₦airaland Forum

When John the beloved pondered on the fact that believers in Christ are children of God, he could not stop wondering how privileged they were to be so-called (1 John 3:2). Apostle Peter expounded the implication of the adoption we received through Jesus Christ:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
1 Peter 2:9
 
There are many things that characterise a peculiar generation. A peculiar generation is the generation of those who seek God (Psalm 24:6). A peculiar generation is the generation of those who have obtained mercy and through it have become solution providers and barrier breakers. They are an unstoppable group of God’s children. We have a good number of them in the Bible. For example, Joseph belonged to the peculiar generation who would not compromise godliness and perfect loyalty to God (Genesis 39:7-9). A peculiar generation is that generation of solution providers like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 2:17-19). To belong to this generation, you must be ready to seek God in the midst of ungodly people (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).
 
In the 21st century, there are those who have decided to treat the Bible as outdated literature. Such do not see witchcraft, sorcery and sexual perversion such as homosexuality as evil. They explain apostolic teachings as inconsequential. Such are the people the peculiar generation must not associate themselves with. Although the peculiar generation might be marginalised, they are undeterred. One good thing about them is that they never suffer defeat, not even when demonic people try to attack them, because the Bible in Numbers 23:23a says:
“Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel:”
I pray that you will choose to belong to this peculiar generation of people who seek God at such a time like this: when it is no longer popular to live by the principles of the old Holy Scriptures. May God bless you as you decide to belong today in Jesus’ Name.

Enjoying and exercising spiritual authority is a pleasant experience. Are you enjoying spiritual authority? Better still, are you really exercising your God-given spiritual authority? If not, why? In Acts 13:8-12, Paul exercised spiritual authority over an agent of the devil. Elymas the sorcerer could have frustrated the preaching of the gospel to a potential disciple of Jesus Christ, but for the fact that Paul the apostle knew the authority that he had. However, it is one thing to know that you have authority, and it is another thing to exercise it. You cannot exercise the spiritual authority you do not possess, because you cannot give what you don’t have. If you try it, you will end up with spiritual wounds like the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19:14-16.
 
You may be wondering, “How can I enjoy spiritual authority and also exercise it?” First and foremost, you must establish a relationship with the One with overall spiritual power (Matthew 28:18). His name is Jesus. It is His authority you are exercising. Take a look at His model:
“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils;”
Mark 3:14-15
Secondly, you must obey rules governing the exercise of His authority. He revealed one of such rules to His disciples in Mark 9:29, after they had failed while exercising His spiritual authority:
“And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”
Thirdly, identify and believe in genuine ministers of God, in whom God has deposited His authority (2 Chronicles 20:20). Learn to follow their instructions.
 
Many people don’t know the value of this utterance: “God bless you”. A simple “God bless you” prayer from a man with spiritual authority will give you tremendous blessings without sweating. One night, I was praying at the Redemption Camp during one of our special programmes. A young man was following me because he wanted me to pray for him. I struggled to pause my personal prayer to pronounce “God bless you” on him. To my amazement, he still wanted me to pray for him! I wondered what else he wanted when I had pleaded with God to bless him. Written By Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God can decide to bless an individual beyond the wildest imagination of men (Deuteronomy 28:1). However, He can later change His mind concerning this decision. Why?
“...Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”
1 Samuel 2:30
Enjoying divine blessings is conditional. You must be ready to honour God with your life and all it contains if you want to enjoy divine blessings (Deuteronomy 28:2). If you claim to belong to God and yet you are flouting his commandments, you must be deceiving yourself because God is not a magician. God’s blessings can only be enjoyed on the condition that you obey Him.
 
In Malachi 3:10-12, God commanded His children to bring all the tithes into His storehouse, with a promise of opening the windows of heaven and pouring out a blessing which there shall be no room to contain. This was an instruction that took me a while to live comfortably with. My background as a mathematician did not help me in this regard. In those horrible days of ignorance, before the middle of the month, I used to borrow money to fuel my car from my driver. I thought to myself, “Who are these people deceiving?” I thought that if 100% was not enough, as indeed it was not enough for me back then, how could 90% be enough? I thank God for winning this argument in my heart and for making me surrender to His will concerning tithes and offering.
 
Are you really enjoying divine blessings? The promise of these blessings is for you and your children, as Peter said in Acts 2:39. Therefore, if you are not enjoying the blessings from above, something must be fundamentally wrong with your relationship with God. I encourage you to reconsider your attitude towards God’s conditions for His blessings. Remember that He does not need you or your substance; He created you and whatever you think you have. The truth is: the Almighty acts on His divine principles. One of such principles is found in Proverbs 11:24:
“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”
Your life will change for good if you start to live by the principles that govern divine blessings. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Matthew 15:21-28, we see Jesus discussing with the Syro-phenician woman whose daughter was possessed by evil spirits, Jesus expounded that those who belong to the kingdom of God are children of the kingdom, while those outside of the kingdom are viewed as dogs. This truth is further established in Revelation 22:15:
“For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”
Jesus also said that miracles are meant for children of the kingdom and not for dogs. This should be food for thought for anyone seeking a miracle. The question is, “Are you a child or a dog?” You are a candidate for miracles of all sorts if you are a child, but it is unfortunate if you remain in the position of a dog.
           
What are the traits of those considered as dogs in the kingdom of God? The Psalmist gives some insight into this in Psalm 22:16:
“For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.”
This means that the wicked are dogs. Paul, in Philippians 3:2 also warned against evil workers whom he described as dogs:
“Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.”
In light of these, sinners who refuse to repent and come to the side of God are dogs.
 
On the other hand, the forgiven of the Lord are children (Psalm 32:1). Only the children of the Miracle Worker can access His miracles. The Bible in Isaiah 63:8 says:
“For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.”
Unless a person repents and believes in the saving Name of Jesus Christ, he remains a dog. Are you a dog or a child? Get ready for a big miracle this season if you are truly one of the children of God. If you are not, be ready to give up your pride and self-righteousness in order to be adopted by the Holy One of Israel, Jesus Christ the Lord, if you really want a miracle urgently. Miracles are food meant for children and not for dogs. Repent today and get that miracle you need so urgently!

Divine touch simply refers to the touch of the Almighty Creator of the world. While there is the divine touch, there is also the satanic and human touch. Whatever is touched by God becomes extraordinarily good. Also, any negative situation that comes in contact with the divine touch experiences a positive turn-around. In Matthew 8:1-4, Jesus touched a leper and his leprosy disappeared. Also, in John 9:1-7, a man who was born blind regained his sight by the divine touch of Jesus Christ. A touch from Jesus can uproot a genetic problem. Even if the source of your problem is demonic, the touch of Jesus can turn the situation around. A touch from Jesus can take care of problems that even X-rays or MRI cannot reveal. Sometimes doctors would tell a sick fellow that they cannot see anything wrong with him or her, but the fellow would know that something is actually wrong somewhere.
 
