WANT YOUR PRAYERS ANSWERED?: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, 18TH JUNE 2018

MEMORISE:
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15:16

READ: Proverbs 11:30-31, Matthew 28:18-20

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. 

31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.

Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

MESSAGE

Queen Esther shows us one example of how to get our requests granted quickly. Although she had prepared a sumptuous banquet for the king and fed him well, she did not dwell on her own needs; neither did she make any request of him on the first banquet night. She prepared another banquet the second night, and after being treated well again by the queen, we see the king himself insisting that Queen Esther ask whatever she wanted. Esther 7:2 says,

“And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.”

At this point, the queen presented her request and it was granted without delay. When you follow Queen Esther's example in your prayer life, you will get expedited answers to your prayers.

Today's memory verse reveals one if the ways of receiving expedited answers to your prayers. It clearly states that if you are fruitful, whatever you ask the Father in the Name of Jesus will be granted. Many people do not realise the blessings that accompany the great assignment of soul-winning.

I have taught my children on several occasions that the shortest route to receiving answers to their prayers is through soul-winning. This is a divine truth that cannot be wished away, because it is the word of God. The good thing about this assignment is that you are not the one to win souls: Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit does the job.

The Holy Spirit is responsible for convicting the hearts of sinners (John 16:8). All Jesus wants of you is to make your mouth, resources and time available for His use.

What happened to Peter when he made his boat available to Jesus at the lake of Genesareth will happen to you as you yield yourself and your resources to God for soul-winning today in Jesus' Name (Luke 5:1-7). It is interesting to note that after Peter surrendered his boat for God's use, Jesus Christ did not wait for Peter to ask for a miracle; He just went ahead and granted Peter what he did not ask or bargained for: a great catch of fish that filled two boats.

If He could do it for Peter, He will also do it for you when you table your requests after you have yielded yourself to soul-winning.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, grant me the grace to make myself and my resources available for soul-winning today in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 18, Acts 13:1-25

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.

Chorus:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.

3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.