Open Heavens 21 November 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Entering His Presence

Open Heavens 21 November 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Entering His Presence

Topic: Entering His Presence [Saturday 21 November, 2015]

Memorise: He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. -Psalm 24:4

Read: Psalm 24:3-4 (KJV)

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Bible in One Year: Psalms 1-8; 2 Timothy 2:14-3:9

MESSAGE:

It is always a great experience to be in God's presence, because the fullness of joy and everlasting pleasures reside there.Psalm16:11b says:

"...in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

However, the state of our lives determines what we derive from God's presence. According to Psalm 68:2-3, while the righteous receive joy in God's presence, the enemies of God or those with wicked schemes will melt like wax before the fire of His presence. While the fire of God's presence protects His own, it acts as an incinerating agent against the enemies of God's people. As you live in obedience to God from now on, the fire of God that protects you will destroy your enemies in Jesus' Name.

With this knowledge of the potency of God's presence, every child of God should desire at all times to be in His presence. Nevertheless, you don't enter the presence of a king just anyhow; there are certain protocols you must follow. How much more, when entering the presence of the King of kings? How then do we enter God's presence? Going into the presence of God is not about going into a place of worship; it is about being taken up into His presence, or His presence coming down to you, through heartfelt praise and worship. In a gathering filled with God's glory, it is possible that some people there will not have access to God's presence due to their nonchalant and standoffish attitude. From our Bible reading, we understand that if you truly want to enter into God's presence, particularly if you want to benefit from the pleasures at His right hand, you must have clean hands and a pure heart. In other words, entering the church auditorium is just not enough; likewise, praising and worshipping God with the lips is just not enough. This is so because when God's presence descends upon an assembly, God will ask His angels to carry out a personality check on everyone present, to know those who have met with His conditions, and only those found worthy will be the beneficiaries of His presence that day. Beloved, you must have clean hands. Your hands must not be tarnished with the blood of anyone or with the filth of a foul means of livelihood. Your hands must have been washed by the Blood of Jesus for them to be deemed clean. Similarly, your thoughts, plans and motives must be pure before you can enter into God's presence. Prepare yourself and ensure you follow heaven's protocol whenever you want to access the presence of God.

Prayer Point: Father, cleanse my heart and my hands with the Blood of Jesus, as I access Your presence today to partake of the pleasures at Your right hand.