It is interesting to note that a person can initiate the process that yields the divine touch if he or she believes. The leper initiated the process that brought him the divine touch when he came asking Jesus to heal him. It was just a touch that solved his problem (Mark 1:40-41).
 
The story in Luke 7:11-15 is a classic illustration of how the divine touch can turn around a hopeless situation. A widow lost her only son to untimely death and was on her way to bury her only hope. This widow and her dead son encountered Jesus on the way, and their situation was turned around through His divine touch. I pray for someone reading this that you will experience the divine touch in all areas of your life in Jesus’ Name. For you to experience the divine touch, you must take out time to study those who have had this experience in the past. Take the example of the leper in Mark 1:40-41; he left the colony of lepers at the outskirts of town and came into the town at great risk to meet Jesus, all because he had unwavering faith that Jesus would make him whole. You need to have unwavering faith in the infallible Word of God. You can demonstrate this when you have high regard for the contents of the Bible and keep to its tenets. My prayer again is that the power in the Word of God will work for and not against you in Jesus’ Name.

“And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.”
Esther 2:17
From the scripture above, you will observe that divine replacement has both positive and negative sides to it. For Vashti, the divine replacement that occurred was negative, but for Esther, it was positive. I pray that you will enjoy the positive side of the divine replacement coming your way this season in Jesus’ Name. The Bible says that it is God Almighty who sets kings on thrones (Romans 13:1). The One who installs a king has the power to unseat the same king. Just as there is divine placement, so also is there divine replacement (1 Samuel 15:28). Endeavour to keep your God-given position and avoid replacement. You will not be replaced in Jesus’ Name.
 
The story behind the replacement of Vashti with Esther in Esther 2:1-17 should teach us some lessons as Christians. We should heed the warning in Revelation 3:11:
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”
It is a pity that many so-called children of God are no longer holding fast their position of adoption. They are selling their birthrights like Esau of old for a morsel of food. It was pride that replaced Queen Vashti. She momentarily forgot that she was only a queen because her husband was the king. She flouted the order of her husband, the king, and before she knew what was happening, someone else had taken her crown. To avoid divine replacement, we must be careful to obey every instruction given to us by our Saviour, King and Husband - Jesus Christ. One of such instructions is the commandment to bear fruit (John 15:16-17). When we bear fruit, we honour and complement His work of salvation. When we love our brethren, we establish His lordship on earth. However, when we refuse to bear fruit, we seem to make His death a waste. Also, when we behave in a manner that does not edify the brethren, we have no love. For example, when a so-called sister dresses to 'torment' the libidinal instinct of brothers, where is the love of God? There is no love in being a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 8:13).

Divine involvement simply suggests God’s participation in a subject matter. When the Almighty God gets involved in a person’s affairs, it will appear as if the fellow is wiser or more powerful than others. Nothing becomes impossible for such a person. Whatever the challenge he or she is facing becomes history. The moment the Almighty God got involved in the affliction of the children of Israel, things began to work out for their good. God declared His involvement in their situation in Exodus 3:8a. He said:
“And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians”
 
The first thing God did was to raise a deliverer for them. I pray that the Almighty God will send helpers to you this season in Jesus’ Name. Moses, the helper God decided to send, was not willing because he felt he was not capable. Notwithstanding, the Lord did not only convince him to volunteer himself, He also equipped him. God said to Moses in Exodus 3:12:
“...Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”
This is one thing that children of God should know. It’s one thing to have a willing helper, and it’s another thing for the helper to be capable of rendering help.
 
Several years ago, while travelling to Ilorin, I saw a young girl crying and shedding tears profusely. My attention was drawn to her, and I asked my driver to pull up the car beside her. I asked her why she was crying so much. She told me she had lost her mother’s money and that unless she found it, her mother would punish her severely. I asked her how much the money was, and she told me it was “fifty kobo”. I handed the said amount to her and she galloped away rejoicing. When God gets involved in your situation, He wipes tears away from your eyes. I prophesy to someone reading this that God will get involved in your situation today, and things will turn around for your good in Jesus’ Name. However, for God to get involved in your situation, you must establish a relationship with Him. God got involved in the terrible situation of the children of Israel because of the relationship He had with their patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 2:24-25). Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Esther 5:1-3, Queen Esther found favour in the sight of the king and she was promised blessings up to one half of the kingdom. There are lots of lessons in the passage before us. First of these is that the king’s eyes located Esther. 1 Samuel 16:11-13 tells us how favour located David while he was watching over the flock of his father. Mark 5:1-15 also narrates how favour located the mad man of Gadara in the graveyard. A sister who had been looking for a husband once attended a funeral service. In attendance also was a brother who had also been looking for a wife. On seeing her, he concluded that if the sister could look that beautiful in mourning clothes, she would look awesome when in high spirits. There and then, he concluded to go after her hand in marriage. This shows that favour can locate you anywhere you are.
 
The king did not just see Esther, he focused on her. When your day of favour comes, God will not just glance at you, He will focus on you. The day favour beamed on the sick man at Bethesda, Jesus located him for healing (John 5:5-6). There was a man who had two doctorate degrees but could not get a job. When this man was brought to us he was unkempt as if he never attended school. We introduced him to Jesus and prayed with him. Before he got to his hometown that day, favour located him and people in his local government started looking for him with several job opportunities. Another story of favour is that of a lady whose mother would not allow her to get married for fear of being neglected by her after marriage. After some words of prayer for this sister, there was deliverance. This sister had been in church for a long time, but when God’s favour located her, she suddenly got a suitor within one week. My prayer for you is that whatever is blocking the view of those who should favour you shall be removed this season in Jesus’ Name.
 
The only obstacle to divine favour is unrighteousness. The Bible in Psalm 5:12 says:
“For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”
I therefore appeal to you to surrender your life to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, and begin to live a life acceptable to God for divine favour. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Psalm 16:11, the Psalmist reveals that it’s in the presence of the Lord we can find fullness of joy. It is wise therefore to be in God’s presence. We are guaranteed joy and everlasting satisfaction in His presence. Sin drives a man from the presence of the Lord. It was after the Fall that Adam and his wife ran from the presence of the Lord (Genesis 3:. Prophet Jonah, in disobedience, also ran from the presence of the Lord and ended up in the belly of the fish (Jonah 1:3, 15 & 17). When a man runs from God’s presence, he is half-dead. Only the mercy of God can make him survive it.
 
