₦airaland Forum

Today, I will conclude my teaching on vision by emphasizing that you can become what you see. In Genesis 30:25-43, Laban agreed to give Jacob all the speckled sheep in his flock as wages. However, because he wanted to cheat him, he secretly removed all the speckled sheep, leaving only plain-coloured sheep within the flock. Despite this, Jacob peeled tree barks and made marks on them. He placed the marked barks at the place the sheep usually drank from so that whenever they came to drink, they would see them. He also ensured that the animals faced the marked barks whenever they were mating. Before long, the plain-coloured sheep started producing speckled offspring until the speckled sheep were more than the plain-coloured ones within the flock. Jacob changed the DNA of the sheep by changing what they saw.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says that as we keep looking at Jesus Christ, we are transformed into His image. You should pay attention to what you are looking at now because that is what you will become in future. Deliberately fix your attention on the things and people that will influence you to become what you intend to become in the future.

The first time I went to South Korea to attend Dr. Yonggi Cho’s church, I saw that they held seven services in a fifty thousand seater capacity auditorium on that Sunday. They had to beg those who had come to the services that day not to come the following week. I saw something that depicted what I wanted to become, and so I took that vision to God and cried to Him about it. Some years later, I went back there and this time, I was able to meet with him and he said, “I have heard of you, will you please pray for me?” I caught a vision the first time I went there and God began to align things to make me become what I saw. When I went back, I was a different person. If you have a vision and you remain focused on it, you will become what you see in your vision.

Lastly, what you indulge in will determine your destiny. In Judges 16, Samson kept indulging in the wrong things. He kept visiting harlots and committed all manners of atrocities; that was why he died young. Gehazi could have become a greater prophet than Elisha, but his love for silver and gold made him end up as a leper (2 Kings 5:25-27).

Beloved, what vision are you holding on to?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will continue the teaching I started yesterday on vision. Beloved, I want you to know that your future depends on what you can see today. If you see a glorious future, you can have it (Genesis 13:15). When we acquired The Redemption Camp in Texas, USA, God told me, “As far as you can see, it is yours.” I walked as far as I could that day and today, everything I saw has become ours – I wish I had walked farther! God has put so much power in your vision that it attracts whatever it is focused on. Therefore, you must be very conscious about what you set your eyes on. The Bible says in Colossians 3:2:

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Your eyes must be set on things above, and not on worldly things. Even when flashy things surround you, your vision must remain glued to things above. My wife and I visited a wealthy man, and he showed us a house he was building. That was the first time that I saw a tap made of gold in a bathroom. Right there, my wife heard God say, “Daughter, heaven is far more beautiful.” In 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Apostle Paul was joyful about the crown of righteousness that was laid up for him. While other people saw death, he saw a coronation. This is why he said in 2 Corinthians 11:22-33 that he endured beatings, hunger, and all manners of sufferings; it was because of the things He had seen.

Beloved, don’t put your focus on earthly possessions and titles. If all you see are perishable things, all you will get will be perishable. This is why the Bible tells us in Matthew 6:19-20 that we should lay our treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed. On the other hand, if you see beyond perishable things, you will get both the perishable things and things that are imperishable. This is what the Bible says in Matthew 6:33:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

The only limit to what you can lay hold on in the future is what you can see today. The things you can see will drive you to take all the necessary steps to attain them. Beloved, there is nothing better than setting your eyes on God because when you have Him, you have everything else.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Proverbs 29:18 says that people perish without a vision. If a fellow has no vision of the future, he or she will live recklessly and will likely end up in ruins. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul said that he had an end goal, and that was why he always kept his body under control. When I see a fellow’s lifestyle, I can tell if he or she has a vision or not.

I recall a time in the 1980s when I was about to conclude a 40-day fasting exercise and a pastor visited my office. He met me lying on a mat because I was very weak from not eating for over a month. At this time, RCCG had an auditorium that was 100 x 50 metres. When he saw me in that state, he said, “Why are you fasting so much when you already have the biggest auditorium in Africa? What else are you looking for?” I ignored him because he could not see what I was seeing. To him, I had reached the height of success. However, I was seeing an auditorium that was as big as a city, and I needed to subdue my body to achieve my vision.

Joseph saw the future, and that was why in Genesis 39:1-12, when his master’s wife asked him to lie with her, he said, “I cannot offend the One who gave me dreams about my future. I know where God is taking me, so I must practise restraint.” Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy that was set before Him; the joy of seeing many souls being reconnected to God.

Many of my relatives and friends thought that I was crazy when I moved my family to the place that is now Redemption City many years ago. They said, “How can you, a senior lecturer in a university that was living in a mansion, relocate to this jungle without electricity?” They were seeing a jungle, but I saw a city. Hebrews 11:8-10 says that Abraham was living in tents because he saw a city whose maker and builder is God.

What have you seen about your future? How are you living your life today so you can achieve your dreams? If you really have a vision for your life, that vision should drive you to be awake while others are sleeping and keep going while others are giving up. Don’t lose sight of your vision of the future; keep your focus on God, the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING

1. Lord, I thank You for my life. It is not by my power or might that I am still alive today. I am truly grateful Lord.

2. Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace towards me. Thank You for keeping me and showing me Your mercies from the beginning of this year until now.

3. Thank You Father because I am born again. Thank You for saving my soul and redeeming me from destruction in the hands of the devil. I am so glad that I will reign with You in eternity.

4. Father, thank You for all the answered prayers. I am really grateful that I can call on You at any time. Thank You also for the unanswered prayers because I am confident that You have my best interests at heart.

5. Father, I thank You for always protecting me from evil. You cause me to dwell under the shadow of your wings, and I am truly grateful Lord.

6. Father, I thank You for providing for me daily. I am grateful for all that You have given to me, and I know that You will continually take care of me all the days of my life.

7. Father, thank You for all my family members and loved ones. Thank You for the privilege of having people that I can call my family and friends.

8. Thank You Father for the local assembly where I worship You. Thank you for the pastors, ministers, workers, and members. Thank You for all You are doing in our midst and Your plans and purposes for us.

9. Thank You Lord for always fighting my battles for me. Thank You for always giving me victory and for making me more than a conqueror in You. I am truly grateful Lord.

10. Thank You Father for being my Lord. It is only because of You that I can face tomorrow. You are very special to me Lord; without You, my life has no meaning.

11. Thank You Lord for the doors of opportunities and blessings that you have opened unto me. Thank You also for the closed doors because I know that all things are working together for my good.

12. Your personal prayers of thanksgiving to the Lover and Keeper of your soul.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Children often look up to their parents, and this is no different in God’s kingdom. A son might strive to learn all he can from his father in the Lord and even pray to carry his spirit. However, what do fathers stand to gain from their children in the Lord? When you consider the fact that there was a school of prophets in Israel, where Elijah could have gotten many people to help him, you will realize that he did not really need Elisha.

The primary reason a father sticks close to his children in the Lord is usually that he wants to pass his knowledge and anointing to them. He does not want everything he has gotten from God to die with him; he wants to pass them on to people that will carry on after he is gone. Thus, it is the willingness of fathers to teach, and their children in the Lord to learn, that builds such a strong bond between them. Just as in the case of Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings 2:11, fathers will one day be taken from the earth, and their children in the Lord will be faced with the reality of carrying on to greater heights without them. How ready are you for the time you will need to carry on from your father in the Lord?

Your vision in your walk with God must go beyond your father in the Lord, otherwise, when he is gone, your walk with God may be affected. My Father in the Lord was a great man of God. He fasted and prayed more than anyone I knew at that time. He saw visions of the future, and I learnt a lot from him. However, he told me that he never fasted beyond 21 days at a stretch. Not long after he went to be with the Lord, I moved beyond that and started fasting for 40 days at a go once every year. He saw the Church spreading across the world, and that has come to pass, however, God has further expanded the vision to other areas like establishing the Redeemer’s University where young people can obtain a university degree and be equipped spiritually while doing so.

If you want your father in the Lord to be proud of you, while you are learning all you can from him before he leaves the earth, you must also see beyond him in your daily walk with God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Sometimes, when you hear from God, it may be a rebuke. However, you must still open your heart to Him despite the rebuke. In any case, I would rather God rebuke me than stay silent. If a Christian only wants to hear sweet things from God but never wants to listen to His rebuke, he or she will eventually stop hearing from Him. You should be glad when God rebukes you because Hebrews 12:6 says that it is the child the father loves that he chastens. When David was rebuked in 2 Samuel 12:1-14, he did not harden his heart, rather, he repented, and God continued to walk with him.

How do you react when you hear a rebuke from your pastor? Do you harden your heart or do you make amends immediately? No matter how influential a believer is in ministry, or how gifted the fellow is in the Holy Spirit, if such a person hardens his or her heart against God’s rebuke, God can reject such a believer (1 Samuel 16:1). Psalm 51:17 says:

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

If you want God to keep walking with you and speaking to you, you need to have a broken spirit and a contrite heart. God is not moved by mere religious activity; He is most interested in a relationship with you. However, just as it is impossible to have a good relationship with someone that you cannot correct when he or she offends you, God will not dwell with hard-hearted individuals. He said in Isaiah 57:15:

“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Beloved, when God rebukes you, whether through His word, a fellow believer, or directly by Himself, never harden your heart. Hardening your heart against His rebuke will only lead to destruction as we see in Proverbs 29:1:

“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”

Do not despise rebuke from God, rather, embrace His correction as evidence of His love for you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God talks to His people; the only problem is that many do not listen to Him. Psalm 95:6-8 says that if you want to hear His voice, you should not harden your heart. If God has been talking to you and you have been disobedient, He will keep quiet, and you won’t hear Him again.

You need to hear God so that He can guide you. The primary way to hear from God and be guided by Him is to study your Bible. However, what should you do when the situation you need guidance about is not specifically addressed by the Bible? Whenever you need to make decisions on such matters, you need to hear from God directly.

There are times when you can clearly see what God wants you to do in the Scriptures. However, you still need to hear from Him on how to go about what He wants you to do. For example, when Paul wanted to go to Asia in Acts 16:6-7, the Spirit of God forbade him. You might ask, “How can the Spirit of God stop Paul from going to preach since it is written in Matthew 28:19 that we should go into the world and teach every nation?”

Some years ago, I wanted to hold a crusade in Benin, a state capital in Southern Nigeria. We had prepared everything for the crusade, but to my surprise, when I went to ask God about it, He said that we should go to Ede, a town in South-West Nigeria instead. I told Him that we had just concluded a crusade in Ilesha, another town in the same state as Ede and that the inhabitants of Ede would have most likely been in attendance. However, since God is my Commander-in-chief, I obeyed Him.

During the crusade in Ede, the king was in attendance, and when he got on the stage to speak, he announced that he would be gifting the church with whatever quantity of land we desired. We initially decided to ask for 50 acres of land, however, when I went back to hear from God, He told me to ask for 500 hectares, and I obeyed. Today, that portion of land is where Redeemer’s University and The Redeemed Christian School of Missions are situated. If I had hardened my heart, I wouldn’t have gone to Ede, and I wouldn’t have received the blessing.

Beloved, when you are dealing with God, don’t harden your heart. Listen to Him with an open mind, be committed to obeying Him, and He will speak to you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Elderly people carry valuable gems of wisdom. No matter how educated you are, some lessons cannot be learnt in classrooms; they are only taught in the ‘classroom of life’ and are learned by experience. Even though I have a PhD, I have learnt to defer to the wisdom of the elders from time to time. This is why you will always hear me say, “The elders have a saying,” because there are valuable things that I have learnt from the elders that all of my formal education did not give me.

I was privileged to sit at the feet of my Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi. Every week, I would visit him to ask questions, and he would teach me valuable lessons. I was also privileged to learn from Pa S.G Elton. Every two weeks, I would travel to Ilesha to sit at his feet. He taught me many things, even though I didn’t agree with some of them initially because I felt that they were incorrect. However, as I grew older, I began to realise that he was correct. One of the things he taught me was that I should always remember that I am not God, irrespective of the level of the anointing that I operate in. He also taught me that God does whatever He pleases, and all that I have to do is to take my burdens to Him in prayer and go to bed. This is why, if you ask those close to me, they will tell you that I have no difficulty sleeping. No matter how big the problem is, once I have prayed, I go to sleep.

Beloved, even if your parents and the elders around you are not as educated or sophisticated as you are, listen to them. Whatever things you disagree with or that seem hard for you to understand, keep them in your memory regardless. One day, when you are wiser, you will likely refer to them. Do not joke with the moments you have to spend with elders, whether they are related to you or not. Tell them to teach you some of the things they know and do. Some natural remedies to sicknesses died with some elders because the generation after them did not learn about them when they had the opportunity. Some important principles of life have also been lost in this manner.

