazing. Money for what? All lives start the same and end the same; money can buy luxuries that are unessential, and the most expensive foods, which go down the same.


The world is fascinated with Alion Musk, President Trump and Mohamed Slah, without noticing the sacrifices they had to make, to live for their work and it only, they may look happy, they do what they love so they are happy, so do the work that makes you happy, but life and work is not that simple, young adults get married and within after 9 months their first born, they are not ready, but it is dictated by the community they live in, and it is a disaster not to have kids after 2 years of marriage, that is if the relationship happens in the context of marriage.

This is thought that passed through his head, he realizes that he does not conform with his community and church, he grew up in a mix of ideas and beliefs, adding to that the tragedies that happened in his life, these morphed the person he is now, he believes in Christ, he loves others as he loves himself, but he knows that not one denomination has a monopoly on Christianity and that only God knows the hearts of his creation.

But when he enters his church, he feels that God is truly present with him. When he listens to Christian songs that praise and glorify God, his spirit rejoices, and he feels a deep sense of peace and closeness to Him. He is also inspired by the way Catholics serve their communities, helping those in need and putting their faith into action through love, compassion, and service.

But all these thoughts just hit a wall when he tries to articulate them to someone, specially to Orthodox and Catholics, he sees great understanding in Evangelicals.

He realizes that those thoughts pop up because he has not gotten a project in a long time, but that is freelancing for you, he was unable to hold a steady paying job for more than 5 days, most of those was call center jobs, others were busboy jobs, he did not understand life as he does now.

He works from home, but like all freelance jobs there is no steady salary, that is a problem for when and if the miracle happens and he finds a wife, it is not only the age and work it is also the medication he must take.

May be deep down he think he does not deserve love; he cannot imagine his life with a wife and kids, how can he have children to face this life in this world, how can he repeat the cycle, and of course his feelings of impending doom and end, he is fascinated with Bible prophesy and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today he has a confession, he goes in and tries his best, he confesses his hesitation in the Orthodox faith, and that he cannot fast and be ready for communion, with his condition and all.

He is sure of one thing that gods answer his prayers all of them, something happens and he remembers he prayed for that a long time ago, some answers are in the way.

The medication timing can make or break the patient’s life, taking a sedating medication in the morning is very counterproductive, and if psychiatrists have their way all patients will be walking zombies, he sees this happens.

Talking about the hospital, anyone how goes there may see it as a horrible place, he sees it as therapeutic, when you see people who can’t walk or unable to take care of their basic needs you really thank God for everything you can do and have.

He sometimes thinks of his father and the cross he caried, to be totally paralyzed for 9 years, unable to speak, unable to move, unable to eat sold food, his father was a good man, he has his downfalls, but he had a good heart.

Our hero remembers his first day in university, he was young and outright weird, with his father in this condition, he was unable to adapt, this is when his illness started, he tried his best to study but after his father passed away, he left this university in his third year.

At the beginning of his healing journey his psychologist and mother were trying to push him to have a social life, like going to church meetings and university and other social events, she is a virtuous woman but narrowminded.