OPEN HEAVENS 21 APRIL 2026 DEVOTIONAL
### REVERSING SICKNESS
**By Pastor E. A. Adeboye | General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)**
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### MEMORISE
*“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.”* – Malachi 4:2
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### READ: Acts 9:32-34 (KJV)
32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.
33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
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### MESSAGE
There was once a young boy whose idol-worshipping parents took to an Ifa priest – a traditional spiritualist – when he was born. When they got to the priest, he looked at the baby and said, “You had better take this boy to Jesus Christ.” On hearing that, his parents got upset and said, “What kind of nonsense is this? How can an Ifa priest recommend Jesus? Something must be wrong with you.” As they took the boy away from the place, he suddenly fell sick and subsequently suffered poor health all through his childhood. His parents took him everywhere in search of a solution, but the boy kept falling sick.
One day, someone told the boy’s parents to bring him to one of our programmes. They brought him to the programme covered in all kinds of charms. As I was preaching, I suddenly noticed a little stir in the congregation. After the service, I enquired about what caused the commotion earlier, and I was told that, during the service, the boy’s mother removed his shirt and hung it on a chair because the sun was scorching hot, and the heat became unbearable for him. Shortly after, a snake came out of the boy’s shirt while I was ministering. The power of God came down heavily and dealt with every evil force that was working against the boy. The snake was killed, and the boy received total deliverance from sickness. I pray that God will uproot anything He has not planted in your body, in Jesus’ name.
Today’s Bible reading tells us about a man, Aeneas, who was bedridden for eight years. He must have had different types of bedsores for those eight years since he couldn’t move by himself, and must have been at the mercy of everyone around him until Peter visited his hometown, Lydda. On seeing him, Peter commanded him to arise and make his bed. Imagine someone who couldn’t move from his bed by himself for eight years suddenly rising up to make his bed and move around.
Beloved, God can make long-lasting illnesses disappear in the twinkling of an eye. Therefore, if you are sick or have a loved one who is sick, call on Him today, and He will reverse that sickness and turn it into good health. I pray that God’s power will destroy any illness that might exist in your body and give you divine health, in Jesus’ name.
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### PRAYER POINT
Father, please reverse any incurable sickness that exists in my life or those of my loved ones, in Jesus’ name.
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### BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
2 Kings 9-10
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### OPEN HEAVENS HYMN 25: THE GREAT PHYSICIAN NOW IS NEAR
1. The great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh! hear the voice of Jesus.
*Chorus:*
Sweetest note in seraph song,
Sweetest name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung,
Jesus, blessed Jesus.
2. Your many sins are all forgiven,
Oh! hear the voice of Jesus;
Go on your way in peace to heaven,
And wear a crown with Jesus.
3. All glory to the dying Lamb!
I now believe in Jesus;
I love the blessed Savior’s name,
I love the name of Jesus.
4. His name dispels my guilt and fear,
No other name but Jesus;
Oh! how my soul delights to hear
The precious name of Jesus.
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## COMMENTARY (Separate from the Devotional)
### Introduction: The Sun of Righteousness
The book of Malachi closes the Old Testament with a promise that finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The “Sun of Righteousness” is not a metaphor for an abstract concept; it is a person. Jesus is the rising sun that brings light where there has been darkness, warmth where there has been cold, and healing where there has been sickness.
The imagery is beautiful. The sun rises without fail every morning. Its coming is not uncertain; it is guaranteed. In the same way, Jesus arises over His people with healing. Not occasionally, not sporadically, but as certainly as the dawn.
### The Two Sicknesses
Today’s devotional presents two different kinds of sickness:
**The Boy with the Snake** – His sickness was spiritual in origin. A demonic snake was operating in his body, causing continual affliction. No doctor could find it. No medicine could kill it. The charms his parents placed on him only made things worse because they connected him more deeply to the powers that were afflicting him. His deliverance came through exposure—when the power of God came down, the snake had to come out.
**Aeneas with the Palsy** – His sickness was physical. He had been paralyzed for eight years. There is no mention of demonic involvement, only a body that had stopped working. His healing came through the spoken word: “Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed.”
