The theme for Open Heaven Daily Devotional August 19 2023 is From Darkness To Light 5.
SCRIPTURE: “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.” – 1 Samuel 2:8 (KJV).
From the story of Bartimaeus, we can see that darkness and stagnation go hand in hand. Bartimaeus must have been on that same spot, begging since he became blind.
Since stagnation is linked to darkness, this means that light stands for progress and promotion. Psalm 75:6-7 says: For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. 1 Samuel 2:8 tells us that God can pick up a beggar from a dunghill and keep promoting him until he is standing with princes.
If you notice that you seem to have been in the same position for years now, then it is likely that you are in darkness.
You need to connect to the Light now, so that you can make real progress. Stagnation is primarily caused by forces of darkness.
The devil fights progress. That is why when Nehemiah was trying to rebuild the city walls, the devil raised many enemies to stop the work.
One fellow was talking to me some years ago; he said, “I don’t know what’s happening; it seems as if my enemies are increasing”. I said, “Tell me a little bit about how things have been with you in the past couple of years”.
He said everything had been good; whatever he touched had been prospering. I said, “That is the reason”. There are those who love it when you come to them to beg for food, but the moment you begin to make progress, hatred comes.
Darkness does not want you to progress, but thank God light stands for promotion. There was a man who had been on one spot for many years. During one of our programmes, God spoke to me and I announced “There is someone here; somebody close to you will die next week.
Don’t be sad because, after the death, your promotion will come”. The following week, his father died, but before the man passed on, he confessed that he had said,
“How can my son be greater than I?”, so he decided to use diabolical powers to make the boy stagnant.
Almost immediately after the father died, the promotion of the young man began. Anyone sitting on your promotion and refusing to stand will be uprooted by the Almighty God, in Jesus’ name.
Open Heaven 19 August 2023 PRAYER POINT:
Father, destroy anything that has hindered my promotion so far and lift me high, in Jesus’ name.
