======================================================================== THE PLACE OF PRAYER IN OPEN HEAVEN by Gbile Akanni ======================================================================== Summary: Gbile Akanni emphasizes the vital role of persistent, faith- filled prayer in experiencing God's promise of open heavens and divine visitation. Duration: 50:02 Topics: "Prayer", "Faith", "Divine Promise" Scripture References: 1 Kings 18:1-2, 1 Kings 18:41-46, Acts 1:4-5, Acts 1:12-14, Acts 2:1, James 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In this devotional sermon, Gbile Akanni explores the critical place of prayer in accessing the promise of open heavens. Drawing from the life of Elijah and the early church, he challenges believers to respond with faith and persistent prayer despite past challenges. Akanni encourages the church to discern the present season of divine visitation and to actively engage in prayer as a vital pathway to experiencing God's abundant blessings. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Living Seed Media brings to you God's Word, which is his comprehensive equipment for changing lives. May the Lord impact your heart as you encounter his Word. For further enquiry or counsel, contact Peace House, PO Box 971, Boko, Benue State, Nigeria. Telephone numbers 0703 03636 59, 0703 76811 98. Email address lsmedia at livingseed.org or visit our website at www.livingseed.org. Let us sit back and listen as the servant of God brings forth the Word of Life. I would like us to bow our heads as we pray. Shall we pray? Dear Father, we are grateful, Lord, for our assembling together unto you even at this time. We are grateful, Father, in heaven for your help that God we have known either to. We are grateful, Father, for this call aside to meet with you. We are grateful for the promise, Lord, of an open heaven unto us. We are grateful for all that, God, you have been doing in our lives. Thank you again, Lord, for this day and all that, God, you have in store. We are praying there, Lord, that in mercy, seeing you are God who daily loots us with benefits, you will release to each of our lives all that, God, you have proposed for us today. We give you praise, Father. As we look into your Word again this morning, we are asking, Lord, that you please speak to each of our hearts. We pray there, Lord, that by your Spirit you will mobilize us and draw us unto yourself. We give you glory, Lord. In Jesus' name we are praying. Amen. For our devotional challenge this morning, we'll be reading just two passages as the Lord will guide us. And what is laid in my heart, again, is nothing short of a challenge to prayer in the light of the promise that God is bringing before us. I would like us to read 1 Kings 18. We will read verse 1 and 2. And then we'll read verse 41 to 46. 1 Kings 18. We shall read verse 1, verse 2, and then we'll go to verse 41 to 46. And afterward we'll get to the book of Acts chapter 1. 1 Kings 18. I'll be reading from the New King James Version. I read it says, And it came to pass. After many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, present yourself to here, and I will send a rain on the earth. Verse 2. So Elijah went to present himself to her, and there was a severe famine in Samaria. Please go with me to verse 41. In verse 41, the scripture says, Then Elijah said to her, Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain. So Ehab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of camel. Then he bowed down on the ground and put his face between his knees and said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. So he went up and looked and said, There is nothing. And seven times he said again, he said, Go again. Then it came to pass the seventh time that he said, There is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising out of the sea. So he said, Go up, say to her, Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you. Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind. And there was a heavy rain. So Ehab rode away and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah. And he gathered up his loins and ran ahead of Ehab to the entrance of Jezreel. The book of Acts chapter one. Acts chapter one. We'll read some few verses just to guide our thoughts. This morning, Acts chapter one. I would like to read verses four and five. And then I will read from verse 12 to 14. Acts chapter one, verse four to five. And then verse 12 to 14. Verse four. And being assembled together with them. He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem. But to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said, You have heard from me. For John truly baptized with water. But you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Not many days from now. Verse 12. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem. A Sabbath-based journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying. Peter, James, John, and Andrew. Philip and Thomas. But Lomu and Matthew. James, the son of Alpheus. And Simon the Zillot. And Judas, the son of James. Verse 14. These all continued with one accord in prayer. And supplication. With the women. And Mary, the mother of Jesus. And with his brothers. Chapter two, verse one says, when the day of Pentecost had fully come. They were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly, there came a sound from heaven. As of a rushing mighty wind. And it filled the whole house where they were all sitting. May the Lord bless the reading of his word. And grant us health again as we encourage one another. This morning through his word. In the name of Jesus. Like I said. All that is in my heart. As we see God speaking. Very graciously to us. Speaking about a season into which we have now come. All that I saw the Lord pointing out again is the challenge. To prayer. And the way the Lord has brought this to my own heart. Is that we may glean. From those. To whom such promise. Him at one point or another. That we can glean. From their own lives. I just say as I waited on the Lord. What is the direction for our challenge? In our devotional challenge this morning. I sense in my spirit God is saying it is not anything new. For God did not gather us just to hear new things. But that it may take us again for us to learn. From those that were before us. And from the passage we read in that first Kings chapter 18. I just want to note a few issues. As we draw on this need to pray. I recall when God was again challenging us yesterday. At the prayer opera. It was a cry the need to pray. Those of us that have been at the previous meeting at the preview. The Holy Spirit kept emphasizing. The need for us to pray. And I just sense again. There's nothing much that is coming to my heart. But that we learn from this man. And how they responded. To what God is bringing to them. Now in first Kings 18 that we read. The Bible says it came to pass after many days. That the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year saying. Go present yourself to air. And I will send the rain on the earth. What does first touch me as I'm looking at this passage. Was that we saw a servant of God. Among God's people. At a time of spiritual declensions. So to speak. And God's word showed us out that in the previous chapter. He had walked before. And said, except by my word. There will be no rain. There will be no dew. Until I come and say so again. And it's touching that the scripture says. After many days. After many days of dryness. After many days. Where there will be no rain. We will see if we had read. Some other portion on. We will see the challenge. The Lord has been speaking to us. By verse two he says. That there was a severe famine. In Samaria. This dryness. This lack of rain has brought. A big problem upon the land. And as the Lord has been speaking to us. In this retreat. Just like it was said to us yesterday. That we have come to a season. God is announcing a season. Of open heavens. We must have had several experiences before. Of dryness. Of issues that have challenged us. Of limitations. Even as God began to speak to us yesterday night. Again that when God comes. And visits us. When he opens the heaven to us. To lift us up. I saw that in the same vein. After many days of such dryness. The Bible says the word of the Lord. Came to Elijah. God's word of a visitation. Came to the servant of God. The word of the Lord came to Elijah. And the clear word is that God is saying. I will open the heavens again. I will send the rain. Now it is how he responded to this. That I said is a challenge. That I sense God wants us again. I am not saying any new thing. And hard as I waited. And said Lord what is it? He said there is nothing new particularly. It is the same old principle. That in the light of the promise that God is making to us. The Bible says. He said go and present yourself to him. And I will send the rain on the earth. And verse 2 said. So Elijah went to present himself. To hear the challenge. That first greets my heart. That I pray God can encourage us with. And in one way or another. Since the MLR preview God has been speaking about this. Is the need to believe the word of God. I saw a need to believe the word of God. I saw that what God is saying. Presently here is true. I was noting that from the action. Elijah immediately took. The scripture says so he went. On what ground was he going? The word of God that he has heard. And it touches my heart as I look at God's way. Of bringing his counsel to his people. There will be those that we hear that word directly. Those that will be like our elders. Fathers in the faith. And we pass the same down. Is it in Hebrews that the scripture says. How we ought to take heed. To this great salvation that has come to us. Is it with the Lord himself began to speak about. And it was testified to us. By those who heard him. And I want to encourage again. In this meeting this morning. It looks to enter upon this promise. That God is speaking about. We must believe in. God must help us to take him at his word. And perhaps is that we may hear that word. In our spirit. I was touched when our sister. Said yesterday. She took time to show us. That from all that God is showing us. We have come into a season. My cry and prayer for us. Is that for each of us. This will resonate with our own hearts. This will mix with faith in our own heart. And it looks to me. Those