Some of the wonders of God’s presence are found in Isaiah 40:28-31. When you make the presence of the Lord your place of abode, you will never be tired because His attributes rub off on you (Isaiah 40:28-29). God is never tired, and He is so generous that He shares His strength with those who choose to come into his presence. Prophet Elijah and Elisha after him knew this secret and experienced the wonders of His presence. While Elijah was in God’s presence, he enjoyed divinely prepared meals. He became so strong and swift that he did not only overpower 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, he also outran the chariot of King Ahab (1 Kings 18). Another wonder of God’s presence is that it gives divine boldness to those who abide in it. Hear what Elijah said in 1 Kings 18:15 in response to concerns raised by Obadiah concerning the fact that Elijah might get killed if King Ahab saw him:
 “...As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.”
Another wonder of the presence of God is that the more you stay in God’s presence, the more you look and behave like him. The early disciples were with Jesus and within the space of three and half years, the world knew they had been with Him (Acts 4:13).
 
Children of God must take time out of their busy schedules to be in God’s presence. This was the habit of our Lord Jesus Christ. He did not compromise the presence of His Father for other activities. The Bible records that He constantly withdrew to the mountain side to commune with the Father (Matthew 14:23, Luke 6:12). Become like Him today.

It’s a good thing to give thanks to the Lord (Psalm 92:1). One of the wonders of praise is that it ushers you into the presence of the Lord (Psalm 100:4). We know that in the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). It’s impossible to be in the presence of God and remain the same.
 
The Bible speaks of so many weapons of spiritual warfare, but the most effective of them all is praise. The Lord revealed to me years ago that when you are praying and fasting or loosing and binding, you are doing the battle. But when you are praising God, the Lord will do the battle on your behalf. In 2 Chronicles 20:15-17, after three great kings formed an alliance to fight King Jehoshaphat, he, by the leading of the Spirit of God, realised that it was through high praises to the Captain of the host of Israel that he would win the battle. So he put up a mighty orchestra for the praise of God. As the singers were praising the Lord, the Lord took over the battle and fought on behalf of King Jehoshaphat. The enemies of King Jehoshaphat helped to destroy themselves, and the task left for Jehoshaphat was to collect the treasures the enemies left behind. I pray that God will fight on your behalf; you will possess the gates of your enemies and you will know peace in Jesus’ Name.
 
In Psalm 67:1-7, we read of what will happen when people praise the Lord. One of the wonders of praise is that the earth will yield her increase and God will bless His people. Another wonder of praise is that when the people see the magnitude of the blessings that God showers upon those who praise Him, the whole earth will fear Him. May the good Lord give you the type of blessing that will cause people to fear your God in Jesus’ Name. If you really want to go forward, increase and multiply, then you must know how to praise the Lord. There is this testimony of a couple who after twenty-two years of marriage had no child, until their pastor was led to tell them that they should fill their house with praise twenty-four hours of the day until further notice. Within three months of doing this by way of playing music of praise round the clock, the wife got pregnant and many years of waiting was brought to an end. To engage in effective praise for wonders, one must ensure that he lives righteously, because sinners cannot praise God acceptably (Proverbs 15:.

The Bible in Philippians 4:6 enjoins us not to be anxious for anything, but rather to make our requests known to God through prayer and supplication sandwiched with thanksgiving. The result of this spiritual exercise is found in Philippians 4:7:
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
This is the wonder of an effective Christian prayer life.
 
Mark 9:20-29 reveals that prayer can work wonders beyond our wildest imagination. It also reveals the inevitability of prayer in our lives. If Jesus could do nothing without prayer, then we should not think that an effective prayer life is optional in our Christian walk. When the apostles wondered why they could not cast out the demons in a demon-possessed boy, Jesus in Mark 9:29 simply told them that it was due to lack of prayer and fasting. James 4:2 reveals that many children of God are guilty of negligence in prayer. Some of them even become envious of those who take out time to pray to God concerning their needs. They fail to realise that it is prayer that can solve the problem of lack, and not envy. Like the elder brother of the prodigal son, they are zealous in the work of God but fail to make their requests known to God. They end up becoming envious. The elder brother of the prodigal son even falsely accused his father of partiality. But the father replied that all that he had was his (Luke 15:31). The problem with this son was that he would not ask.
 
After I was commissioned as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, I travelled to my home town. On getting there, one of the requests put forward to me was about the access road into the town; as at that time, the road was in a deplorable state. Humanly speaking, it was an expensive project for a pastor to undertake. So I looked up in prayer to the God who called me, just like the Psalmist did in Psalm 121:1-2:
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.“
The Lord answered my simple prayer a few weeks after my visit. He moved the government to award a contract that got the road fixed. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

From Mark 16:17, we understand that signs and wonders shall follow those who believe in the Name of Jesus Christ. The wonder-working power in the Name of Jesus Christ is also declared in Isaiah 9:6. Indeed the Name of Jesus is full of wonders. In Acts 3:6, Peter the apostle said that,
“...Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
Immediately Peter mentioned this Name, the feet and ankle bones of the lame man he was talking to received strength and he began to make progress in life – beginning with walking and later leaping. With the Name of Jesus Christ in your mouth, nothing becomes impossible for you. Those who do not believe in the Name of Jesus for salvation, either for religious or intellectual reasons, may not know what they stand to lose. The Bible says:
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and is safe.”
Proverbs 18:10.
This scripture reveals the secret that makes the Name of Jesus work for someone: righteousness. Only the righteousness that is obtainable through that Name can make the same Name work wonders for you. As a matter of fact, it is through this Name that we receive forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43).
 
When Peter commanded the lame man to walk in the Name of Jesus, it was done immediately. By the power in that Name, Jesus, I command you to receive deliverance from all forms of oppression you have been suffering from now on. The Name of Jesus Christ is anointed (Song of Solomon 1:3). This is why the Name destroys the yokes of the devil and produces deliverance for the oppressed. A young Christian was travelling in a boat one day, and as the boat was about to capsize, he shouted that Name. Unseen hands came to his rescue. I pray that the Name of Jesus will begin to work for you as you believe and use the Name as from today in Jesus’ Name. The devil may resist anything but not the Name of Jesus Christ, because God has given Him a Name above every other name (Philippians 2:9-11).

Isaiah 55:10-11 establishes the wonder-working power of the spoken Word of God. The Word of God can transform darkness to light (Genesis 1:3). This is why in Mark 10:46-52, when Bartimaeus cried for the recovery of his sight, all Jesus did was speak, and his sight was restored. Genesis 1:20-22 reveals the fact that the spoken Word of God can transform emptiness to fullness. At the beginning of creation, the world was empty and void, but when the spoken Word of God went forth, the world became full of all sorts of creatures. I prophesy to you that in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, your emptiness shall be transformed to fullness.
 
