I was sick a rare heart disease, i have seen several doctors, non healed me. My health deteriorated and I started to do treatment at public hospital. One day, while I was 17 met a lady and her friend in a restaurant where I was working, and they invited me to come at their places. I was a bit afraid. Finally, i went to their places and found something which touched my heart, these ladies were giving free tuitions to poor children whose parents cannot afford tuition expenses due to the hardship and poverty.

The ladies were like angels, hearthfully devoted to the success of these children. This is the very first time I saw people devoted to do good without expecting nothing in return. Later I will know why, it was amazing how they were involved in teaching these children even though they were not paid teachers .

This is the beginning of my story.......this is how I met Christ! To be continued

ANGRY SNAKE

A carpenter went home after shutting down his workshop. When he was gone, a poisonous snake entered his workshop. The snake was hungry and hoped to find its supper lurking somewhere within. It slithered from one and to another. Finally it bumped into an axe and got very slightly injured. In angry and revenge, the snake bit the snake with full force. What could a snake’s bite do to the metallic axe? Instead the snake’s mouth started bleeding.

Out of fury and arrogance, the snake tried its best to strangle and kill the metallic axe - The object that was causing it the pain by wrapping itself around the axe. The next day the carpenter opened the workshop. He found the dead snake wrapped around the blades of the axe. Here the snake did not die because of someone’s fault.

But it faced these consequences merely because of its own anger and wrath. Sometimes when angry, we try to cause harm to others. But as time passes by, we realise that we caused more harm to ourselves. It is not necessary that we react to everything. Step back and ask ourselves if the matter is really worth responding to.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 18TH AUGUST 2026

TOPIC: GOD’S COVENANT OF PROMOTION

MEMORIZE:
"But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil." Psalm 92:10 (KJV)

BIBLE READING: PSALM 75:6-7
6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

MESSAGE:
The devil often uses the promise of promotion to lure people into making covenants with him. For example, I have heard of cases where those in authority would ask someone due for a promotion at work to enter into an evil covenant by joining a secret cult before the promotion is granted.

Beloved, if you ever find yourself in such an ordeal, I urge you never to enter into such covenants.

Today’s Bible reading tells us that promotion comes from God. When He says yes, nobody can say no. When God decides to promote you, it doesn’t matter what anybody may try because you will reach the position that He intends. He controls the heart of kings; therefore, if anyone in authority threatens you, saying, “You will not be promoted unless you join us,” take your stand as a child of God, and never give in. Just hold on to God, and in the end, you will emerge victorious.

Sometime ago, one of my spiritual sons came to me and said, “Daddy, I am tired of being in one spot for so long; I want to move forward. I have an interview tomorrow, please pray for me.” I replied,

“Let us pray,” and he said, “No! Just speak a word.”

Then I told him that the interview would be successful. He went for the interview and came back beaming with joy. He said, “Daddy, I prepared hard for the interview, but they only asked me three questions: What is your name? Which post did you apply for? When do you want to start?” | congratulated him, and he said, “Daddy, please speak another word.” I obliged and responded,

“Your promotion will be rapid.” The next day, He came back dancing for joy. He said, “When I resumed this morning, I was asked to go to the boardroom. The people who interviewed me the previous day were seated there, and they said, ‘Our Managing Director resigned yesterday. Are you ready to take on the post?’ I replied,

“Congratulations, that’s a rapid promotion.” He told me to speak another word, and I said that God would complete the good work He had started in him. The next day, he came back to me almost speechless as his salary had been doubled! Then he said I should speak another word, and I jokingly responded, “Do you want to collect the company from the owners?”

Beloved, I pray that my Father will surprise you with rapid promotions, in Jesus’ name.

KEY POINT:
Nothing and no one can limit a man whom God has decided to promote.

BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR:
JEREMIAH 47-48

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMNAL 20 - I'M PRESSING ON THE UPWARD WAY
1. I'm pressing on the upward way, New heights I'm gaining
everyday; Still praying as I onward bound "Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

CHORUS:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand, By faith, on Heaven's table-land; Where love, and joy, and light abound, Lord, plant my feet on higher
ground.

