OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL
PUT JESUS FIRST
MESSAGE BY: Pastor E. A. Adeboye
MEMORISE: “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” — Psalm 16:8
I. THE TEST OF DIVINE PRIORITY: THE GIVER VS. THE GIFT
Throughout human history and spiritual warfare, the Almighty God has continually tested His children on one fundamental issue: Who holds the supreme position in your heart?
It is very easy to sing songs of devotion when things are smooth, but the true measurement of your faith is revealed when God asks you to prioritize Him above your most cherished earthly possessions, your financial security, or your personal plans.
In Genesis 22:1–18, God presented patriarchal Abraham with the ultimate test of priority. He commanded him to take his only promised son, Isaac—the very boy he had waited twenty-five long years to hold—and offer him as a burnt sacrifice on Mount Moriah.
This was not merely a test of obedience; it was a divine investigation to determine whether Abraham loved the gift (Isaac) more than the Giver (God).
[ THE DIVINE PRIORITY TEST ]
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[ PUTTING THE GIFT FIRST ] [ PUTTING GOD FIRST ]
- Anchored on natural sight - Anchored on resurrection faith
- Result: Spiritual stagnation - Result: Endless multiplication
Abraham passed the test with flying colors. He did not hesitate, debate, or complain. He rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and journeyed to the mountain.
Why was Abraham able to put God first in such an agonizing situation? Because, as Hebrews 11:17–19 unveils, Abraham possessed resurrection faith! He reasoned that the same God who brought life into his dead body and Sarah’s barren womb was more than able to raise Isaac back from the dead.
Because Abraham placed Jehovah at his right hand (Psalm 16:8), God swore an unshakeable oath by Himself, declaring: “In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven!”
When you put God first, He steps into your life with covenant backing, ensuring that your seed, your labor, and your legacy can never be wiped out!
II. THE ANATOMY OF SURRENDER: THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH
Our Bible reading in 1 Kings 17:8–16 highlights another dramatic example of a life transformed by putting God first in a time of extreme crisis.
The entire land of Israel and its surrounding territories were suffering under a brutal, years-long drought and economic famine spoken into existence by the prophet Elijah. Streams had dried up, crops had failed, and death hung heavily over every household.
In the midst of this widespread devastation, God instructed Elijah: “Arise, get thee to Zarephath… behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.”
When Elijah arrived at the city gates, he found a destitute widow gathering sticks. When he asked her for a cup of water and a morsel of bread, her response reflected total, heartbreaking despair:
“As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” — 1 Kings 17:12
She was down to her absolute last resource. Naturally speaking, this meal was her family’s final burial preparation. Yet, look at the bold, uncompromising demand Elijah made in verse 13:
“Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.”
[ THE NATURAL HUMAN CHOICE ] ===> Eat last meal with son ===> PERISH IN FAMINE
VS.
[ THE DIVINE PRIORITY CHOICE ] ===> Bake prophet's cake FIRST ===> UNENDING SUPERNATURAL SUPPLY
Notice that critical word: FIRST!
God was asking this starving widow to put His kingdom interest ahead of her maternal instincts and her son’s survival. It seemed unreasonable, but the moment she surrendered her last meal to put God first, a creative miracle was unleashed!
The barrel of meal never wasted, and the cruse of oil never ran dry throughout the entire duration of the famine!
Centuries later, our Lord Jesus Christ made a fascinating observation about this event in Luke 4:25–26: “Many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias… But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.”
Why was this Gentile widow singled out among thousands of starving Israeli widows? Because God foreknew she possessed a spirit that would put Him first despite severe scarcity!
III. TWO PRACTICAL WAYS TO PUT GOD FIRST TODAY
Putting God first is not an abstract religious theory; it must be demonstrated through concrete, measurable actions in your daily routine.
1. Honoring God with Your Firstfruits
One of the primary testing grounds for your devotion is your financial life. God explicitly mandates in Proverbs 3:9–10:
“Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
It is tragic to see believers argue, struggle, or hesitate when it comes to offering their firstfruits, tithes, and first-line honor to God.
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When you receive your salary, your business profit, or an unexpected financial harvest, who gets the first consideration?
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Do you pay your bills, your rent, and your personal desires first, giving God whatever leftover crumbs remain?
When you honor God with your firstfruits, you invite His divine blessing upon the remaining ninety percent. You cannot put God first in your finances and be defeated by economic recessions or market inflation!
2. Making Soul-Winning Your Highest Priority
Another powerful way to put God first is by aligning your personal desires with His supreme passion.