Moreover, the spoken Word of God can bring orderliness to a confused situation. We see this in the story of the storm that rocked the boat of Jesus and His disciples (Mark 4:35-41). All Jesus did was to speak peace to the confusion on the sea, and there was calm. This same spoken Word of God can go into the bowels of the earth to bring the dead buried there back to life (John 11:39-44). I want to encourage you to identify genuine prophets of God and never trivialise the word that comes out of their mouth. In 2 Kings 4:1-7, we read about the word of the prophet of God to a poor widow whose sons were about to be sold into slavery. The moment the man of God spoke, the multiplying power of God went into the lone bottle of oil in her hand and the miracle began to happen. Today, as you read this, standing on the authority of the Word of God, I decree that every emptiness in your life be filled in Jesus’ Name.
 
Years ago, a man came to us for prayer. He was distressed because he had become financially bankrupt. After the prayer, he said that he knew he should not come to a man of God empty-handed but that he had nothing to give. As if that was not enough, he begged for transport money back home. I took the little money I had then, gave it to him and said, “This money will never finish.” He said “Amen” and left. Today, I know at least two of the houses he built after that encounter. My earnest prayer for you too is that whatever money is in your possession as you are reading this shall not finish in Jesus’ Name. Believe in the spoken Word from the mouth of God’s prophet, depart from iniquity and you will give testimonies of power in the Word. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Almighty God is the Chief Planner, the Architect and the Builder per excellence. Before the universe was put together, God planned it. No man is in this world by accident. He told Jeremiah that before He formed him, He knew him (Jeremiah 1:4-5). In the beginning, God had beautiful plans for His creation, but along the line, sin distorted His plans for the universe and particularly for the human race. But God, being the Almighty, decided in His infinite mercy to restore His distorted creation. This is why in Jeremiah 18:1-4, we read an interesting story of a potter and his clay vessel which got damaged in the process of being worked. The potter made up his mind to start all over again. I prophesy that God’s original purpose for your life which the enemies have tampered with shall be restored today in Jesus’ Name.
 
Paul the sinner who later became a saintly apostle of Jesus Christ is one example of a person who experienced the wonders of new creation. In his testimony in 1 Timothy 1:15, he wrote that he was the chief of sinners. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, he summed up the wonders of new creation saying:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
 
In John 3:1-5, Jesus Christ told Nicodemus that he must be born-again in order to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus then asked Jesus in John 3:4 that:
 “...How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”
Jesus replied that it is possible to become a new creation by water and the Spirit of God. All these are mysteries and pointers to the wonders of new creation. For you to experience these wonders, you must surrender your total life to Him who is able to recreate and restore beautiful plans that have been distorted by the evil one. The Bible in Acts 3:19 says:
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”
I pray that you will experience the wonders of new creation in all spheres of your life in Jesus’ Name.

In 1 Samuel 2:8, we read of what the Almighty God can make out of the life of an ordinary person. He gives the power to become. This power comes to an individual by the Spirit of God. When the power of the Holy Spirit comes in contact with an ordinary person, that fellow ceases to be ordinary and becomes extraordinary. However, before the gift of the Holy Spirit can come upon an individual, he or she must possess some qualities that would bring about such empowerment. Before God can entrust you with His power, He would have ascertained that you would make good use of it. God gives His power for the purpose of expanding His kingdom on earth (Acts 1:.
 
David was given the power to become a deliverance minister through the instrumentality of the anointing. What spiritual work can anyone do without the anointing? Absolute nothing! Some people do not know the essence of the anointing; they think being ordained is just for the conferment of titles such as deacon, deaconess, pastor, bishop etc. No! The primary essence of being ordained is to impart the anointing that destroys yokes. Such yokes are first destroyed in the life of the anointed. The anointing equips a person for spiritual assignments that are primarily geared towards the destruction of the kingdom of the devil.
 
One of my sons describes the need for the anointing this way: “When an engineer does his engineering work in a secular organisation, he does not need the anointing. However, when that same engineer becomes engaged in the service of the Church, he needs the anointing to succeed. This is so because the devil knows he now works to pull down his kingdom through the medium of the Church.” An electronics engineer in the media department of a living church organisation or in a Christian media house definitely needs the Holy Spirit’s anointing to succeed in making the gospel heard either through the pulpit or on television screens. This is the reason why every skilled worker of the Church, including financial managers, need to be born-again, sanctified and Holy Spirit filled if they would not end up becoming like Judas Iscariot. This will make them obtain power to become unstoppable and indestructible vessels of honour in the household of faith. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A star is an outstanding figure among his or her contemporaries. He shines and outshines his colleagues. One of the ways to be a star is to be created a star (Genesis 1:16). Jeremiah was created a star by God (Jeremiah 1:5). Another way to become a star is to have a parent who is a star. The day a prince is born, he is already a star. While some people are born as stars, some others are made stars by men. Better still, some others, by use of their skills or gifts and through hard work, get promoted to become stars. Deuteronomy 34:9 tells of Joshua who was made a star because Moses laid hands on him. Daniel achieved stardom by the use of his gifts, skills and through hard work (Daniel 6:1-3).
 
To shine like the stars, you need God. The Bible in Psalm 75:6-7 says:
“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”
You can move God to make you a star if you seek Him and surrender your life to Him (Hebrews 11:6, Proverbs 8:17). You can influence your way to stardom if you shun iniquity and love righteousness. The Bible makes this clear in Hebrews 1:9:
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”
 
Proverbs 22:6 tells of the importance of parental training in order for children to become stars. In other words, parents can make stars out of their children through proper training – spiritually, intellectually and morally (Deuteronomy 11:19). My mother did a good job on me. While other children were playing outside, my mother would compel me to stay indoors to read my books. I am what I am today by the grace of God and the efforts of my mother. Children can also influence their own shining through hard work (Proverbs 22:29). Some children are addicted to computer games instead of reading their books. There are Christian youths who are believing God for breakthroughs without hard work. They are just wasting their time, because no breakthrough will come to a lazy fellow. Also, children must obtain the blessing of their parents by honouring them. I remember my mother would pray for me thus: “When you call one fellow, two hundred will respond.” It is now a reality in my life; Hallelujah! Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When the Lord spoke to man in Genesis 1:28 to be fruitful and to multiply, He was not giving a piece of advice. Rather, He was issuing out a command to be obeyed. Even more so, He was issuing a decree that must be established. Failure to bear fruit directly contradicts divine law or decree. I pray for someone reading this, that the Lord will cause you to experience all-round fruitfulness this year in Jesus’ Name. It is wonderful to note that God is not only interested in your spiritual fruitfulness but also in your physical and material fruitfulness. God is not happy when we do not live in divine prosperity, because it is His uttermost desire that His children live a daily life of fruitfulness and increase (Deuteronomy 7:14).
 
