₦airaland Forum

In Genesis 18:1-14, Abraham got a divine visitation that turned his story around for good. For many years before that time, God had made promises to him, but he was still waiting for them to be fulfilled. His wife, Sarah, had even given up hope completely. However, after the divine visitation, laughter followed. For the next few days, I will discuss more about divine visitation.

There is something special about the visitation that Abraham experienced. The Bible says that the LORD visited him, and he lifted up his eyes and saw three men. I believe that one of them was God Himself because when you read carefully, you will find out that the Bible referred to the One speaking among them as ‘LORD’ (Genesis 18:13). This means that your divine visitor can be God Himself. For example, in 2 Chronicles 1:6-12, it was God Himself that appeared to Solomon.

You may say, “How can I expect God Himself to pay me a visit?” In John 1:1, the Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Your divine visitor can be the Word. In Psalm 107:20, the Bible says that God sent His word, and it healed them and delivered them from their destruction. In 1 Kings 17:2, the Bible says that the word of God came to Elijah. Also, in 1 Kings 18:1, the word of God came again to Elijah with an instruction, “No more hiding.” I pray that God’s word will pay you a visit today, in Jesus’ name.

Some people have prayed, and God has heard them; however, He is waiting for them to study their Bibles so they can receive the Word He has sent to them to meet their needs and solve their problems.

When God sends His word, healing and deliverance follows, and everything that previously looked impossible will suddenly become possible. Are you aware that God has already sent His word to you and that His word says He has supplied all your needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19)?

Beloved, you do not have to wait for the next big revival or miracle service to have a divine encounter. God has sent His word to you already, and you can experience His divine touch just by engaging with the pages of your Bible. God’s word carries His power; engage with it regularly, and you will not miss your time of divine visitation, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Jeremiah 1:5, God said to Jeremiah, “…Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee…” You did not come to the world by accident; hence, God will not let the events of your life unfold by accident. As long as you are a child of God, everything that happens to you, whether you consider them good or bad, will work together for your good, as we see in Romans 8:28.

When you really consider all that God did to bring you close to Himself, you will know that He is great. Believe me, the mere fact that you are still alive today means that God has not finished with you yet. Before you were born, He saw all that you would go through in order to fulfil your destiny. Therefore, be at rest because God is in control. His thoughts towards you are of good and not of evil to bring you to an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).

Not long after I joined the Redeemed Christian Church of God, God made it clear to me that I was fulfilling His purpose for my life. He told me very clearly that although I was an academic, I was to follow a spiritual leader who didn’t have formal education. At one time, the same person who invited me to the church advised me to leave. After I organised the first Christ the Redeemer’s Congress which was a huge success, he told me, “Now, we have found your ministry. You can organise it, and I will finance it; we don’t need this church.” However, I just smiled and refused his offer. There were people who made my life very difficult because I decided to stay in the church. There were several opportunities to leave, but God was merciful, and He showed me that I was properly positioned for everything to work together for my good.

Beloved, all things will work together for your good when you love God and stay in His purpose. However, you can’t disobey Him and expect that things will turn out for your good. You can’t leave the place God has asked you to stay, or stay where God has asked you to leave, and enjoy what God has prepared for you. If you are living in sin, turn to God today and repent. No matter how terrible your past is, once you turn to Him, He will make everything work together for your good.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God’s ways are perfect, and this includes His timing (2 Samuel 22:31). In Genesis 12:1-3, He promised Abraham, “Through your seed shall all the earth be blessed.” At that time, Abraham had no child, and 25 years later, nothing had happened. However, one day, Abraham was sitting in front of his tent, and his appointed time came. In Acts 2:1, the Bible says, “…when the day of Pentecost was fully come…” God didn’t act one minute too soon or too late.

Beloved, there is an appointed time for your miracle. When that day comes, nothing special might seem to be happening, but your miracle will not pass you by. You might just be going about your normal business like Abraham, who was just sitting in front of his tent. Moses’ appointed time met him at the backside of a desert while going about his shepherding duties (Exodus 3:1), and Peter’s time came while he was waiting in the upper room (Acts 2). For Saul of Tarsus, his appointed time came as he was travelling to cause havoc (Acts 9).

I received a prophecy in 1961 that I would be travelling abroad regularly. At that time, travelling abroad was a really big deal in my village, and I had not even been to Lagos State, where the international airport is located. However, when it was time for that prophecy to start manifesting, it was beyond my wildest imagination. Also, when I became the General Overseer of RCCG, I left my wife and children in Ilorin to live in a one-room apartment at Mushin (a relatively poor suburb in Lagos). I wanted to bring my family over to live with me, but I couldn’t do that due to the size of my apartment. I went to God in prayers and explained the challenges I was facing. I told Him to help me get decent accommodation. God’s response to me was shocking. He said, “Son, I have decided to build you a city.” I was asking Him for a boys’ quarters, but He was talking about a city. Today, Redemption City is the manifestation of that prophecy. These prophecies and more looked impossible when I first received them, but God has fulfilled them in my life according to His timing.

Beloved, if God has made promises to you, don’t be discouraged if you are yet to see them come to pass. God is not a liar; if He makes a promise, He will surely fulfil it (Numbers 23:19). Wait for His appointed time.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people believe that God only calls individuals into pulpit ministries – this is untrue. If God only calls people to serve Him on the pulpit, then it means that He is leaving other important areas of life to the devil. Every believer has a calling in one area of life or the other. In the Bible, we see God calling people into government. Joseph was called into leadership, and his obedience preserved the lives of his people (Genesis 45:7). Daniel was also called to shine God’s light in the government of idolatrous Babylon, and he obeyed. He served under several kings and fulfilled his calling to reveal the power and presence of God through his roles in the government (Daniel 6:25-28). Also, Nehemiah wasn’t called into the office of a priest; he was called to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and he did this joyfully (Nehemiah 2:1-5). Esther stayed at her duty post in the government house before God called her into the influential position of the queen in the palace (Esther 2:16-17). Her submission to God saved the lives of the Jews when Haman, their enemy, plotted to destroy them (Esther 7).

God also calls people into business. Lydia of Thyatira was a seller of purple, an expensive cloth worn by kings and queens. Only very rich people could afford her wares, and God positioned her there so that she could use her resources to advance the kingdom (Acts 16:14).

God calls people to serve in different areas of life. Do you know the area He has called you into? People who live or move outside their places of calling will struggle because they have set themselves against God’s purpose for their lives. In 2 Chronicles 26:16-21, the Bible tells us about King Uzziah, who decided to operate in another office that God did not call him into. As Israel’s king, he enjoyed God’s grace and favour until he decided to operate in the office of a priest. He went into the temple to burn incense and didn’t return the same way; he came out leprous and was isolated. Whenever people operate in places God has not called them into, they become isolated from His grace and provision.

