Can I not do with you as this potter? says the Lᴏʀᴅ. Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand. Jeremiah 18:6 Let’s observe a potter at work: First, he takes a lump of clay and kneads it to make it pliable. Then, he places it on the potter’s wheel and shapes it. As he presses one hand into the interior, giving it the desired volume, he holds it with the other from the outside, smoothing, refining and shaping the clay. It takes much skill and experience to form a useful vessel out of a shapeless mass. God is the potter who has shaped humans (the clay) according to His intention and wisdom. The patriarch Job expresses it to God: “Your hands have made me and fashioned me ... Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay” (Job 10:8–9). But sin has corrupted everything. The vessel has became unusable for God; it is “marred” and no longer serves its purpose (Jeremiah 18:4). The problem doesn’t lie with God – He is a perfect potter! – but with us. What now? The clay is still in the hand of God. When sinners repent by acknowledging God’s judgment of “uselessness” over their lives, He starts anew with us: He will make from the same lump of clay a vessel for His honour. Everyone who has turned to God and has believed in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has eternal life. A treasure has, so to speak, been placed into the vessel, making it valuable to God now. Yet the potter’s work is not finished. When believers feel pressure because of grief, illness or other difficulties weighing them down, it is God’s hand shaping their character: this is in order that we might please Him. Today’s reading: Joshua 19:1-51 · 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 https://gbv-online.org/calendar/262/date/2026-08-19

THE SPIRITUAL TRUTHS OF EACH BEATTITUDE… The Beatitudes, delivered by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12), are far more than a moral code or a list of pleasant virtues. They map out a radical spiritual inversion—a pathway where worldly weakness becomes divine strength and the values of the human ego are completely upended by the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The Spiritual Truth: Spiritual Bankruptcy is the Gate to Grace. Insight: To be "poor in spirit" means recognizing your utter inability to save, justify, or sustain yourself spiritually on your own terms. It strips away self-sufficiency and spiritual pride. The paradox is that you can only inherit divine richness when you admit your spiritual destitution. 2. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." The Spiritual Truth: Holy Sorrow Prepares the Heart for Divine Joy. Insight: This mourning refers not just to general grief or bereavement, but to deep contrition over personal sin and the brokenness of the world. In a culture that desperately pursues endless distraction and superficial happiness, this truth teaches that facing the weight of human suffering and our own shortcomings creates an empty space that only divine comfort can fill. 3. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." The Spiritual Truth: Surrendered Power is True Strength. Insight: Meekness (prautes) is often misunderstood as weakness or timidity, but in the ancient world, it described a wild stallion that had been broken and trained to respond to the slightest touch of its master's reins. It is power under control. The meek do not need to manipulate, dominate, or defend themselves because they trust God to vindicate them, ultimately inheriting the renewed creation. 4. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." The Spiritual Truth: Desire Determines Destiny. Insight: Most people hunger for comfort, approval, status, or security. This beatitude points to a relentless, visceral appetite—like a starving person craving food—for alignment with God's justice, character, and righteousness. Spiritual fullness is not given to the self-satisfied, but to those whose deepest craving is union with the divine good. 5. "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." The Spiritual Truth: Grace Given is Grace Received. Insight: Mercy is withholding judgment and extending active compassion where it is completely unearned. Spiritually, we cannot truly comprehend or hold onto the mercy we’ve received from God if we hoard it from others. Extending forgiveness and empathy is the mirror that reflects our own participation in God's forgiving nature. 6. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." The Spiritual Truth: Internal Singleness of Purpose Leads to Divine Vision. Insight: Purity here does not mean flawless perfection; it means integrous and undivided. A pure heart is one whose motives are transparent, unclouded by hypocrisy, double-mindedness, or hidden agendas. When the lens of the heart is wiped clean of ego-driven distortions, God stops being a theological concept and becomes a lived reality you can perceive everywhere. 7. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." The Spiritual Truth: Active Reconciliation Mirrors the Family Likeness. Insight: Peacemaking is vastly different from mere "peacekeeping" (which often just sweeps conflict under the rug to keep things quiet). Peacemakers actively step into hostility, brokenness, and division to bridge gaps, absorbing conflict to restore harmony. By doing this, they act like their Father, bearing the unmistakable family resemblance. 8. "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The Spiritual Truth: Friction is the Proof of Alignment. Insight: When a life completely aligns with transcendent truth and selfless love, it inevitably clashes with a world system built on self-preservation and compromise. This beatitude reframes suffering not as a sign of divine abandonment, but as the ultimate badge of honor—proof that your life is echoing a reality higher than this world.