2. My heart has no desire to stay where doubts arise, and fears dismay; though some may dwell where these abound, My constant aim is higher ground.

CHORUS:

3. Beyond the mist I fain would rise, to rest beneath unclouded skies, above earth's turmoil peace is found By those who dwell on higher ground.

CHORUS:

4. I long to scale the utmost height, Though rough the way, and hard the fight, My song, while climbing, shall resound Lord, lead me on to higher ground.

CHORUS:

5. Lord, lead me up the mountain side I dare not climb without my Guide; And, heaven gained, I'll gaze around, With grateful heart from higher ground.

CHORUS:



PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL
Tuesday 18th August 2026

GOD'S COVENANT OF PROMOTION
‎
‎PRAYER POINTS
1.Father, I praise You for promotion comes from You, and this is an assurance that nothing and no one can stop my lifting from you.

2.Father, thank You for Your covenant to make me the head and never the tail. Thank You for choosing me to prosper and and to be in good health.

3.Father, please help me to stand in the assurance of Your covenant with me. Help me to trust You with all my heart and to wait on the fulfillment of Your promises for my life, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please help me never to compromise my faith in You. Help me to be faithful at the level I am now so I can attain the greater heights You have prepared for me, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, please help me to take my stand as Your child, and never to give in to the deceits of the devil so I can emerge victorious everyday of my life, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, please speak a word into my life and terminate every form of stagnation in every area of my endeavors, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, please show me Your mercy and let Your covenant of promotion be activated on me, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, please keep me in Your covenant and let me begin to enjoy rapid promotions, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please establish me and my household in Your covenant of promotion so we can have access to Your immeasurable blessings and benefits, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, thank You for the life of Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye.
‎
Help him to continue to enjoy Your covenant of promotion, in Jesus' name. Bless his children (biological and spiritual). Help him to continue to produce sons and daughters to Your glory, in Jesus name
‎
‎11.Father, please bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, with wisdom and favour. Answer all his prayers beyond measure, and all those who have been broadcasting them, in Jesus' name.
‎
‎12.Father, please let every challenge and temptations, hindrance and obstacles of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus name.
‎
‎13.Your personal petitions.
‎(Philippians 4:6)
‎
‎14.In Jesus name I pray.
‎(John 14:13-14; 15:16)
‎
‎#Godblessournation

‎These prayers have no expiry dates! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus name.

Acts 25:

"1 Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2 Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him,
3 And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.
4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.
5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.
6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.
8 While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.
9 But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
11 For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.
13 And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.
14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:
15 About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.
16 To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.
17 Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth.
18 Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed:
19 But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
20 And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.
21 But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.
22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.
23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth.
24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.
27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him."

Now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:6–7 ɴᴋᴊᴠ

For our comfort we are reminded of three definite truths in connection with trials. First, we learn that our trials are only for a “little while.” If the pleasures of the sinner are only for a season, so too the sorrows of the saints are but for a season (cf. Heb. 11:25).

Secondly, we are reminded that there is a need for these sorrows, for these trials are for “a little while, if need be.” The Father does not cause His children a needless tear. The “need” is to prove our faith. This does not mean to prove whether we have faith, but rather to make manifest the preciousness of the faith we have. Gold is not put into the fire to prove that it is gold, but to bring out the precious qualities of the metal. So God proves our faith by various trials to bring out the precious qualities of our faith. Faith, counting upon God in the trial, leads to submission to what God allows. Faith in God enables the soul to wait in patience (Jas. 1:3). The soul may have true faith, but when the trial comes these blessed qualities of faith become manifest: submission, patience, steadfastness, confidence, and dependence upon God.