Beloved, if God has called you to serve Him in any area of life, focus on your calling in that area. Do not compare yourself to other people who are flourishing in other areas. Obey God wholeheartedly in your calling, and you will experience His abundant grace and provision.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A person’s lifetime is the period between the fellow’s birth and death. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says that there are seasons for everything and a time for every purpose under heaven. Everyone is assigned to a purpose here on earth, and after a while, regardless of whether they fulfil their purpose or not, they die. Once you leave the earth, another generation will come on the scene and play their own part according to God’s design (Ecclesiastes 1:4). The question is, during this period when you are playing your own part, will you make a mark in the sands of time? Will you fulfil your destiny or just pursue mundane things?

David followed after God so much that He called him “…a man after mine own heart…” (Acts 13:22). Little wonder he lived such an impactful life and is still regarded as Israel’s greatest king up until today. Another fellow, Methuselah, was only known for his day of birth and death. He was the oldest man recorded in the Bible, and apart from the fact that he had sons and daughters, nothing else was written about him (Genesis 5:25-27). Enoch, on the other hand, walked with God, and this made his lifetime count (Genesis 5:24). When a fellow walks with God and does His will like Enoch and David did, the person’s lifetime will count. The impact of that fellow will be felt long after he or she has crossed over to eternity.

God seeks a generation of people who will fear, love, and follow Him wholeheartedly. David called this generation ‘the generation that seeks God’s face’ (Psalm 24:6). When I was younger, people had shops with small peepholes that could only accommodate a person’s hand. If someone wanted to buy something, the shop owner would stretch his or her hands through the peephole to collect the person’s money and pass the goods out, after which the fellow would leave. However, if the fellow insists on seeing the shop owner, the shop owner would open the door so they can meet face to face.

Beloved, God wants you to seek His face and not just the blessings in His hands. If you want your life to matter, don’t focus on the things you can get from Him; seek His face so you can have access to Him. Don’t only ask God for material things; ask Him to show you His face so that when the world looks at you, they will see His glory (Exodus 34:28-35).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When God really wants to bless someone, He will go to any length to bless the fellow. In Job 1:8, God asked the devil if he had considered Job. You would think that God just wanted to boast about Job, but by the time you get to the end of Job’s story, you will realise that God was looking for an avenue to bless him with double the things he had already, as we see in Job 42:10: ” …the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.” God wanted to bless Job, but He also wanted him to pass through a process that would prove that he was deserving of the blessing.

In Genesis 32:24-29, the Bible tells us that Jacob was left alone to wrestle with a Man until the break of the day. When the Man (who was actually a representation of God) could not defeat him, He touched his leg and dislocated it. Jacob kept wrestling, and the Man had to beg him to let him go. However, Jacob said that he would not do so until he received a blessing, which he eventually got. Clearly, it was an arrangement made by God, as Jacob could ordinarily not have overpowered the man. When God wants to bless you, He can do certain things that seem strange and might not make sense to you or anyone around you. I pray for you today that God will intentionally determine to bless you in this season, in Jesus’ name.

When God wanted to bless me, He led me to a small church in a little corner of Ebute Metta in Lagos, Nigeria. At that time, I was the most educated person in the church, the church auditorium was uncomfortable, and really, I had every reason not to stay. My spiritual father did not go to school, but I was a PhD holder! It looked as if it was only the church that was benefitting from my presence there, but in truth, I was the one who was to benefit by staying where God asked me to stay so that I could fulfil my destiny.

When God wants to bless you, the ingredients He will put together to prepare that blessing may not look like it, but if you cooperate with Him, at the end of the day, you will enjoy His blessings in abundance. If you are willing to submit to His process, He will use every opportunity to decorate your life with His blessings.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Over the past three days, I discussed how everything that happens on earth is according to God’s design and that we are actors in His grand play. Because God is the writer of the play, He can change some things in it, such as actors, scenes, sequences, and the like, to suit His grand vision. For example, in 1 Samuel 2:30, He told Eli, “I said indeed that you and your father’s house will stand before me forever, but now, I change my mind.” That is an instance of God changing the actors that would be involved in carrying out His grand vision. God is the Writer and Director of your life, and the earlier you cooperate and surrender to Him, the better it will be for you. I pray that you will never do anything that will cause God to change His mind concerning His good purpose for your life.

As the Director of your life, God can also change parts of your life that don’t fit His purpose anymore. In Jeremiah 18:1-6, Jeremiah was in his house when God told him to go to a potter’s house because He wanted to speak to him there. If I were Jeremiah, I would have asked, “Daddy, are we not speaking already? Let’s continue our conversation here.” Thank God Jeremiah was an obedient fellow, and as I mentioned in the just-concluded series, obedience will keep you at the centre of God’s will. He stood up immediately and went to the potter’s house, where he met the potter working on a vessel. As Jeremiah watched, the vessel got damaged in the potter’s hand, but instead of throwing it away, the potter remoulded it into another vessel. By the time he was done, it didn’t look like the vessel had once been damaged.

And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Jeremiah 18:4

Beloved, God can change those damaged portions of your life if you surrender everything to Him. He can remould you into another vessel fit enough to fulfil His original plan for your life. Don’t give up on the promises He has made to you or the glimpses of the glorious destiny that He has shown you because of negative circumstances or past mistakes. He can change everything and make your life a beautiful story of His grace – only put your trust in Him.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As I conclude the teaching I started two days ago, I want you to take special note of Psalm 33:11. It tells us that God’s counsel will stand forever. This implies that no matter what anyone tries, God’s plan for your life can never be changed. Isaiah 46:10 says, “…My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”

When things that do not seem to align with God’s plan for your life start happening to you, don’t despair; trust God and be confident that He is able to make all things work together for your good. For example, in the Bible, God showed Joseph a glimpse of His plan for his life in two dreams (Genesis 37:5-9). However, instead of keeping his mouth shut, he announced the dreams to his brothers and parents. His brothers got angry and sold him into slavery. They thought they were destroying him, but little did they know that they were helping Him towards his destiny. After he was brought into Potiphar’s house, tragedy struck again, and he found himself in prison. I’m sure the devil must have mocked him and asked, “Now, what has become of your big dreams?” However, God never fails to bring His word to pass; He hastens His word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). The bigger the challenges, the more He will showcase His mighty power.

God had a great destiny prepared for David, but the moment the oil came upon his head and he was anointed as king, it seemed all hell was let loose upon him. He became a fugitive for 13 years, moving from one hideout to another. In his psalms, he recorded how he felt during that season (Psalm 88:15, Psalm 25:16). However, despite all he faced, he still became Israel’s king as God ordained. I am sure that was why he said, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19).

Beloved, no matter how much the enemy tries to stop you from achieving that glorious destiny that God has prepared for you, I want you to know that all things will work together for your good when you love God, and you are aligned with His purpose (Romans 8:28). Loving God means that you must obey all His commands (John 14:15). Don’t lose hope when negative circumstances come your way. Trust in God, obey all His commandments, and He will surely bring you to a glorious end in Him.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I mentioned the importance of obeying God at all times because He wrote the script for your life. Not only did He write the script, He is also the Executive Producer, Producer, and Director of the play, Psalm 33:11 says, “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” What God wrote in His play is what we are acting out.

