The topic of our open heavens today April 17, 2024 is “Divine Favour”.

Memory Verse Open Heavens Daily Devotional April 17, 2024

And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Lord: possess thou the west and the south”.

Deuteronomy 33:23

Bible Passage Open Heavens Daily Devotional April 17, 2024

12 Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)

13 Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house.

14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.

15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.

Esther 2:12-18 (KJV)

Content of Open Heavens Daily Devotional April 17, 2024

When you hear the expression ‘God is smiling on you,’ it means you are enjoying divine favour and grace. In Numbers 6:24-26, God said that the sons of Aaron were to pronounce a blessing on the people, and the blessing went thus:

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

When God’s face is shining upon you, it means the Lord is smiling upon you and you will enjoy divine favour everywhere you go. It also means that every darkness around you will be consumed, and you will be basking in His light.

When God decides to show you favour, you will achieve more than somebody who is working extremely hard without divine favour. When God shows you favour, miracles happen. For example, Genesis 24:63 says that Isaac went for a stroll and in the 67th verse of the same chapter, the Bible says:

And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

All the background work in getting Isaac a wife was done by some other people. When you compare Isaac’s experience to that of Jacob, who laboured for 14 years without pay before he could get the woman he wanted to marry, you will see the difference between favour and hard labour to get what you want. I decree that from now on, God will show you favour.

Not too long ago, all the universities in Nigeria were ranked, and Redeemer’s University came second. The first was the University of Ibadan, the oldest university in Nigeria, founded in 1948. Redeemer’s University was only 17 years old at that time, and we beat universities that were more than 60 years old. How could this be? The only explanation can be divine favour.

The question now is, what can you do to always enjoy divine favour? You can find a good answer to this question in Proverbs 3:3-4 which says:

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

To draw God’s favour to yourself, always tell the truth and show mercy to others.

Lessons from Open Heavens Devotional 17th April, 2024

• When God smiles on you, you will receive divine favour.
• Divine favour gives you more than your expectation.
• If you will receive divine favour; you must be truthful and merciful to others.
• Being saved and having a personal relationship with God makes you a candidate of divine favour.
• When you receive divine favour, you will experience peace.  

Action Point

Always tell the truth and be merciful

Bible in One Year: 2 Kings 1-3

Hymn Open Heavens Daily Devotional April 17, 2024

1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

let me hide myself in thee;

let the water and the blood,

from thy wounded side which flowed,

be of sin the double cure;

save from wrath and make me pure.

2 Not the labors of my hands

can fulfill thy law’s demands;

could my zeal no respite know,

could my tears forever flow,

all for sin could not atone;

thou must save, and thou alone.

3 Nothing in my hand I bring,

simply to the cross I cling;

naked, come to thee for dress;

helpless, look to thee for grace;

foul, I to the fountain fly;

wash me, Savior, or I die.

4 While I draw this fleeting breath,

when mine eyes shall close in death,

when I soar to worlds unknown,

see thee on thy judgment throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

let me hide myself in thee.