Amazing Facts Daily Devotionals A Taste for Something Good. August 18th, 2026 Humans have about 10,000 taste buds on their tongues, yet insects have the most highly developed sense of taste—using their feet and antennae. Have you ever taken a bite of some food and suddenly tasted something bitter? (At one potluck, I put some peanut butter on my desert only to discover it was actually vegan cheese spread. Not pretty!) Your first response is to spit it out. Of the five senses of the tongue, bitterness is the most sensitive at picking up something that tastes disagreeable. Perhaps that was God’s intention, as many toxic plants have naturally bitter compounds. The taste threshold of bitterness is measured in relationship to quinine, which is given a reference index of 1. In 1958, scientists discovered a chemical called denatonium, the bitterest substance ever found. It has a threshold of 1,000! This aversive agent is added to poisonous matter to prevent people from accidentally swallowing something that might harm them. Researchers have also discovered a couple of substances that are extremely bitter to some people but are virtually tasteless to others. Evidently, the genes of some people make them “supertasters” when it comes to identifying certain bitter compounds. Solomon gives strong medicine to his son in Proverbs 5, urging him to shun immorality at all costs. He speaks from personal experience. It’s odd that the wisest man who ever lived made some of the most foolish choices in the area of lust. To all men he warns that what might seem sweet in the beginning ends up being bitter in the end. He illustrates the remorse and disastrous consequences of breaking the seventh commandment with a perennial plant that grows in the temperate parts of Northern Africa called artemesia. The shrub was used as an ingredient in flavoring some alcoholic drinks and in some spices, but the strong bitter juice of the plant is unfit to eat in your typical lunch salad. God wants us to be supertasters at sensing the poisonous temptations of Satan. Through Solomon’s example, the Lord calls to us to “pay attention!” We can learn from Solomon’s experiences and be saved from a taste of bitter grief. Lord, I make a promise to keep my eyes on you today and to keep my thoughts pure. I choose to turn from every polluted pathway. Additional reading: Proverbs 5:1–14 Key Bible Texts My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: (Proverbs 5:1 KJV)

THE HARD TRUTH ABOUT JESUS` SACRIFICE He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’” —Mark 14:34 Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever felt as though your friends and family had abandoned you? Have you ever felt like you were misunderstood? Have you ever had a hard time understanding or submitting to the will of God for your life? If so, then you have an idea of what the Lord Jesus went through when He agonized at Gethsemane.  book of Hebrews tells us, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (4:15–16 NLT).  Book of Isaiah tells us that Jesus was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” (53:3 NLT). But the sorrow He experienced in Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion seemed to be the culmination of all the sorrow He had ever known and would accelerate to a climax the following day. The ultimate triumph that was to take place at Calvary was first accomplished beneath the gnarled, old olive trees of Gethsemane. Jesus shared His agony with His disciples. “He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me’” (Mark 14:34 NLT It’s interesting that the very word Gethsemane means “olive press.” Olives were pressed there to make oil, and truly, Jesus was being pressed from all sides that He might bring life to us. I don’t think we can even begin to fathom what He was going through. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (NLT). That’s the hard truth of our salvation: Jesus had to suffer and die in our place. He had to endure the punishment that we deserved. He was crushed and beaten for our sake. He could have walked away, but He submitted to His Father’s will so that the plan of salvation could be accomplished.  His crushing and beating brought about your salvation and mine. Because of what Jesus went through at Gethsemane and ultimately at the cross, we can call on His name. Though His suffering and death were unfathomably excruciating, they were necessary for God’s ultimate goal.  Maybe you’re at a crisis point in your life right now—a personal Gethsemane, if you will. You know what you want, yet you can sense that God’s will is different. Would you let the Lord choose for you? Would you be willing to say, “Lord, I am submitting my will to Yours. Not my will, but Yours be done”? You will never regret making that decision.  God bless you!