Actors aren’t meant to do what they like on stage; whatever the author of a play has written is what must be acted out. If some actors are proving stubborn, all a director needs to do is replace them. There are many examples of people in RCCG who had a role to play in God’s plan, but they either left the church or decided to disobey God. Since God’s agenda must be fulfilled, He simply replaced them, and they lost out on the things He had in store for them.

God can never be left without options. The moment He calls on one fellow to do something and the person disobeys, He will prepare another person to take over. An example is King Saul; the moment he started to disobey God’s instructions, He sent Samuel to anoint David as king in his stead (1 Samuel 16:1). When footballers are playing on a field, and one of them misbehaves or is not meeting up to the coach’s expectations, that fellow might be replaced immediately.

Disobedience positions people for replacement. In 1 Samuel 15:1-28, God gave Saul a special assignment and told him exactly how to go about it. He, however, disobeyed God and decided to do things his own way. His disobedience was a sin before God and he got replaced. Another person who got replaced because of his disobedience to divine instruction was Eli. Although God had given his ancestor, Phinehas, the covenant of everlasting priesthood in Numbers 25:11-13, He revoked it when Eli started acting his own script on the stage (1 Samuel 2:27-36). He was eventually replaced by Samuel, his protegee (1 Samuel 3:11-20).

Beloved, God loves you so much, but if you start disobeying His instructions deliberately, you have set yourself against His will. Those who keep disobeying Him will eventually get replaced if they don’t repent. Do not be like them; follow the instructions of the Executive Producer, Producer, and Director of your life. Play your part in His script obediently, and you will experience His glory in all aspects of your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When I got born again over 50 years ago, I had many questions because I was an academic. As a baby Christian, I had a lot of questions, and I believe my pastor would probably have gotten tired of me if I had asked all of them. I had question Iike, “Is it true that God knows the end from the beginning? If yes, did He know that Adam and Eve would eat the forbidden fruit? If He knows the end from the beginning, then He should have definitely known that Adam and Eve would eat the forbidden fruit. If He knew that they were going to eat the forbidden fruit, why did He plant it? If He planted it, and they ate it as He knew they were going to, why was it an issue?” I had many such questions, and eventually, I turned to God and said, “Daddy, You see my heart; You know I am not issuing You queries. I just want to understand Your word better. Can You please answer these questions?” Finally, I got an answer from God. I learnt from Him that the whole world is a stage, and all of us are actors, just as Shakespeare, an English poet, had written. There is a play written by the Almighty God Himself, and this is why Hebrews 10:7 says in reference to Jesus:

“Then said I, “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

Acts 15:18 says, “Known unto God are all His works, from the beginning of the world.” Before you were born, God wrote a play, and you and l are to be actors in it. He is the Executive Producer, Producer, and even the Director, and we must follow His instructions to be able to function properly and play our parts according to His design and desire. You can rest assured that His plans for you are great. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God’s thoughts towards you are those of peace and not evil to bring you to an expected end in Him.

Beloved, God has a great plan for your life, and He intends for you to fulfil it so you can enjoy His peace. However, you must follow His script as it is contained in His word. Trust and obey His word, and He will bring you to a glorious end.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When people say, “You can do better than your best,” they mean that a person can still improve on his or her greatest achievement. However, when we talk about excellence, it means that something is so good that it cannot be improved upon.

In Luke 1:31-32, the angel told Mary that the baby she was about to conceive would be great. In Philippians 2:9-11, the Bible says that God gave Him a name that is above all names. John 3:34 also says that God gave Jesus the Holy Spirit without measure. What determines how great a believer will become is how full of the Holy Spirit he or she is. Jesus was excellent because He did not carry the Holy Spirit in a measure; He was totally full of the Holy Spirit.

One of my children once came to me and asked, “Daddy, do you know the Bible very well? Who is Prochorus?” I asked, “Is that name in the Bible?” He then said, “I thought you said you know the Bible.” He asked again, “Who is Nicanor?” I told him I didn’t know. “Who is Timon?” I said, “You mean Simon?” He said, “No, Timon.” I replied that I didn’t know Timon. Then, he told me that all the names he mentioned were part of the first seven deacons. This shows that in a group of selected people with the same qualifications and experience, some of them will still stand out as being excellent. They all had the same qualifications; however, when asked to list the names of the first deacons in the Bible, most people will only mention Stephen and Phillip.

In Acts 6:1-8, we see that Stephen was excellent and did great wonders and miracles among the people because he was full of faith, power, and the Holy Spirit. Being full of the Holy Spirit is in different levels, and your level of thirst will determine the level of fullness you will operate in. Beloved, to achieve excellence, prioritise being filled with the Holy Spirit at all times. Spend quality time in God’s presence, praising and worshipping Him. As you do this, you will become full of the Holy Spirit, and you will be empowered to excel even above those who are considered to be the best.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Genesis 47:7-9, Pharaoh asked Jacob, “How old are you?” Jacob responded, “I have travelled 130 years; my forefathers travelled longer.” The question, ‘How old are you?’ simply means, how far have you gone in the journey of life? The moment you are born, you begin a journey on earth. However, when you die, that journey ends; then, you face eternity either in heaven or hell, depending on whether you gave your life to Jesus Christ or not.

Let me ask you a question: since you’re on a journey on the earth, are you travelling in the right direction? Do you know God’s ordained destination for you?

Today, many people travel through life without seeking to know God’s will concerning their destination – you cannot afford to do that. You were born for a purpose, and if that purpose is not fulfilled, you will answer to the Giver of the life you are living now. Your decisions, whether small or big, will determine your destination in life. In Genesis 13:10-11, Lot decided on where to settle based on how pleasant the place looked without finding out God’s will. That single decision changed the course of his life and those of his descendants forever.

Beloved, the One who set you on this journey has a pre-determined destination for you and a map for you to get there. He said in Jeremiah 29:11 that He will bring you to an expected end. While God reveals destinations, He does not provide the full details about the journey all at once. He told Abraham, “Leave your father’s house, and I will take you to a land that I will show you.” He also told the Israelites, “I will take you to a Promised Land.” He showed Joseph that he would become a great ruler, and He also told Peter that He would make him a fisher of men. All these people had an idea of the destination, but the map to get there remained with God. The map that shows how you will fulfil destiny is with God; if you stay close to Him, He will guide you. David said in Psalm 119:105:

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Beloved, if you lose your relationship with God, you will lose your map, and you will likely arrive at the wrong destination. Stay close to God, and let Him guide all your steps in this journey of life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were gathered together in one room and in one accord when suddenly, there came a sound as of a rushing mighty wind (Acts 2:1-4). This wind shook the entire house, and until now, the world has not recovered from that event. Whether you believe it or not, God is about to shake the whole world. A great revival is here, and you can be a part of it.