What is the highest priority on God’s heart? The redemption of lost souls!
Jesus clearly defined His core mission in Luke 19:10: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
When you make evangelism, soul-winning, intercession for the unsaved, and discipleship your personal priority, you step into direct partnership with Heaven. When you care about what God cares about, He automatically takes personal responsibility for everything that concerns you!
IV. STANDING UPON THE SOLID ROCK
When you resolve to put Jesus first in your morning schedule, your financial budgeting, your career choices, and your daily conversations, you build your life upon an indestructible foundation.
As the old hymnwriter penned: “On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.”
Stop letting natural fears, economic anxieties, or human reasoning push God to the background of your life. Make a firm quality decision today to give Him the pre-eminent position in everything you do. Put Him first, trust Him fully, and watch Him single you out for extraordinary, mouth-watering miracles that will leave your generation in awe!
V. PRAYER POINT
Father, I repent of every instance where I placed my personal needs, natural fears, or earthly goals ahead of Your Kingdom. Please grant me the grace, courage, and wisdom to put You first in my finances, my time, my choices, and every area of my life from this day forward, in the mighty Name of Jesus.
VI. BIBLE TEXT SUMMARY: 1 KINGS 17:8-16
The Word of the Lord instructs prophet Elijah to go to Zarephath, where God has commanded a widowed woman to provide for him. Upon reaching the city gate, Elijah meets the widow gathering sticks and asks her for a drink of water and a piece of bread. The widow reveals that she only has a handful of flour in a barrel and a drop of oil in a jar, which she intends to bake as a final meal for herself and her son before they starve to death. Elijah commands her not to fear, but to bake a small cake for him first, promising in the name of the Lord that her supply of flour and oil will not fail until rain returns to the land. She obeys the prophet’s word, and as a result, her entire household eats continuously for many days without the flour or oil running dry.
VII. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR SUMMARY: ISAIAH 38–40
Isaiah 38: King Hezekiah becomes mortally ill, and Isaiah brings him a word from the Lord telling him to set his house in order because he will die. Hezekiah turns his face to the wall, weeps bitterly, and prays, reminding God of his faithful walk. Before Isaiah leaves the courtyard, God instructs him to return and tell Hezekiah that fifteen years have been added to his life, promising to defend Jerusalem from the King of Assyria. As a miraculous sign, God causes the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz to go backward ten steps. The chapter ends with Hezekiah’s poetic song of thanksgiving celebrating his restoration from the pit of destruction.
Isaiah 39: Merodach-baladan, King of Babylon, sends letters and a gift to Hezekiah after hearing of his illness and recovery. Pleased by this gesture, Hezekiah naively shows the Babylonian envoys everything in his treasure houses—his silver, gold, spices, precious oils, armory, and all his wealth. Prophet Isaiah enters and inquires about the visit, warning Hezekiah that a day is coming when everything he displayed will be carried away to Babylon, and his own descendants will become eunuchs in the palace of the Babylonian king. Hezekiah responds with resigned acceptance, noted that there will at least be peace and security during his own lifetime.
Isaiah 40: A glorious chapter of comfort opening with the iconic decree: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.” Isaiah prophesies of a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord, making straight paths in the desert. He contrasts the temporary nature of human life—which is like fading grass and dying flowers—with the Word of our God, which stands forever. God is portrayed both as a gentle Shepherd who carries His lambs in His bosom and as the incomparable, sovereign Creator who measures the oceans in the hollow of His hand and marks off the heavens with a span. The chapter concludes with the famous promise that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, mounting up with wings like eagles, running without growing weary, and walking without fainting.
VIII. HYMN 21: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS
1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
Chorus:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
2. When darkness seems to veil His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
3. His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
IX. PROPHETIC DECREE
I decree and declare that on this Saturday, July 25, 2026, every spirit of fear, economic panic, and self-centered hoarding holding your heart captive is permanently shattered by the power of the Holy Ghost!
You are granted the supernatural grace to put Jesus first in every choice, every investment, and every relationship!
I decree that as you honor the Lord with your firstfruits and make His Kingdom your priority, your barrel of supply will never run dry and your oil of joy will never fail!
In the middle of global economic turmoil, God will single you out for supernatural abundance, divine protection, and covenant preservation!
You are standing secure on Christ, the solid Rock, and no storm of darkness can move you from your pre-ordained victory, in the matchless Name of Jesus Christ! Amen! Hallelujah!