Both were sick. Both were beyond human help. Both were healed by the power of Jesus.
### The Snake That Must Come Out
The testimony of the boy with the snake is striking. For years, the snake had been hidden. It operated in secret, causing sickness without being detected. The boy’s parents had covered him with charms, but those charms were part of the problem, not the solution. They belonged to the same kingdom that was afflicting him.
Then, during a service where the Word of God was being preached, the mother removed the boy’s shirt. The snake was exposed. And in the presence of God’s power, it had to come out.
This teaches us that some sicknesses are rooted in spiritual darkness. They may be:
– **Generational** – passed down through bloodlines
– **Covenantal** – connected to vows made to false gods
– **Demonic** – directly caused by evil spirits
– **Hidden** – operating in secret, undetected by medical tests
The solution is not more charms or rituals. The solution is exposure. When the Sun of Righteousness arises, darkness cannot remain. Whatever is hidden must come to light. Whatever is operating in secret must be revealed.
### Eight Years of Paralysis
Aeneas had been bedridden for eight years. Eight years is a long time. Eight years of bedsores. Eight years of muscle wasting. Eight years of dependence. Eight years of watching life pass by.
Humanly speaking, there was no hope. If eight years of paralysis could be healed, it would have happened already. But Peter didn’t consult the medical charts. He didn’t ask how long it had been. He simply spoke the name of Jesus.
“Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed.”
Notice the command: “make thy bed.” This was proof of complete healing. A man who couldn’t move for eight years was now expected to fold his bedding and arrange his sleeping area. And he did it.
### Your Divine Appointment
The boy was brought to the programme. Aeneas was in Lydda when Peter passed through. God arranges meetings between His power and our need. You may have been sick for years, but your divine appointment is on the calendar. It may be today. It may be this Sunday. It may be the next time you open your Bible or tune into a service.
Do not give up. Your healing may be closer than you think.
### How to Receive Your Healing
1. **Call on Him** – The devotional says, “Call on Him today.” Not tomorrow. Not when you feel more worthy. Today. Now.
2. **Position Yourself** – The boy was brought to the programme. Aeneas was in Lydda when Peter came. Place yourself where God’s power is moving—church, services, places where the Word is preached with authority.
3. **Remove Hindrances** – The mother removed the boy’s shirt, exposing what was hidden. Examine your life for anything that might give the enemy a foothold—charms, objects, ungodly covenants. Let the light in.
4. **Receive the Word** – When Peter spoke, Aeneas arose. When the Word went forth, the snake came out. The Word of God carries healing power. Receive it, believe it, act on it.
5. **Take Up Your Bed** – When healing comes, don’t stay in bed. Get up and do what you couldn’t do before. Your action proves your healing and frustrates the enemy.
### The Prayer Point
The prayer point is direct: “Father, please reverse any incurable sickness that exists in my life or those of my loved ones, in Jesus’ name.”
The word “reverse” is significant. It means to turn back, to undo, to change the direction of something. Sickness has been moving in one direction—downward. But prayer reverses its course. What was going down begins to go up. What was worsening begins to improve. What was incurable becomes healed.
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## DECLARATIONS BASED ON THE DEVOTIONAL
I DECLARE that the Sun of Righteousness arises over me with healing in His wings!
I DECLARE that every hidden snake operating in my body is exposed and destroyed!
I DECLARE that eight years of sickness ends today!
I DECLARE that I am not dependent on human solutions; I depend on the power of Jesus!
I DECLARE that God reverses every incurable sickness in my life and in the lives of my loved ones!
I DECLARE that I arise and make my bed – my healing is complete!
I DECLARE that no weapon of sickness formed against me shall prosper!
I DECLARE that I call on Jesus today, and He answers with healing!
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## PRAYER
Sun of Righteousness, arise over me today. Let Your healing rays penetrate every part of my body. Expose every hidden work of darkness. Let every snake that has been operating in my body come out and die.
I receive my healing now. Eight years, thirty-eight years, a lifetime—it ends today. Make me whole, Lord, for Your glory.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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**#OpenHeavens #RCCG #DailyDevotional #ReversingSickness #SunOfRighteousness #Aeneas #Healing**