In 1979, l attended a Kenneth Hagin camp meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with my Father in the Lord and four other brethren. We stayed at Mayo Hotel, and very early one morning, my Father in the Lord sent for all of us. When we got to his room, we saw him praying in the Holy Spirit more deeply than we had ever seen him pray before. It was at that meeting that he dropped a bombshell – he was going to be called to glory soon, and I would be succeeding him as the church’s leader. When he said that, we all began to pray fervently. We were still praying when suddenly, the hotel’s engineer came knocking at the door. As I was standing closest to the door, I opened it. The engineer then asked, “What kind of instrument are you playing?” I replied, “We are not playing any instrument; we are praying.” He didn’t believe me, so he entered the room and looked everywhere. As he was going out, he asked, “What did you say you were doing?” I replied, “We were praying.” Then I asked, “What is wrong?” He said, “The hotel is shaking, and we have traced the source of the vibration to this room.” The building’s foundation was tested in an attempt to trace the cause of the vibration, but nothing was found. After we left, the hotel was shut down because there were major concerns about the vibration. Since they could not detect the cause of the vibration and they couldn’t possibly have believed that it was as a result of our prayers, the hotel had to be shut down for 30 years. That was an event that preceded the revival we are witnessing in the RCCG today.

When believers pray together in unity, great things happen; we can influence the world effectively and win many souls into the kingdom faster. Beloved, if you want to be part of a revival that will shake the earth and reveal God’s glory, you must become accustomed to fervent prayers in unity with other believers.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Several Scriptures clearly tell us that God hates disunity, and He loves it when His children are united. He said in John 13:35 that it is by showing love to one another that people will recognise us as His disciples. God is so particular about unity that He said that if you come to Him with an offering and remember that your brother has something against you, you must go and reconcile with him before returning to give your offering (Matthew 5:23-24).

God wants His children to be united because He knows that there is little we can achieve individually. He knows that the moment we begin to operate as separate entities, it will be easy for the devil to gain entry into our territories, and we will not be able to do much to stop him. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says:

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

There are many Christians and Christian organisations around the world. In fact, Christianity is considered to be the most popular religion in the world. Why, then, are the governments of some nations establishing anti-Christian policies and persecuting Christians? The major reason is that many of us Christians are living in isolation. If we come together and decree a thing, it will surely come to pass. If we can come together and decide to turn the whole world around for Christ, we will be unstoppable.

When you look at all the times that there have been revivals in the past, one major thing you will discover is that a significant part of the body of Christ was united. At the upper room, when the disciples were all in one accord, the Holy Ghost came down, and three thousand souls were saved on that day. The Bible further says in Acts 2:46-47 that the disciples were united and more and more people were added to the church daily.

Look within your local assembly; is there unity among you? Look at the environment where your church is located; is your local assembly working in unity with the other churches in the community? If we can only put aside our differences and come together to form a united front against the devil, we will discover that nothing will be impossible to us.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When people are not free to worship God the way they should, it means that their souls are in captivity. For example, when God sent Moses to Pharaoh to release the Israelites, He said, “Let my people go, so they can worship me” (Exodus 5:1).

I thank God for freedom of worship in some nations. To a large extent, in such countries, people can go to church anytime they want and worship God however they want to. In some other nations, however, the government dictates what the church should do and not do. For example, they try to force pastors to join people of the same gender in marriage. One of the RCCG pastors in a particular country was arrested because he addressed some people as ‘Ladies and gentlemen’. They said it was an insult because not all of them were ladies or gentlemen. The aim of all this is to change the way Christians worship God and force them to worship Him the way unbelievers want them to. Beloved, God’s standard remains sure. You must not adapt to ungodly practices, especially within the church, just because the people at the top say so. When you adapt, that’s slavery. Slavery, in its simplest terms, is anything that hinders you from living life abundantly and serving God wholeheartedly. Whenever you see such things around you, guard your heart and your territory.

Many Christians are already adhering to the ways of the world because of ungodly policies, and you must pray that those chains of bondage be broken speedily. When the chain of bondage was broken in Egypt, the principal thing that Pharaoh said was, “Go and worship God the way you want.”

Often, policies that endanger people’s souls don’t appear to be evil at first. This is why we must be sober and vigilant as believers. We must be sensitive and careful about the things we permit within and around us. Many believers keep saying, “It doesn’t matter” until their consciences become seared with the hot iron of immorality and darkness (1 Timothy 4:2). If it doesn’t conform to God’s will, it matters to God, and it should matter to you too.

Beloved, if you have been chained such that you can no longer serve God wholeheartedly, I pray that God will deliver you today. Your soul escapes like a bird from those shackles (Psalm 124:7), and may you enjoy the freedom to worship God in spirit and in truth, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Strife is dangerous; it damages relationships and destroys homes, especially when it is allowed to linger. When Abraham took his nephew, Lot, with him to the land God promised him, he didn’t think that issues would arise between them. Lot enjoyed God’s blessings because of Abraham, yet he wasn’t wise enough to tell his herdsmen to honour and respect Abraham’s herdsmen. Despite this, Abraham didn’t get offended. Instead, he settled the issue with Lot amicably. He called Lot and said, “Please, let there be no strife between us, for we are brethren.” Abraham valued his relationship with God and his brotherhood with Lot above the issues they were having. He even humbled himself and asked Lot to choose where he wished to go first. Abraham understood something many people do not understand; he knew that whenever you allow strife, you give room to the devil.

During a Festival of Life event of RCCG in London, a Polish couple that had been waiting for the fruit of the womb shared the testimony of how God blessed them with a child. When the husband was sharing the testimony, because English is not his native language, he said, “Last year, I came from Poland to the ministers’ conference because somebody told me that anybody the G.O. touches becomes pregnant.” My wife was sitting next to me, and she said jokingly, “Don’t touch me; I don’t want another pregnancy.” While we were able to laugh about what the man said because we understood his background, it could also have been misunderstood because of what touches in that context could imply. Indeed, there are more complex cases where misunderstandings can arise between two people because one or both of the parties are not taking account of the background of the other party as they relate with them.

Beloved, learn to consider people’s backgrounds when relating with them; this will help you to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. There are people who, because of where they are from and the fact that I am old enough to be their parent or grandparent, when they come to see me, l expect them to prostrate. Whereas there are others who, because of where they are from, I do not expect them to prostrate; in fact, I will be surprised if they do. What is a greeting to some people may seem like an insult to you, and if you regard their greeting as an insult, you will develop unnecessary anger and strife, which will give room to satan.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Psalm 126:1 says that when God turned the captivity of Zion, it was like a dream. When God gives you some testimonies, you might pinch yourself from time to time to be sure that you are awake and not dreaming. In Psalm 23:5, David said, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:…” That testimony was good enough, but then he went ahead to say, “…thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” I am sure that some of the people around him asked, “What kind of testimony is this? Brother, are you sure you are not exaggerating?”