Learn all you can from the elderly ones, especially the Christian elders that you still have around you, before they go to be with the Lord.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The last words of a dying man are usually very important and must be given the utmost attention. More importantly, we should pay extra attention to the last words of Jesus before He left the earth because they are extremely important. When my Father in the Lord was about to leave the earth, he sent for me, but unfortunately, I had gone to Akure, a state capital in Western Nigeria, to preach. Up until today, I still wish that I was there to hear what he wanted to tell me at that crucial moment in his life.

In John 3:16, Jesus said that God loves the whole world and sent Him to die for everyone, but when He was saying His last prayers in John 17:9, He said, “I’m not praying for the world, I’m only praying for these people that You have given me.” This means that if a fellow is not born again, he or she cannot experience certain benefits of God’s love. As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ said that He will deny such a fellow before His Father on the day of judgement (Matthew 10:32-33).

Those of us that are truly born again must also pay close attention to Jesus’ last words before His crucifixion and death. In His final prayer before His arrest and crucifixion, He said:

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”
John 17:20-21

It is very important to Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, that believers are united. God’s glory can only be seen upon the church when there is unity and when Christians are of the same mind. In Psalm 133, the Bible tells us that God’s anointing and blessings will flow freely within His church when we are united as brethren. You should not hold grudges or keep malice with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Even though a Christian belongs to another denomination and you have a disagreement, bear in mind that you both belong to God, and all Christians are His children.

Beloved, ensure that you always show love to the Christians around you in spite of your differences. Make up your mind to honour the last words of your Lord and Saviour by striving for unity with other believers (Ephesians 4:1-3).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Hearing is critical to all humans. For example, you will immediately know that you need to get out of the way when you hear the blare of a car’s horn behind you. Beyond hearing in the physical, it is also critical for believers to be able to hear from God as we see in Isaiah 30:21.

Due to my training as a mathematician, I have learnt to delve into things that are not obvious. For instance, many Christians miss out on the fact that Elisha and Elijah were talking as they walked together in 2 Kings 2:11. When I studied that Scripture, I wondered what their discussion was about. Also, in Daniel 3, when the three Hebrew men were with the fourth man in the fire, what were they talking about? What did Jesus discuss with Moses and Elijah in Matthew 17:1-9? What was so crucial that they came down from heaven to discuss with Jesus? In 2 Corinthians 12:1-4, Paul said that he heard words that were not lawful for a man to speak. What were those words? In Revelation 10:4, John heard some things and wanted to write them down, but the angel told him they were not to be written; they were for his ears alone. What did he hear? I am really curious about these and many more of such conversations.

God made the world with words. Words are very powerful, especially when they come from God. The Bible says that the entrance of His word always brings light to the hearer and to situations (Psalm 119:130). You cannot live an effective Christian life if you do not hear from God. The Bible teaches that if you believe, you will see the glory of God (John 11:40). However, this faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). Psalm 107:20 says, “He sent His word, and He healed and delivered them.” The question is, how do you receive God’s word?

To receive God’s word effectively, ensure that nothing distracts you and that you are totally focused on listening to His word. Move away from distractions, so that you can hear exactly what God wants to say to you in that moment. Also, pray for God to open your spiritual ears so that you can understand what is being said.

In Revelations 2:29, the Bible says that those that have ears should hear what the spirit is saying. You have spiritual ears; ensure that they are not deaf to what the Spirit of God has to say to you at every point in time.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Christian walk is very unique. This is because Christianity is dependent on an individual’s ability to believe. As a result of this, Christians are generally called ‘believers’. A scientist might say, “Prove it to me, and I will believe you,” but in Christendom, God says, “Believe Me, and I will prove it to you.” This is the mystery of Christianity.

To an unbeliever, our faith is proof that we, as Christians, are not wise. This is because a natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). However, in 1 Corinthians 1:27, the Bible tells us that God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. For example, it does not make sense to unbelievers when we say that a virgin gave birth to Jesus Christ. Most times, they think to themselves, “How can a virgin give birth?”

Jesus said something very important in Matthew 18:3. He said that only those who are like children will inherit the kingdom. In other words, you must believe Him like a child believes his or her parents, whether what they say makes sense or not. Many people make the mistake of trying to relate with God logically. This is impossible because the Bible says that God’s ways and thoughts are beyond human comprehension (Isaiah 55:8-9).

There are people who argue against Christianity with logic. Do not argue with such people because you cannot explain Christianity logically. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:23-25 to avoid unnecessary arguments with people concerning the truth of God’s word.

The way to prove that God is real is not through arguments but by the display of power as Elijah did in 1 Kings 18. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:20: “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” Furthermore, John 4:48 says, “…Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” No matter how hard you try, you cannot win anyone to Christ by an argument. Once you have shared the gospel of Christ with unbelievers, commit their hearts to God, as it is only the Holy Spirit that can convict and convert them. Do not argue with them about your Christian faith, rather, ask God to use you for signs and wonders so that when they see the power of God, they will surrender without any argument.

Beloved, I pray that the power of God will be evident in your life and that He will use you to lead many people into His kingdom, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Ephesians 4:14

From the passages above, it is clear that strong men stand fast in their faith; it is children that are tossed by every wind of doctrine. When people change their beliefs just because of what one ‘man of God’ said or because their pastor announced that he had changed his beliefs, without them going to search for the truth in God’s word themselves, I know that they are baby Christians or Christians with stunted growth.

Once you find the truth in God’s word, don’t let what people say shake your faith. Don’t let your walk with God be dictated by what people say. You must know God for yourself and let your walk with Him be dependent on your personal relationship with Him. There is nothing compared to having a first-hand experience of who God truly is. Once you start to relate with Him personally, it becomes difficult for anybody to deceive you because you know your God.

In John 16:13, Jesus Christ said that the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. So, to know the truth about the word of God, you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is your relationship with the Holy Spirit that determines how much truth you know.

1 John 2:27 says that the anointing in you will teach you all things, and according to Acts 10:38, the anointing comes with the Holy Ghost and power. Peter, for example, was too fearful to stand on his belief of Jesus being the Messiah and to identify with Him before his baptism in the Holy Spirit. After he experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Peter became an entirely different person. In Acts 11:1-18, after he had gone to Cornelius’ house and the congregation gathered together to query him for going to a gentile’s house, he stood firm as a rock and said, “The Spirit bade me go.” He was no longer scared to stand on what he believed.