that will again. Take up the challenge to see God. And wait for this promise. Will be those first that I believe. I was told that the scripture says. After this word of promise. I come to Elijah from the Lord. Go and show yourself. I will send the rain. The rain is coming. The rain is coming. The Bible says so Elijah went. He went in faith. He went believing what the Lord has said. Why is that very important for me? Because the past experience. The persistence of famine in the land. The persistence of dryness. Did not hinder him or discourage him. From believing God's word. Sometimes our past experiences of dryness and defeat. May become an hindrance. When God now has said times have changed. There is something I am doing. It may hinder us from taking him at his word. We noted yesterday. When Christ came. During the opera. Also in the message. Speaking about when Christ came. When the Lord visited. The people to whom God's word came. Came to his own. His own did not receive him. They did not believe the message that came to them. I pray. As God is declaring a season. Of an open heaven. Our past experiences of defeat. Our past experiences. Of dryness. Will not hinder us from taking him at his word. The Bible says Elijah went. He did many things. I pray. The servant of God guides us. Some of those will come. When he went to show himself. There were many things he did. Things that were out of place. As far as the will of God was concerned. He dealt with. When he was speaking yesterday. He did mention. I saw that Elijah. Went and engaged in different issues. He summoned all the people. He dealt with the issues of the prophets. He repaired the Lord's altar. The scripture said the Lord's altar that had been broken down. Which seems to be things that were responsible. For the closed heaven in the first place. In response to the promise of God. He dealt with all of that. What has taught me. That was like clearing the bush. To now engage the place of prayer. To now engage. What will bring the promise. That he has had to fulfillment. The Bible says. In verse 41. I am quickly getting there. Elijah said to her. Go up. Eat and drink. For there is the sound of abundance. Of rain. Two things strikes me here. As the Lord is bringing this to my heart this morning. That I pray God can encourage our hearts. The first thing I saw. Is that the Bible says. You can go. And eat and drink. When somebody is eating and drinking. You can rejoice. You can go and eat and drink. The servant of God was declaring. The Bible says. There is the sound. Of abundance of rain. I am looking. On what ground is he making that declaration. It is not because. The rain has begun to drizzle. There is the sound. Of an abundance of rain. I was wondering. How did he hear that sound? He had heard God. He was acting on what God has said. Go and eat and drink. There is the sound of abundance of rain. The Bible says. Go and eat and drink. It is amazing. We just believe. Since Elijah said it. The rain is coming. All the troubles. Because of the trouble on the land. It is over. The Bible says. Elijah went up to the top. Elijah went up. To the top. I don't know how to express this. But it is a challenge. That is coming very deeply. To my own heart this morning. When I read that. He went up to eat and drink. The conjunction. I was thinking. It would be both. Contrary to. Against the man that went to eat and drink. Somehow. Maybe I am just coming in. The scripture says. Elijah went up to eat and drink. According to me. Perhaps. Maybe as a king. It is not altogether wrong. He went to eat and drink. The word of God has come through the servant of God. The scripture says. There was something Elijah. The man on duty had to do. It was yesterday morning. The word of God was coming. The servant of God was speaking. When he says. Your house will be left to you desolate. Because you did not know. The time of your visitation. He says something that was very striking. To my own heart. What was it? The people Jesus was addressing. Those that refused. Those that did not know their time of visitation. It was not just the generality of the people. It was some persons. That ought to take responsibility at that time. Those that were leaders. If by God's grace they stepped in properly. The whole lot would have been blessed. I was challenged. Several of us. We are representing our nations. We are representing the people. We are representing our church. The cry is that God will help us to discern this time. God will help us to pee in. Into what he is saying now. He will help us to discern this time. And take responsibility. That God's word had come. The servant of God knew. How do I respond to it? As the Lord is declaring to us. Hereafter you shall see heaven open. I said what was impressed on my spirit. Is not just something new. I was challenged this morning. To whom God's promise came before. What is it about it? God has spoken clearly. But somehow they understood. Their engagement in it. And Elijah went up to the top of the camel. And he bowed down on the ground. And put his face. Between his knees. There is something to engage. And this is the challenge this morning. I know it is not strange. And somehow