Day 17 - Evening Theme: LOVE THAT CHOOSES: Making Daily Decisions That Strengthens The Marriage. 🌙 Reflection Tonight, think of something your spouse did today that blessed you. Don't let the day end without saying thank you. 📖 God's Word "Give thanks in all circumstances." — 1 Thessalonians 5:18 🌙 Heart Check Did I appreciate my spouse today or simply expect them to serve me? 🙏 Prayer Lord, make gratitude a natural language in our home. Amen. 💎 Marriage Nugget "Appreciation turns ordinary acts of love into treasured memories." Remember In marriage, it is not about winning the argument; it is about winning each other's hearts

Day 16 - Evening Theme: LOVE THAT CHOOSES: Making Daily Decisions That Strengthens The Marriage 🌙 Reflection Think about the promises you make. Good evening, Are your words becoming more dependable or less dependable? 📖 God's Word "The integrity of the upright guides them." — Proverbs 11:3 🌙 Heart Check Can my spouse safely depend on my word? 🙏 Prayer Lord, strengthen our integrity and make our marriage a safe place for trust. Amen. 💎 Marriage Nugget "Trust grows quietly through consistent faithfulness." Remember In marriage, it is not about winning the argument; it is about winning each other's hearts.

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DAY 16 - Morning Theme: LOVE THAT CHOOSES: Making Daily Decisions That Strengthens The Marriage 🌅 Reflection Trust Is Built in Small Things Good morning, Trust is rarely built through one dramatic act. It grows through ordinary faithfulness. Keeping your word. Being where you said you would be. Being honest about money. Being transparent about friendships. Following through on promises. A husband doesn't have to make grand declarations every day to build trust. A wife doesn't have to prove her love through extraordinary gestures. Small acts of consistency quietly tell your spouse: "You can depend on me." 📖 God's Word "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much." — Luke 16:10 ❤️ Today's Love Action Keep one promise you have made to your spouse, especially one you may have been tempted to postpone. 💬 Let's Talk What everyday behaviour makes you feel secure in your spouse's love? 🙏 Prayer Lord, make us trustworthy people whose words and actions agree. Help us build a marriage where both hearts feel safe. Amen. 🌿 From The Counselor's Chair: Trust is like a savings account. Small deposits matter, and careless withdrawals can be costly. 💎 Marriage Nugget: "Trust grows quietly through consistent faithfulness." Remember In marriage, it is not about winning the argument; it is about winning each other's hearts.

AUGUST 15 DAY 15 - Morning Theme: LOVE THAT CHOOSES Making Daily Decisions That Strengthen the Marriage 🌅 Morning Reflection Choose Your Spouse Again Good Morning! There was a time when you chose each other with excitement. You dressed up. You made plans. You dreamed about the future. Then life happened. Bills arrived. Children came. Responsibilities increased. Work became demanding. Some dreams changed. But one of the beautiful things about marriage is that you don't only choose each other on the wedding day. You keep choosing each other every day. You choose patience when irritation would be easier. You choose forgiveness when resentment feels justified. You choose conversation instead of silence. You choose faithfulness when temptation appears. You choose love when feelings are tired. Your wedding vow may have been spoken once, but its meaning is lived every day. 📖 God's Word "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." — Colossians 3:12 ❤️ Today's Love Action Tell your spouse today: "I still choose you." Then mention one reason why. 💬 Let's Talk What made you choose your spouse in the beginning, and what makes you continue choosing them today? 🙏 Prayer Lord, renew our commitment to one another. Help us choose love, faithfulness and grace even on difficult days. Amen. 🌿 From The Counselor's Chair: Feelings change with circumstances, but mature love learns to make faithful choices even when emotions fluctuate. 💎 Marriage Nugget "Marriage becomes stronger when choosing each other becomes a daily decision, not merely a past decision." Remember In marriage, it is not about winning the argument; it is about winning each other's hearts

