Open Heavens 8 April 2018 Sunday by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” – Jeremiah 33:6

Read: 2 Kings 20:1-11 (KJV)

1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,

3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?

9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?

10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.

11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.

Bible in One Year: Joshua 10-11, 1 Thessalonians 3.

MESSAGE:

Living a healthy life that does not require the attention of physicians is one of the wonders of divine blessings. Although it is commonly said that health is wealth, I am of the opinion that health is much more than wealth because a sickness can drain the entire wealth of a person and lead to penury within six months. I pray that no sickness, big or small, will plague your life or home in Jesus’ Name. A wealthy person who is equally healthy is very wealthy. For such a fellow, we can say that his or her cup is running over (Psalm 23:5). I have often said that while it is a good thing to be healed, to remain healthy is much more wonderful, but beyond these, you are super wealthy when incurable diseases are being brought to you and by the mere laying of your hands on the sick, they get healed. A person walking in this realm is extraordinarily blessed. So, what happens when someone is extraordinarily blessed? Not only will the forces of heaven and earth combine to support such a fellow, he or she will also command these forces to favour those whom he or she wants to be a blessing to. Because I am enjoying wonders of divine blessings by the grace of God, I decree over your life today: let the forces of heaven and earth begin to cooperate in support of that venture you have embarked upon in Jesus’ Name. In 2 Kings 20:1-11, Hezekiah was sick and God said he was going to die, but he cried to God that he did not want to die yet, and God granted his request. The Lord prolonged his life with fifteen more years. In other words, he was healed and became wealthy in health. God also caused the shadow of the sun to return backwards by ten degrees as a sign to indicate this wonder. In other words, the sun cooperated with Prophet Isaiah when he decreed that it should go backward to bring to pass the wonder of recapturing fifteen years already spent by Hezekiah. This is an even greater feat than when Joshua commanded the sun and the moon to stand still (Joshua 10:13).

In Genesis 27:1-4, Isaac told Esau to prepare his favourite so that his soul might bless him. This shows that divine blessings are provoked. You must do something in order to attract them into your life. In Malachi 3:10, God said “Bring all the tithes into My house, and I will replace every curse with a blessing.” Elisha had the opportunity of asking Elijah what he wanted because he had been a faithful servant to him. Anyone who wants to be blessed by God and is willing to pay the price would surely be blessed. If you are a sinner, what God requires from you is to give your life to Christ. If you are a child of God, search the scriptures and you will discover that those who were divinely blessed were ardent worshipper and generous givers. Go ahead and follow their examples.

Prayer Point: Father, please give me the heart of a worshipper and make me a generous giver in Jesus’ Name.

Hymn 8: The Great Physician

1. The Great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus!

Chorus:
Sweetest note in seraph song,
Sweetest Name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung,
Jesus, blessed Jesus.

2. Your many sins are all forgiv’n,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus;
Go on your way in peace to heav’n,
And wear a crown with Jesus.

3. All glory to the dying Lamb!
I now believe in Jesus;
I love the blessed Saviour’s Name,
I love the Name of Jesus.

4. His Name dispels my guilt and fear,
No other name but Jesus;
Oh, how my soul delights to hear
The precious Name of Jesus!