Watch ORTHODOX MORNING PRAYERS & READINGS for Monday, Aug. 17, 2026: https://robertdhosken.substack.com/p/watch-orthodox-morning-prayers-and-4c2

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY, AUGUST 17TH 2026.

TOPIC: THE GAINS OF GOD'S COVENANT II

MEMORISE
Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: - (Deuteronomy 7:12)

BIBLE READING: GENESIS 20:1-18 (KJV)

1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.

4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

18 For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

MESSAGE

Years ago, a highly influential man in an Islamic nation, where church planting was prohibited, invited one of our missionaries to establish a church within his compound. When the church started, his wife said to him, "With your position in government and your influence in this nation, you allowed a church be established in your compound?" He looked at his wife and said, "Don't you dare say a word against these people!" I believe that it was easy for the RCCG to plant a church in that nation, and indeed many nations in the world today, because of God's covenant with its founder, Pa Josiah Akindayomi.

One of the gains of being in a covenant with God is that you will keep getting greater results than your peers as long as you keep fulfilling your part of the covenant. God will keep giving you results that are beyond your efforts. What other people struggle to get will come to you easily because of His covenant with you.

In Exodus 19:5, God said, "If you will keep my covenant, I will make you a peculiar treasure." This means that people will take a look at you and wonder why God loves you so much. Several times, when I wake up at night and reflect on all the good things God is doing in RCCG, I usually say, "Lord, how can you love us this much?" Some people might claim that it is because we fast and pray, but believe me, some people fast more than we do. I recall vividly that when I became the General Overseer, I had some of my friends join me in a 36-hour non-stop prayer session. We thought this was a remarkable feat until we heard of a man who prayed non-stop for so much longer! I may not have spent as many hours in prayer at a stretch as that person, yet what God has done for RCCG is unprecedented and truly remarkable. Indeed, there are immense gains in being in a covenant with the Almighty God.

Another gain of being in a covenant with God is protection. When a king took Abraham's wife, God intervened by appearing in the king's dream. He went the extra mile to protect her and instructed the king to ask Abraham to pray for him, as we see in today's Bible reading. Beloved, there are immeasurable blessings that flow from being in covenant with God.

KEY POINT
Being in a covenant with God gives you access to tremendous benefits and makes difficult things easy.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR JEREMIAH 44 - 46

HYMN 19 - ROCK OF AGES, CLEFT FOR ME

1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee! Let the water and the blood, From Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure; Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

2. Not the labours of my hands, can fulfill thy law's demands could zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone, thou must save and thou alone.

3. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling naked, come to thee for dress, helpless, look to thee fir grace foul to the fountain fly wash me saviour or I die.

4. While I draw this fleeting breath, when my eyelids close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.



PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS

DATE: MONDAY AUGUST 17TH 2026

*THE GAINS OF GOD'S COVENANT II

‎PRAYER POINTS

1.Father, thank You for Your covenant to build Your church and never to allow the gate of hell to prevail over it.

2.Father, thank You for the spread of the gospel across the nations of the earth. Thank You for raising men and women to bare the light of the gospel even to the inter lands.

3.Father, thank You for divinely positioning men and women to favour the advancement of Your gospel across the world.

4.Father, please help me never to go out Your covenant for my life. Help me to keep fulfilling my part of the covenant so I can keep enjoying greater results than my peers, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, please keep me in Your covenant, and grant me results that are beyond my efforts. Make easy for me what other people struggle to get, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, please help me to keep Your covenant, and make me a wonder to nations, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, please show me Your mercy and let it continue to speak for me such that I will constantly enjoy unprecedented and truly remarkable blessings of Your covenant, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, please keep me in Your covenant and let me and my household enjoy divine protection everywhere we go, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please help me to hearken to Your judgements, to keep and to do them, so I can abide in Your covenant and enjoy Your mercies, in Jesus' name.

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

11.Father, thank You for the life of Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye.
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Help him to continue to enjoy the gains of Your covenant with him, in Jesus' name. Bless his children (biological and spiritual). Help him to continue to produce sons and daughters to Your glory, in Jesus name
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‎12.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.
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‎13.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.
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‎14.Your personal petitions.
‎(Philippians 4:6)
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‎15.In Jesus name I pray.
‎(John 14:13-14; 15:16)
‎#GodBlessOThese

prayers have no expiry dates! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you.

