Today’s Open Heaven devotional invites us into one of the most freeing truths in Scripture: holiness is not merely a list of things to avoid, but a living, breathing yes to God every single day. If you have ever felt that a holy life was out of reach, this message from Pastor E.A. Adeboye is especially for you. Through the rugged, faithful life of the prophet Elijah, we discover that obedience is the soil in which the supernatural grows. Pull up a chair, open your heart, and let God speak to you afresh.
Open Heaven for October 18, 2026
Topic: True Holiness Is Obedience
Devotional: Open Heaven (RCCG)
Date: 2026-10-18
Bible reading: 1 Kings 17:1-10 (KJV)
Memory verse: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. – 1 Peter 1:15-16 (KJV)
Holiness, as far as I am concerned, is complete and prompt obedience. I learnt this from my study of Elijah’s life. Whenever God instructed him to do anything, his response was always, “Yes, Lord.” God told him to hide by a brook, and his response was, “Yes, Lord.” (1 Kings 17:3-5). When God told him to go and live with a widow, he obeyed (1 Kings 17:9-10). Even when God instructed him to go and show himself to King Ahab, he did as the Lord asked, even though the king wanted to kill him (1 Kings 18:1-2).
When you begin to live in complete and prompt obedience to the Lord, you will not have the time to do the things He hates. Elijah was so sold out to the Lord that he did everything that God instructed him to do. No wonder, as soon as he finished praying in (1 Kings 18:36-38), fire fell from heaven and consumed the sacrifice he had prepared. When you are willing to obey God completely and are prompt in doing His will, He will be willing and prompt to answer your prayers.
Some years ago, four other people and I started a Bible study fellowship at the University of Ibadan (UI). The Bible study was held in the home of Professor Aboaba. The fellowship grew, and more professors joined us. At a point, the sitting room could no longer contain us, so we moved to the backyard. One day, as we were settling in for Bible study, it started raining, and the professors prepared to leave to avoid getting drenched. In response, I lifted my hands and said, “Rain, you can’t fall now.” That day, it rained everywhere in UI, except in the compound of Professor Aboaba.
People often try to put the cart before the horse in their walk with the Lord. They want God to do all their bidding without bothering to do the things He wants; however, it doesn’t work that way. When you obey God’s instructions to abstain from the things He hates and keep yourself unspotted from the world, He will do whatever you want, even before you ask Him. This is because a person living a holy life will desire only what God loves, and this makes it easy for God to do whatever such a person requests. Beloved, delight yourself in living in complete obedience to the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
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, give me a heart that says yes to You before I even know what You are asking, a surrendered will that does not negotiate with Your instructions.
- Father, where I have been selective in my obedience, obeying only when it is convenient or comfortable, forgive me and renew a right spirit within me.
- Holy Spirit, identify every area of delay in my walk with God. Teach me to move promptly when Heaven speaks, just as Elijah rose and went without hesitation.
- Lord, I pray for the grace to obey You even when Your instructions lead me toward uncertainty, toward difficult people, or toward places that seem to make no natural sense.
- Father, let my obedience create an atmosphere where Your power is free to move. As fire fell in response to Elijah's faith-filled prayer, let Your answers rest upon my yielded life.
- God, align my desires with Yours so completely that what I want and what You want become one and the same, making every prayer I lift both bold and answered.
- Lord, deliver me from the trap of wanting Your blessings while resisting Your instructions. Help me to honour the order of Your kingdom: obedience first, then overflow.
- Father, wherever I have allowed the cares of this world to spot and stain my commitment to You, wash me clean and restore me to a place of wholehearted devotion.
Declarations
- I am a person of prompt obedience; when God speaks, my heart says yes and my feet move.
- Because I delight myself in the Lord and align my life with His Word, He grants me the desires of my heart.
- Holiness is not a burden I carry, it is a grace I walk in, empowered by the Holy Spirit who lives within me.
- I do not put the pursuit of blessing before the practice of obedience; I trust that a surrendered life opens every door God intends for me.
- The same God who answered Elijah by fire hears my prayers, because I choose to walk before Him with an undivided heart.
Reflection
Take a quiet moment today and ask yourself one honest question: Is there an instruction God has given you, through His Word, through prayer, through a persistent nudge in your spirit, that you have been sitting on? Holiness rarely announces itself with trumpets; more often it looks like one ordinary, courageous act of obedience in an ordinary moment. Choose that obedience today, however small it seems, and watch how a faithful God meets you exactly there.
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Test Your Understanding
Answer these 5 questions on today's devotional, then see how you did.