What other types of fruit is the Almighty God expecting from us? The type of fruit God expects depends on your spiritual level of maturity. For example, a person who has not given his life to Christ in the real sense of it needs to bear the fruit of repentance. The Bible says,
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:”
Matthew 3:7-8
 
Moreover, for a someone reading this who is already saved by grace, there are two categories of fruit you must endeavour to bear this year. These are: the fruit of the Spirit, such as love, longsuffering, gentleness, etc (Galatians 5:22-23), and the fruit of souls. It is very dangerous for a child of God not to be fruitful, because Jesus Christ said:
“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
John 15:2
I pray that you will not be cut away from Christ because of fruitlessness in Jesus’ Name. One advantage of soul-winning is answered prayers (John 15:16). The Lord has spared your life up till now, hoping to see you bear fruit. My prayer is that God will not be disappointed in you this year again, and that He will answer your prayers speedily in Jesus’ Name.

Everybody in this world wants to be secure. Witchcraft is prospering because people feel insecure and they are looking for security from any available source. The unfortunate thing is that, looking for security from the forces of darkness is looking for security from the very person who wants to destroy you. Those who are living a holy life have the protection of the Lord Almighty. This is because God has built a hedge around them. In Job 1:9-10, the Bible tells us that God had put a hedge around Job and his household. God put a hedge around Job because he served Him. Job got into the predicament that befell him because God wanted to prove a point to Satan. Around every holy child of God, there is an unseen wall. Satan cannot pass through this wall because it is made of fire. The Bible in Zechariah 2:5 says,
“For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.”
Satan knows that he is going to end up in the Lake of fire. He is therefore not very anxious to taste this fire yet, so when he sees anybody who is surrounded by this fire, he keeps his distance.

God has made so many promises to those that are holy. Psalm 91 contains classical examples of these promises. You cannot abide in the secret place of the Most High without being holy. Without being holy, God’s promises cannot be yours. The fire of the Almighty God is so hot that when it surrounds you, the fire of this world will make way for you to pass. We have a good example in Daniel 3:24-28, where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were put in the fiery furnace. Their experience confirms what the scripture says concerning the holy in Isaiah 43:2:
“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

There is however one thing that can remove the security covering from you. This is sin. Whenever you sin, you create a barrier between you and God. It is therefore dangerous to sin, not even for once because you may not be able to recover from the devastating effect of the ensuing satanic attack in the course of your backsliding. I pray that your fire will not go out in Jesus’ Name.

There is a sure reward for all those who are living holy. Men will go the extra mile to get a great reward from an endeavour, no matter the sacrifices it may require of them. Holiness requires from us certain sacrifices; we have to forgo certain things. I can assure you that there are several rewards for living holy. God is not merely asking us to live holy; He also promises “sure rewards” for living holy. For example, long life is a sure reward of holy living according to Proverbs 11:19. Sin leads to death while holiness leads to life. You will die young if you are indulging in sin. But if you are living holy, Satan will not be able to get you into a snare that can lead you to death. Another reward is found in Hosea 10:12:
“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”
If you plant holiness, you will harvest the mercy of God. It is glaring that but for the mercy of God, we will not be alive today. It was God who said that the soul that sins shall perish. Probably no one would be alive today if God had been rewarding us for the sins we have been committing. He will keep on showing us more mercy if we go on living holy. Peace is another reward of holy living. In Daniel 4:27 the Bible says:
“Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.”
In this scripture, Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that if he began to live holy, God will be merciful unto him and then give him increased peace. Philosophers spend a lot of time trying to find answers to questions such as, what is truth, what is life and what is peace; they always end up with inconclusive answers. The search continues for them. The reason they cannot get an answer is because they have been asking the wrong questions. The question is not what peace is but who Peace is. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. The call to holiness is actually a call to peace. Why has God called us to peace? The reason is that He is a God of Peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). A father will give to his child whatever he has. The devil will give what he has to his children – sickness, sorrow, confusion, etc. God will give you what He has if you belong to Him. He is the Author of Peace and He will give you peace today in Jesus’ Name.

Many Christians believe in their pastor and the doctrines of their Church. There is nothing wrong in this in as much as the pastor is living right and the doctrines are biblical. However, your faith and steadfastness must be built on Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of your faith who cannot disappoint you. A man will backslide with his pastor, if his faith anchors on the pastor and the pastor backslides. This is the reason why you must know Jesus Christ through and through. What you know concerning Jesus Christ will make you steadfast if you know Him adequately enough. The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul wrote this:
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”
Philippians 3:7-8

You may want to ask, what do I know concerning the Lord Jesus? I know that Jesus is alive. I am very sure of this. I have very many testimonies to prove this. I was always feeling ill and it was a monthly occurrence despite medications. I had taken more than two thousand injections without any respite. However, when I started calling on the Name of Jesus, I never fell ill again. For my wife and children, He is just the same. Illness has been completely removed from my home. He that you believe is alive should surely help you to overcome just about any problem and quickly too, if truly He is alive. If He is dead, surely He cannot even help Himself. An ordinary man cannot perform these miracles no matter how deep he has gone into occultism. Satan will cast you aside to face another person once he knows he cannot take you away from Jesus Christ. Just go on praising God if Satan brings illness to your child. This attitude will shock the devil and make him flee from you. He will see you as a mad man rejoicing in the midst of trouble. The world and its lusts would run from you if you can stand firm in your faith. The Bible in Galatians 5:1 says:
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
May the Lord uphold you to the end in Jesus’ Name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When we compare two things and we say one is better than the other, it may not necessarily mean that either of the two is desirable. But when we say something is perfect, it means that it is good in itself and there is no evil complaint about it. It also means that it is so good that there is no need to improve on it. This is the definition of the perfect Christian. A perfect Christian is a Christian that is without blemish – a Christ-like individual indeed. There are different categories of Christians. There are those who have been saved but not sanctified. These ones easily get annoyed. They cannot be described as perfect Christians. Some Christians are saved and sanctified. These ones do not get annoyed. There was a time we were rehearsing a drama that was to be staged in our church. A part required that the actor should become very annoyed. Our main actor could not bring himself to be angry. We could not even get someone among us to teach him how to be angry. May you be sanctified to perfection in Jesus’ Name.

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
1 Peter 1:2
To become a perfect Christian, you must first and foremost be Holy Spirit filled. The Holy Spirit is indispensable in the life of any Christian. Without the Holy Spirit, it is not possible to have any of the dimensions of the fruit that the Holy Spirit causes a Christian to bear which makes a Christian perfect (Galatians 5:22-23). For one to be a perfect Christian, some things must manifest in the fellow’s life. First, all things have to be done according to how God Himself would do them. You must aspire to please God in all that you do. Before doing anything, no matter how trivial, first ask how you think God would do it. Knowing that God can only do things perfectly, you will see to it that it is perfectly done. Secondly, a perfect Christian will aspire to get to where God wants him to reach. He will never stop or rest until God’s purpose for his life is accomplished. Many Christians backslid because they had thought that their position was the highest spiritual height they could attain and as a result, they became contented and stopped striving higher. May the Lord bring you to perfection this season in Jesus’ Name.