We are missionaries on Curaçao and have two foundations. We are committed to protecting unborn life and bearing witness to Jesus, our Lord. If you’d like to learn more, please visit our website https://saveoneforjesus.com/home-en/

Watch ORTHODOX MORNING PRAYERS & READINGS for Friday, Aug. 14, 2026: https://robertdhosken.substack.com/p/watch-orthodox-morning-prayers-and-b49

How to JOIN? See https://Agape-Biblia.org/Morning-Prayers.htm to JOIN US “LIVE” daily at 7 a.m. ET - start YOUR OWN Morning Prayers! We’re retired missionaries in our 80s, preparing for eternity! Are you?

Thankful Thursday Morning Prayer

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High.” — Psalm 92:1 (KJV)

Heavenly Father, on this Thankful Thursday morning, we enter Your presence with grateful hearts and praise upon our lips. Thank You for watching over us throughout the night and touching us with Your hand of mercy this morning. Thank You for the breath in our bodies, the strength to rise, and the blessing of seeing another day.
Before we ask You for anything, Lord, we pause to thank You for everything. Thank You for being our Savior, Protector, Provider, Healer, Comforter, and closest Friend. Thank You for loving us when we were difficult to love, forgiving us when we fell short, and remaining faithful even when our faith became weak. Your Word declares, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23).
Father, thank You for every prayer You answered and every blessing You released. Thank You also for the prayers You answered differently than we expected. We now understand that some closed doors were Your protection, some delays were Your preparation, and some disappointments were Your divine redirection. Thank You for what You allowed, what You prevented, and what You are still working together for our good.
Lord, forgive us for the times we complained about what was missing while overlooking what remained. Forgive us for focusing on our burdens more than Your faithfulness. Give us eyes to recognize Your goodness in the ordinary blessings—the food on our tables, clothing on our bodies, roofs over our heads, family and friends, moments of peace, and strength to keep moving forward. We may not possess everything we desire, but we thank You that “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Thank You for sustaining us through seasons we thought would destroy us. We have been wounded, but You healed us. We have been discouraged, but You strengthened us. We have experienced loss, but You comforted us. We have faced uncertainty, but You continued to guide us. When we could not trace Your hand, You taught us to trust Your heart. When our strength was gone, Your grace proved sufficient.
Father, we place this entire day into Your hands. Go before us and make every crooked path straight. Order our steps, guide our decisions, govern our conversations, and protect us from dangers seen and unseen. Cover our homes, families, workplaces, schools, churches, vehicles, finances, health, and everything connected to us. Let no weapon formed against us prosper, and bring every plan of the enemy to nothing.
Lord, bless every member of our family. Strengthen marriages, restore relationships, protect our children, encourage our seniors, and draw every unsaved loved one into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Bring peace where there is conflict, understanding where there is confusion, forgiveness where there is offense, and unity where division has entered.
Remember those who awakened this morning carrying silent burdens. Touch those battling sickness, chronic pain, cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, addiction, or any condition known or unknown. Give wisdom to doctors, nurses, caregivers, and medical professionals. Let Your healing power flow, for Your Word declares, “I am the LORD that healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26).
Comfort every grieving heart and remind them that You are “a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Provide employment for those seeking work, financial relief for struggling households, shelter for the displaced, food for the hungry, and hope for those who feel forgotten. Open doors that no person can shut, and release resources from unexpected places.
Father, strengthen Your Church. Bless pastors, ministers, leaders, missionaries, and every servant laboring for Your Kingdom. Give them wisdom, integrity, endurance, and fresh anointing. Let our churches be houses of prayer, healing, truth, love, deliverance, and salvation. Help us not merely to speak about Your goodness but to demonstrate it through compassion and service.
Teach us to live thankfully—not only when life is easy, but also when the road is difficult. Your Word commands us, “In every thing give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Therefore, we will thank You in the waiting, praise You through the struggle, and trust You in uncertainty. Our circumstances may change, but Your character never will. You are still good, still faithful, still sovereign, and still worthy of all our praise.
Let gratitude guide our attitude throughout this day. May our words bring healing, our actions show kindness, and our lives point others toward Jesus. Keep murmuring and negativity far from us. Place a new song in our hearts so that wherever we go, we carry Your peace, display Your joy, and testify of Your faithfulness.
We thank You in advance for today’s protection, provision, divine appointments, unexpected blessings, restored strength, and answered prayers. Whatever this Thursday brings, we will not fear, because You are with us. We will rejoice and say, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).
In the mighty, matchless, and victorious name of Jesus Christ, we pray.
Amen, Amen, and Amen!

