Today’s Open Heaven devotional invites us to sit with one of the most awe-inspiring truths about who God is, not a distant force, but a living flame who both shields His own and consumes every threat against them. Whether you are navigating a season of opposition, spiritual dryness, or simply need fresh reverence for the Lord, this message is for you. Pastor E.A. Adeboye’s reflection on God as a Consuming Fire is a timely reminder that holiness and gratitude are not optional extras, they are the very ground on which we stand safely in His presence.
Open Heaven for September 15, 2026
Topic: the Consuming Fire
Devotional: Open Heaven (RCCG)
Date: 2026-09-15
Bible reading: Numbers 11:1-3 (KJV)
Memory verse: Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee. – Deuteronomy 9:3 (KJV)
I have been privileged to see God at work on numerous occasions, and I honestly love Him deeply. Besides this, however, I must also tell you that I fear Him. I know that some theologians say that we are not supposed to fear God; rather, we are to reverence Him. However, one of the attributes of the Almighty God is that He is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24, Hebrews 12:29). African elders say that even a mad dog recognises fire. This is why anyone in their right senses will not joke with God, because if a fellow toys with fire, he or she will most likely get burnt.
One of the amazing things about having the Consuming Fire as a Father is that His fire is like a wall that protects His children and destroys their enemies at the same time. Zechariah 2:5 says that God is a wall of fire round about His people and the glory in their midst. In Exodus 13:18-22, when God led the Israelites out of Egypt, He went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. While that pillar of fire gave His children light, warmth, and direction, Exodus 14:24-25 says that the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the same pillar and troubled their host. The pillar of fire did not relent until it led the children of Israel safely to the other side of the Red Sea, while their enemies all lost their lives in the sea. In today’s memory verse, Moses told the Israelites to understand that the Lord had gone before them as a consuming fire to destroy their enemies. I pray for you today that in the name above all other names, the Consuming Fire will destroy every obstacle in your path, in Jesus’ name.
I must sound this note of warning that even though God’s fire of destruction is not meant for His children, they can experience it if they allow sin in their lives. In today’s Bible reading, when the children of Israel, who should have been praising and thanking God in the wilderness, complained, the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of them. Beloved, avoid sin in any form, including murmuring or complaining. Instead, dedicate yourself to living a life of holiness (1 Peter 1:16) and, in all things, give thanks to God for this is His will concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
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, ignite in my heart a holy reverence for You that keeps me from treating Your grace as a license to live carelessly.
- Father, let Your fire go before me today and clear every obstacle, spiritual resistance, and enemy plot that stands between me and Your purpose for my life.
- Consuming Fire, be the wall around my family, let nothing that intends us harm come close without first passing through You.
- Holy Spirit, burn away every seed of complaining, bitterness, and ingratitude in my heart, and replace them with a spirit of genuine thanksgiving.
- Lord, as You once illuminated Israel's path by night, be my light in every dark or uncertain season I face this year.
- Father, I pray for every believer who has allowed sin to create distance from You, draw them back with Your mercy before Your holiness must speak in discipline.
- God, let the same fire that troubles my enemies also give me warmth, clarity, and direction, just as it did for Israel in the wilderness.
- Lord, grant me the grace to live in consistent holiness so that Your fire remains my protection and never my correction, in Jesus' name.
Declarations
- I declare that the Consuming Fire of God goes before me, and no weapon, obstacle, or enemy can withstand His advance on my behalf.
- I am a child of the living God, and His fire surrounds me as a wall, I dwell in divine security that no human scheme can penetrate.
- I choose gratitude over grumbling; I will give thanks in every circumstance because that is where God's will and my peace meet.
- I walk in holiness today, not out of fear of punishment, but out of love for the God whose presence is my greatest treasure.
- The same Lord who led Israel through impossible terrain is leading me, His pillar of fire does not go out, and I will reach the other side of every Red Sea moment in my life.
Reflection
Take a moment today to honestly audit the tone of your inner conversation. Gratitude and grumbling cannot truly coexist, one will crowd out the other over time. Choose one specific area where you have been tempted to complain, and deliberately reframe it as a prayer of thanksgiving, trusting that the God who is a Consuming Fire is also the God who sees, provides, and fights for you in that very place.
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