Some seventeen years ago, I preached a message titled: “When God Is Silent”. In that message, I said that when people think God is silent, He is actually speaking but they are not listening. God also seems to be silent when people don’t want to accept what He has to say. God seems to be silent when people have made up their minds on the kind of response they expect to get from Him without which they would not listen to Him. God is silent when a covenant with Him has been broken as it was with King Saul. Saul wanted to hear from an agent with familiar spirits and also from God. God goes silent when He sees that He is not the only counsellor or source of guidance you have. If you have prayed to know God’s mind on certain issues and it seems God is silent, turn a searchlight on yourself. When your desire stands between you and God, it may appear God is silent. His apparent silence is actually speaking to you that there is something you have to give up. When God is silent, there may be an idol in your heart as stated in Ezekiel 14:3:
“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?”

When God is silent, sin may have created a barrier between you and Him according to Isaiah 59:1-3. When God is silent, your request may be borne out of a wrong motive (James 4:3). We need to bring down the glory of God for our prayers to be answered. The descent of God’s glory brings deliverance because the Lord of the glory is strong and mighty in battle; the Lord of hosts is His name. When I was a lecturer at the University of Lagos, there was a student who urinated in the examination hall. The invigilator was embarrassed and decided to rush the boy to the campus clinic, but the boy objected and asked for his pastor to be sent for. My office phone rang and the caller briefed me on what had happened. Quickly, I got to the place and commanded the demon oppressing him to lose his hold on him in Jesus’ Name. God answered immediately and he was set free. He went to change his clothes, returned to the examination hall and finished before everybody else. The shortest way of calling God’s attention when it seems He is silent is through intense praise. God dwells in the praises of His people. God’s glory announces His Person and presence; it is a revelation of His power and awesomeness. No enemy can stand His glory. Call on Him today, listen to what He has to say and praise Him intensely. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is one thing to choose the right partner in marriage; it is another thing to choose the right approach to courtship. A wrong approach to courtship, particularly Christian courtship, can have a negative impact on the right choice. Therefore, believers that are in courtship must be Christian through and through if they would eat the good of the land of marriage (Isaiah 1:19). An important lesson for ladies to learn is that, a man is at his best in courtship. He would call you by different pet names. He would tease you and make you feel secure. These are the normal sweet words you should hear in courtship. However, when the wedding ceremony is over, his hidden shortcomings will be exposed because he can no longer hide them. The saying that “love is blind” is true but marriage is the tool to open the eyes of the blind lover. You will discover the real personality of a man or woman after the wedding ceremony.

For courtship to be Christian in nature, the admonition in Job 1:5-8 must be our watchword. Courtship between two children of God must not be handled childishly. It should be handled with maturity as expected of a serious relationship. There are many false doctrines flying around and children of God must beware of them. For example, some people believe that once you are in courtship, you can begin to co-habit, doing all sorts of ungodly things together. They call it “trial marriage”. This has no place in Christianity. It is LovePeddler-mongering. More often than not, after these so-called brothers have had their fill of the so-called sisters, they dump the sisters for those they regard as “reserved and self-disciplined”. In the same vein, there are terrible wolves in sheep’s clothing among some so-called sisters too. They try to make unsuspecting naïve brothers get them pregnant and the result is what we call shot-gun marriage. This is a marriage not properly prepared for. Christian courtship must be characterised with sincere gestures. It involves sharing past and present experiences with your would-be wife or husband. It should look beyond the present to future aspirations. You should lay your future bare in the hands of Jesus Christ. Though there may be sincere disagreements during courtship, these are not strong enough reasons to break the courtship. However, if a courtship is full of troubles that you are almost getting suffocated with sinful or legalistic demands of your partner, you need to have a rethink of the relationship. This situation calls for fresh prayer. You may have made a mistake in the first place.

Apart from the choice of who to serve, choosing who to marry is another fundamental choice that affects the destiny of an individual. A wrong choice in marriage can negatively affect the choice to serve God. Solomon chose to marry many strange women and they influenced him to forsake God and serve their idols. Solomon’s earlier decision to serve the Almighty God was badly affected by his marriages. A marriage partner can take Heaven away from the dreams of his or her spouse and replace it with Hell. Depending on who you choose to marry, your relationship with God will either continue to improve or it will stop all together. Solomon did not want to forget God who had done so much for him, but his marriage made him to err. It is vital to look at the factors that influence the choices we often make. There are always negative and positive factors guiding the choices we make. Whichever you allow to guide you will determine the kind of choice you will make. Many people made costly mistakes in the Bible either because they ignorantly made a choice or because they relied entirely on their knowledge without recourse to God’s guidance. Making a good choice therefore goes beyond human knowledge. No matter how much you know, depending on God in making a choice is a sign of meekness and humility. It is however unfortunate that many young folks today don’t believe that God still chooses the right marriage partner for His obedient children. The Bible in Psalm 25:9 says:
“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.”
God guides the meek in judgment. Judgment in this context means decision, choice or preference.

You need basic knowledge in the areas where you have to make a choice. Nevertheless, after acquiring the requisite knowledge, you still need to depend on God. Lot chose a piece of land that he knew would be good for agriculture and he chose to relocate there. His knowledge was perfect, but it was limited because he did not know what the future held for that land. God later destroyed that land in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 13:9-12). There is nothing wrong in making a choice, but Lot’s mistake was that he did not seek God’s guidance in making his choice. Relying solely on what you know in making a choice can cost you your whole life and mar your eternal peace. As a youth, do you know enough about marriage before you dabble into it? Do not choose by sight; having the relevant knowledge and God’s guidance are key to making the best choice. Merry Christmas!!!

There comes a time in the life of everyone that a choice has to be made between two alternatives. Choice means deciding between possibilities. It means accepting an option while rejecting another. For every choice made, there is always an alternative forgone. This is why it is important to make the right choice in life. It is unfortunate that some so-called Christians don’t have an alternative forgone. They want to have their cake and eat it at the same time. They want to be in Christ and at the same time be in the world. 1 John 2:15-17 means nothing to them. As long as you are alive, you will be confronted with making choices. It might be the choice of a career, the business to run, the partner to marry, a call to fulfil, the location to dwell in or the God to serve.