I’ll share one of such testimonies with you. While I was a lecturer at the University of llorin, my wife and I had this teapot from which we could pour five cups of tea. Whenever we wanted to eat breakfast, my wife and I would fill the pot. After we have both had two cups of tea, the first person to finish the second cup of tea would usually go for the last cup. On one occasion, the teapot was full as usual, and after we had both had two cups of tea, we discovered that the pot was empty! As we looked at each other with a confused look on our faces, the Lord said to me, “When you were praying, you said, ‘Lord, bless this food, join us as we eat. I thought you invited me.” I was thrilled to learn that the Lord Jesus joined us for breakfast. However, when I shared this testimony, the brethren looked at me like I had gone crazy because I said that Jesus drank tea. It became an embarrassment, such that l had to cry to God to show me a similar incident from the Scriptures. Then, He showed me that in John 21, after Jesus had risen from the dead, He appeared to the disciples, and they joined Him at the shore and ate fish and bread with Him. The Lord said that after He rose from the dead, He could eat fish and bread, and if they had tea, He could have drank it with them also.

Beloved, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above your wildest imagination (Ephesians 3:20). I pray for you today that He will give you a testimony that people will find difficult to believe when you share it, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is very good to share testimonies about God’s goodness to you as it will boost the faith of others and position you to receive more from Him. There are, however, some testimonies that people will either find hard to believe or conclude that God is partial. Several years ago, one of my spiritual sons visited me and began to share testimonies about God’s blessings over him, his family, and his ministry. At a point, he stopped and said, “Daddy, I’m the only one talking; you haven’t said anything about what God is doing for you.” I said, “Son, if I tell you all that God is doing for me, you will say that God is partial.” I pray, in the name of Jesus, that God will give you testimonies that will make people say, “Are you the only one serving God?”

To receive above-and-beyond testimonies, you must be willing to serve God above and beyond the ordinary. You must also be willing to pray and fast often. In 2 Corinthians 11:27, Paul said, “…in fastings often…” In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, he advised, “Pray without ceasing.” No wonder the Bible says that God performed special miracles through Paul (Acts 19:11-12). God used him for extraordinary miracles because he gave himself to serving God extraordinarily. When you sow your service to God sparingly, you will reap containable miracles (2 Corinthians 9:6). However, when you give yourself to God’s will and work bountifully, you will receive testimonies that exceed what you can ask or imagine.

A lady kept trusting God for a husband until she passed childbearing age. During one of our services, I asked everybody to ask God for something. She told God, “I have waited on you for a long time for a husband, but I haven’t gotten one; however, it doesn’t matter because I will serve you all the days of my life.” A few days later, a young man proposed to her. She looked at him and said, “Are you sure? You better go and pray again.” The man said, “I am sure; I have prayed.” The lady said, “Don’t you want children? I have passed childbearing age.” The man said, “I lost my wife, and I already have children by her.” After they got married, she got pregnant and delivered a set of twins! God saw her heart and gave her a testimony above and beyond what she could have asked for. May you receive miracles that are above and beyond your wildest imaginations, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Humans are normally subject to the laws of nature. For example, this is why it is ordinarily impossible for people to walk on water due to the law of gravity. At times, however, the laws of nature can be suspended so that they do not act as a barrier to God’s children. Matthew 14:22-32 tells us that Peter walked on water. When he began to sink, he cried out, and Jesus grabbed his hand. After that, they both walked back to the boat on the water. The law of gravity was suspended for Peter.

When God gets involved in a situation, the laws of nature can be suspended. In Acts 12:5-11, when the angel came to release Peter from prison, the chains that were used to bind him dropped off by themselves, and the prison doors opened of their own accord. I pray that if there are doors that have been locked against you, they will open of their own accord because of the Holy Spirit, and you will reach heights that your enemies do not want you to get to, in Jesus’ name. If you continue reading that account in Acts 12, you will discover that when Herod sent for Peter to be brought out for execution, the guards reported that they could not find him, and Herod commanded that they should be executed instead. God is about to spring a surprise on your enemies, in Jesus’ name.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31

When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, He will make you mount up with wings like an eagle to rise above all barriers in your path. He will remove every embargo that the devil may have placed on you and every limitation that he may have put on your family and business. He will also make your feet like a hind’s feet and set you upon your high places (Psalm 18:33). A hind is a female deer, and she can run securely in very rough terrains. Nothing limits or hinders her from running on very dangerous grounds. Where other animals will stumble and fall, a hind will run freely without any stress. I pray for you right now; the Holy Spirit will lift you above every limitation in your life, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I will conclude the teaching I started yesterday by narrating one of my experiences. Years ago, the Nigerian government wanted to ensure that all the people being paid pensions were still alive, so they directed all pensioners to show up in a particular place. I decided to also go since I had retired from the university as a lecturer. While I was there, a woman, who was also a pensioner, saw me and began to scream. She said that she had been pregnant for about 14 years, and she wanted me to pray for her. I laid my hands on her, prayed a simple prayer, and she delivered right there in that office. The people around there began to wonder who I was. When the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will become a wonder.

The Holy Spirit releases captives and sets people free to do God’s will. During Jesus’ human ministry, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Him, and he performed many mighty miracles. In today’s Bible reading, a woman, who had been bent over for eighteen years because of a spirit of infirmity, received her freedom and stood upright. She had been limited in what she could see and do, yet when Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, laid His hands on her, she stood upright immediately and glorified God. The people around also rejoiced for the glorious thing that had been done. At another time, Jesus met a man who had an infirmity for thirty-eight years. Immediately, Jesus told him to rise, take up his bed, and walk (John 5:1-9). In another place, He restored a madman who lived among the tombs to his right mind (Mark 5:1-15). He also raised Lazarus, who had been dead for four days (John 11:1-44). Jesus went about doing good because the Holy Spirit was upon Him (Acts 10:38). When He comes upon you, you will also go about doing good, healing the sick, and delivering those who are oppressed by the devil.

The Holy Spirit, however, doesn’t force people or try to make unwilling vessels a wonder in their world. Are you a willing vessel? Are you willing to do His will and obey His every command? I pray that you will come into an unusual dimension of the Holy Spirit, and through you, He will perform great and mighty wonders, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Acts 3:1-11, after God healed the lame man, everyone looked on in amazement because they had just witnessed something wonderful. Another wonder happened in Acts 5:14-16 as Peter’s shadow healed the sick. Likewise, in Acts 19:11-12, God performed special miracles through Paul such that his handkerchiefs and aprons healed the sick. Who turned them into such a wonder? The simple answer is the Holy Spirit.