Day 14 - Evening Theme: UNDERSTANDING BEFORE BEING UNDERSTOOD: Building Connection Through Communication and Compassion Reflection Tonight, don't focus on what your spouse did wrong. Think about one thing you understand better about them because of this week's conversations. Thank God for the privilege of knowing another person's heart. 📖 God's Word "Be kind and compassionate to one another." — Ephesians 4:32 🌙 Heart Check Am I still curious about my spouse's heart? ❤️ My (LEWIS') HEART NOTE Over the years, I have discovered that many couples don't stop loving each other; they simply stop understanding each other. They become familiar with each other's routines but unfamiliar with each other's hearts. My encouragement is simple: Stay curious about your spouse. Ask questions. Listen to the answers. Notice the changes. Pay attention to the things they don't say. Sometimes the person you married years ago is carrying new dreams, new fears and new responsibilities today. Don't assume you already know everything about them. Keep discovering one another. 🙏 Prayer Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of marriage. Help us never stop learning how to love one another. Let understanding replace assumptions, compassion replace criticism, and grace replace resentment. Amen. 💎 Marriage Nugget: "The longer you are married, the more you should discover—not assume—you know about each other." Remember In marriage, it is not about winning the argument; it is about winning each other's hearts.

DAY 14 - Morning Theme: UNDERSTANDING BEFORE BEING UNDERSTOOD: Building Connection Through Communication and Compassion 🌅 Reflection Understanding Is a Form of Love Good morning, We have spent this week learning that unity requires more than living under the same roof. It requires learning one another. Listening. Asking instead of assuming. Accepting differences. Speaking truth with love. Making room for feelings. Forgiving yesterday. This is what emotional intimacy looks like. You may know your spouse's favourite food, favourite colour and favourite football team. But do you know what makes them afraid? What gives them hope? What makes them feel loved? What burden are they quietly carrying? Marriage becomes deeper when we stop merely living beside each other and start knowing each other. 📖 God's Word "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." — Ephesians 4:2 ❤️ Today's Love Action Ask your spouse: "What is one thing you wish I understood better about you?" Then listen with an open heart. 💬 Let's Talk What have you learned about your spouse that has helped you love them better? 🙏 Prayer Lord, help us know each other's hearts more deeply. Remove barriers created by pride, fear and misunderstanding, and teach us to love with compassion. Amen. 🌿 From The Counselor's Chair: One of the greatest discoveries in marriage is realizing that the person beside you still has unexplored depths. Keep asking. Keep listening. Keep learning. 💎 Marriage Nugget: "The longer you are married, the more you should discover—not assume—you know about each other." Remember In marriage, it is not about winning the argument; it is about winning each other's hearts.

TOPIC : *UNDERSTANDING COVENANTS* MEMORISE : *Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy within them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations* *Deuteronomy 7:9* BIBLE TEXT : *1 Corinthians 6:18-20* *Good Morning, To understand what a covenant is, it is helpful first to understand what a contract is, as it is a more familiar concept. A contract is a written and signed agreement between two or more parties which outlines the expectations and responsibilities of all the parties involved in an interaction. The moment a contract is signed, all parties involved are bound by it, and typically, the contract will outline the consequences of what will happen if any party breaches the agreement. Such consequences may include penalties, damages, and other similar outcomes. A covenant is also a contract, but one that is signed with body fluids, mostly blood. This means that when body fluids, especially blood, are involved in a contract, a covenant has been established. For example, in *Genesis 17:1-14,* God entered into a covenant with Abraham, and to sign that covenant, every male that was born into Abraham's household was to be circumcised, beginning with Abraham himself, even though he was almost 100 years old at the time. A covenant is no joking matter, primarily because the penalty for breaking it is usually death. This is why today's teaching is very important. When a man and a woman come together to exchange body fluids, particularly through sex, they are entering into a covenant. They may not know it, but they have become bonded with each other. This is why it is important for a husband and a wife to only have sexual relationships with each other, because the devil usually takes advantage of extramarital sexual intercourse to pass on demons between those who indulge in it. Many years ago, a boy was barking like a dog and was brought to me for deliverance. When I investigated the matter, I discovered that he had been sleeping with a dog in his house. In other words, he had entered into a covenant with that dog, and the devil had obviously attacked him through that. In the same vein, when a fellow sleeps with someone who is not his or her spouse, certain things will be passed from that fellow to them, and you can be sure that they are not good things because the act that was committed was contrary to God's will. Beloved, do not neglect the Almighty God's instructions about keeping yourself sexually pure. Do not allow the devil access into your life by engaging in illicit sexual acts. I pray that the Lord will continually empower you to overcome all forms of sexual temptation, in Jesus' name. *KEY POINT* Illicit sexual relations establish covenants that the devil can exploit.

