Open Heavens 22 September 2025 Monday – Have You Encountered Jesus?

MEMORISE: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

READ: Acts 9:1-6 Open Heavens 22 September 2025

1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Open Heavens 22 September 2025

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Micah 1-4

Message: – Open Heavens 22 September 2025 Monday Daily Devotional

One can easily assume that everyone who attends church regularly or functions in a department within a church has encountered Jesus. However, in my experience, I have realised that many people are working hard in the Lord’s vineyard but haven’t had an encounter with Him. They know a lot about Him, but they don’t know Him. Paul thought he knew God until the day he had an encounter with Jesus Christ. When you truly meet Jesus, you will become a completely new person. Before Paul met Jesus, he persecuted believers. However, when he met Him, his story changed.

In 1 Timothy 1:13-16, he spoke about his horrible past as a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an injurious person, and how he obtained mercy from God. In Christ, he became a Chief Apostle (2 Corinthians 11:5) and fulfilled his destiny (2 Timothy 4:6- 7). Peter was just another fisherman from Galilee before he met Jesus. However, when he met Jesus, he was given a glorious destiny (Luke 5:10). Even when he failed and denied Jesus, his future was still secure because of his encounter with Jesus. When a man meets Jesus, his failures and weaknesses become part of his success story because God works all things together for his good (Romans 8:28). Isaiah thought he knew God until he had an encounter in Isaiah 6 that changed his life.

When he saw the Lord in His glory, he fell on his face and cried, “… Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). After meeting the Lord, Isaiah was willing to go wherever the Lord sent Him. When you truly meet Jesus, all your excuses will be burnt away like chaff.

Beloved, if you genuinely want to meet Jesus, make it mandatory for yourself to study God’s word every day. Revelation 19:13 says that He is the Word of God. When you study the word of God, you are fellowshipping with Jesus Christ. The more of God’s word you study, the closer you will get to Him. It will be difficult at first because the devil will try to stop you, but as you keep at it, you will discover that you are being transformed because you are getting to know the Son of God for yourself.

Prayer Point – Open Heavens 22 September 2025

Lord Jesus, please reveal yourself to me in Your word. I want to know You more and follow You for the rest of my life.

Open Heavens 22 September 2025 Monday Commentary

Praise the Lord.

Our topic for today once more is asking, have you encountered Jesus? We learned from today’s study that it is possible to be busy in the vineyard of God and yet not know the Lord of the vineyard personally. It is possible to be in every single church service yet not know the Lord. It is even possible to be a minister yet not know the Lord for yourself. Attendance in church, service in departments and knowledge about scripture do not automatically transform and translate into a genuine encounter with Jesus. The fact that your parents are ministers, your father is a pastor. He is this or that does not mean that you as a child has an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today’s study reveals to us that a true encounter goes beyond religion. It goes beyond traditions. It goes beyond many activities. It is a life transforming encounter, a meeting with the risen Lord himself. One that never leaves you the same way. Hallelujah. If you live in a neighborhood, maybe an estate for example, you would agree with me that it is possible to know a neighbor. You know that person. You know he has children. You know one or two things about him. However, there are certain things you may never be able to know because of the level of relationship that you have. So, you may only know a little about that person, but trust me, you do not really know that person. Those who live in the same house, probably those who share a lot with him, would be able to tell more about him, maybe his spouse or his children, because of the level of relationship they have with him. They see him sleep. They see him wake up. They see him in his down times and at all other times. It is the same way too. Many people claim to know the Lord simply because they seem to know him from afar. But today’s study reveals to us that it is not.

So, this study also reveals to us that an encounter changes and transforms a man’s life. Saul who later became Paul that we see in today’s study is a good example. Despite all his knowledge and zeal, he was far from God. He was a persecutor. But after his encounter, he became a preacher of the gospel. His story reveals to us that a genuine encounter with Jesus does not leave a man the same. You may have a horrible past, but once you meet Jesus Christ, mercy rewrites your story and your destiny comes alive. How about Peter the fisherman whom we also talked about in today’s study? He was an ordinary fisherman who was struggling to make ends meet. But when Jesus stepped into his boat, his life and destiny took a new turn. From being a fisherman, he was transformed into a fisher of men. Hallelujah.

Our father in the Lord also talked about the prophet Isaiah. He was already known to be a prophet even before that divine encounter which we talk about today. However, after that encounter, even as a prophet, he cried, “Woe is me.” That encounter became a purifying encounter for him. He no longer became a prophet just by title. He became a vessel purified by fire. And till this very day, his words still shape the faith of many nations. And till this very day, we still refer to his words. They are still making global transgenerational impact. Hallelujah.