“And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.”
Jeremiah 21:8
One of the most critical choices to make in life is the choice between death and life. You need to take responsibility for your life by making choices that will make you live. This includes choosing whom to serve. This is the greatest choice to make in life. This choice determines the kind of life you will live on earth and where you will spend eternity. Choosing to serve God is the greatest decision because the consequence goes beyond this world. Jesus made it clear that His servants would be with Him in glory. Being a follower of a hero is not as important as knowing the end of the hero. Jesus in John 12:26 said:
“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”
Moses called heaven and earth to witness, when he asked the children of Israel to choose between the gods of the heathen and the God of their fathers, and by implication between the life-giving God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the dead gods of the nations around them (Deuteronomy 30:15-18). Who is your master, Jesus or Satan? Jesus made it clear that after death, no one can switch over to the destination of a master he or she did not serve while here on earth. In other words, the devil cannot claim sincere followers of Jesus Christ, just as the followers of the devil cannot spend eternity with Jesus except they repent before their death. Therefore, choose whom you will serve today – Jesus or Satan? I encourage you to choose Jesus, the Giver of life.

Elijah told Elisha that he had asked a hard thing, after the latter requested for a double portion of his anointing. This tells us that even for a great prophet of God, there were things considered hard and difficult. However, in Matthew 19:26, we are told that all things are possible with God. The track record of God’s almightiness shows that truly nothing can be difficult for Him. All we need to do is to leave everything in His hands. He is capable of doing what no earthly president or emperor can do because the Psalmist says that power belongs to God (Psalm 62:11). Even when a man promises to do something for you, what he can do is limited to the extent his strength can carry him, whereas God has unlimited power and resources. Also, the influence of a man determines what he can do to influence your situation positively. The Almighty God is the Most Influential. In 2 Kings 4:8-17, we read about a rich woman who took care of Elisha and his servant. When Elisha wanted to say “thank you” for her hospitality, the woman said she needed nothing because, not only was she influential, she also had influential relatives. But her influence could not remove her barrenness. The prophet who served the Most Influential God, pleaded with the Almighty and she had a baby boy.

After Elisha requested a “hard thing” from Elijah in 2 Kings 2:10, Elijah told him that:
“..........if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.”
The lesson here is that we must have focus. In other words, if you look up, you will receive help from heaven (Psalm 121:1-2). Paul in Ephesians 1:19-21, told us that God’s power is exceedingly great towards us, it is far above all principalities, and powers and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. This is what you need to look up to. You are likely to see problems if you look down. If you focus on your problems and raging challenges, you are likely to sink like Peter in Matthew 14:26-31. If you look around, you are likely to see other people with similar problems to yours and become complacent in seeking solution to your problem. In life, you are likely to become what you focus your attention on. When I attended Kenneth Hagin’s Camp meeting many years ago, what I saw encouraged me to work towards having a large congregation of saved and Heaven-bound believers. My aspiration became bigger when I visited Yonggi Cho’s church in South Korea shortly after my experience at Kenneth Hagin’s Camp meeting. Remember, there is no impossibility with God. Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Elisha was the son of a wealthy farmer (1 Kings 19:19). He was unlike Elijah the son of a nobody, whose father’s name was not even mentioned in the Bible (1 Kings 17:1). Yet, Elisha followed this materially poor but spiritually rich prophet of Yahweh. When a fellow is called to forsake the business world to do spiritual work, he or she may not know the glory that is waiting for him or her. When Elisha forsook the flourishing farming business of his father, little did he know that kings will later call him “father” (2 Kings 6:21). In the text of Mark 10:28-30, we read of how Jesus assured His disciples that their sacrificial living shall be rewarded in a hundredfold here and hereafter. As a result of the demand of God for my service on a full time basis, I had to leave the university campus where I had a duplex with a servant quarters to myself, to live in a very small “boys’ quarters” in Mushin, a poor Lagos neighbourhood. The apartment was obviously too small for me and my entire family. So, I asked God to give me a bigger house in other to give my family minimum comfort. The Lord then told me that I should not be asking for a house because He was preparing a city for me. Today, the Redemption Camp is the beginning of the fulfilment of the promised city. The city is still being awaited, because my Father in heaven said that we have not seen anything yet.

Whenever God wants to bless an individual, he sets the fellow up for the blessing. For example, when God wanted to bless Abraham, he set him up by asking Abraham to give him his only son Isaac as a burnt offering. The end of the whole drama was that after Abraham proved his love for God, God restrained him from killing his son and then swore that he would bless him and that through Abraham, the whole families of the earth shall be blessed. Abraham was not only blessed, he became a blessing (Genesis 22:15-18). Also, when the widow of Zarephath was to be blessed, she was set up by the demand of Prophet Elijah. He asked her to first prepare him a meal before hers, even though there was only one meal left in the house. The widow gave all to gain all, as she and her son were fed for about three and half years of famine (1 Kings 17:10-16). This principle is still at work today. If the children of God can learn from the experience of the people of old and trust God to the point of not withholding from God whatever he ask us to surrender to Him, then this principle will work for us. As you begin to surrender totally to God from today, you will always have more than you bargain for in Jesus’ Name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are different categories of prophets. We have genuine prophets and counterfeit prophets. You might have been deceived by a false prophet, but if you search very well, you will find a genuine one who will deliver the correct message of God to you. One thing is certain: God will always deal with false prophets at His own time and in His own way (Deuteronomy 18:20). God always confirms the words of His genuine prophets (1 Samuel 3:19). The apostles warned us in their epistles against listening to false prophets. Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 2:1 warns that:
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

The children of God must be aware of the various ways by which prophecies come to people. Prophesies can originate from any of these sources: the Holy Spirit, the human spirit and the spirit of the devil. In 2 Chronicles 18:19-22, we read about a lying spirit which took possession of the mouth of self-made prophets of King Ahab. To counter the operations of false prophets in your environment, you must be armed with the truth of the word of God. One way of knowing false prophets is by weighing the content of their prophecies on the scale of the word of God. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ in Galatians 1:9 wrote that:
“As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
For instance, it is a false prophet that would prophesy to a married woman that her real husband is yet to come. This is why children of God must be well-grounded in God’s word. A child of God that is well-grounded in God’s word, will know the scripture in Matthew 19:6 that says,
“Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
When a prophet prophesies to a born-again lady that an unbeliever is the man God has chosen for her, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 will reveal the falsehood of such prophetic utterance. It is equally important that a child of God possess the gift of discerning of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10). May the Lord equip you with perfect knowledge of His word to be able to weigh every prophecy that comes your way in Jesus’ Name.