Get filled with the Holy Spirit, and you will know the truth of God’s word so much that it will be difficult to be deceived by false doctrines.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Matthew 26:31-35, Peter showed himself as a boaster. Jesus Christ turned to the disciples and said that they would desert Him that night, and Peter responded boastfully:

“…Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended”.
Matthew 26:33

In other words, he was saying, “Me? Do you know whom you are talking to? If all these weaklings desert you, you can count on me, Lord.” The Lord said, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me thrice.” He said, “It seems as if you don’t know whom you are talking to. Even if I have to die with you, I will die; I can never deny you.” However, in Matthew 26:69-75, who did we find swearing that he did not know Jesus? The same Peter!

Whatever a fellow boasts about has power over him or her. This is why the Bible says rejoicing in boasting is evil.

“But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”
James 4:16

Once you find yourself boasting about something, watch out, that thing is about to become a tool for the devil to use in bringing you down. This is why you must not boast. The only boasting allowed is boasting in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31). That is what David did in 1 Samuel 17:41-47 which led to him defeating Goliath. Even if you feel no one is better than you at something, keep your mouth shut. A man considered to be wiser than all men (1 Kings 4:31) said:

“Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.”
Proverbs 27:2

Boasting is like being on the battlefield and telling the enemy how to strike and defeat you. You may think you are talking about your strength, but every wise fellow knows that the moment you boast about something, it becomes your weakness. Goliath was boasting before he got struck down by a mere teenager with a catapult. Nebuchadnezzar was boasting about his achievements in one moment, and the next moment, he was eating grass in the field like an animal (Daniel 4:28-33).

Beloved, if you have been a boaster, repent now. You may only boast in God, but avoid all other kinds of boasting. There is no good in boasting outside Christ; it will only lead to shame and defeat.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In life, there are worriers, and there are prayer warriors; you have to choose which one you want to be. Matthew 6:27 says that worrying does not add one cubit to you. You gain nothing from worrying, absolutely nothing. However, when you are a prayer warrior, as issues arise, you will cut them down in the place of prayer because you are a champion that is more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).

Some people are too anxious about tomorrow. Before they get into the university, they worry that they may never be admitted. After graduating, they become worried that they may not get a job. When they get a job, they worry that they may lose the job. If they don’t lose the job, they worry that they may not be promoted. When they are promoted, they worry that someone might want to take the position from them. They worry that nobody will marry them. When somebody shows up to marry them, they worry whether he or she is the right fellow. When they finally get married, they worry about whether they have taken the right decision and if they will ever have children. They are always worrying about the future. Honestly, all that worrying will not solve anything.

When you read Philippians 4:6-7, you will see what you should be doing instead of worrying. It says you should be thanking God in everything by prayer and supplication.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Don’t thank God only when things are going the way you like; thank God in everything by prayer and supplication, and then let your requests be known to God. Don’t just sit there and worry; go to God in prayer, thank Him for the things He has done for you, and then make your requests known to Him. His peace will replace every form of worry in your heart. So, rather than worry, pray to God, and He will meet you at the point of your needs.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and have surrendered your life to Him, stop worrying. Jesus has already given you His peace that passes all understanding, as we see in John 14:27:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible says you should seek God while He may be found and call on Him while He is near. Once you hear that, the next question on your mind should be, “How do I know when God may be found or when He is near?” That question is very valid. However, what you really need to know is how to draw Him near to you. John 4:23-24 says:

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The Scripture above tells me that rather than trying to seek God while He may be found when I cannot even see Him, if I worship Him in spirit and in truth, He will be the One to seek me out. Instead of me calling Him without knowing whether He is near or far, if I just concentrate on worshipping Him, He will draw near to me. If you want God to always be near you, you must be committed to worshipping Him like no one else does. He is drawn to people that worship Him. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of Israel. Israel here refers to those who worship Him in spirit and in truth.

People generally move towards where they are being praised. Where I’m from in the Western part of Nigeria, if you are at a party and the musician suddenly starts singing your praises, it is expected that you will stand on your feet and go towards him or her dancing. That is what happens when we sing praises to God; He draws near us. This is one major secret that David knew, which made God answer His prayers. He said that whenever he wanted to approach God, he went in with praises and thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4). By the time he had praised and thanked God for a while, he will find himself in the very courts of God. Once he had God near him, he could call on Him and be sure to receive answers to his prayers.

Beloved, henceforth, deliberately draw God close to you at all times with praise and worship.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

For everything we do, whether it is something we are saying, an action we are taking, or a decision we are making, there is a spirit within us influencing it. In Matthew 16:13-23, Peter was saying to Jesus Christ in one moment that He is the Christ, to which Jesus Christ said flesh and blood could not have revealed it to him, implying that only the Spirit of God could have revealed that to him. Not long after, the same Peter said to the Lord, “You will not die,” and the Lord turned to him and said, “Get thee behind me satan.” This tells us that we must always check what spirit is influencing our actions. You can be a powerful man of God, filled with the Holy Ghost, and still be influenced by the devil.

When you read in 1 John 4:1 that you should test all spirits, don’t just conduct tests on the spirits in other people; conduct a test on the spirit influencing you too. Check the things that you are doing, saying and believing; check if they are in line with the Spirit of God.

How do you check what spirit is influencing you? Matthew 7:16-17 says:

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Check the fruits you are bearing. Check if they are in line with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

If what you are doing does not show love, you are not being influenced by the Spirit of God. If you are doing something that is opposed to peace, it is another spirit influencing you. If a Christian decides to do something outside the will of God because he or she does not want to suffer for God’s will, he or she is following the will of the devil.

Beloved, you must always check what spirit is influencing you at every point in time. A good way to know is to check if your decisions and actions are in line with the various expressions of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. If you are not born again, you should surrender your life to Christ so that you can be influenced by His Spirit. If you are a Christian and your decisions and actions do not reflect the fruit of the spirit, retrace your steps to being influenced by the Spirit of God only.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When you make a claim in a law court, you will be asked to provide an evidence to show that what you are saying is true. The purpose of the evidence is to validate your claim and show everyone that you are sure of what you are saying. If you have evidence, you will confidently present it to support your claim. If you, however, do not have any evidence, it will be hard to have that kind of confidence. In other words, an evidence gives the claimant confidence.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”
Hebrews 11:1

The above passage says that faith is the evidence of things not seen. If your faith is really an evidence, you will be confident about your claims concerning God’s word and the things that you pray about, just like the claimant in the example I shared above. You will not pray for something today and speak in doubt about the same thing tomorrow.