It is also very important for us to note that there is great danger in only knowing about Jesus Christ without truly knowing him. There’s a big difference between knowing about him and truly knowing him. It is possible to be like the seven sons ofKeva in Acts 19:3-16 who knew only about Jesus but had no personal encounter with him. They attempted to cast out demons by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. But the demon responded, “Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you?” The names of the seven sons ofKa did not ring a bell in the realm of the spirit. Because they had no relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. They only knew about him. Seven men were beaten and disgraced by just one demon-possessed man. They were terribly humiliated because they only had head knowledge about our Lord Jesus Christ. Head knowledge without personal relationship carries no power at all. Never forget also that knowing the scriptures, serving in church, or even preaching sermons cannot substitute for intimacy with Christ.

Until you know him personally, your faith may just collapse when trials come. So the big question we are still asking today is do you know our Lord Jesus Christ? Have you had an encounter a genuine one with him? It is possible you may be genuinely asking today. You may be saying but our Lord Jesus Christ is no longer physically walking on the earth. How can I have an encounter with him today? Well, we are made to understand from today’s study that we can have an encounter with him through the word. Every time you open the Bible with a hungry heart, you are fellowshipping with our Lord Jesus Christ. The more you engage the word, the more you encounter him. I’d also like to add at this point that you can encounter him through prayer. When you pray, you commune with the living God. It is in prayer that he reveals his will to you. It is in prayer that he strengthens your spirit and empowers your life. You can also know him truly through the Holy Spirit just as he has promised us that he would not leave us comfortless.

The Holy Spirit makes the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ real to us even today. You can also encounter our Lord Jesus Christ through obedience. Our Lord Jesus will not reveal himself to someone who is disobedient and is disrespectful to his instructions. Scripture tells us in John 14:21 that he that had my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. It says, “And I will manifest myself to him.” Hallelujah. It is also important for us to have at the back of our minds that the devil will fight your encounter. He resists genuine encounters. He knows that once you have seen the Lord, you cannot be easily deceived or stopped. This is why distractions, laziness, and excuses often surround our Bible study and prayer life. It’s my genuine prayer for us that the Lord himself will continue to strengthen us on this journey in Jesus’ name.

I would like us at this point to bow our heads and we’ll be asking the Lord today would say, “Father, please reveal yourself to me in your word in the name of Jesus.” Ask the Lord today. Say, “Father, I give myself to you. I open myself up to you.” Reveal yourself to me in the name of Jesus. Tell the Lord today. Say, “Father, I want to know you more and follow you for the rest of my life. Grant me the grace for this in the name of Jesus. Help me, oh Lord, to know you more, to love you, to follow you and to walk with you all the days of my life in the name of Jesus. Let me never go to the right or to the left. Let me walk with you constantly and consistently in the name of Jesus.” Ask the Lord today. Say father please help me not to just know about you only. Tell the Lord today father I want to encounter you personally. Tell the Lord today say father please reveal yourself to me in a deep and different way in the name of Jesus. Reveal yourself to me in a spectacular way in the name of Jesus. Ask the Lord today say father please purge my heart of pride. Purge my heart of sin. Purge my heart of excuses that hinder my walk with you in the name of Jesus. Tell the Lord today say, “Father, please purify my heart. Cleanse my heart. Take away every contaminant, everything that would hinder your presence in my life and my walk with you in the name of Jesus.” Also ask the Lord today.

Say, “Father, please help me to remain steadfast in studying your word and seeking you daily in the name of Jesus.” Ask the Lord that we would never get tired. We will never get weary. We will never stop by the wayside in the name of Jesus. We will reach the very end in our walk with you in the name of Jesus. Also ask the Lord today say, “Father, please by your mercy, let my life be a testimony of genuine encounter. Let it be a life that tells the story of what you can do truly by transforming a man’s life. Let my life be the story that gives inspiration for the transformation of others in the name of Jesus. Let me be a vessel leading many to the light. Let see you in me and come to you in the name of Jesus. Begin to bless the name of the Lord and thank him for answers to prayers. Lord, we worship you. We bless your name. Our redeemer and savior, our friend, be thou glorified in Jesus’ name we have prayed. Amen.

Open Heavens 22 September 2025 Monday Hymn

HYMN 2: Amazing Grace

1 Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)

that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

was blind, but now I see.

2 ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

and grace my fears relieved;

how precious did that grace appear

the hour I first believed!

3 Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come:

’tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

and grace will lead me home.

4 The Lord has promised good to me,

his word my hope secures;

he will my shield and portion be

as long as life endures.

5 Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

and mortal life shall cease:

I shall possess, within the veil,

a life of joy and peace.

6 The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,

the sun forbear to shine;

but God, who called me here below,

will be forever mine.

That is all for Open Heavens 22 September 2025 Monday, do consider bookmarking this site for your Open heavens daily devotionals, and if you missed yesterday’s Devotional, click to read Open Heavens 21 September 2025 Sunday and may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob continue to keep us all. Open Heavens 22 September 2025 Monday. Please comment and share what you have learnt; you might be a blessing to others