God has been speaking about it. But I sense how I need this morning. That the Lord may stir up our hearts. First to believe. What the Holy Spirit is saying. First that the word strikes our heart. That God is saying. I am opening the heavens. I am coming to your head now. I am doing away with all that has limited you until now. I am taking you to another dimension. In fulfilling my purpose. But that translates into our engaging God. In the place of prayer. I just see this consistent in the word of God. That God has given his word. And they came to engage prayer. Now the Bible says he bowed down his head. His face. Between his knees. The way the New Testament helps us to understand that. In the book of James chapter 5. This bowing down. He is bowing down. And putting his face between his knees. The Bible tells us in James 5. That he prayed earnestly. I did not imagine that if God had made a promise to a man. That he could not just walk and say we are waiting for it. Let it happen. Somehow. And I see this as an instruction for our heart. They saw the need to wait on the Lord. To pray earnestly. And say Lord what you have promised. Bring it to fulfillment. It was not just here. Where was it? He dealt with the prophets. After repairing the altar. He called on the Lord earnestly. And said Lord let it be known that I am your servant. That I have done this in your name. That it is what you have instructed me to do. That I have engaged. My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord. Wherever we are. God has sent his word to us. God has sent his promise to us. Of an open heaven hereafter. But I saw him saying there is a place to engage. First to believe him. We have a need to believe his word. And I don't know how your heart is. If this has not sounded clearly in our hearts. Can we pray together this morning. That Lord, help me to understand it. Mix with faith in my heart. Let it not just be a mere word or a slogan. Help me to discern the time. Help me to discern this time. That I may behave appropriately. And the second dimension. I saw that he engaged prayer. The dimension of prayer. That we are seeing him engaging here. Is again noteworthy. The Bible says. As he put his face between his knees. He said to his servant. Go up now. Look toward the sea. He is praying and watching. Praying and waiting. Praying. And waiting for what God has said. To come to fulfillment. He said go and look toward the sea. And the Bible says he went up and looked. And said there is nothing. There is nothing. The first response was there was nothing. In our devotion on site. Yesterday morning. That the Lord was speaking about the night before. The need for us as children to take our bread. So that the crumbs. That will solve the problem of those around us. May be released. The Lord was bringing us back to Luke 11. When the Lord Jesus taught on prayer. Going to a friend. At the midnight hour. And he spoke about how the bread will be released. He said he goes to this friend at the midnight. And is knocking and says a friend of mine. The people around me have come to me. On their journey. And I have nothing to say before them. He said he that is within me. Answer first and say don't trouble me. The door is shut. My children are now with me in bed. I cannot rise. It was touching again that the Holy Spirit was saying. Most assuredly I say to you. He may not rise because he is his friend. But by his persistence. He will arise. And give him all that he needs. It was heartwarming to us. When the Lord was saying the bread we need. That we solve our own life's problem. And meet the needs of those around us. The master says he will persist in prayer. He will persist at it. The matter of there is nothing. May appear as a reluctance on the Lord. No. He is faithful to the promise he has made. He is very faithful to the promise he has made. He is faithful to the promise he has made. What is looking like an engagement. How serious are we about. Our needs being met. The Bible said to him there is nothing. There is nothing. And it will have appeared and said excuse me. How can it be that there is nothing? He said go again. Go again. He said seven times. Go again. Yes, it has been said that seven is a sign of affection. Seven times. Keep going. He will promise we will not lie. My dear brothers and sisters. I am just saying the challenge to honest persistent prayer. The need to honestly. Until this visitation God is speaking to us so graciously. How he spoke to us yesterday. What to expect when the heavens open. The invasion of heaven upon the earth. That God has been speaking about. Can God help us to believe it. Can God help us to engage him in the place of prayer. Until we see this visitation. He said hereafter. You shall see the heavens open. I will send that rain. Now the Bible says then it came to pass. Verse 44. Then it came to pass the seventh time. That he said there is a cloud. As small as a man's hand. Rising out of the sea. So he said God. Say to her. Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you. It is wonderful. May the Holy Spirit. We can each and every one of us. On to this place. It may be for our own lives. As God has been speaking. He has been speaking. For each of our lives. The open heavens. Over the work that God has entrusted into our hands. Over our nations. Can the Lord help us. To understand this season in which we have come. And to wait on him in faith. The Bible says after the seventh time. It came to pass. The seventh time. What God said came to pass. The seventh time. I am amazed. The first, the second, the third. My dear brothers and sisters. The Holy Spirit is saying the seventh time. I sense in my heart God wants us to glean. To glean from men like this. To whom God's promise came. As a challenge for our hearts together. This morning. Now the word of God says. I went to Jesus. Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah. And he gathered up his loins. And ran ahead to the entrance of Jesus. I came to the book of Acts. Because the Lord impressed that. On my heart as well. I am just saying it is the same issue. Please go with me back to Acts 1. Like I said. What the Lord impressed on my heart this morning. Is not anything new to several of us. But I sense what God wants us to note. It is not just to have new things. It is to note his principle. In the light of what he is saying. May God mobilize our hearts. May God enable each and every one of us. For us to believe in. And to be able to wait on him. For the fulfillment of this promise. Please go with me as I am concluding. This devotional challenge this morning. From Acts 1. As we have read the scripture says. I am being assembled together with them. He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem. But to wait. For the promise of the father. Which he said you are heard from me. But you are not truly baptized with water. But you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Not many days from now. That is wonderful to my heart. Not many days from now. As they were assembled together. Just as God has assembled us together. In this MLR. The Bible says he commanded them. He spoke his counsel to them. Don't depart from Jerusalem. But wait for the promise. Wait for the promise the father has made. The Holy Spirit is showing us. Where we have come to. Having led us. Having spoke about the need to pursue. To recover all. You will see the heavens open. So we enter into the fullness of what he has mobilized. Each of our lives for. I see the master says wait for this promise. Wait for the promise. How did they respond to it? As I conclude. The Bible says in verse 12. You know earlier on in verse 11. After Jesus was taken up. The angel came to them. Why are you standing? It is not the time to gaze. There is something to engage. It says then they returned to Jerusalem. Verse 12. From the mount called Olivet. Which is near Jerusalem. And when they had entered. They went up into the upper room. They went up to the upper room. Where they were staying. They went up. To the upper room. Can we ask for God to grant us grace to go up. Each of us. Each of our lives to go up. To the upper room. It may sound we are familiar with these things. Yes. But can God help us to engage it? They went up to the upper room. He has told them wait. How are they going to wait? The father has made a promise. They have come to a season. But they went up. To the upper room. The second issue that is touching me. The Bible says. Where they were staying. There was Peter. There was James. John. Andrew. Matthew. The son of Matthew. Simon. And Judas. The son of James. What is touching my heart. I am looking at this. I noted in 1 Kings 18. They could go and eat and drink. But Elijah must go up. Elijah needed to go up. This 12. It is 11 years before they chose the 12th man. After Judas fell out. They went up. They went up in waiting. To enter into that season. Into this that God was bringing about. That was not all. The Bible says in verse 14. These all continued. With one accord. In prayer. And supplication. With the women. And Mary the mother of Jesus. And with his brothers. Three issues that I want to stop with this morning. I am praying that the Holy Spirit. Will give increase. To this very little. That he has put in our heart to share together. There were the apostles. The Bible says. But we also are noting that with them. There were the women. The women were not excluded in this. In this waiting. In this engaging this place of prayer. I am also told that the Bible says. Mary the mother of Jesus. Thank God she had become a disciple. And the matter of standing outside. As we saw in Matthew chapter 12. Why Jesus was teaching himself. And the brothers of the Lord were without. That has been a close chapter now. Even Mary the mother of Jesus. Will not take lightly. The point of the fact of how she has been used of the Lord. How her womb has been borrowed of the Lord in the past. To bring forth the Lord. How she will not take that for granted. She will not take that lightly. As to deprive her from engaging this place. She was also waiting. For this blessedness from above. And the Bible says even his brothers were there. Even his brother. May the Holy Spirit stir up each of our hearts this morning. To respond appropriately. If there is a cry. I have been crying ever since this announcement. Hereafter. The matter of peeing in. Into what God