When you pray, you must believe with all your heart that what you have prayed for is already settled (Mark 11:24). It is only then that you can see your prayers answered. Doubt must not be allowed in your heart at all. A little doubt will contaminate your faith and may hinder you from getting what you are praying for. Matthew 21:21 says:

“Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.”

Beware, however, because the devil will try to send fear into your heart. He will give you every reason for your miracle not to come, but you must attack him with the word of God. Romans 10:17 says: “…faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Whenever doubtful thoughts come, recite the word of God that counters it over and over again until the word drowns the doubts. In Joshua 1:8, the Bible says that to have good success, the word of God must never depart from your mouth. Note that it did not say from your heart but from your mouth.

Beloved, if you desire anything in your life, pray about it in faith and declare God’s word concerning it without any doubts.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Mark 11:12-20, Jesus was hungry and went to get some figs from a fig tree nearby but unfortunately, He did not find any. Jesus cursed the tree, and it dried up. Even though it was not the season for figs, meaning that it was natural for the tree not to have fruits at that time, Jesus still cursed it. You may think that Jesus was being unfair to the tree, but He was sending a message to us with that act. You must never wait for the right conditions before you begin to bear fruits for your Master.

“He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.”
Ecclesiastes 11:4

If God has given a believer an assignment, he or she should work towards it whether the conditions are right or not. If such believers keep waiting for the right conditions, they will never achieve their goals or fulfil their destiny. If you keep observing the wind, you will not sow, and if you have already sown, if you keep observing the clouds, you will not reap. You must set out to bear fruit even when the conditions around you do not suggest that you should.

When I became the General Overseer of RCCG, I got many promises from God apart from the covenant that God had with my Father in the Lord about the church’s great future. All the conditions surrounding the church at that time were not palatable. We did not even have enough money to pay the General Overseer’s salary, not to talk of getting money to establish parishes around the world or hosting large meetings where millions of people will gather. Even though the conditions did not look right, I still set out to do the things that God called me to do. When we moved to Redemption City, we did not have money to pay labourers to build the auditorium, not to talk of building a city. I worked every night with other members of the church to build the first auditorium. Today, everyone can see the city that God promised us.

Beloved, if you wait for perfect conditions before you bear fruit, you will be just like that fig tree, and I am quite sure that you don’t want to end up like it because Jesus said in John 15:2 that any branch in Him that does not bear fruit will be cut off.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God rested on the seventh day of the creation week to set an example for us. He said in Exodus 23:10-11 that even the land should be cultivated for six years and then be made to rest in the seventh year. We all need to take a break every now and then so that we can be refreshed enough to be effective at what He has called us to do.

Many people break down because they hardly take breaks. Some people have been working for years without taking any vacation. What they don’t understand is that taking time to rest will help them to be more effective when they resume their work. In 1 Kings 19:1-8, Elijah had just called fire down from heaven and brought revival to the land. Then, he heard that Jezebel wanted to kill him and ran for his life. By the time he got to the juniper tree, he was tired, and in that state, he asked God to kill him. God knew that he really didn’t want to die; he just needed to take a break. He made him fall asleep and sent an angel to feed him twice. After resting and eating well, he was strengthened to continue for the next 40 days. Sometimes, the reason you feel frustrated is that you have not taken a break in a while. Just try sleeping and eating only for one day, and you will see the difference.

Taking a break is not expensive. If you don’t have money to travel or check into a hotel, you can go to a family member’s house or any quiet place where you know that no one will disturb you, and just rest there. You need to rest weekly and yearly also, especially after a strenuous period of work, as Elijah did in 1 Kings 18. No matter how anointed you are, as long as you are still in the flesh, you need to take a break once in a while. The only reason I have been able to host the Holy Ghost Service every month for almost 40 years is that I take breaks when necessary. After every major programme that lasts for at least one week, I take a break and get some good rest. Don’t wait for a doctor to put you on bed rest because by then, it will be more expensive, and you will have no choice but to rest for a longer time than you want to.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In 2 Kings 2:10, Elijah was basically telling Elisha, “Son, you have asked a hard thing that I can’t give you, but God can give you. Just don’t be distracted, stay focused.” Hebrews 12:1-2 says that you should lay aside every weight and look unto Jesus. Be focused.

The devil will try to put many weights on you to distract you, but you must stay focused. People may criticise you, lie against you, and say negative things about you, but you must remain focused. Some years ago, people were criticising me almost everywhere. I ignored all of them and remained focused on what God called me to do. By God’s grace, I am still marching on, but no one knows where some of the people that were criticising me are now.

The weights that the devil will try to use to sway your focus will not only be from people that dislike you; some of them will be from people that love you. Their praises, for example, can be a weight that you must set aside so that you do not lose focus.

A man once offended a great king and should have been beheaded. However, the king decided to give him a test. The king told him to carry water in a spoon and walk for some metres. If he spilt a single drop of water, he was to be beheaded. The king asked some people to stand on his left-hand side and criticise him; they were to rain abuses on him and keep booing him. On his right-hand side, the king asked some other people to stand and keep praising and hailing the man until he got to the finish line. The man started walking, and the people on both sides did what they were told to do with all their strength. At last, the man got to the finish line without spilling any water. The king asked him, “Which of these people helped you succeed?” He responded, “None of them. I was carrying my life in my hands, and so I did not listen to either of them.”

Beloved, you are carrying your life in your hands; don’t let anyone make you lose your focus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is a powerful lesson in 2 Kings 2:1-15 that I will like you to pay attention to. Elijah gave Elisha a condition to meet in order to get the double portion in spite of the fact that he had been serving Elijah for so long. If Elisha had not met that single condition, he would have gotten nothing from his father at his departure. Many people think that getting blessed by a powerful man of God is enough to make them great. Yes, the blessing is powerful, but if a person does not wrestle out his or her greatness, such a fellow will remain on the same level. Your father may have settled some things on your behalf, but you still have your own individual wrestling to do if you want to access those things.