Matthew 19:1-12 Remember that every time the Pharisees test Jesus with a question, it wasn't because they wanted the answer, it was to test Him. So the question they ask is purposely a binary choice. A question with intentionally so, only two possible answers, yes or No. In Jesus’ day there were two schools of thought on the subject of divorce. The liberal school taught that divorce was permitted if your wife burned breakfast. Yeah, literally that's in the language of the scholarly books. The conservative school taught that divorce was not permitted, at all in any way but only permitted in cases where the spouse was unfaithful, so it was two extremes on opposite ends. So the Jews test Him, because either answer isolates half of the population. So Jesus answers the fundamental issue under the question will God allow divorce? And Jesus's answer is very firm, at marriage, two bodies are joined into one flesh. And God considers the marriage indelible, permanent from the beginning. The truth is no, God doesn't want divorce for his people. God never intended divorce to exist. He allowed it to exist because of the hardness of the hearts of the people. However this does not say that an abused spouse must stay in such a relationship because to divorce would be a sin. It does not suggest anything close to that. If a spouse or child is being abused for that there is no good excuse. But Moses gave the Israelites an out. If your husband is unfaithful, a divorce frees the wife to remarry. And vice versa with the wife being unfaithful. Remember too that in cases where someone commits adultery there is likely a death penalty coming. So a divorce may not be called for simply because the guilty party is taking a dirt nap after being rocked to sleep. How serious is Jesus's advice? He's telling the men that the question of marriage being permanent is truth and as God intended. So they say, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” And they were right. Then Jesus contemplates eunuchs. Eunuchs were men who were so dedicated to God that they had their sexual organs removed, and anesthesia had not been invented yet. And please understand that Jesus isn't advocating for sexual organs being removed He is saying, “men, if you can't resist the urge to commit adultery, you're better off not having it.” In other words, get a grip on yourself if you can't resist temptation, learn to control yourself as a single or as a married man. And yes, there are some people who God gifted with the talent and personality to remain single. Sadly, sometimes those people marry anyway in defiance of God's plans. And the beginning of trouble in their life occurs when they realize their mistakes. There are others who feel they are on the opposite end of that position, people who feel incomplete or lost if they aren't in a relationship. These people hop from partner to partner looking for the “one“ but never actually finding them. Then you have the partners that are never satisfied with their partner. Nothing is ever enough for them. Wives who would sacrifice their family for their own happiness while their man will sacrifice his happiness for his family. This seems to be a trend of modern women for whom the end goal in life is their happiness. Jesus Is saying that divorce is a horrible thing that was never supposed to exist. That for some it is better to castrate themselves than to marry. It should serve as a reminder that the decision to marry should not be taken lightly. [1] When Jesus had finished these words, He left Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; [2] and large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. [3] Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” [4] And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, [5] and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? [6] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.” [7] They *said to Him, “Why, then, did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” [8] He *said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. [9] And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” [10] The disciples *said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” [11] But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. [12] For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by people; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: THURSDAY, AUGUST 13TH, 2026 THEME: UNDERSTANDING COVENANTS AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE MEMORISE: "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;" Deuteronomy 7:9 READ: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. MESSAGE: To understand what a covenant is, it is helpful first to understand what a contract is, as it is a more familiar concept. A contract is a written and signed agreement between two or more parties which outlines the expectations and responsibilities of all the parties involved in an interaction. The moment a contract is signed, all parties involved are bound by it, and typically, the contract will outline the consequences of what will happen if any party breaches the agreement. Such consequences may include