When the day of Pentecost was fully come, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Jesus Christ. This event makes it clear that our God is a God of times and seasons (Daniel 2:20-21). If you look at the life of Elizabeth - the mother of John the Baptist, you may be wondering: Why the delay of the fruit of the womb in the life of such a devoted daughter of Zion? The answer is found in the later event of the birth of John the Baptist, who Jesus Christ acknowledged as the greatest of all the prophets (Matthew 11:11). He was born by the same woman that was considered barren for many decades. When the fullness of time came, Elizabeth conceived and gave birth to the forerunner of the Messiah (Luke 1:11-16). The Almighty God moves very fast whenever He wants to do something. When it seems God is slow in taking action, you can be sure that it is because His time has not fully come. God is not a slow worker at all. This is established from the creation story where in six days, God accomplished the creation of the entire universe (Genesis 1). There is a time in a man’s life when delay is not a good option. In 1 Samuel 17:51, we read of the fast move of God in David’s life. It would have been another story if David had delayed in separating the head of Goliath from his body after the stone from his sling had dazed Goliath to the ground. The Bible says:
“Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.“

One characteristic of the fullness of God’s time is its sudden arrival. The Bible says:
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.”
Acts 2:1-2
It took God just one day to kick away famine from Samaria according to 2 Kings 7:1-18. Suddenly, food became surplus in the land after God moved into the situation of a people who had started killing their children for food. For someone reading this, you will receive sudden breakthroughs this season in Jesus’ Name. Your day of celebration shall fully come this season in Jesus’ Name.

The awesomeness of wisdom is stated in Proverbs 4:7-8. There are lots of lessons on wisdom we can learn from the experiences of Bible heroes and heroines like Solomon and Esther. One of such lessons is this: “There are things that money cannot buy, but wisdom can get you almost everything you need in life”. Money cannot buy you sleep even though you may have the money to buy a water bed. Money can buy you education but money cannot buy you wisdom. While it is wisdom to abstain from what can kill you, what do we see in our society today? We see a doctor who has acquired medical education indulging in chain-smoking. He has education but he is not wise enough to abstain from a potential killer – smoking. We have heard of lawyers, who in spite of their legal education are caught in criminal acts. They have legal education but are not wise enough to resist the temptation of criminality. Only God gives wisdom and to Him we must turn to for it. I pray for you today that the wisdom to ask for the right thing that will cause the fullness of your joy shall be given to you today in Jesus’ Name. King Solomon asked God for wisdom and he got it. He later testified to its indispensability in Proverbs 4:7:
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

When Solomon asked for wisdom and he was given, all other things followed. Where there is wisdom, there is wealth. It is interesting to note that in Solomon’s era, kings came to listen to his wisdom, and with every visit, they brought fortunes to bless and appreciate him (1 Kings 10:23-25). When Queen Esther was asked to make her request known to the king, she did not ask for peanuts like additional crowns, jewelleries, boxes of clothes etc; rather, Queen Esther asked for her life and the lives of all her people, which were in jeopardy. Where there is life, there is hope. Queen Esther knew this and went for it. What do you really want? It is a pity that some people do not know what they want or what is good for them. I advise you to ask for wisdom that comes from God today and the rest shall be added unto you (James 1:5). It takes wisdom to heed to correction, especially when it comes from the Holy word of God (Proverbs 9:8-12). It is wisdom to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; it is certain the rest shall be added unto you.

You should never assume that because God knows all things, He should know what you want. Neither should you assume that since God knows what you need, He would not ask you the type of question Jesus asked blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:51. The reason God asks such questions may be connected to the fact that people’s hierarchy of needs differ one from another. What is one man’s priority may be of less importance to another. For example, while Elisha wanted a double portion of his master’s spirit, Gehazi his own servant wanted money. Also, Esau wanted food instead of the right of the firstborn. You will be surprised at the responses you will get when you ask people what they want. You may be expecting them to ask for things of eternal value but a lot of them ask for peanuts. The urgency of your need will determine the fervency of your asking. David was desperate in his need for God, therefore he said in Psalm 42:1:
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”
There was one thing David desired of the Lord in his life time, and this was to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life (Psalm 27:4). Your desire for a thing spurs you to ask the one you believe can give it to you. However, the price you are willing to pay for what you want, determines whether you are going to get what you desire. Paul desired to know Christ and so he regarded as nothing those things that should have been to his advantage. He suffered a great deal, even to the point of death so that he may gain Christ (Philippians 3:7-10).

God is asking you this day: “What do you want?” It is time to pray and tell God what you want. However, the time at which you want it also matters because some people may have decided to postpone their season of celebration to next year or two years from now. Some people are like Pharaoh who Moses asked when he would want the frogs harassing him and his people to stop and he said: “Tomorrow!” Why tomorrow, why not now (Exodus 8:9-10)? It may sound strange, but this is the attitude of some people when it comes to asking for what they want. They may know the right thing to ask, but then, when they want it may be the problem. When Elijah was to be translated, he asked his disciple - Elisha what he wanted. Elisha did not wink his eyes before he handed his request to his master – a double portion of Elijah’s anointing. He got it because he knew what he wanted, why he wanted it and when he wanted it. May the Lord grant you your request today in Jesus’ Name.

When the Bible says that we are the temple of God in 1 Corinthians 6:19, it implies so many things with respect to the features of the temple. One of the features of the temple of God is the altar. The altar is very significant in worship, in the sense that it symbolises the throne of God. The altar is where God abides and does whatever pleases Him. It is the place where He issues out decrees and orders the events that must take place in the universe. It is therefore interesting to realise that we are living temples and carriers of the throne where God exhibits His majesty. No wonder the Holy Spirit in 1 Peter 2:5 said:
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

In 1 Kings 18:29-34, Elijah repaired the altar of God before offering sacrifice on it. There are a good number of lessons we can learn from this passage. For instance, there is the possibility of the altar of God being broken down. When a man, particularly a child of God sins, he or she breaks down the altar of God, since we are the temple of God. The fellow needs to repair the broken altar before he or she can make progress spiritually and physically. From the example of Elijah, you can see that it is possible for a broken altar to be repaired. Elijah repaired the broken altar before he offered his sacrifice on it. The result was answer to his prayers that came by fire. People of God must know that sin is alien to walking with God and so we must have zero-tolerance for sin. In case a child of God slips into sin, what should he or she do? The fellow must not stay in that fallen state and mourn his spiritual calamity. He or she must arise and repair the broken altar like Elijah did on behalf of the people of Israel. There are many altars in the life of a child of God that the devil may want to destroy. These include the altar of praise, the altar of prayer, the altar of faith, to mention just a few. By the time you finish repairing the altar, your insufficiency becomes history. When you repair the altar, your weakness becomes strength. As you repair the altar of your faith today, the impossible will become possible for you (Matthew 17:20). As you repair the broken altar of God in your life today, may the Lord turn your lack to abundance in Jesus’ Name.