In Genesis 27:26-30, Isaac blessed Jacob with an irreversible blessing. For sure, Jacob was going to be great, however, he had to wrestle to get the change of name that set him up for the benefits of the blessings he had received (Genesis 32:1-30). Many rich people’s children think that because their parents are rich, they can never be poor. History is full of examples of people whose parents were very rich but who ended up poor. If you don’t wrestle out your own greatness, you will eventually lose whatever inheritance is laid down for you. Some pastors’ children think that their parents’ anointing makes them immune to the devil and assures them of making heaven. However, Ezekiel 18:20 says that the soul that sinneth shall die. If you are a sinner, your father’s righteousness or anointing cannot cover you. You must meet God for yourself and build a relationship with Him if you want to enjoy the benefits of what your father carries.

Without Pa Josiah Akindayomi, you might not know Adeboye today. I have always thanked God that when I got born again, it was in RCCG. God brought me to a covenant church, and I rode on that covenant to become who I am today. However, even though the covenant is there, if I did not wrestle it out, I would never have succeeded. I had to fast, pray, keep vigils, and work very hard. I made sacrifices, and I am still doing so today because I know that the covenant will go to waste if I don’t wrestle things out by myself. Beloved, if you want to experience the blessings that God has arranged to help you succeed, get ready to wrestle them out yourself.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will conclude the teaching on the challenges of being successful by looking at the temptation to enjoy the praises of men and not returning the glory to God. When you become successful, people will shower you with a lot of praise and might even give you glory for things that you didn’t do. For example, after David killed Goliath, some women began singing, “Saul killed his thousands, David his ten thousands,” even though it was clear that it was God who gave him victory over Goliath. This got David in trouble with Saul and Saul began seeking to kill him (1 Samuel 18:6-9).

Beware of the praises of men. Sometimes you will not be able to stop them, but you must pay no attention to them because the moment you start doing so, you will begin to feel like you are on top of the world, and before you know it, you will be taking the glory instead of giving it to God. It was the praises of men that got Herod in trouble such that he was eaten up by worms in the presence of those who were praising him (Acts 12:22-23).

The praises of men can become so addictive that you will want to hear them all the time. King Saul wanted to please the people all the time so that they could keep praising him, even to the point of disobeying God (1 Samuel 15:24). When you are doing well, people will praise you as if you are the best in the world. You should beware, because the moment you get so addicted to their praise and it drives you outside God’s will, you will realise that you are just mere dust.

There was a man that was regarded as being almost as powerful as my Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, in those days. He, however, let the praises of the people get into his head and eventually broke away with a large chunk of the church. By the time he died, he had a congregation of less than 50 people. 1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us that certain things happened to some people so that we can learn from them. Don’t listen to the praises of people, as they will make you start doing things that you will end up regretting if you are not careful. Remember, those shouting ‘Hosanna’ today, can turn around to shout ‘crucify him’ tomorrow. The praises of men are too volatile to be trusted.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I started sharing about the challenges of success, and I focused on pride. Today, I will look at another major challenge of success, which is the fact that everybody wants to be friends with the successful. When you are successful, you will have many people around you, and it will be difficult to tell those that have good intentions apart from those that do not.

The mere fact that you are at the top will attract many ‘friends’ to you. This is why you must be careful to put your trust in God and not man. Some people will do everything to work their way into your heart just because of what they want to get from you. You will need the gift of discernment of spirits to know those that are genuine and those that are not.

In 2 Samuel 13:4-5, Jonadab advised Prince Amnon like he really cared about him. Amnon went ahead and did as he advised. When the repercussion of that evil counsel came, Jonadab did not rise up to defend his friend; he was the one who went to announce Amnon’s death to David (2 Samuel 13:32-33). He told the king, “Let the king cheer up, for Amnon only is dead.” If Amnon had been wise, he would have seen earlier that Jonadab was not a real friend. Real friends will not always say ‘yes’ to your desires. Sometimes, they will say ‘no’ because they care about you. When you have people who never tell you the hard truth and who will keep supporting you, even when you are clearly going the wrong way, run from such people.

The higher you go, the more careful you have to become in choosing the kind of people you allow into your life. If you are trying not to be lonely as you go higher, and you keep many friends, you will end up having many with negative intentions around you. You should have fewer friends as you go higher, not because you don’t like being friendly, but because you will discover that most people care more about what you can give them than who you are to them. As a result, your circle of friends should become really small as you advance in life. For example, I had more friends when I was not yet General Overseer than I have now.

Beloved, I pray that God will give you the grace to discern between those that are really your friends and those that are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people pursue success, and that is good. However, being successful has its own challenges. Success has destroyed many people in the past because they were not prepared for the challenges that come with it. Over the next few days, I will be sharing some of the challenges that come with attaining success with you. I may not be able to share all of them with you in this series but hope that what you learn will help you prepare for success because you will be successful unto the end, in Jesus’ name.

The first challenge of success is pride. In Genesis 48:1-20, the blessing of the firstborn was transferred to Ephraim by his grandfather, and as a result, he became greater than his elder brother, Manasseh. Pride set in, and God kept pleading with him, but he wasn’t listening. Then, in Hosea 4:16-19, God said that Ephraim should be left alone. By the time we get to Hosea 5:9, God said, “Ephraim shall be desolate.” In Revelation 7:5-8, when the various tribes of Israel were being sealed, Ephraim was no longer there. The pride that came with Ephraim’s success ended up destroying him.

Proverbs 16:18 says

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Those who are down can fear no fall. The higher you go, the more cautious you should be of falling, and that caution should drive you to be more humble as you rise.

James 4:6 says:

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

It is only by God’s grace that you are able to attain and sustain success. If you become proud, God will withdraw His grace, and the result of that will be disgrace. Don’t let God resist you; don’t allow pride into your heart. Do everything to ensure that you don’t think of yourself as more important than you really are. Don’t look down on others, and don’t see anything as being too low for you. Let Matthew 20:26-28 keep ringing in your head, that the one who will be the greatest must be the servant of all.

Jesus Christ showed us an example of service and humility in John 13:1-17. He also told us clearly that this is the way to greatness in God’s kingdom (Luke 22:24-2 7). Beloved, seek to serve more than to be served so that God will continue to lift you up.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
Job 22:28

The Bible verse above says that whatever you decree will be established unto you. This means that you must be careful about what you decree because they will come to pass. This is why I am always concerned when I see parents who say negative things over their children carelessly. Proverbs 22:15 says that there is foolishness in the heart of a child; I know some children can be naughty, however, the way you respond to their behaviour will go a long way in determining whether those children will turn out good or become worse.