penalties, damages, and other similar outcomes. A covenant is also a contract, but one that is signed with body fluids, mostly blood. This means that when body fluids, especially blood, are involved in a contract, a covenant has been established. For example, in Genesis 17:1-14, God entered into a covenant with Abraham, and to sign that covenant, every male that was born into Abraham's household was to be circumcised, beginning with Abraham himself, even though he was almost 100 years old at the time. A covenant is no joking matter, primarily because the penalty for breaking it is usually death. This is why today's teaching is very important. When a man and a woman come together to exchange body fluids, particularly through sex, they are entering into a covenant. They may not know it, but they have become bonded with each other. This is why it is important for a husband and a wife to only have sexual relationships with each other, because the devil usually takes advantage of extramarital sexual intercourse to pass on demons between those who indulge in it. Many years ago, a boy was barking like a dog and was brought to me for deliverance. When I investigated the matter, I discovered that he had been sleeping with a dog in his house. In other words, he had entered into a covenant with that dog, and the devil had obviously attacked him through that. In the same vein, when a fellow sleeps with someone who is not his or her spouse, certain things will be passed from that fellow to them, and you can be sure that they are not good things because the act that was committed was contrary to God's will. Beloved, do not neglect the Almighty God's instructions about keeping yourself sexually pure. Do not allow the devil access into your life by engaging in illicit sexual acts. I pray that the Lord will continually empower you to overcome all forms of sexual temptation, in Jesus' name. KEY POINT: Illicit sexual relations establish covenants that the devil can exploit. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 31-32 HYMN 31: YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION 1 Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin; Each vict’ry will help you some other to win; Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue; Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through. Refrain: Ask the Saviour to help you, Comfort, strengthen, and keep you; He is willing to aid you, He will carry you through. 2 Shun evil companions, bad language disdain, God’s name hold in reverence, nor take it in vain; Be thoughtful and earnest, kindhearted and true; Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through. Chorus 3 To him that o’ercometh, God giveth a crown, Through faith we will conquer, though often cast down; He who is our Saviour, our strength will renew; Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through. PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL Thursday 13th August 2026 UNDERSTANDING COVENANTS ‎PRAYER POINTS 1.Father, I worship You, The covenant keeping God. Thank You for Your covenant of mercy from generation to generation to them that loves You. 2.Father, thank You for destroying the power of sin over my soul. Thank You for breaking me free from the covenant of death into the covenant of life sealed by the blood of Jesus. 3.Father, thank You for the blood of Jesus that speaks better things than the blood of animals. Thank You for the atonement of the blood of Jesus for my cleansing and healings, in Jesus' name. 4.Father, now that I'm joined in the new covenant by the blood of Jesus, please help me to be faithful in keeping my own part of the covenant, to keep myself holy in all manner, in Jesus' name. 5.Father, please help all Christian couples to be faithful to each other and their marital vows, in keeping themselves sexually pure, in Jesus' name. 6.Father, please save the homes of all Your children from sexual immorality and deliver any couple that are under the control of demons, in Jesus' name. 7.Father, please deliver all our youths from sexual immorality and perversion. Uproot everything You have not planted in them, and separate them from every unholy relationship, in Jesus' name. 8.Father, please help me not to neglect Your instructions on sexual purity. Help me not to join myself with immorality at any point of my walk with You, in Jesus' name. 9.Father, please help me never to allow the devil access to my life through illicit sexual acts, in Jesus' name. 10.Father, please empower me to overcome all forms of sexual temptations, in Jesus' name. 11.Father, thank You for the life of Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye. ‎ Help him to remain committed to purity in all areas of his life, in Jesus' name. Bless his children (biological and spiritual). Help him to continue to produce sons and daughters to Your glory, in Jesus name ‎ ‎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. ‎ ‎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. ‎ ‎14.Your personal petitions. ‎(Philippians 4:6) ‎ ‎15.In Jesus name I pray. ‎(John 14:13-14; 15:16) These prayers have no expiry dates! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus name.