Today’s Open Heaven devotional is a timely reminder that human effort, talent, and education, as valuable as they are, can never replace the empowering grace of God. Whether you have been striving in your career, ministry, or personal life and wondering why the results don’t match your labour, this message is for you. Pastor E.A. Adeboye draws from Zechariah 4:6 and his own deeply personal encounter with God to show that true excellence flows from divine anointing, not human hustle alone. Settle in, open your heart, and let today’s Open Heaven speak directly to your situation.
Open Heaven for August 6, 2026
Topic: Not By Might
Devotional: Open Heaven (RCCG)
Date: 2026-08-06
Bible reading: Ecclesiastes 9:1-12 (KJV)
Memory verse: 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)
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 ljebu 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.
Source: Open Heaven (RCCG), official devotional
Open Heaven Prayer Points for Today
These Open Heaven prayer points for today are original PrayerPrompt content, declarations and a reflection to turn today’s message into prayer.
Prayer Points
- Lord, I acknowledge that my strength, intellect, and resources are limited, fill every gap in my life with Your Holy Spirit's power today.
- Father, just as You visited Zerubbabel with a word of assurance, visit me personally and reassure me that Your Spirit is working on my behalf in this season.
- God, identify every area of my life where I have been relying on self-effort alone and teach me to partner with Your anointing instead.
- Holy Spirit, empower me to excel in my calling, career, and relationships in ways that only divine intervention can explain.
- Lord, give me the holy desperation to seek Your face until I receive a fresh touch that transforms my work and witness.
- Father, break every cycle of hard labour with little reward in my life, and release Your supernatural multiplication over my efforts.
- God, let Your anointing in me be unmistakable, may those around me recognise that You are the source of everything I accomplish.
- Lord, I pray for every reader today: anoint them to exceed the limits of their natural abilities, and let Your glory be evident in their story.
Declarations
- I do not advance by sheer willpower alone; the Spirit of the Living God is my ultimate advantage, and He empowers me to excel beyond natural limits.
- I am anointed to succeed, God's ability flows through me, making me fruitful in every assignment He has placed in my hands.
- The wealth, wisdom, and influence I need are not beyond my reach, because God who gives power to get wealth has made that promise mine.
- I refuse to be defined by what my qualifications, background, or circumstances say about me, I am defined by the anointing God has placed upon my life.
- Every mountain standing between me and God's purpose for my life must become a plain, because the same Spirit that spoke to Zerubbabel is speaking over me today.
Reflection
Take a moment today to honestly examine which area of your life you have been treating as a purely human project, a business goal, a ministry vision, a relationship, or a personal habit you want to break. Write it down, and then do what Pastor Adeboye did: bring it before God with honesty and urgency, asking specifically for His anointing to help you in that area. The invitation to seek divine empowerment is not reserved for pastors or church leaders; it belongs to every believer who is willing to shift from striving to surrendering.
Pray With PrayerPrompt Today
Test Your Understanding
Answer these 5 questions on today's devotional, then see how you did.