When I was a lecturer at the University of Lagos, the dean of my faculty was Late Professor Chike Obi, a renowned mathematician. God later called me into full-time ministry and I resigned from the university system. After some years, Professor Obi, who was now retired, travelled all the way from his hometown to Redemption City to pay me a visit. I wasn’t at home, but he met my wife, and he told her that he would return. The next time he came, he saw me and said, “I just wanted to be sure that it is the same Adeboye that I knew who is now making waves all over the world.” I replied, “I am the same person, but the Adeboye you knew is a mathematician; the one before you now is a carrier of the Holy Spirit, and He makes a difference.”

In Psalm 71, David praised God for all He had done for him, and in verse 7, which is our memory verse, he testified that he had become a wonder. People who encounter the Holy Spirit become wonders to their world. Just as He turned the disciples, countless fathers in the faith, and even me into a wonder, He can do the same for you.

Before I joined RCCG, I experienced a lot of hardship despite all my degrees and qualifications. However, when I surrendered my life to Jesus and the Holy Spirit came upon me, l began to experience the supernatural wonders of God’s kingdom. Difficult things became easy, and the seemingly impossible became possible.

One of my daughters was told by doctors that she would never give birth because her womb was too small to nurture a child to the point of delivery. She kept having miscarriages, but the Holy Spirit stepped in and decided to make her a wonder unto many. She got pregnant again, carried the pregnancy to the point of delivery, and when she delivered, she gave birth to quadruplets. I prophesy that you will have a life-changing encounter with the Holy Spirit that will transform you into a wonder, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Why did a whole army choose to wait until morning to attack just one man as we read in Judges 16:1-3? I believe it was because they were afraid of Samson, and they knew they would need light in case he turned on them and they had to run. Who can make you a terror to the forces of darkness and use you to force open the gates of a city for the light of the gospel to flood in? The answer is the Holy Spirit.

I recall when we first started to hold crusades across Nigeria in our hunger to do God’s work. We would call all the ministers together at our chosen location, feed them, and explain that we wanted to hold a crusade in their city. They would come, eat our food, promise their full cooperation, and on the day of the crusade, they would all fix programmes in their churches so there would be nobody to attend our crusade. After some time, out of frustration, I told God, “Father, I want to do your work, but I’m spending and being spent without getting results.” God replied, “The fault is yours; you’re trying to do my work without the Holy Spirit.”

When secret cults were beginning to take over Nigerian universities, the Holy Spirit ministered to me to take the Holy Ghost Service to the universities. I started with the University of Ibadan, and when we told them we were hosting a Holy Ghost Service, all the students, lecturers, and the Vice-Chancellor came out. To make matters interesting, as I took the microphone that day, the rain began. Although we were in the open, no one left, not even the Vice-Chancellor! When we asked those who wanted to forsake their secret societies to come forward, because the Holy Spirit was there, thousands of people came out.

Beloved, above all you do, cultivate an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, and He will not only empower you but will also transform your life. For example, before I became born again, I lived in fear and could not visit my village because I was afraid of the forces of darkness there. Nowadays, however, I announce my visits ahead because l have been empowered by my intimacy with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will make you a terror to the kingdom of darkness as He did with the early disciples (Acts 17:6) if you surrender your life to Jesus Christ and build an intimate relationship with Him.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Judges 14:5-6, 19, the Spirit of God came mightily upon Samson, and he tore a lion apart with his bare hands. If you have ever come across a lion, you would know that what Samson did was no ordinary feat; it could only have been by the Holy Spirit. In Judges 15:11-15, when He was bound and delivered to his enemies, the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, and the ropes binding him fell off as if they had been burnt by fire. He then took the jawbone of an ass and killed 1,000 men with it. That was only possible because of the Holy Spirit.

David also achieved the impossible with the help of the Holy Spirit. After Samuel poured oil on him, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward (1 Samuel 16:13), and the effect was tremendous. A mere shepherd boy went on to kill a lion, a bear, and a giant who was troubling his people and defying his God (1 Samuel 17:34-50). As great as those things were, they were only the beginning of the wonders God would do in David’s life. At one time, Saul wanted to get him killed, so he asked him to get the foreskin of a hundred Philistines as bride price to marry his daughter. It was a suicide mission, but because the Spirit of God was upon David, he got two hundred foreskins and returned unharmed
(1 Samuel 18:25-27). He did over and beyond what was required because of the Spirit of God upon him.

If you consider how far God has brought RCCG – from a small church in the corner of a slum in a third-world country to having parishes in over 190 nations of the world and several thousands of hectares of land as campgrounds around the world – you will know that these seemingly impossible feats were only made possible by the help of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Holy Spirit helped Samson, David, and the RCCG as a church, He can help you also. If God has told you about great and mighty things that He intends to achieve through you, or if you are faced with a seemingly impossible task, do not focus on your limitations; instead, ask the Holy Spirit to overshadow you as He did with Mary (Luke 1:35). He will supply you with the strength and wisdom you need to achieve the impossible because, with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil that separated us from God was torn. Matthew 27:51 says that when He died, the veil separating the Holy of Holies from everybody except the High Priest was torn from top to bottom. God Himself took the curtain separating us from Him and tore it.

Ephesians 2:12-16 says that the wall between us and God was broken by the blood of Jesus. His sacrifice meant that we could now come in contact with God; His death opened up a new era for humanity. Now, everyone has full access to God through Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that I can call God ‘Daddy’. It is because of Him that everyone anywhere, regardless of their skin colour or social status, can experience God’s presence. Jesus died so you can have an intimate relationship with the Father. Is your relationship with God distant or intimate? Jesus died because He wants you to relate with the Father personally. To what extent have you opened your heart to God?

The torn veil signifies the destruction of everything that can keep us from enjoying God’s fullness. Are you sick in your body? Are you in the bondage of addictions? Are you tormented by demons? Jesus tore the veil so that you can access health, deliverance, peace, and freedom. You don’t have to continue struggling through life when you can enjoy all that Jesus’ death has made available to you. I pray that everything hindering you from enjoying good health and peace will be torn like that veil, in Jesus’ name.

The torn veil also signifies a new beginning. It means that the old has been taken away. You can now enjoy newness and fullness of life. While the veil remained in the temple, people lived under the old covenant, but as soon as it was torn, mankind was ushered into a new covenant. Hebrews 12:24 says that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant, and His blood speaks for us. As we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, may His blood speak better things into your life, and may you experience new beginnings in every area of your life where you need newness, in Jesus’ name.

Lastly, the veil represents Jesus’ body (Hebrews 10:19-20). His flesh was torn so that yours can be whole. I pray that from now on, you will experience wholeness in every area of your life, in Jesus’ name.

Happy Easter

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Several years ago, we used to advertise and print fliers to announce upcoming services. If we did not have enough money for fliers, we would just use our mouths. Occasionally, we would get nails, empty bottles, and empty cans and beat them together as we sing and dance through the streets, telling people about an upcoming service. Sometimes, we would write the information for an upcoming service on blackboards and place them at different crossroads. If we saw an abandoned lorry covered with dust, we would write on the lorry, informing passers-by of upcoming services. Today, God has given us more efficient and effective ways of communicating the gospel to people, and Luke 12:48 says that to whom much is given, much is expected.

