Post by Oluwatosin Oni (@oloriireoni)

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 8 JULY 2026 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: Ephesians 6:18
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”

This verse is the apostle Paul’s command for the believer’s prayer life.

BIBLE READING: Genesis 32:24-30
This passage records Jacob’s all-night wrestling match at Peniel. Jacob was alone, facing the return of his brother Esau, whom he had deceived years earlier. Esau was coming with four hundred men. Jacob was terrified. Daddy Adeboye uses this to show that persistent, wrestling prayer that refuses to let go is what brings the life-changing blessing.

Pa Josiah Akindayomi: A Father in the Lord’s Prayer Life
1. The Night That Changed Daddy Adeboye’s Prayer Life
“Sometime in 1975, my Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, came to stay with me in my little house in Ilesha, a city in South West Nigeria. Even though it was a mud house that was plastered with cement, I was happy to host my Father in the Lord.”

This was a humble setting. A mud house, plastered with cement. But the value was not in the building; it was in the guest. Pa Akindayomi was the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. His presence was a blessing.

2. The Prayer Marathon
“When it was nighttime, we prayed together, and I prepared to go to bed. As I went into my room to sleep, I saw that he was still on his knees, praying, and when I woke up to use the toilet in the middle of the night and again around 5am, the old man was surprisingly still on his knees, praying.”

Consider the timeline:

Time Activity Pa Akindayomi’s Posture
Nighttime Daddy Adeboye and Pa prayed together On his knees
Bedtime Daddy Adeboye went to sleep Still on his knees
Middle of the night Daddy Adeboye used the toilet Still on his knees
5:00 AM Daddy Adeboye woke again Still on his knees
“I was worried, so I asked if there was a problem, and he said I would soon understand. I have followed in his footsteps since then, and I truly now understand that, as believers, we ought to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).”

Pa Akindayomi’s Lesson What It Produced
Prayer is not a brief duty It is a lifestyle
Prayer is not only for crisis It is for all seasons
Prayer can continue through the night It is not limited by time
A father’s example shapes the son Daddy Adeboye followed his footsteps
The old man was not in crisis. He was not praying because something was wrong. He was praying because that was who he was—a man of ceaseless prayer. And his example became the inheritance of the son who watched him.

The Error of Crisis-Only Prayer
“Beloved, God has called all His children to a life of prayer. Unfortunately, however, many believers don’t see any reason to pray when things are going well for them. They feel that there is no need to pray because they are not experiencing any challenges.”

Crisis-Only Prayer Continuous Prayer
Prays only when there is a problem Prays in good times and bad
Treats prayer as an emergency call Treats prayer as oxygen
Relationship with God is intermittent Relationship with God is constant
Weak when the crisis comes Strong because the connection is always live
“However, if you are a genuine child of God, you must pray without ceasing.”

Why must you pray without ceasing? Not because God needs your information. Not because you need to twist His arm. But because:

Prayer keeps you connected to the Vine (John 15:4-5)
Prayer keeps you alert to the enemy’s schemes (Matthew 26:41)
Prayer aligns your will with God’s will
Prayer positions you to receive what God wants to give
Prayer is how you abide in Him
The Danger of Spiritual Plateau: There Is Always Higher
“No matter how much you pray now, you can always go higher in the place of prayer. Never let your current prayer lifestyle, no matter how vibrant you think it is, make you feel as if you are doing your best. Keep pushing to be better so you don’t begin to relax and lose your fervency.”

The Danger of Feeling You Have Arrived The Remedy
You stop growing Keep pushing to be better
You become complacent Never feel you have done your best
You lose your fervency Always seek to exceed your milestones
“When I became the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, I went with six of my best friends to Ilorin, a state in North Central Nigeria, to pray for 36 hours nonstop. After the 36 hours of prayers, God revealed several things to us. We felt good with ourselves, and we thought we had achieved something unbelievable.”

36 hours of nonstop prayer is extraordinary. Most believers have never prayed for 36 consecutive hours. Daddy Adeboye and his friends had every right to feel they had done something significant.

“The following week, however, I was told about a man who prayed nonstop for 30 days!”

Daddy Adeboye’s 36 Hours The Unknown Man’s 30 Days
Felt like an achievement Put 36 hours in perspective.....

https://rccglive.com/open-heaven-8-july/

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