Life's experiences had taught me great or even greater lessons. One of such is that, if a man was either pre-destined or destined for something or a place with or without praying, he will still get it or reach there. Practically, a friend of mine that we performed an interview together some months back who didn't have the hope of being call-up by one of the leading banks in Nigeria after the most performing candidates were invited for training and the recruitment process formally closed got his invitation and currently on training with the rest of us, while most of the outstandingly performed candidates were dropped for some common reasons. When asked how he got it after the process was closed, he said and i quote" When i wasn't invited at first, i put the whole stuff behind myself and continue moving ahead with my small-scale business. No prayer or even juju was enchanted to get it". Now with this happening, i swiftly declared though not concluding that a man can reach his destiny even without praying. So fellow N'LANDERS what are your stands on this issue to help me in making a valid inference?

As someone with prophetic gift, i do know that destinies are controlled in the spirit realm, and nothing happens by coincidence. God allows the sun to shine on the just and unjust. The love of God is all around us, whether we believe it or not, it is only in hell that the grace of God is completely absent.

Before i continue, i can tell you what prayer and curses do. Prayer is a spiritual means that can help you to make things happen in the spiritual realm, i.e cause the power of God to move before that event happens - to make it secure - for believers.

Curses on the other hand are sent ahead of a person into that person's future, and stand as a road-block when that destiny is about to be fulfilled.

However, several factors are responsible in shaping our destinies. But from my experience, i will say that there are some destinies that cannot be escaped (now that area is a very gray one).

@pastormustwack, I think u make some salient points here. Thanks. Pls keep more coming

On that gray areas, there is such a thing as predestination. God usually prepares people for specific purposes in life, and in situations where you even seem to do something offhand without praying about it, the hand of God may be in it without your even praying.
Look at the situation of samson:

When he becomes a young adult, Samson leaves the hills of his people to see the cities of the Philistines. While there, Samson falls in love with a Philistine woman from Timnah whom he decides to marry, overcoming the objections of his parents who do not know that "it is of the Lord".

Here samson decided to marry the woman from the enemy's camp because he fell in love, different from "God said he should marry", and he did not seek the counsel of his parents. And yet, the bible made us to understand that it was the plan of God for him to marry that woman.

Let us come home to the bible, take a look at someone like apostle paul, some people believe that God caused him to be well learned ahead even while he was an unbeliever to prepare him for the task ahead. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, Paul is credited as the author of 13 of them.

This is just my own contribution. I am not eliminating prayer and fasting mind you, just saying that the loving kindness of God is all around us whether we are believers or not, God has his own plan for each and everyone of us.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, said the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Make no mistakes about this, ANY GOOD THING THAT HAPPENS TO YOU IN THIS LIFE IS FROM GOD. EVEN THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD. IF YOU HAVE MONEY AND YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY TO DO THE RIGHT THING, IT IS STILL THE GRACE OF GOD. WHEN GODS GRACE IS NO LONGER IN YOUR LIFE, EVERYTHING IN LIFE BECOMES USELESS AND THE PERSON EXPERIENCES A STATE OF HELL (EVEN ON THIS REALM).

This is just my own contribution to these kinda stuffs based on my personal experience, and on my gifts of revelation. I am not quoting any church doctrine just saying things as i know it, so i am welcome to corrections, modifications, ammendments etc

Godysien: Life's experiences had taught me great or even greater lessons. One of such is that, if a man was either pre-destined or destined for something or a place with or without praying, he will still get it or reach there. Practically, a friend of mine that we performed an interview together some months back who didn't have the hope of being call-up by one of the leading banks in Nigeria after the most performing candidates were invited for training and the recruitment process formally closed got his invitation and currently on training with the rest of us, while most of the outstandingly performed candidates were dropped for some common reasons. When asked how he got it after the process was closed, he said and i quote" When i wasn't invited at first, i put the whole stuff behind myself and continue moving ahead with my small-scale business. No prayer or even juju was enchanted to get it". Now with this happening, i swiftly declared though not concluding that a man can reach his destiny even without praying. So fellow N'LANDERS what are your stands on this issue to help me in making a valid inference?

Intro

Hmmn Its a very complicated, but not to hard to understand arena.
Man is created to be able to do all things and achieve all things even after the fall of man in the garden of Eden.
You will see that in Genesis 11:14"And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."
So whatever man thinks he can achieve, however, because God do not necessary want to create human beings that will just wake up and achieve everything he can, He setup a barrier (curse)for men Genesis 3: 17-19 after the fall of man from the garden.

Destine:

Ephraim and Manasseh

Genesis 48: 17-19"17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day and said,“In your[c] name will Israel pronounce this blessing: May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh."


Jacob and Esau

Genesis 25:21-27 [b]"21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.

23 The Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”

24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.[d] 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.[e] Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents."

[/b]

You will see that in verse 27, the bible makes us to understand that "Jacob was content to stay at home." When destiny is on your part, you will do little to amount to greatness, but if its against you, you will work like an Elephant and eat like ant.

Destiny and Time

Time, Time and Time is very crucial when it come to destiny.

Ecclesiastes 9:11, 12 "

11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them."

When your time has not come, you will strive and strive but eventually fail until the time your destiny is ready to take its course.

Prayer and Destiny

While destiny could be sure banker, you can get to the bank and have your check bounced sometime if you dont pray.
Remember, despite the fact that Jacob was destined, he had to pray "wrestled with the angel"

Reassurance of Destiny: While some might go immediately they were born to ifa priest to foretell the destiny of their child, here in Genesis 28:13-15 God himself appeared to Jacob by dream

Genesis 28:13-15

13 There above it[c] stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.[d] 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”


Genesis 32: 22-31


Jacob Wrestles With God

Prayer is needed to sustain the destine.

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[f] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[h] and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.


There are other references to consider, especially when you look at Solomon in the bible, God promised his father that he will not want any man in his kingdom and God install Solomon.
Not quite long he got enthroned, God appear to him in the dream and asked what he would want God to do for him and he asked for wisdom to go in and out among God's people, but God added riches and other things he did not asked for.
while Solomon two brothers "Absalom and Adonijah struggled and strives to become king, but failed because they were not destined to. Remember, Solomon never hustles for it.

Just like Jonathan hardly struggle to become Deputy Governor, Governor, vice president and president.

Characteristics of those with Good DESTINY
Recipients most time take it for granted and misuse those opportunities
Recipients feel they are better than other, thats why they got there
Recipients most time are arrogant and ignore/snob others who are not up to them

^^^Excellent post, there is so much more to be said about destiny. So all in all, destiny is very answerable to prayer.

2 Kings 20 - God Extends Hezekiah’s Life

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’ ”


And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.” ’ ” Then Isaiah said, “Take a lump of figs.” So they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

I will add to your days fifteen years: In response to Hezekiah’s prayer, God granted Hezekiah fifteen years more.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here look at this, this was God telling the man he was going to die. And he prayed to God, and God heard his prayers and told the same prophet to tell him he shall live for 15 more years, and he was healed of the very same disease that was going to kill him.


Also if you read the story of Jonah very well, you will see that after Jonah was released from the belly of the fish and went to deliver his message at Nineveh, the people of Nineveh were spared for the time, and Jonah was very pissed off because the Lord did not destroy them as he had prophesied. Also Nineveh was destroyed much later.

God sends warnings to people and nations to change to avert a terrible destiny. You can chose to accept Jesus into your life or not, that is your own choice to make. Your future and what happens after your death will depend on the choice you make in that regard.

By looking through the eyes of the spirit, i can see into my future. However, i know that the aspects i see is very much subject to change - depending on what i do in the present time, if i hold on to God to that future, then all shall be well. If i decide to deviate at some points, then that future changes again.

Destinies are affected by the choices you make in the PRESENT TIME. YOUR FUTURE IS AFFECTED BY YOUR CHOICES NOW! You can avert a curse that has been placed on your head by getting born again now and allow Jesus to break that yoke, or you can chose to enjoy a sinful life and give your life to christ in 20 years to come and still avert the curse then. So far as you live to that time (u can die at anytime mind you), and in that 20 years, suffer curses, satanic manipulations and other things.

Let me give you a real life story of a christian sister:
This lady was about getting married, and i had a vision that she was walking into a marriage that she will regret for the rest of her life. I counselled her but she did not listen, unknown to me at the same time, another sister with prophetic gift gave her a similar message. But she did not listen and went into the marriage out of desperation.

The state of the marriage now: she is childless because the husband cannot father a child naturally. and the man has no qualifications and cannot even seem to secure a job (for reasons unknown to me). She has been the breadwinner of the house, and suffering all the insults for her childlessness. I get very sad everytime i see her, i always pray for her, but ever since that marriage, all those things i see has been happening, and it saddens me deeply because this same lady is someone i have given so many prophetic revelations in the past. But strangely, after that marriage, i have not had any message for her again despite my prayers for her. It is almost as if God has abandoned her, i know that cannot be true. But i keep praying for her in my heart everyday that God should have mercy on her.