I often say this: use every method you have to bring all your friends, relatives, and even enemies to Christ. I always say, “Phone them, text them, email them,” then I add jokingly, “iPhone them, iPad them, Facebook them, YouTube them, blog them, tweet them, uplink them, and even download them.” When you see something on the internet that you want to save to your computer, you download it, so when I say ‘download them’, I mean, you know where they are, and you know where you want them to be, simply save them into the body of Christ.

Beloved, let God know that you will use everything He has given you to advertise Him: your smartphone, professional network, social media influence, etc. If you truly use all that you have for Him, He will trust you with more. Therefore, go all out to make sure you download everybody you can into the body of Christ. If you don’t know what to say to them, just invite them to services where you know that the Holy Ghost can arrest them. Use every means possible to bring people to Jesus.

In John 4:1-39, the Samaritan woman brought her townspeople to Jesus. She didn’t use big grammar to try to convince them; she just told them, “Come and see a man who told me all the things that l ever did. Is this not the Christ?” She used her testimony to download her people into Christ. You can also use testimonies of what God has done for you to bring people to Christ. Whenever God does anything for you, use the testimony as a tool to bring people to Him. Let your life be a billboard that points people to God always.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus said that you will receive power after the Holy Ghost comes upon you, and you will become a witness. A witness produces proof. When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you become someone who can produce proof that Jesus is the Saviour, the Healer, and the Deliverer because He will reveal these divine attributes through you.

Your lifestyle must reflect that Jesus is in you because He said that people will be known by their fruits (Matthew 7:16). Being a witness means showing what it means to be a genuine child of God. All parties involved in a court case are expected to invite witnesses who would make statements in their favour. The testimonies of the witnesses are expected to strengthen the argument of the parties that invited them. Your lifestyle as a witness of Christ should strengthen the faith of others, not weaken it. Your life should draw unbelievers to Jesus, not push them away from Him. Your primary task as the Lord’s witness is to follow Him sincerely and use everything He gives you to lead others to Him. Don’t be the reason people vow never to follow Jesus because, as a witness, your life has told lies about God’s nature and personality. Whenever your words and conduct speak lies about Jesus, you become a false witness.

While false witnesses tell lies about what they have seen, another set of people, whom Paul called false brethren, claim to have seen things they have not. They act as witnesses when they haven’t seen anything.

Paul spoke about the dangers he faced at the hands of false brethren (2 Corinthians 11:26). Some of them came into the Galatian church and wanted to enslave the true believers there (Galatians 2:4); they came with high-sounding opinions that were contrary to God’s will. You must beware of false brethren because they carry a contrary spirit. They twist the message of Christ and turn the grace of God into a license for immorality (Jude 1:4). Such fellows say that once you have received Jesus, you can live anyhow because the grace of God covers you. They also feign godliness for their personal gain. Paul warned that we should withdraw from such people (1 Timothy 6:5).

Beloved, as Christ’s witness, you must be careful that your life doesn’t speak lies about Jesus, and you must also take care not to fall into the trap of those who profess to be witnesses of Christ but have never met Him.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Luke 1:26-38, an angel visited Mary and told her she was going to be pregnant and that she would give birth to a special son who was going to be great. Mary said, “That’s wonderful, but are you forgetting that I am not married yet? I have never known a man; how will a virgin conceive?” The angel said, “The Holy Ghost will handle that because, with God, nothing shall be impossible.” Imagine what could have happened if she tried to help the Lord by sleeping with a man, just like Sarah did when she encouraged Abraham to sleep with Hagar so He could have a child (Genesis 16:1-3).

Years ago, my wife and I were praying for a certain woman who was waiting for the fruit of the womb. After a while, she lost hope and consulted a witch doctor who made some charms for her, and she got pregnant. That was over twenty years ago; up until now, she has not delivered the baby. When you try to help God, you will play into the devil’s hands.

King Saul was another person who tried to help God. Shortly after he became king, the Philistines gathered together to fight Israel. It was a difficult situation, and the people began to mount pressure on Saul to act. Instead of waiting for Samuel to present the burnt offering, Saul decided to help God, so he overstepped his bounds into the priestly office and offered the sacrifice. When Samuel asked him why he tried to help God, he came up with excuses that he thought were valid. Those who try to help God always have excuses and reasons to do so, but this doesn’t stop them from bearing the consequences of their disobedience. Saul lost the throne because of this foolish act.

Beloved, do not try to help God; just do your part according to His word and leave the rest to Him. If you try to help Him, you will open yourself up to the devil’s manipulations and make grave mistakes. I have noticed from my walk with God that whenever He asks that you wait for Him, it is because there is something glorious on the way. Don’t get deceived by the flashy things the enemy tries to dangle in front of you to distract you or push you to ‘help God’. By trying to help Him, you might end up destroying the very things that you want Him to help you build.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

After reading today’s devotional, you may ask, how do I become a vessel unto honour? The simple answer is that you need the Holy Spirit.

In 1 Samuel 16:1,11-13, God told Samuel, “I am sending you to Jesse’s house because I want to raise a king there.” Jesse didn’t present David initially because the entire family believed that David was not the kind of person who could become a king. However, as soon as David came, God said, “That is him.” Samuel poured oil on David’s head, and the Bible says that the Spirit of God came upon him. When the Spirit of God came upon the shepherd boy, he became who God wanted him to be – a king. God has a great plan for your life, but you need the power of the Holy Spirit over your life to fulfil it.

In 1 Samuel 10:6, Samuel told Saul that the Spirit of God would come on him and he would prophesy; the Spirit of God turned an ordinary boy into a prophet. In Judges 13:1-25, an angel told a woman that she was going to give birth to a son and that he would be a judge in Israel. After that son was born, the Bible says that the Spirit of God began to move him. When the Spirit of God comes on someone, the fellow becomes who God says he or she will be. In Luke 1:26-38, when the angel told Mary, “You will have a son, and He will be the son of the Highest,” she asked, “How can this be since I know no man?” The angel gave her the ultimate solution to impossible cases: The Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit came upon her, she did the impossible; she conceived God and birthed Him into the world. She became a vessel unto honour because the Holy Spirit came upon her.

Are you struggling with sin? Do you find it difficult to spend time in God’s presence? Do you lack the fire and zeal to live a holy life? Do you keep going back to your vomit of addictions? Cry out for the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is symbolised as fire, and when fire visits a place, nothing remains the same. When the Holy Spirit came upon Saul, the persecutor, he was changed into Paul, the apostle.