As a parent, how do you respond to your children’s behaviours? Do you make negative pronouncements like, “You are useless; you can’t amount to anything,” or positive declarations like, “You are for signs and wonders. It doesn’t matter what the devil may try, you will succeed.” Whatever you say is what will happen. There is power in your tongue and this power is even more potent over your children because they came into the world through you. As a parent, God has given you power over the future of your children, not so that you can destroy it, but so that you can shape them into what He wants them to become.

In Genesis 27:18-33, Jacob came to Isaac and got a blessing. As soon as he left, Esau came in, and Isaac told him that he had blessed Jacob and that he will be blessed. Whatever you speak over your children, especially when your emotions are stirred up, will stick and will be reinforced. After Jacob got the blessings and was on the run, he encountered God in Genesis 28:12-22, and God didn’t say anything about the fact that he cheated. He didn’t say, “You cheated your brother and you will pay for it.” I thought that Jacob would have been scolded, but God established the blessing he got from his father.

Beloved, please decree good things over your children. Whether they hurt you or not, remember that whatever you say will happen to them. Don’t say something that will affect them negatively; you will regret it later. You will account for every word you speak over your children, and whatever they become will reflect on you also. Speak blessings over your children at all times.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people do not take the issue of who their spiritual father is seriously. Some people say that they have multiple fathers; such people are bastards because no human being can have more than one father. The role of your spiritual father in your life is very important. Even though Elijah said that Elisha, his spiritual son, had asked for a hard thing, he practically committed God to give a double portion of his spirit to him (2 Kings 2:9-15). That is a good example of the role a spiritual father can play in a fellow’s destiny.

If you claim to have a spiritual father, you must do some things to prove it. If you are disobedient to your spiritual father, you are not his true child, and you cannot get the things that you expect to get from him. Also, a grown-up child will take care of his parents. If you don’t sow anything, either in the form of service or material resources, into the life of your spiritual father, God will not recognise that relationship. 2 Kings 3:11 says that Elisha poured water on the hands of Elijah. That is what made their father-son relationship valid and qualified Elisha to get the double portion of his father’s spirit.

One night, during my prayer walk, some people met me and asked me to pray with them. For them not to disturb my prayers, I simply told them, “God bless you.” As I went further, a fellow who was driving a bus passed by me and stopped. He took the little money he had in the bus, ran to me, and gave it to me. That time, when I said, “God bless you,” it was from the depth of my heart. The money was not much, but he showed that I am truly his father so he could get something from me. When Isaac asked Esau to prepare food for him, it was not because he was hungry or that he could not afford to feed himself, he was telling the young man, “Spoil me so that I can bless you from my heart.” There are blessings that come from the heart of your father; such blessings can never be reversed, as we see in Genesis 27:33-37.

Do what will make your spiritual father so willing to bless you that, even if what you ask for is beyond his control, he will commit God to give it to you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

No matter how hard you try, you cannot live forever. The only way you can continue to live in the next generation is through your children. This is why you must raise your children well.

You have learnt some lessons in life so far, some of which were from mistakes you made in the past. You must ensure that the people you leave behind after God has called you home are taught these lessons so that they don’t have to make the same mistakes you made. If your children make the same mistakes you made, you have not done a good job of teaching them. It is where you stop that they should start from; they should not repeat your mistakes. If you are a father and you don’t want your children to be greater than you, it only means that your greatness will die with you. Abraham was great, Isaac was very great, and Jacob was exceedingly great; that is the correct order of things. Years ago, before God gave me a private jet, one of my sons bought a jet, and some people criticised me for publicly dedicating it, saying that I, the father, did not even have a Mercedes Benz. I responded, “The jet belongs to my son, show me what your son has.”

I often ask my children to pray that I am not taken away soon because it is where I stop that they will start from. Some of my children are already pastoring churches that are bigger than the one I pastored when I first became General Overseer.

When many people read Proverbs 13:22, they think that the inheritance that the Bible refers to is only money. If you are a good man, the inheritance you will leave for your children will exceed money; the major inheritance you will leave for them will be wisdom, and you will also leave influence, a good name, properties, and so on. Therefore, you must train the ones who will carry on from where you stop. Sometimes you will need to leave some of the things you are doing now to train them because you must invest in the ‘future you’. Occasionally, I take my children and grandchildren to our hometown, where we can be alone. In those times, I tell them stories, answer their questions, and we just have a nice time together. I am leaving an inheritance for the ‘future me,’ I hope you are doing the same.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Proverbs 4:7 says that in everything you get, you must get wisdom. In other words, wisdom is the most important thing you can get.

More interestingly, Proverbs 1:20-33 tells us that wisdom is crying in the streets:

Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
Proverbs 1:20

Unfortunately, many people ignore the cry of wisdom and are not interested in her. People who do not heed the cry of wisdom usually suffer the consequences of being foolish, and it may be too late by the time they realize it. For people who will let wisdom pour out her spirit on them and teach them her words, she always makes herself available, and they are tremendously blessed for it.

I am sure you are asking yourself, “How can I get wisdom?” Psalm 111:10 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If you want to be wise, the place to start from is to fear God and prove that you fear Him. Proverbs 16:6 says that the fear of the Lord is to depart from evil. Every time people commit sin, they are simply displaying foolishness. Daniel 2:20-22 says that it is God who gives wisdom to the wise. If a fellow does not have a relationship with God, he or she cannot get wisdom.

James 1:5 says:

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

The way to get wisdom is first to fear God and then simply ask Him for wisdom; it is as simple as that. Now, because wisdom is the correct application of knowledge, the limit to your wisdom will be how limited you are in knowledge. As you ask God for wisdom, you must also increase in knowledge so that you will keep increasing in wisdom. This is why I am always reading books. I want to learn something new every day, even if I have to ask someone to teach me.

Beloved, wisdom indeed is the principal thing. Jesus Christ Is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24) and you must accept Him as your Lord and Saviour if you want to be wise.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In my primary school days, our teacher told us the story of a man who offended his king. The king was very angry and called the man concerning the issue. The man immediately got on his knees and pleaded for mercy. He admitted his offence and said that he was very sorry. The king pardoned him because of his repentant heart. Our teacher told us that if we are wrong and admit it while asking for mercy, we will obtain mercy. However, if we try to cover our wrongs, we will surely get punished. The lesson stuck with me, and so, when I do something wrong, I don’t try to cover it. If I offend God, I turn to Him and say, “Lord, I have offended you, please have mercy on me.”