Also, consider a situation where a lady goes wild, has like 3 children out of wedlock, then gives her life to christ and gets born again. No problem, but those children are now additional responsibilities and she must carry that cross - which she placed on her own head, and many of them get desperate looking for husbands since no man in his right senses born-again or not, will just marry a woman with 3 children out of wedlock (and these children might belong to separate fathers).

Let us look at physical problems, a brother smokes all his life, develops long cancer, doctors told the brother he has 5 more years to live. Now the brother gets born again, and spends all his time and resources seeking miracles because he is afraid of dying. Well, he might get the miracle, he might not get it. But if he is truly born again, he will make heaven, but his destiny on earth here might still get cut short by the actions he took before he got born again.

Of course, looking at the positive aspect of things, God can change the situation of that childless sister, or the smoking brother, or the single mother of 3. But the moral of these real-life stories is that, these people have caused a big GLITCH in their destinies.

IT IS BETTER TO GIVE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST NOW IF YOU HAVE NOT, THAN TO ALLOW THE DEVICES OF THIS WORLD TO ALTER YOUR DESTINY BEFORE GIVING YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST AND SPENDING ALL YOUR TIME SEEKING FOR DELIVERANCES FROM THINGS THAT NEED NOT BE IN THE FIRST PLACE.


So OP, you can see that there is a lot more about destiny and it is not so simple like that.

Great responses i must say. More responses to this very issue will be highly appreciated.

pastormustwacc: On that gray areas, there is such a thing as predestination. God usually prepares people for specific purposes in life, and in situations where you even seem to do something offhand without praying about it, the hand of God may be in it without your even praying.
Look at the situation of samson:

When he becomes a young adult, Samson leaves the hills of his people to see the cities of the Philistines. While there, Samson falls in love with a Philistine woman from Timnah whom he decides to marry, overcoming the objections of his parents who do not know that "it is of the Lord".

Here samson decided to marry the woman from the enemy's camp because he fell in love, different from "God said he should marry", and he did not seek the counsel of his parents. And yet, the bible made us to understand that it was the plan of God for him to marry that woman.

Let us come home to the bible, take a look at someone like apostle paul, some people believe that God caused him to be well learned ahead even while he was an unbeliever to prepare him for the task ahead. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, Paul is credited as the author of 13 of them.

This is just my own contribution. I am not eliminating prayer and fasting mind you, just saying that the loving kindness of God is all around us whether we are believers or not, God has his own plan for each and everyone of us.

Jeremiah 29:11


Make no mistakes about this, ANY GOOD THING THAT HAPPENS TO YOU IN THIS LIFE IS FROM GOD. EVEN THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD. IF YOU HAVE MONEY AND YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY TO DO THE RIGHT THING, IT IS STILL THE GRACE OF GOD. WHEN GODS GRACE IS NO LONGER IN YOUR LIFE, EVERYTHING IN LIFE BECOMES USELESS AND THE PERSON EXPERIENCES A STATE OF HELL (EVEN ON THIS REALM).

This is just my own contribution to these kinda stuffs based on my personal experience, and on my gifts of revelation. I am not quoting any church doctrine just saying things as i know it, so i am welcome to corrections, modifications, ammendments etc

delusion

Godysien: Life's experiences had taught me great or even greater lessons. One of such is that, if a man was either pre-destined or destined for something or a place with or without praying, he will still get it or reach there. Practically, a friend of mine that we performed an interview together some months back who didn't have the hope of being call-up by one of the leading banks in Nigeria after the most performing candidates were invited for training and the recruitment process formally closed got his invitation and currently on training with the rest of us, while most of the outstandingly performed candidates were dropped for some common reasons. When asked how he got it after the process was closed, he said and i quote" When i wasn't invited at first, i put the whole stuff behind myself and continue moving ahead with my small-scale business. No prayer or even juju was enchanted to get it". Now with this happening, i swiftly declared though not concluding that a man can reach his destiny even without praying. So fellow N'LANDERS what are your stands on this issue to help me in making a valid inference?

There is a reason amongst many why the northern part of Nigeria is more backward economically
....the belief in destiny

prayer and magic is not also the key that will take you forward

in the simple calculus of life, even in the most antichrist or atheist parts of this world.
what you've just narrated about your friend happens to others too


.........sorry, i had to burst your bubble

Delafruita: delusion

Clearly one of us is deluded, so you are right.

esere826:

There is a reason amongst many why the northern part of Nigeria is more backward economically
....the belief in destiny

prayer and magic is not also the key that will take you forward

in the simple calculus of life, even in the most antichrist or atheist parts of this world.
what you've just narrated about your friend happens to others too


.........sorry, i had to burst your bubble

You are very correct