Alone With God (OPEN HEAVENS Devotional)

OPEN HEAVENS Devotional – Wednesday April 6th 2016

TOPIC: DEMON-INVITING HABIT

Memorize: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18

Read: Proverbs 23:29-35,

²⁹ Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

³⁰ They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

³¹ Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

³² At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

³³ Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

³⁴ Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

³⁵ They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

 Bible in one year: 1^st Samuel 14:47-16:23, Proverbs 6:1-15

MESSAGE

There are many avenues through which demons can possess an individual. One of them is alcoholism. Alcoholism is a subtle habit that introduces a man to demonic possession and/or introduces demons to the alcoholic. It is a volatile avenue, a broad avenue open to many categories of demons, violence, sexual immorality, pride, folly, to mention but a few. It is unfortunate that some believers are beginning to consider ‘moderation’ in the consumption of alcohol. It is this liberal approach to the handling of the issue of alcohol consumption that is increasing demonic operations in lives that are supposed to be Holy Spirit-filled. This is why Ephesians 5:18 says:

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”

How does alcoholism invite demons? Our Bible text for today answers that in part: One of the symptoms of demonic possession is sorrow, and the text asks: “who hath sorrow?” and answers straightaway: “…they that go to seek mixed wine.” The scripture goes ahead to warn; “look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.” The demon of sorrow is put in motion to possess alcoholic; and this is confirmed by the infallible Word of God. In addition, our text says: “Thine eyes shall behold strange women….” Here the demon of sexual immorality is set in motion by alcoholism. A married man does not remember his marriage vows when put under the influence of alcohol. An alcoholic can sleep with the worst psychiatric patient. Alcohol promotes the sexual immorality of incest.

“And the firstborn said unto the young, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.” Genesis 19:31-32

The products of these incestuous acts were the hateful Moabites and the children of Ammon who later became sworn enemies of the children of Israel (2^nd Chronicles 20:1).

“….and thine heart shall utter perverse things.” Alcohol can turn you to a talkative or a blasphemer. Those who ordinarily may not speak perverse things momentarily become outspoken under the influence of the demon of alcohol. Beloved, if you have not considered alcohol as a medium of demon-possession till date, I advise you to give it a second thought, be faithful to yourself and abstain forthwith. Most of the woes that many people face can be traced to the demon of alcohol. The Word of God is forever settled; the earlier we live by its precepts, the better for us. 

Action Point

Break yourself loose from the demon of alcohol and pray that all the demons of alcohol are destroyed in your life be restored in Jesus’ name.