DECLARATION...
Today, I choose gratitude over complaining and faith over fear. God is ordering my steps, covering my family, supplying every need, and working everything for my good. This Thankful Thursday, I am blessed, protected, strengthened, and deeply grateful—in Jesus’ name. Amen!

GLOBAL Evangelists and Missionaries' Association (GEMA)

Is inviting interested and qualified Christians to apply for various positions for appointment to fill Global, National and Regional Offices/Positions.

Click on the link to apply.

Shalom.

https://form.svhrt.com/6a7b9e34b77f04dd645ca7ee

Watch ORTHODOX MORNING PRAYERS & READINGS for Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026: https://robertdhosken.substack.com/p/watch-orthodox-morning-prayers-and-4c3

How to JOIN? See https://Agape-Biblia.org/Morning-Prayers.htm to JOIN US "LIVE" daily at 7 a.m. ET - start YOUR OWN Morning Prayers! We're retired missionaries in our 80s, preparing for eternity! Are you?

Daily Devotional.
Work for the children.

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:14

Wherever the Saviour went, the benignity of His countenance and His gentle, kindly manner won the love and confidence of children....

One mother with her child had left her home to find Jesus. On the way she told a neighbor her errand, and the neighbor wanted to have Jesus bless her children. Thus several mothers came together, with their little ones. Some of the children had passed beyond the years of infancy to childhood and youth.... But He waited to see how the disciples would treat them. When He saw them send the mothers away, thinking to do Him a favor, He showed them their error, saying, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.” He took the children in His arms, He laid His hands upon them, and gave them the blessing for which they came.

God wants every child of tender age to be His child, to be adopted into His family. Young though they may be, the youth may be members of the household of faith, and have a most precious experience.... Christ will make them little missionaries. The whole current of their thoughts may be changed, so that sin will not appear a thing to be enjoyed but to be hated and shunned.... The Lord will give an experience to these children in missionary lines.

We may bring hundreds and thousands of children to Christ if we will work for them.

The children should be so educated that they will sympathize with the aged and afflicted and will seek to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and distressed. They should be taught to be diligent in missionary work; and from their earliest years self-denial and sacrifice for the good of others and the advancement of Christ’s cause should be inculcated, that they may be laborers together with God. [229]

Check out ORTHODOX MORNING PRAYERS & READINGS for Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026: https://robertdhosken.substack.com/p/check-out-orthodox-morning-prayers-2be

How to JOIN? See https://Agape-Biblia.org/Morning-Prayers.htm to JOIN US "LIVE" daily at 7 a.m. ET - start YOUR OWN Morning Prayers! We're retired missionaries in our 80s, preparing for eternity! Are you?

Daily Devotional.
Relieve suffering humanity.

And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. Luke 9:2

Christ established His temporary hospital on the green hill slopes of Galilee and in every other place where the sick and the suffering could be brought to Him. In every city, every town, every village through which He passed, with the tender compassion of a loving Father He laid His hand upon the afflicted ones, and made them whole. This same work Christ has empowered His church to do.

At the close of His earthly ministry, when He charged His disciples with a solemn commission to go “into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” He declared that their ministry would receive confirmation through the restoration of the sick to health. Ye “shall lay hands on the sick,” He said, “and they shall recover.” Mark 16:15, 18. By healing in His name the diseases of the body, they would testify to His power for the healing of the soul.

The Saviour’s commission to the disciples includes all believers to the end of time.... Never has the world’s need for teaching and healing been greater than it is today. The world is full of those who need to be ministered unto—the weak, the helpless, the ignorant, the degraded.

God’s people are to be genuine medical missionaries. They are to learn to minister to the needs of soul and body. They should know how to give the simple treatments that do so much to relieve pain and remove disease. They should be familiar with the principles of health reform, that they may show others how, by right habits of eating, drinking, and dressing, disease may be prevented and health regained. ... The Great Physician ... will bless every one who will go forward humbly and trustfully, seeking to impart the truth for this time.

*****

In a special sense the healing of the sick is our work. Christopher Tandeo