If you want to obtain mercy from God, you must not cover any sins that you commit. The reason God always had mercy on David is that he never tried to cover his sins; rather, he would confess them to God. In 1 Chronicles 21:1-16, when Gad came to tell David that he had offended God, not only did David accept his wrong, he called the elders to fast and pray with him for forgiveness. Compare that to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:20-21. After Samuel had come to tell him that he had not carried out God’s instruction to the letter, he made excuses instead of accepting his wrong. When Samuel refused to worship God with him, he did not plead with him to help appease God, rather, he pulled Samuel’s skirt just because he didn’t want the elders to see Samuel walking away from him. He clearly wasn’t making the sacrifice to ask for mercy, he was doing it to cover his sin and make everything look alright. 1 Samuel 3:19 tells us that God honoured Samuel and never allowed his words to fall to the ground, but in 1 Samuel 16:1, as much as Samuel pleaded for Saul, God said that he should not waste his time because He had rejected Saul.

Beloved, covering your sins will land you in destruction. When you do something wrong, don’t try to keep up appearances. Your Christian life is not about publicity, it is more of your personal relationship with the King of kings. Confess your sins and plead with God for mercy. When you do that, He will have mercy on you, but if you cover your sins, you are risking His total rejection.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I have a close friend who was the president of a country. One day, I said to him, “You’ve been president for almost seven years, and you’ve never given me anything since.” He looked at me and said, “You’ve never asked.” I replied, “Friends don’t ask. If we are friends, I don’t need to ask you. A friend gives to his or her friend without him or her asking.”

When lovers are in a courtship and there is no exchange of gifts between them, no matter how small, that love might just be questionable because one of the major ways of demonstrating love is by giving (John 3:16).

Many people claim to be God’s friends, but from their reaction when it comes to giving to God, you will realise that they are not. Real friends of God will not wait until an announcement is made for offerings to be made to God before giving to Him. Real friends of God will constantly look for ways to give to Him because of how much they love Him.

I recall a time that I went to minister at a church some years ago, and everyone in the congregation was looking so radiant. By looking at them, you could tell that God had really blessed them. I was thinking about how blessed they were when the minister on the altar said, “It’s offering time.” You could see the joy in the auditorium as they all clapped and shouted. Then, God told me, “This is why I have blessed them so much; they give to me cheerfully.” Those who are always happy to give to God, and who don’t need to be cajoled or asked before they do so, always enjoy abundant blessings. God sees them as His genuine friends, so He also doesn’t wait for them to ask before giving to them.

David was a man who always wanted to give to God. He said in 1 Chronicles 21:24 that he would never give God anything that costs him nothing. As a result, God said that He had given him everything he ever wanted and that if he wanted more, He would have given him (2 Samuel 12:. He never let him lack anything because he was His friend indeed. God never asked Abraham for a tithe in Genesis 14:20 before Abraham gave it to Him. Nowadays, even after God has said that we should bring tithes into His house (Malachi 3:10-12), some Christians still argue about whether they should pay tithes or not. Such Christians are only pretending to be friends of God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people ask God for mercy, but when God looks into their lives and sees that they don’t show mercy to others around them, He withholds His mercy. From Matthew 5:7, you will realise that if you are merciful to others, you will also enjoy God’s mercy. Psalm 130:3 says that if God were to count our iniquities, we will not stand. It is only by His mercy that we are still alive, and if we are wise, we will also have mercy on those around us.

In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus Christ told the story of a man who owed the king ten thousand talents. The king commanded that he and his family be sold in order to pay the debt, but the man asked for mercy, and the king forgave him of the debt. The same man went out and saw someone that owed him a hundred pence. His debtor begged for a little more time to pay his debt, but this man refused to forgive the debtor and locked him in prison. The king heard about it, withdrew his mercy, and gave the unmerciful servant to tormentors. Proverbs 11:17 says:

The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

The Scripture above says that when you are merciful, you are doing good to yourself, but if you are cruel, you are hurting yourself because your cruelty will only rob you of the mercies of God.

In John 14:23, Jesus said if you love Him, His Father will love you, and both of them will come and dwell in you. How do you show God that you love Him? (1 John 4:21) says that if you love God, then you must love your brother. Love your neighbour like yourself because you cannot say you love God and hate your neighbour. If you decide not to love your neighbour, you are telling God that you don’t need His love. Galatians 6:7 says:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Whatever you sow is what you will reap. If you sow mercy into the lives of others, you will reap mercy. However, if you decide to sow unforgiveness, then do not complain when you reap unforgiveness (Job 4:.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Do you know that it is possible to commit God to do some things for you and leave Him with no choice but to do them? Psalm 115:3 says that God is sovereign, He does as He pleases, but if you know Him well, you can position yourself such that the Almighty will do what you want.

Going by Psalm 138:2, if you can find what God’s word says about what you want and align yourself with it, He will be committed to doing His part. For example, Psalm 75:6-7 says that promotion comes from God. 1 Samuel 2:7-8 also says that God decides whom to raise and whom to bring down. Since you know this, the question now becomes, “How do I get God to promote me?” The answer is in 1 Peter 5:6:

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Therefore, if you notice that it seems like it is taking a long time for God to promote you, then you can make up your mind to be humble. Once you are humble, He will be committed to exalting you in order to fulfil His word. Proverbs 22:29 says that if you are diligent in your business, you will stand before kings. Proverbs 12:24 also says that the hand of the diligent shall bear rule. Therefore, if you want to get to the very top, you must add diligence to your humility, and in line with God’s word, He will raise you so high that you will be in the category of kings. You can get God to do what you want if you do what He wants.

The devil, however, also knows this principle. When he doesn’t want God to do something for you, he tempts you to do something wrong so that he can accuse you before God and commit God not to bless you. This is why Revelation 12:10 calls him the accuser of the brethren. He knows that God will not go against His word, so he tempts you into committing sin and accuses you before God. This is why it is foolish to obey the one who has decided to destroy you by committing sin. When next the devil tempts you, tell him, “I refuse to be a fool.”

Beloved, never give the devil the opportunity to use God’s word against you, rather, use God’s word to your favour by always praying according to His will.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.