OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6TH, 2026
MEMORISE:
Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
— Zechariah 4:6 (KJV)
READ: ECCLESIASTES 9:11-12 (KJV)
11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
MESSAGE:
What a person will become during his or her sojourn on earth will not depend solely on the fellow’s efforts. African elders have an adage that says, “Hustling and bustling does not translate to wealth.” This is true because, for instance, dockworkers who offload cargo from a ship from sunrise to sunset typically would earn only a fraction of what the Chief Executive Officer of a wharf, who sits in an air-conditioned office, sipping tea and merely signing documents, would earn. At the end of a month, the fellow’s salary might even be more than what a hefty, hardworking dockworker will earn in a whole year!
Today’s Bible reading makes it clear that the fact that a fellow can run swiftly does not mean that he or she will win a race, and the fact that a fellow is strong does not mean that he or she will defeat an enemy. The passage goes on to say that bread is not to the wise, neither are riches to men of understanding. This means that a fellow’s advanced level of education alone will not determine how wealthy he or she will become.
I recall that I was in Redemption Camp (now Redemption City) sometime between 1983 and 1984, spending time alone with God, and crying to Him. I said, “God, I’m not asking for clothes, a car, or a house. I was minding my business as a lecturer at the university when You asked me to come and serve You. I agreed, and I really want to serve You; however, I need power to do Your work. I don’t want to be an ordinary pastor; I want to excel.” In desperation, I added, “God, it is either You empower me, or You take me home.” My prayer touched Him, and that night, the entire campground shook due to an earthquake that sent tremors as far as Ijebu Ode, a town several kilometres away. The Lord visited me and empowered me with His anointing to excel.
Beloved, you need God’s anointing to excel. It is God who gives power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18), it is only His anointing that can teach you everything you need to know (1 John 2:27), and it is only through Him that you can do all things (Philippians 4:13). This is why you must cry out to God to anoint you just as I did several years ago. I pray that my Daddy will empower you to excel, in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER POINT:
Dear Lord, please visit me and empower me to excel, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 9-11
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 1: All hail the power of Jesus’ name
1.All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all.
2.Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all.
3.Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all.
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all.
4.O that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all.
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all.