is saying now. Peeing in by faith. That counsel of the Lord. Has been engraved. In our own hearts as well. This drives us to the place of expectation. Until the promise is fulfilled. The last point I want to make. This all continued. With one accord. These all. There were others that are without. They were still going to enjoy the blessing. Of the open heavens. But I saw that part of the devotion. That we could note about this. He continued in prayer. I pray that as we go on. During this retreat and hereafter. We will continue. In earnest prayer. In faith. Until what God has said. Has become our experience in reality. Chapter 2 that we read. Only goes to show that. God who cannot lie. Brought to pass. His promise. When the day of Pentecost had fully come. They were all in one place. And then suddenly. They had waited. They continued. They were with one accord. And then they experienced. The visitation of the Lord. What is the challenge? That I see this morning. God is calling you. It is a challenge to believe in. A challenge to wait on him. In prayer. Until what he has said comes to pass. As I stop here for us to pray together. I would like us to bow our hearts again and consider. This word God is sending. Have you heard it? Have you heard it deep in your own spirit? Have we prayed to the point to say Lord. Help me to understand this season you are speaking about. Let it not just be mere. God has taught us over time. That MLR is not just coming to treat a topic. Continually yesterday. We are here to meet with the Lord. To engage the Lord. And my cry and prayer. Is that each of us. What he is saying will be clear to us. We will not fall into the error of those. That the Bible says. The Lord that dwelt in Jerusalem. And all our leaders. He said the voice of the prophets. They didn't know him. Not the voice of the prophets. Can we pray that the voice. That he is speaking clearly. God will cause us to recognize it. God will cause us to. It is interesting that the Bible says. The word of the Lord came to Elijah. That God's word. That he is declaring his counsel. Will come to each of us. We need it to be motivated in faith. To engage him in the place of prayer. Permit me to stop here for now. I would like us to bow our heads wherever we are. I will be speaking to God in prayer. Let's pray. Let's bow our heads as we pray together this morning. As we pray together this morning. My dear brothers and sisters. God has been doing many things. In our lives in the first night. Since the opening charge of this meeting. He threw the challenge of we as children. To take our breath. We saw the need of people waiting. Waiting to be ministered to. God has encouraged us to see. What will be when these heavens are open. Can we pray together this morning. Lord, let it not just be mere words to me. Or that what you are saying will mix with faith. In my own heart. And it will drive me to believe you and wait. I just see that waiting in prayer is an action. That is prepared by faith. Can we pray? Can I request that you move us to pray. And conclude this prayer for us this morning. Can you please help us. To pray. Let's pray. Our father and our God. We thank you. We appreciate you for coming to us again. This morning by your word. Thank you Lord for the challenge. To pray. Prayer is the key. Everywhere. In all generations. All the times that. God manifested himself on the earth. It was in answer. In response. To the request of men from the earth. Lord we thank you. Prayer was so crucial. That the disciples of Jesus. They observed even Christ himself. And they asked him to teach us to pray. Lord it is interesting. They did not ask you for anything else. They did not ask you to teach us to preach. They did not ask you to teach us to sing. They asked you to teach us. To pray. Lord we have heard this exhortation. We can only make a request. As the disciples did. Teach us to pray. Elijah prayed. Even for Jesus it was as he was praying. At the baptism of John. That the heaven opened. Lord we will pray. Encourage our hearts to pray. Enable our hearts to pray. Mobilize us to pray. Individually we will pray. Lord since last year. We request of you that the spirit of supplication. And of prayer. To fall on us. Lord we still ask you oh God. Baptize us Lord into praying. As individuals. As a church. In all the places where you will be gathering us together. Teach us to pray. For what you want to release. We only come to us as we pray. On your side. You stand by your word. You will do it. But you want us to partner with you. And the only thing we must bring in. In our partnership with you. Is to pray. Help us Lord to pray. Thank you Lord for your servant. That you again have passed through. To bring this crucial reminder. On to us. That we should pray. Please bless him and renew his strength. Continue to pour your grace oh God upon his life. To you Lord be the praise. The glory and adoration. In Jesus name we have prayed. Amen. Amen. ======================================================================== Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/gbile-akanni/the-place-of-prayer-in-open-heaven/ ========================================================================