PROVERB OF THE DAY (Proverbs 17) 1. Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife. 2. A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, And will share an inheritance among the brothers. 3. The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the hearts. 4. An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue. 5. He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. 6. Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father. 7. Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to a prince. 8. A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers. 9. He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends. 10. Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool. 11. An evil man seeks only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 12. Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly. 13. Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house. 14. The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. 15. He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. 16. Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it? 17. A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. 18. A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge, And becomes surety for his friend. 19. He who loves transgression loves strife, And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction. 20. He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil. 21. He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. 22. A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. 23. A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the ways of justice. 24. Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. 25. A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him. 26. Also, to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to strike princes for their uprightness. 27. He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. 28. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. Romans 5:3 NLT ____ The fruit that is produced within us is meant to be used for God’s glory. ____ Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief. ____ Loving Savior, please help me bless others with words that can be trusted. ____ And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 NLT

Guidelines for living. August 17th, 2026 Will You Choose a Simpler Life? You have always protected him and his home and his property from all harm. You have prospered everything he does—look how rich he is! No wonder he “worships” you! But just take away his wealth, and you’ll see him curse you to your face!” (Job 1:10-11, Living Bible How much do you really need? If everything you own was suddenly wiped out by a fire or a devastating storm, would you thank God that your life was spared, or curse because of your loss? I asked myself that question one day when a friend and I noticed that smoke was coming out of the window of a house. For a moment we sat there, not believing what we saw. Then we realized the house was on fire. I ran to a phone and called the fire department, but it was too late. An oil stove had exploded and showered the fuel throughout the house. By the time we got the fire department there and ran to the house, the entire home was one blazing inferno. There was no loss of life, but outside the flaming house stood a father and mother and a little girl about six years of age. The parents were almost beside themselves with grief. How do you console someone in an hour like that? The young father cried out, “My God—all is lost!” The little girl put her hand on her daddy’s as her mother held her tightly in her arms, and she said, “Daddy, you got mommy and me … .” If that should happen to you, would you feel like giving up? Or would you realize that with no loss of life or limb, that what really counts is not what you have but rather what you are? A Christian friend who did lose everything he owned in a fire, and could speak from personal experience, talks freely about the lessons God taught him through that. The biggest one was the tragedy of building your life around what you have. No one enjoys living in poverty. I’ve traveled too much in the world ever to buy that people who live in poverty are not bothered by what they don’t have, since they’ve never known some of the things that you have in your home. They hurt when their baby is sick, and there is no agency to provide medicine and there is no money. They hurt when the cold of winter presses through the cardboard of a squatter’s shack. In recent years the affluence of some, yes, many, has become a sharper and more noticeable contrast to the poverty of others. How much do you really need? This, of course, is a question that has no pat answer, but it has readily become apparent that no one is so affluent that he can afford to disregard the needs of others today. Evangelist Leighton Ford believes that the simple life which pleases God today is one that gets its priorities straight. “We are going to have to lead simpler lives in the future,” said Ford. No question about that. The question is, “Will it be because we are forced to, or because we choose to?” Every sincere individual must come to grips with the responsibility that we have to God in areas of our stewardship. And “what is stewardship?” you might ask. It’s an old English word that originally meant the supervision of another’s wealth or possessions. Literally, a steward was a “house warden.” He was the person to whom the master had entrusted his possessions; the steward was directly responsible to the owner. If you can begin to think of your possessions as a stewardship, given to you by God, who will someday demand an accounting, you will begin to think of material goods and possessions in a different light. With the changing world scene today, it’s become apparent that everyone will have to change some of the ways we have done things; the big question is, “Will it be because we are forced to, or because we choose to, as God’s direction for our lives?” Resource Reading: Job 1:1-22

