July 2
OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: THURSDAY JULY 2ND 2026
THEME: MORE AFTER MORE
MEMORISE: He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent emp ty away.
Luke 1:53
READ: Philippians 4:5-14
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
MESSAGE
In today's Bible reading, Paul recounted some of his great achievements. He stated that he was of the stock of Israel, a descendant of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, circumcised on the eighth day, and a Pharisee. After listing his achievements and attributes, he went on to say that he counted them all as loss and dung for Christ.
Paul was clearly one of the most knowledgeable apostles in the Bible. He was a lawyer and a Pharisee who had studied under a renowned teacher, Gamaliel (Acts 22:3).
For comparison, we can say that he attended the best university and studied under the most distinguished professor there. He had everything to boast of in terms of knowledge. However, when he gave his life to Jesus, he laid all his accomplishments at the Master's feet and allowed the Lord to use them for the advancement of His Kingdom. He humbled himself and submitted to Ananias, a disciple of Christ in Damascus and went on missionary trips with Barnabas, a Levite. Paul didn't allow his past achievements to stop him from pursuing the Lord wholeheartedly. The secret to Paul's achievements in his walk with God can be found in Philippians 3:13:
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, Paul was always ready to learn more. He never allowed what he had learnt previously to rob him of the things that God wanted to show and teach him. This must be your disposition if you want to walk closely with God and achieve great things in His kingdom. Lamentations 3:23 says that God's mercies are new every morning. If you keep holding on to yesterday's mercies, how will you be able to receive today's portion? There is always more beyond what you have, and God can always give you more than what you have received from Him already.
However, it is only as you humble yourself to receive from the Lord that you can get more from Him. One of the greatest enemies of growth is an 'arrival' mentality. The moment people think that they have 'arrived' (gotten to the peak of success), they stop growing immediately.
Beloved, ask God to help you cultivate a heart that is ever hungry for Him and that constantly seeks to achieve greater exploits in His Kingdom. He will supply you with His grace in abundance so that you will keep soaring in Him.
PRAYER POINT
Father, please give me a deep hunger to seek You
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 8-11
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 12: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
1. Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See his banners go!
Chorus
Onward, Christian soldiers! Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
2. At the sign of triumph
Satan’s host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
On to victory.
Hell’s foundations quiver
At the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
Loud your anthems raise.
3. Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the Saints have trod.
We are not divided;
All one body we:
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity.
4. Onward, then, ye people;
Join our happy throng.
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song:
Glory, laud, and honor
Unto Christ, the King.
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing.