The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 11 January 2026 – Securing And Sustaining Open Heaven
Click HERE to Read Previous MESSAGES
TOPIC: Securing And Sustaining Open Heaven
READ: Matthew 3:13-17 (NKJV)
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
THE MESSAGE:
Jesus Christ went to the Jordan to be baptised by John. After an initial resistance, John baptised Him. As He came out of the river, the heavens were opened to Him, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove. A voice came suddenly from heaven confirming Him as God’s beloved Son in whom He was well pleased.
God does not place His seal of endorsement upon any man He has not proven. This standard remains sure even for His only Son. The Lord Jesus had to leave His comfort zone and travel many kilometers in order to submit to John’s baptism. This is called renouncing self. Even John the Baptist resisted Him, but the Lord insisted that it was a righteous requirement for Him. The high point is not the baptism but the self-renunciation shown by the Lord. It is upon this that the heavens were opened unto Him, the Holy Spirit lighted upon Him without any hindrance, and the voice of the Father endorsed Him. If the heavens must be opened upon us, God’s standard remains total renunciation of self.
PRAYER: Father, please help me to see that my worst enemy is SELF. Give me grace to deny myself.