The Kitchen Newsletter Good day, Welcome to The Kitchen, where we explore, prepare and serve the contents in the Body of the Word as the delicacies of God—to create the form of the Father on the earth, to make the earth in His likeness, and to take charge of the economic destinies of nations for God. Relax, and let's journey through the scriptures to see the Body of the Word. What if the descriptions of the body of Jesus Christ in Scripture are not merely descriptions of what John or Ezekiel saw—but windows into the invisible God? John was on Patmos when he heard a voice behind him. He turned, and what he saw was extraordinary: a figure like the Son of Man, standing among seven golden lampstands. His hair was white like wool, His eyes were like blazing fire, His feet like bronze glowing in a furnace, His voice like rushing waters, and His face like the sun in all its brilliance. John did not encounter an idea. He encountered a Person. He encountered Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, in the appearance of a man and with a body (Revelation 1:1–2, 12–17; Ezekiel 1:26). This gives us a remarkable way of reading Scripture: the Body of the Word is a revelation of the invisible God. Hebrews 1:3 calls Christ “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” Paul similarly speaks of “the light of the knowledge of God’s glory” in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). Therefore, when Scripture describes the eyes, face, feet, voice, garments, or other details of the Word, these descriptions are not empty imagery. They invite us to inquire into the Person they reveal. Consider the eyes. John says: “His eyes were like blazing fire.” — Revelation 1:14 Why blazing fire? Hebrews 12:29 tells us, “Our God is a consuming fire.” The image therefore takes us beyond the physical description of eyes. It begins to tell us something about the nature, passion, desire and activity of God. The Body of the Word becomes a language through which the invisible God makes Himself known. And this is where the subject becomes particularly provocative. The Father has a hunger. We often speak about our hunger for God. But what if Scripture also teaches us to consider the hunger of God? Isaiah speaks of the tongue of the Lord as a consuming fire (Isaiah 30:27). Jesus declares: “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” — John 6:33 And: “I am the bread of life.” — John 6:35 Then He makes the statement even more striking: “This bread is my flesh.” — John 6:51 The bread placed continually before God in the tabernacle was called the bread of the Presence (Exodus 25:30). So the Body of the Word is not merely something we study. In this revelation, the Body of the Word is the food of God—the object of the Father’s intense desire. The dining table becomes a powerful picture. Song of Solomon 7:2 speaks of a rounded goblet, blended wine and a mound of wheat. The imagery presents the Body as a place of nourishment and abundance. What if our understanding of the Body of the Word is itself part of the Father’s desire? What if the question is not merely, “How much do I know about God?” But: “What does God desire to find in me?” This takes us directly to the image of the blazing eyes. The eye is described by Jesus as the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22). The blazing eyes of the Word therefore present another dimension of the Body: the lamp of God. A lamp searches. A lamp illuminates. A lamp reveals what is hidden. Psalm 11:5 says that the Lord examines the righteous, while Psalm 14:2 says that He looks down from heaven to see whether there is anyone who understands and seeks Him. Notice the connection. The blazing eyes are not merely looking at us. They are looking for something in us. They are looking for understanding. The Father is looking for the knowledge of the Body of the Word in the hearts and minds of His people. That changes the way we think about revelation. Psalm 119:130 says: “The unfolding of your words gives light and understanding to the simple.” The Word contains depths that must be unfolded. And when the details of the Body of the Word are unfolded, they bring light—the revelation knowledge of the Father (Psalm 119:130; 2 Corinthians 4:6). This is also why Jesus said: “These are the Scriptures that testify about me.” — John 5:39 The Scriptures are not merely information about religious subjects. They testify about a Person. The descriptions of the Body of the Word therefore become places of investigation. The eyes speak. The face speaks. The feet speak. The garments speak. The voice speaks. And through these descriptions, we begin to encounter dimensions of the Person of the Word—and consequently dimensions of the Father. The emotions of God are also revealed. Isaiah 59:17 describes God clothing Himself with zeal “as a cloak.” A garment covers and expresses the person wearing it. If the garments of God are described through Scripture, and Scripture testifies about the Word, then the imagery of God's garments becomes another doorway into understanding His Person. The Body of the Word, therefore, becomes a profound vocabulary for understanding the emotions of God. His zeal. His longing. His desire. His hunger. His compassion. His grief. His expectation. His pleasure. His intensity. These are not abstract theological categories. They are dimensions of the Person of God that Scripture progressively reveals. And who searches these depths for us? The Holy Spirit. Jesus says in John 16:13–15 that the Spirit of truth will take what belongs to Christ and make it known to us. Paul adds: “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” — 1 Corinthians 2:10 The Body of the Word is therefore not a closed mystery. It is a treasury to be searched. The Holy Spirit searches the deep things of God