Post by Oluwatosin Oni (@oloriireoni)

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 13 JUNE 2026 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: 3 John 2
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

This verse is the Apostle John’s prayer for Gaius, and Daddy Adeboye anchors today’s devotional on it because it reveals God’s heart for His children. The phrase “above all things” indicates priority—prosperity and health are not secondary or optional blessings; they are God’s revealed desire for believers. However, the verse contains a crucial condition: “even as thy soul prospereth.” Prosperity is not detached from spiritual health. When your soul prospers (in knowledge of God, obedience, and character), the material prosperity that follows will not destroy you. But poverty, Daddy Adeboye argues, is not a mark of holiness—it is a thief that has robbed Christians of their inheritance.

BIBLE READING: 2 Kings 4:1-7
This is the story of the widow of a son of the prophets. Her husband died, leaving behind massive debt. The creditor was coming to take her two sons as slaves. She had nothing but a pot of oil. Elisha instructed her to borrow empty vessels from her neighbors, shut the door, and pour the oil. The oil flowed until every vessel was full. She sold the oil, paid the debt, and lived on the remainder. This miracle is Daddy Adeboye’s central text: a godly man (one of Elisha’s proteges) died in poverty, leaving his family destitute. If God had not intervened, his sons would have grown up hating God because of the suffering they endured.

The Lie of Poverty as Godliness
1. The Theological Error of Daddy Adeboye’s Generation
Daddy Adeboye shares a startling personal testimony:

“In the 70s, when I became born again, it was widely believed among Christians that poverty is one of the criteria for being a true child of God.”

This belief was not limited to a fringe group—it was widespread. Christians genuinely thought that being poor made them more holy, more humble, more like Jesus.

The False Belief The Scriptural Reality
Poverty equals piety “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1)
Riches are inherently sinful Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, and Job were all wealthy
Jesus was poor, so we must be poor Jesus had a treasurer (Judas) and was anointed with expensive perfume
God wants His children struggling “I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper” (3 John 2)
“That is how much we thought that poverty was directly proportional to godliness in those days, and because of that, the devil cheated us. He raised people to take over companies and industries until Christians were at the mercy of evil people running different economies around the world.”

This is a profound historical insight. While Christians were avoiding wealth as “unholy,” unbelievers seized economic power. By the time Christians realized their error, they had become dependent on the very systems run by those who did not fear God.

2. Daddy Adeboye’s Mercedes-Benz Testimony
The personal story is both humorous and convicting:

“When someone gifted me a Mercedes-Benz, I parked it in my garage unused for months until the Lord told me I was hindering the blessings of the person who gave me the car by not using it. I was afraid that people would think I had backslidden if they saw me in such an expensive car.”

Notice the layers:

The gift: A Mercedes-Benz (luxury, expensive, prestigious)
The reaction: Parked it unused for months (fear of man’s opinion)
God’s correction: “You are hindering the blessing of the giver”
The reluctant obedience: Drove it once, felt ashamed
The compromise: “Lord, can I sell it now?” (God agreed)
Then came the limousine:

“Not long after that, someone gave me a limousine with six doors. When I saw it, I said, ‘Lord, you know that even if they put my dead body in this car, it will jump out of it.’”

Daddy Adeboye’s honesty is refreshing. He admits that even after God corrected him, his internal programming against wealth was so strong that he reacted with shock at the next gift. This shows how deeply the poverty-godliness lie had penetrated Christian consciousness.

Why Poverty Is Not Godly: The Consequences
1. Poverty Has Sent Many People to Hell
Daddy Adeboye makes a shocking statement:

“There is nothing godly about poverty; it has sent many people to hell, just as riches have done.”

How does poverty send people to hell?

Way Poverty Leads to Hell Explanation
Desperation leads to sin Stealing, fraud, prostitution, corruption—done out of lack, not greed
Bitterness against God “If God loves me, why am I suffering?” becomes a root of unbelief
Abandonment of faith Youths decide never to follow their Christian parents because of childhood suffering
Mockery of God by the world Unbelievers see poor Christians and conclude God is powerless
“Poverty has made many youths decide never to follow the path of their Christian

https://rccglive.com/open-heaven-13-june/

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