Thirdly, we learn that trials have a blessed answer in the coming day of glory. The manifestation of these qualities in the day of trial will lead to praise and honor and glory in the day of Jesus Christ. We are apt to think that a time of deep trial, which may prevent us from taking part in active service for the Lord, is all lost time. No, says God, it will be “found to praise” at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

Hamilton Smith


https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-08-18

Hello, I would like to share with you the message from 18 août 2026 from “The Good Seed” daily calendar.


Your word is truth. (John 17:17)

Reliable
The archaeologist William Ramsay (1852-1916) was known for carefully studying the events described in the New Testament, especially in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Pauline Epistles. When he first travelled to Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), many cities mentioned in Acts were not known, and even less was known about their history.
 The Acts of the Apostles was the only historical document, and Ramsay, who was sceptical, fully expected his research to expose Luke, the writer of Acts, as hopelessly inaccurate. Therefore, he set out to thoroughly examine this book of the Bible. He devoted his life to excavating the ancient cities and documents of Asia Minor.
 After a lifelong study, however, he concluded: “Further study … showed that the book [Acts of the Apostles] could bear the most minute scrutiny as an authority for the facts of the Aegean world, and that it was written with such judgment, skill, art, and perception of the truth as to be a model of historical statement.” Ramsay further stated, “I set out to look for truth on the borderland between Greece and Asia, and found it here [in Acts of the Apostles]. You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian’s and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment.”
 When Ramsay turned to the Apostle Paul’s letters, which critics labelled as forgeries, he concluded that all thirteen of Paul’s New Testament letters were authentic.
 All reports of the Bible are reliable because God’s Word is truth!

Today’s reading: Joshua 18:1-28 – 1 Corinthians 14:13-25

Laura Perry Smalts says she spent nearly a decade living as a transgender man named Jake before ultimately leaving that identity and returning to her Christian faith.
Her story began with years of confusion about her identity, followed by hormone treatments and surgeries as she attempted to live as a man.
But Laura says those changes did not bring the peace and fulfillment she was searching for.
Eventually, she returned to Scripture and began seeking God in a completely different way.
She says encountering the love of Christ changed the direction of her life.
Today, Laura shares her testimony through churches, conferences, interviews, and her ministry with her husband, seeking to help others who are struggling with questions of identity and faith.
Her testimony points to a central message of the Gospel.
Our deepest identity isn’t something we have to manufacture.
It is found in the One who created us.

I was sick rare heart disease, i have seen several doctors, non healed me. My health deteriorated and I started to do treatment at public hospital. One day, while I was 17 met a lady and her friend in a restaurant where I was working, and they asked me to come at their places. I was a bit afraid. Finally, i went to their places and found something which touched my heart, these ladies were giving free tuitions to poor children whose parents cannot afford tuition expenses due to their hard poverty life.
The ladies were like angels, hearthfully devoted to the success of these children. This is the very first time I saw people devoted to do good without expecting nothing in return. Later I will know why, it was amazing how the were involved in teaching these children even though they were not paid teachers .
They were simple yet powerful God fearing lady christians filled with love and compassion.
This is the start of my story..to be continued

Scripture Focus: Ecclesiastes 3:11 & 4:6

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has set eternity in the human heart... Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind."

If you’ve ever felt like you’re running on an endless treadmill—working harder, achieving more, yet still feeling strangely unsatisfied—the book of Ecclesiastes gives us a compassionate reality check.

Solomon had access to all the wealth, wisdom, status, and pleasure the world could offer. Yet when he looked at the endless loop of human striving, he called it what it was: "a chasing after the wind."

You can run as fast as you want after the wind, but you’ll never catch it. When we expect temporary things (like productivity, approval, or material success) to give us permanent soul-satisfaction, we end up exhausted.

Why? Because God "set eternity in the human heart." You were created with an eternal capacity that temporary things were never designed to fill.

• Your worth isn't measured by your output.

• Your peace isn't found in having every timeline figured out.

• Your soul was built for communion with God, not constant performance.

Today, take a deep breath. You don't have to grasp for two handfuls of busy toil when God offers you one handful of genuine peace with Him.