and unfolds them so that we can know the Father more precisely. This is why revelation is more than acquiring information. Revelation is discovering what is already contained in the Person of the Word. And perhaps this explains one of the great spiritual questions of our time: Why does God seem to be searching the hearts of His people? Because the Father is looking for a place where the Body of theWord can be understood. He is looking for hearts that can become tables upon which His food is received. He is looking for minds that can accommodate the revelation of His Son. He is looking for people who will not merely quote Scripture, but will allow Scripture to reveal the Person of Christ. The blazing eyes of the Word are still searching. And the question is: What are they looking for in us? Perhaps the answer is simpler—and more demanding—than we imagined: Understanding. An understanding of the Body of the Word. An understanding of the Father. An understanding deep enough to shape how we live, how we build, how we govern, how we work, and ultimately how we participate in the economic destinies of nations. The Father wants His form reproduced on the earth through people who have seen, understood and received the revelation of the Body of the Word. This is why we must return to Scripture—not merely to read it, but to unfold it. Because somewhere within the details is light. And somewhere within the light is the knowledge of the Father. And somewhere within that knowledge is the revelation of the Person of the Word. I am Omodolapo Ogunye. Listen to The Kitchen Podcast by Omodolapo Ogunye on Audible, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts. Please share and spread the Revelation Knowledge of the Body of the Word. celebrating the Body of the Word #foodmoneyshow #bodyoftheword #marketplace #moneymindset #money #worldwide

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 16TH, 2026 TOPIC: THE GAINS OF GOD'S COVENANT I AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE MEMORISE: "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do." Deuteronomy 29:9 BIBLE READING: DEUTERONOMY 28:1-14 1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. 7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. 8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways. 10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: 14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. MESSAGE: In Proverbs 31:1-9, one of the things King Lemuel's mother taught him was that there were certain things that kings should not do. She told him that kings should not give their strength to women, nor should they follow the ways that destroy kings, nor should they drink wine or strong drink. If a fellow does the things that kings shouldn't do, it is expected that such a person would either never become a king or would be dethroned if he or she is already a king. To fully enjoy the gains of any covenant with God, you must be ready to fulfil its terms and conditions by surrendering totally to Him and obeying all His instructions. Once you decide to serve God with all your life and do whatever He says, sooner or later, people will come to you and say, "Tell us your secret; how are you flourishing in every area of your life?!" Many people attribute the remarkable progress of RCCG to my academic background; however, they are unaware that we are reaping the benefits of the founder's covenant with God. God called the founder of the church, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, a man who never attended school, and told him that if he could meet certain conditions, He would establish a church through him that would spread around the world. God helped Pa Akindayomi, and before his death, he fulfilled all the conditions that God gave him. Today, the RCCG is present in over 195 nations worldwide. The church is where it is today because of God's covenant with my Father in the Lord. God cannot be mocked. Anyone who obeys the terms of His covenant will reap its gains. In today's memory verse, Moses told the Israelites that if they kept God's commandments, they would prosper in all that they did. Prosperity is a major gain that those who keep God's covenant will enjoy. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all enjoyed abundant prosperity as a result of God's covenant with Abraham. Father Abraham was described as a man who was blessed in all things (Genesis 24:1), Isaac was described as being very great (Genesis 26:13), and Jacob was described as a prosperous man (Genesis 30:43). Beloved, God has given His children all things to enjoy richly (1 Timothy 6:17). However, you must fulfil the terms and conditions of God's covenant with His children to truly enjoy prosperity in all areas of your life. May your life reflect the gains of God's covenant abundantly, in Jesus' name. KEY POINT: Anyone who obeys the terms of God's covenant wil reap its gains. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 40-43 HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD 1 When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word, what a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. Refrain: Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 2 Not a shadow can rise, Not a cloud in the skies, But His smiles quickly drives it away; Not a doubt nor a fear, Not a sigh nor a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey. 3 Not a burden we bear, Not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly Repay; Not a grief or a loss, Not a frown or a cross, But is blest if we trust and Obey. 4 But we never can prove The delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favour He shows, For the joy He bestows, Are for them, Who will trust and obey. 5 Then in fellowship sweet We will sit at His feet, Or we'll walk by His side In the way; What He says we will do, Where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey..