Beloved, the Holy Spirit sanctifies vessels for the Father’s highest purposes, and you need Him to become a chosen vessel unto honour.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of my sons was in a church service, and the Lord told him to give an offering of N1,000, which was a lot of money in those days. He said, “Get behind me, satan,” and God replied, “It is not satan, it is Me, and I am not going anywhere.” He kept trying to silence the voice that spoke to him, but the voice persisted. At last, he decided to give N500, just in case it was God. The next week, a woman came to his office and gave him N50,000. He was excited because it was a lot of money. As the woman was leaving, she turned back and said, “Sir, I’m sorry, but I have to confess this. I was actually supposed to give you N100,000, but something came up, and I had to spend N50,000 out of it.” Immediately he heard that, his excitement vanished. He realised that God wanted him to reap a harvest of N100,000, but he only sowed half of the seed that was required.

When we sow something little, we will reap something little in return (2 Corinthians 9:6, Luke 6:38). The harvest of a farmer who sows on hectares of land cannot be compared to that of a farmer who sows on a small piece of land in his backyard. Wise farmers reserve their best crops for sowing because they know that the quality of the seed is a major determinant of the quality of the harvest. Only foolish fellows eat the best of their seeds. Whenever God blesses you, He puts the seed for the next season and the bread for the present season in that blessing. Always recognise your seed and sow it.

Seeds can be in the form of actions, service, or words. In 2 Kings 4:8-10, the great woman of Shunem sowed the seed of kindness to Elisha, and she reaped a bountiful harvest. Her decision to set aside a space for the man of God to rest whenever he passed by her town was a seed that yielded multiple harvests. First, she reaped a harvest of fruitfulness after a long period of barrenness; then, she reaped a harvest of resurrection when her son suddenly died and was resurrected. Lastly, she reaped a harvest of miraculous restoration after returning to her city following a seven-year famine to find that her land and house had been taken over (2 Kings 4:8-8:1-6). I decree that all your good seeds will yield bountiful harvests, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When I joined RCCG, we never gave offerings; we were told to only pay our tithes. When I asked why, I was told that it was because the congregation was a mixture of sinners and Christians, and we didn’t want the money of sinners. I wondered, “What about those of us who are Christians? The Bible says give, and you shall be given (Luke 6:38).” Little wonder we all remained poor in those days. So, even though we were not giving offerings in church, I was giving offerings to the pastors privately. Also, in those days, when we sang choruses, we never clapped. I asked why, and I was told it was because clapping is worldly. You could never even bring up the topic of beating drums. There was no guitar, no trumpet, or any other musical instrument except the organ. Everything was solemn. However, I said, “The Bible says clap your hands all ye people (Psalm 47:1).” The first time we started clapping our hands in RCCG, the elders called a meeting to discuss it! You can imagine what happened when I introduced drums and the guitar.

Sometimes, we allow the traditions of men to dictate how we should live instead of God’s word. God’s word is His perfect blueprint for every area of life, and when you follow His word, you will enjoy life abundantly. Those who fail to live according to God’s word will not experience the exceeding greatness of His power towards those who believe (Ephesians 1:19).

Jesus did not respond to the devil’s temptations according to the philosophies and traditions of men. He overcame them because He stood on what was written in God’s word (Matthew 4:1-11). He knew what was written and refused to live by anything less than that. Do you know what is written? Do you know what God has said about your situation? Are you standing on God’s word or man’s report? Whose report will you believe?

When the twelve spies went into Canaan to spy on the land, ten of them stood on what they had seen; only Joshua and Caleb stood on God’s word (Numbers 13:26 – Numbers 14:9). Truly, there were giants in the land, but God is greater than giants. It is true that the doctors can see sicknesses, but Jesus has paid the price for your health on the cross.

Beloved, make up your mind to live only by God’s word, and you will experience His exceeding power in all areas of your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites those who are burdened to come to Him so that they can find rest. However, He said that when they come, they should take up His yoke and learn of Him. It is possible for God to give you rest and bless you so much that you will say, “Lord, this is too much.” However, you must submit completely to Him and learn of Him. Joshua 1:8 says that when the book of the law does not depart from your mouth, you will have good success. Study your Bible diligently so that you can truly learn God’s ways. Once you know His ways and follow Him, you will begin to bear fruits in every area of your life.

In Deuteronomy 28:1-2, the Bible says that if you hearken diligently to God’s word and observe to do all He commands, blessings will pursue and overtake you. Become addicted to God’s word such that when you face any situation, the first thing that will come to your mind is, “What does the Bible say about this kind of situation?” God’s word shows us His will concerning every situation, and this should be the basis of our decisions.

Jesus said that when you come to learn of Him, you must note that He is meek and lowly. Those who will learn of the Master must also have meek and lowly hearts; they must be teachable. Pride makes people puffed up and become full of unnecessary weights and burdens. To learn God’s ways and enjoy good success, you must be willing to overlook many things and obey His instructions even when they seem foolish. God’s ways are different from the ways of man (Isaiah 55:8-9). When God asked Moses to stretch his rod over the Red Sea as the Egyptian army closed in on the Israelites, it looked like a foolish move, but Moses obeyed because he was a meek man (Exodus 14:16, Numbers 12:3). You cannot be set in your ways and expect God to lead you into good success. In Psalm 32:8, God promises to lead and guide His people, but in the next verse, He warns them not to be like the horse or the mule that must be led with ropes before they can obey.

Beloved, God cannot lead you into good success if you are like a horse that is so fast and doesn’t wait for instructions or a mule that is so stubborn that it won’t move until it is beaten.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Where you sow will determine what you will reap. In the parable of the sower, four soils were identified, but only one brought forth harvests; the other three soils yielded nothing (Mark 4:3-. I pray for you today; you will not sow on barren soils, in Jesus’ name.

A barren soil can be a person, an organisation, or even a house. Some people move into a new house, and everything that was working for them suddenly stops working. Some get into a new relationship or start a new business partnership, and everything they have built over the years crumbles. Jehoshaphat is an example of a fellow who entered into partnerships with people who were barren soils. Even though he was a righteous man, he entered into relationships with ungodly people. First, he became friends with Ahab, a sinful and wicked king, and almost lost his life in battle, but for God’s intervention (1 Kings 22:1-33). Then, as we read in 2 Chronicles 20:35-37, he joined himself with Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, another wicked king, and together, they made ships to go to Tarshish. The ships were destroyed, and the planned voyage failed because Jehoshaphat was partnering with someone who was a barren soil.

Who you partner with in life and destiny matters a lot. If you partner with a wicked man, your efforts will be wasted because God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11). I pray for you; may you never partner with someone who is marked for destruction by heaven. May your efforts not be destroyed because of the partnerships you make, in Jesus’ name.

A disobedient fellow is another dangerous person to partner with. When you partner with such a person, you are sowing on concrete ground because disobedience shuts the heavens over a person. Jonah is an example of such a fellow; he put the people on the ship he boarded to Tarshish in trouble because of his disobedience. Although they didn’t lose their lives, they lost their properties because of one disobedient passenger (Jonah 1:1-5). When you join yourself to a disobedient person, you will suffer losses. In the name above every other name, I pray that you will be disconnected from every disobedient person who will make you suffer for what you know nothing about.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.