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 16TH, 2026 TOPIC: THE GAINS OF GOD'S COVENANT I AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE MEMORISE: "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do." Deuteronomy 29:9 BIBLE READING: DEUTERONOMY 28:1-14 1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. 7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. 8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways. 10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: 14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. MESSAGE: In Proverbs 31:1-9, one of the things King Lemuel's mother taught him was that there were certain things that kings should not do. She told him that kings should not give their strength to women, nor should they follow the ways that destroy kings, nor should they drink wine or strong drink. If a fellow does the things that kings shouldn't do, it is expected that such a person would either never become a king or would be dethroned if he or she is already a king. To fully enjoy the gains of any covenant with God, you must be ready to fulfil its terms and conditions by surrendering totally to Him and obeying all His instructions. Once you decide to serve God with all your life and do whatever He says, sooner or later, people will come to you and say, "Tell us your secret; how are you flourishing in every area of your life?!" Many people attribute the remarkable progress of RCCG to my academic background; however, they are unaware that we are reaping the benefits of the founder's covenant with God. God called the founder of the church, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, a man who never attended school, and told him that if he could meet certain conditions, He would establish a church through him that would spread around the world. God helped Pa Akindayomi, and before his death, he fulfilled all the conditions that God gave him. Today, the RCCG is present in over 195 nations worldwide. The church is where it is today because of God's covenant with my Father in the Lord. God cannot be mocked. Anyone who obeys the terms of His covenant will reap its gains. In today's memory verse, Moses told the Israelites that if they kept God's commandments, they would prosper in all that they did. Prosperity is a major gain that those who keep God's covenant will enjoy. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all enjoyed abundant prosperity as a result of God's covenant with Abraham. Father Abraham was described as a man who was blessed in all things (Genesis 24:1), Isaac was described as being very great (Genesis 26:13), and Jacob was described as a prosperous man (Genesis 30:43). Beloved, God has given His children all things to enjoy richly (1 Timothy 6:17). However, you must fulfil the terms and conditions of God's covenant with His children to truly enjoy prosperity in all areas of your life. May your life reflect the gains of God's covenant abundantly, in Jesus' name. KEY POINT: Anyone who obeys the terms of God's covenant wil reap its gains. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 40-43 HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD 1 When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word, what a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. Refrain: Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 2 Not a shadow can rise, Not a cloud in the skies, But His smiles quickly drives it away; Not a doubt nor a fear, Not a sigh nor a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey. 3 Not a burden we bear, Not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly Repay; Not a grief or a loss, Not a frown or a cross, But is blest if we trust and Obey. 4 But we never can prove The delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favour He shows, For the joy He bestows, Are for them, Who will trust and obey. 5 Then in fellowship sweet We will sit at His feet, Or we'll walk by His side In the way; What He says we will do, Where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey..