The law of righteousness is one law that many people know but hardly comply with. It is simple; obey God, and you will excel (Deuteronomy 28:1). Jesus put it this way in Matthew 6:33:

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

If you seek God’s righteousness and seek to do things that are right in His sight, without a doubt, the material things that other people are seeking will begin to pursue you and overtake you. This is a law that cannot be broken.

When my father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, was alive, he used to say that it is what your father has that he will use to take care of you. Romans 6:16 says that whomever a person yields himself or herself to obey is that fellow’s master. This means that if someone obeys the devil and commits sin, the devil will take care of the fellow with what he has. Also, if the fellow obeys the Lord and lives righteously, God will take care of him or her with what He has. The devil has nothing else to offer than to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10); if anyone obeys him, that is what he or she will get. If you obey Christ and live in righteousness, the same John 10:10 says that what He has to offer you is abundant life.

Beloved, there is absolutely no gain in sin. The things that look like the gains of sin are actually baits of the devil. When a hunter is trying to catch an animal in the forest, he puts the animal’s best food inside a trap. When the animal tries to grab the food, it gets trapped. Beware of whose food you are eating. If you have to compromise on God’s word to get that food, it is only a trap for the devil to destroy your soul. Whatever hunters use to feed their catch is nothing compared to what they will take from the catch.

The devil will never give you anything without collecting more from you. Obey the law of righteousness, and you will enjoy the blessings of God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The law of association is a very powerful law that every human being on earth must understand and apply correctly. This law is subtle in its operation, and many people don’t realise when it is working on them. They don’t realise that the people they often speak to, greatly influence the way they think and act. This law states that an individual becomes like the people he or she associates with. In other words, if a fellow associates with wise people, he or she will become wise. Likewise, if the fellow associates with foolish people, he or she will become foolish. It is stated clearly in Proverbs 13:20:

He that walks with the wise shall be wise but the companion of fools shall be destroyed.

The elders in Yorubaland usually say, “When a leaf stays long with a soap, it will also become a soap.” You must carefully choose the people you associate with. If your friend is not someone you admire and want to be like, you should unfriend that fellow immediately. Be friends with wise people that can challenge you, people you can discuss great ideas with. Don’t be friends with people who gossip and are only interested in entertainment when you are together.

Another form of association is with the media. Some people spend a lot of time watching television and scrolling through social media. Whatever you read or watch has a great influence on who you become. If you read and watch inspiring things, they will inspire you to become great. Anyone who reads and watches immoral content will eventually become corrupt, as we can see in 1 Corinthians 15:33.

What kind of content do you constantly consume? Whose content are you consuming on social media? Whose music do you listen to? These things are a pointer to who you are becoming. When you want to change something about yourself, change the people you associate with. If you want to get better with your academics, keep company with brilliant people and learn from those who have excelled academically, and you will see your grades get better. If you want to be more fervent in your Christian life, find friends who read their Bibles, and pray regularly. Soon, you will also be doing the same.

Examine the kind of friends you keep and the kinds of content you consume. Are they a reflection of who you want to become? If they are not, change them now.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The law of unity is one of the most amazing laws that God set up on the earth. The Bible states that one will chase a thousand and two will chase ten thousand (Deuteronomy 32:30). This doesn’t make any sense mathematically, but I have found it to be true.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:19 that if two people shall agree concerning a thing, it shall be done by His Father in heaven. In other words, if you have prayed and are yet to get an answer, find someone to agree with you in prayers, and you will receive the answer. In Psalm 133:1-2, the unity amongst brethren is likened to the anointing. Unity is a very powerful force; it is so powerful that even the Holy Spirit did not descend until the disciples were in one accord in the Upper Room (Acts 2:1-4). There are certain things you will never achieve until you apply the law of unity to it. A husband and wife who are always fighting are denying themselves of many great things. If they can only humble themselves, resolve their differences, and agree as one, they will become a great force against all their problems, and there will be nothing beyond their reach. Church members who are always gossiping about each other or quarrelling amongst themselves don’t know what they are losing.

In Genesis 11:1-8, some people came together to build a tower that would reach heaven. God saw them and said that they would achieve their goal because they were united. This was thousands of years ago when there was hardly any technology. In other words, God was saying that even without adequate resources, unity alone was enough for those people to build such a tower.

In the early days of RCCG, we had no money. We didn’t even have money to pay all the staff, but we were very united. As a result, we did many great things, including building the biggest auditorium of that time. There is absolutely no gain in being divided. Matthew 12:25 says a house divided against itself shall not stand. Whenever the devil wants to destroy a move of God or hinder Christians from achieving something, he sows discord amongst them.

One of the many reasons I bless God for the wife He gave to me is that she is always facilitating unity everywhere she goes. She is always bringing people together; never allowing disunity in any group she belongs. Even with my extended family, she is a binding force. She will never allow anybody carry a long face around her, whatever the problem is must be solved before anybody goes to bed that day. That quality is a divine gift that has been a great blessing to my life and ministry.

Never give room for disunity. Don't let the devil win; don't allow disunity.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The law of work is similar to Newton’s first law of motion, which states, in simple terms, that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion unless it is acted upon by an external force. In other words, nothing moves until someone moves it.

An individual’s career will not move forward without deliberate efforts to advance it, neither will a marriage be automatically blissful without some effort from both parties. A believer’s spiritual life will not blossom unless he or she puts in the required work. Nothing goes for nothing. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says that those who don’t work should not eat. Some people feel that because they have certain gifts and talents, things will always be good for them – that is a big lie. One of my sons often says that hard work will beat talent if talent doesn’t work hard.

In Matthew 25:14-30, the Master gave His servants some talents with a simple instruction, “Trade with it.” You cannot leave your talent(s) dormant if you want to be fruitful. You must work on your talent(s) if you want positive results. The servant that did not work on his talent was punished greatly. If a believer does not work on whatever God has given to him or her, such a fellow will be greatly punished in the end.

One day, I met a pastor who started out in ministry at around the same time as me, and he said, “God has really been good to you.” I agree, God has been very good to me. It is only by His grace that I have come this far. However, nobody can accuse me of being lazy. When I was starting out, God gave me prophecies, gifts of the Spirit and talents, but all these things would have gone to waste if I did not work hard. In fact, the more resources God gives you, the harder you must work because Luke 12:48 says that to whom much is given, much is expected.

Brethren, if a person is not ready to work, then he or she is not ready to succeed at anything in life. Nothing will excuse anyone from the effects of this law. Excuses are for failures. No matter the excuse you may want to give for not being productive, it will never suffice as there are people who have experienced greater challenges and surmounted them. Great achievers put excuses aside, get to work, and make the best out of whatever situations they find themselves in.

Get up and work.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

After creation, God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). How is it that the Almighty, All-powerful God needed to rest? He did not need to rest; He can never be tired. If He had been tired, then He would have been tired at least once in all the thousands of years since the earth was made. Psalm 121:4 says that He never sleeps nor slumbers. Therefore, resting on the seventh day was not for Him but for us; He was establishing a law that we should follow for our own good – the law of rest (Exodus 34:21).

The law of rest is to be applied to your land, animals, and staff. You must not let your staff work for seven days a week; they must have at least one day to rest and be refreshed (Exodus 23:12). This is important for them to be productive the next week. Also, you will get the best out of your farmland if you leave it to rest for one year every seven years (Leviticus 25:4). It is a law that will increase your productivity greatly.

If you think that working for seven days will bring more productivity than working for six days every week, you are wrong. There is a fast-food restaurant in the United States of America that works for only six days and is closed on Sundays. That restaurant is one of the fastest-growing fast-food restaurants in the world. Resting for one day every week greatly improves your productivity as opposed to working for seven days a week.

Working continuously without rest will damage an individual’s health. Many people have died because they did not rest as they ought to. Going against this law can bring great danger to a fellow’s health and life. I was telling one of my sons about this law of rest, and he looked at me in a funny way as if to say, “You? Do you rest?” I told him that I rest, even though he may not know it. I wouldn’t be this productive if I don’t rest. In fact, there are periods in the year when I don’t go anywhere; I just stay in a quiet place to rest. My body will no longer be useful to God if I damage it just because I am so zealous about the ministry that I disregard the law of rest.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The law of priority states that if you put the right thing first, everything else will fall in place. Jesus clearly stated the law of priority in Matthew 6:33. When a person seeks other things above God, such a fellow will struggle, but if he or she seeks God first, other things will be added unto him or her.

What you prioritise determines the quality of your life. When you receive your first harvest in any field, you must take it to God. This is a sign that you honour and put Him first, and as such, other harvests will be secure (Proverbs 3:9-10).

Many people put money before God; this is why they experience sorrows that money cannot solve. Some wealthy people cannot sleep at night, and will gladly trade their wealth to have peace and joy. The problem is usually what or whom they prioritise. The rich man in Matthew 19:16-22 knew that something was missing in his life. He had been obeying the law and had lots of money, but he felt incomplete. He met Jesus for a solution and was told that his problem was with his priorities; he prioritised money above following Jesus.

If God tells you to sell all you have, forget about your dreams, and go into full-time ministry, will you do it? Your answer will determine if you prioritise Him or not. When you check through the Scriptures, those who prioritised God were greatly rewarded. For example, the blessings of Abraham exist today because He prioritised God over everything, even his own son (Genesis 21:10). I am a living example of the benefits of prioritising God. I left my thriving career in academics and my dream of becoming the youngest Vice Chancellor in Africa to become the General Overseer over a church whose monthly income was less than my salary because God said so. Today, the name Adeboye is known all around the world because I prioritised God above my dreams.

God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14); He cannot take second place in your heart. Whatever or whomever you prioritise above God has become a god to you. God said that you should have no other god before Him (Exodus 20:3). You must love Him with all your heart, soul and mind; this is the greatest and foremost commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). When you do this, everything else will fall into place in your life. Put God first.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will conclude my teaching on the law of harvest. As a mathematician, I learned early that laws only stand when certain conditions are present. For example, the law of gravity simply states that when you throw an object up, it will fall to the ground. When the conditions present favour the law of aerodynamics, the law of gravity, as powerful as it is, will not hold.

For any law to stand, some conditions must be met. Yesterday, I discussed how powerful the law of harvest is, but in spite of its power, it will only stand when you sow under the right conditions. First, you must sow on good ground. I mentioned earlier this month when I was discussing the series, ‘Return on Seeds’, that I sowed multiple times into a ministry abroad many years ago, but got no harvest. God showed me in a dream that I had been sowing on hard ground. Some ministries and ministers are not linked to God. When you sow into them, you might think you are giving God an offering, but it never gets to Him because they are hard grounds. This is why you must be sure of the places you sow your seeds. Matthew 10:41 says that when you give to a prophet, you will get a prophet’s reward. Some people claim to be prophets, but God does not recognise them at all. Discern before you sow.

Also, don’t sow grudgingly. If you sow as if you are being forced to sow, God will not accept your offering. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says that He loves a cheerful giver. You may sow sacrificially, such that it is so hard for you to release the seed and you shed tears while doing so, but you must never sow grudgingly; you must sow from a willing heart.

Years ago, I was at a service, and the people conducting the service were calling for multiple offerings. I became angry, and as I wanted to bring out an offering, God told me, “I don’t want your money.” I immediately repented and changed my perception. God is not a beggar. If you bring an offering to Him grudgingly, it may enter the offering basket, but God will not accept it, and you will reap nothing from it.

Beloved, for you to make the law of harvest work in your life, ask God to show you a good land where you can sow and when you find it, make sure you sow willingly.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The law of harvest is one of the strongest laws that God placed on earth. It is so powerful that God Himself will never break it. In Mark 14:36, Jesus Christ prayed fervently, sweating blood and praying that God should change the plan of salvation so that He wouldn’t have to go to the cross to die for mankind. God said ‘No!’ He said ‘no’ because of the law of harvest; He had to sow His only Son in order to reap many more children into His kingdom (Romans 8:29, Hebrews 2:10, 1 Corinthians 15:20).

The law of harvest states that whatever a man sows, he will reap. This is well captured in Galatians 6:7:

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

Another beautiful thing about the law of harvest is that you will reap what you sow in greater proportions (Hosea 8:7). Therefore, whenever you give an offering or give alms, you are sowing a seed, and whatever you have given will come back to you in multiple folds. This is a law that nothing can break.

The law of harvest becomes much stronger when operated in two ways. The first is the law of firstfruit, while the second is the law of tithes. These two laws open the possibility of overflowing blessings. There are only two places in the Bible where God says that if you do something, He will bless you so much that there won’t be enough room to take it (Proverbs 3:9-10 and Malachi 3:10). These two passages show us clearly the secret of overflowing blessings.

Many times, when people pray for overflowing blessings, God expects them to obey the laws of firstfruits and tithes so that they can receive the blessings they seek. Believers will stop struggling with their finances when they obey the divine law of harvest in their work, business, and in giving.

The Almighty God Himself put the law of harvest in place and expects us to obey it. For example, when I was first told about tithing, it didn’t make sense to me mathematically, but I obeyed. I wondered back then, if one hundred per cent was not enough to take care of my needs, how can ninety per cent be sufficient after taking out ten per cent as tithe? Thank God I decided to test the law of tithing, and, to my surprise, I discovered that it was true.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Kings usually get the best of everything. Our God is the King of kings, and He wants everyone who surrenders to Him to be the best. To achieve this, God passes them through a refining process to make them the best that they can ever be. Just like a goldsmith puts gold through fire for it to come out purer, God will take you through a refining fire for you to come out purer and better. Are you willing to go through the refining fire of God?

In John 15:2, He said:

“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

If you want to be a branch that is connected to the vine and bear fruits for God, you must be ready to go through a pruning process. It will be tough, but it will make you more fruitful.

In the pruning process, God will take away things that are competing with Him from your heart. He may ask you to stop wearing jewellery, not necessarily because it is a sin to wear them, but because they may be a distraction to your fruitfulness. He may allow persecution to arise against you so that you will draw closer to Him. As you draw closer to Him, you will become more like Him and be more fruitful. He might hold some things back from you for a while to test your faith, so that you can become perfect, wanting nothing (James 1:2-4).

At the end of the refining process, you will become so valuable that people will run over each other to favour you. Just like everyone wants gold in its purest form, you will become a spectacle to your generation. As everyone wants the best of fruits, you will have people from all over the world coming to glean from the great value that you possess. Those who successfully go through the pruning process of God become superstars in their generation because they carry great value that the whole world wants to glean from. They are problem solvers, and people see them as blessings. Money is never their problem because their value attracts money from all around the world. They don’t beg for doors to open to them, their names open doors. Are you ready to be refined by God?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The first time I read 1 Kings 3:4-15 after being born again, I thought to myself, “How did Solomon think of offering God a thousand burnt offerings?” This made me carry out a background check, and I discovered a secret. In 2 Samuel 12:24-25, the Bible tells us that God loved Solomon as soon as he was born. His father named him Solomon, but God named him Jedidiah, meaning beloved of the Lord. Because God loved Solomon, He wanted an opportunity to bless him in a way that nobody would be able to query Him, so He set him up by putting it in his heart to do something nobody had ever done before. That way, He also could do for Solomon what He had never done for anyone before.

When I joined RCCG in 1973, when there was any need in the church, they would ask only the children of God to wait behind. In those days, children of God meant those that are truly born again and know it. One day, my wife and I waited behind, and the General Superintendent said, “We have an urgent need that must be met this week. Every one of you should go and close your bank accounts and bring whatever money you have there to the church.” On Monday, my wife and I closed our savings accounts and took the money to church. The following Sunday, the General Superintendent said again that the children of God should wait behind. We waited. He announced that the need had been met, and we all rejoiced. Then he asked the question, “How many of you closed your accounts as I instructed?” My wife and I raised our hands, and when we looked around, no other hand was raised. Immediately, I thought to myself, “I hope I am not going crazy with this Christianity of mine.” Then, God spoke to me, “Son, you are not mad. I am allowing you to do what others have not done so that when I take you to where I am taking you, nobody will be able to query me.” The rest is history; it was a divine setup.

When God places it in your heart to give Him something, He is only setting you up for greatness. If you obey, you will be rejoicing later in future, but if you disobey, you will have missed a miracle. Whether you give or not, God has numerous ways to meet His need. The one who is really in need is you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS FOR ELDERS

1. Lord, I thank you for all the elders in my church, family, community, and nation. Thank You Lord for keeping them up to their old age.

2. Father, just as You strengthened Moses even in his old age, please strengthen the elders that are doing Your will so that they can continue to do Your work until You call them to glory.

3. I banish every sickness that comes with old age from the elders in my church. I declare that they will enjoy divine health until God calls them home.

4. Father, please give the elders the wisdom to advise and guide the younger ones right. Let them counsel with divine wisdom, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, please give all the elders in the body of Christ the right successors. Let none of the good works that they have started die with them, in Jesus’ name.

6. Father, please let all the elders around me live the rest of their lives in joy. Don’t let them experience sorrow until You call them home, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, I pray that Your special anointing to heal the sick would rest on all the elders in the body of Christ. Your word says in James 5:14 that the sick should go to them for healing, therefore as they lay their hands on the sick, they will recover, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, please give the elders in the church a good legacy. Any plan of the devil to spoil their name before they are called to glory will be frustrated, in Jesus’ name.

9. Father, please forgive all the elders of things they may have done in the past that You are not happy with. Please wipe their sins and give them the courage to confess and make restitutions where necessary, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, please send help to the elders who do not have people to take care of them. Send compassionate people that will take care of them like their own parents, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, please give me the resources to take good care of the elders in my family, church and community. Make me a blessing to them, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer points for the elders around you.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As God is seated in heaven, He controls everything on earth because the earth is His footstool (Isaiah 66:1). In Psalm 2:1-4, the Bible says that when enemies try to deal with the anointed of God, He that sits in heaven shall laugh. In other words, when someone threatens a believer, God laughs at the person. If someone says that you are not going to be promoted, He that sits in the heavens shall laugh. This is because promotion comes neither from the East nor West, but from God alone (Psalm 75:6-7). If a doctor says your case is hopeless, He that sits in the heavens shall laugh because He already settled your healing thousands of years ago by His stripes (Isaiah 53:5). If anybody tells you that you will not be successful in life, He that sits in heaven shall laugh because Deuteronomy 28:13 says that you shall be above only and not beneath.

While God is laughing at every evil intention of the devil over your life, you should not be crying, rather, you should be praising Him. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 6:27:

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

Your worrying will not solve adverse situations. When God is laughing, you should be laughing too. You should be mocking the mockers and standing on the ever-sure word of God, knowing fully well that your case is already settled in God. Don’t cry like people who have no hope; you are a child of the King of all kings. Your Father owns the earth and all its fullness (Psalm 24:1), so there is nothing you need that is beyond your reach.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” When you make your requests known to God, do so with thanksgiving. Don’t come to Him as if you have no hope. James 1:6-7 says that if you come to Him without faith, you should not even think of receiving anything from Him. Since Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the evidence of things not seen, then you must come with thanksgiving, knowing fully well that your requests are already granted. This is the right state of a true believer; he or she does not live in fear but in faith because of the consciousness of how big and powerful God is.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Over the last two days, I have discussed how you can get harvests from the seeds you sow. Today, I will focus on seeds that are sown based on God’s instructions. These kinds of seeds go beyond yielding 100-fold, they yield unlimited returns. In (1 Kings 17:8-16), when Elijah told the widow to bring her last meal and she obeyed, the result was an unlimited supply of food for her household all through the famine. When God instructs you to give and you obey, He pours unlimited blessings on you.

When I became the General Overseer of RCCG, the entire monthly income of the church was less than my monthly salary as a lecturer before I resigned. By the time we managed to pay the salaries of the staff, there was usually nothing left for me. Things were tough, and I looked forward to collecting my gratuity because I had served the government for many years. My plan was to invest part of the money and save some, hoping that before I finished spending my savings, the church would have grown to the point where I could start getting paid a salary. When the gratuity came in, I remembered that God was now my Commander-in-Chief, so I asked Him how to spend the money. To my surprise, He said that I should divide it into three parts and give each part to different ministries. Nothing was to come to the ministry I was heading, even though we had needs. I trembled when He gave me that instruction, but then, He followed it with, “I will be your source.” I obeyed, and since then, He has truly been my source.

In Malachi 3:10, God instructed that you should bring ten per cent of your income into His storehouse, and He will open the windows of heaven and pour down blessings that you will not have enough room to contain. This is an unlimited blessing that comes from obeying just one instruction. God blessed Abraham and told him that He will be his reward (Genesis 15:1). Imagine God Himself being someone’s reward; that is an unlimited blessing. When you check what preceded that, you will discover that this blessing came after Abraham paid the first ever tithe to Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18-20. Your tithe is a major door to the unlimited blessings of God.

When God instructs you to give, it is an opportunity for you to experience unlimited blessings from Him. Do not let such opportunities pass you by.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I discussed the importance of ensuring that you are sowing on good soil. Today, I will examine the returns to be expected from seeds even when they are planted on good soils. First, let us focus on sowing into a man of God’s life.

He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
Matthew 10:41

The spiritual hierarchy of the man of God you are sowing into will determine the level of the returns you will get from your seeds. Some seeds will yield 30-fold, some 60-fold and some 100-fold. Your seeds might be planted on good soil, but the richer the soil, the more the yield will be. In other words, the greater the spiritual height the fellow has reached, the greater the yield when you sow into his or her life. This is not to say that you should only sow into the lives of big men of God. In fact, there are some so-called ‘small’ men of God who have gone deeper in spiritual things than the popular ones; popularity is not a test of spirituality. Yes, it is good to sow into the lives of Bishops, General Overseers and Senior Pastors, but you must also not neglect the pastor that is close to you today, especially when God instructs you to do so.

I must mention here that your seeds are really sown to honour God and not any man. You can only sow through a man of God, but the one you are really giving to is the God that the man represents. Thus, if you only sow into the lives of those you have identified as big men of God, you are clearly trying to manipulate God, and God cannot be manipulated. All His children have needs, and if it is Him you really care about when sowing your seeds, then you will sow everywhere you know that He wants to meet a need.

In Galatians 6:10, the Bible says that we should do good unto all men, especially those of the household of faith. Don’t ignore the brother who is wearing a worn-out shoe to church while you go about changing the entire wardrobe of your pastor. If God has shown you a brother or sister’s need, you should meet that need in honour of the God he or she serves.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In finance, there is something called Return on Investment. Likewise, in the kingdom of God, there is something I’ll like to call Return on Seeds. This is the profit you make when a seed is sown in the kingdom of God. According to Matthew 13:1-8, there is the possibility of having a zero return on seeds sown, or a 30, 60 or 100-fold return. Also, as you will learn later in this series, there is the possibility of having an unlimited return on your seeds.

Two things determine your return on seeds: the first is what is left with you after sowing. In other words, how sacrificial is your seed? The second is the soil on which you sowed. Today, I will focus on the kind of soil that brings zero return on seeds.

Many years ago, I was sowing seeds into a ministry abroad. I knew about the law of harvest, so I kept sowing. However, nothing was coming forth. I became worried, and so I started to ask God what was happening. Then, I had a dream. In the dream, I was standing on a farmland with heaps that showed that things had been sown on that land. I lifted one of the heaps, and underneath it was solid concrete. This meant that nothing could grow on that land. When I woke up, I knew the meaning of the dream – the ministry I had been sowing into was as good as concrete ground; no seed will yield returns when sown there.

If you sow a seed in a place that God does not approve of, your seed will yield no return. God cares about the poor, therefore, when you sow into their lives, Psalm 41:1 says that He will deliver you in the day of trouble. God cares about His prophets and ministers, so when you sow into their lives, you will get a reward (Matthew 10:41-42). God cares about His Church, so when you sow into a ministry, you will be rewarded (Malachi 3:10-12). If the place you sow into only looks like a ministry from the outside but is devoid of God’s presence, then your seeds will yield zero returns. You can decide to give anybody money if you wish, but if it is a seed, ensure that you are sowing in a place or a person that God is interested in.

Don’t sow your seeds on concrete and expect a return, it will not yield anything.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Jesus Christ said:

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:27

This means that you don’t have to be a prophet to hear from God; all you need is to be His child. I am praying for you today, that the Almighty God will cause you to hear from Him more clearly.

When God begins to talk to you about what He wants to do, it shows that you have become His friend. In John 15:15, Jesus Christ said to His disciples:

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

God said concerning Abraham that He could not hide whatever He was about to do from him. God is sovereign, He doesn’t need permission from anybody to do anything, but there are certain people He must talk to before He does anything. You must sit down and really assess your relationship with God and become so close to Him that you can hear from Him yourself. You need to get to that stage where He will not hide anything from you. When you read Genesis 18, you will discover that Abraham was a friend of God. That was why God never hid anything from Him. Abraham wasn’t just God’s friend, Romans 4:16 describes him as the father of faith. Since without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), Abraham being the father of faith means that he really pleased God.

You can get so close to God that He will tell you His secrets; things He won’t tell anyone else. In John 13:21-26, everyone at the table asked Jesus about who will betray Him. He did not answer them, but He answered one fellow who was His favourite – John the Beloved.

It is such a beautiful thing to be able to tell anyone, no matter who they are, “God did not say that.” It shows that you are so special to God that if He is to talk to anyone, He will talk to you. For example, in 1 Kings 22:6-28, many prophets prophesied falsehood, but Micaiah, who heard from God directly, stood out and spoke the mind of God and it came to pass. If you are close to God, you cannot be deceived by anyone. I pray for you that soon, God will be sharing His secrets with you, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today’s topic is a question you must be conscious of. In Matthew 16:13-16, Jesus asked His disciples whom people said that He was. He wasn’t confused about His identity; He knew who He was, but He was concerned about how people perceived Him. You must be conscious of how people perceive you too. People will only relate with you based on what they think about you and not what you think about yourself.

When my father in the Lord was alive, company executives would come to him for his opinion whenever they needed to hire staff for their company. They would say things like, “Sir, Brother so and so in your church has applied for a role in our company, what do you think about him?” Sometimes, he would cleverly reply, “That brother? Well, he says he is a Christian.” However, when they ask about someone who is truly born again, he will say, “That brother is a Christian.” There is a difference between who you claim to be and who you really are.

There are two kinds of people whose perception of you, you must take seriously. The first are people who know you but are not in your inner circle. They may not be close to you, but they are observant. They can build a perception about you from the things you say and do. Their perception may not be true, but as far as they are concerned, that is the true you. Therefore, you should endeavour not to make a mistake that will give them a wrong impression of you.

The second set of people are those in your inner circle. In Matthew 16:13-16, the fellow who knew the real identity of Jesus was one of the people in His inner circle – Simon Peter. This tells us clearly that those who know us the best are the ones closest to us. Who does your spouse say you are? What about your children? These people know you more than anyone else, and their opinion must be very valuable to you. I have always said it, the reason some ministers’ children are wayward is because they know who their parents are. They hear them preach one thing on the altar but see them do something else at home. This confuses them and draws them far from the God their parents claim to serve. You can pretend to people outside, but you cannot pretend to your family members.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Looking at today’s topic, I’m sure you’re asking yourself, ‘How did the Father send me?’ Acts 10:38 says that Jesus was sent to do good and to heal all that were oppressed of the devil, but then, He was anointed with the Holy Ghost and power for that assignment. That’s why, concerning His ministers, Jesus said in Luke 24:49, “Tarry ye in Jerusalem until thou be endued with power from on high.”

The condition for being a minister of God, according to Acts 6:1-3, is that you must be full of the Holy Spirit. Being baptised in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues is good. However, other kinds of evidence must also be there. Acts 6:8 says that Stephen, a man full of the Holy Spirit, performed miracles. Where are the miracles that God has performed through you since your baptism in the Holy Spirit? In Acts 8:5-8, Philip, one of the deacons, went to Samaria and turned a whole city upside down. In Acts 13:6-12, when Paul was preaching to a governor, and a sorcerer was trying to hinder him, Paul, full of the Holy Spirit, moved the mountain out of the way and got his victory by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We believers are dealing with a world called the New Age. They are working overtime to win our youths over with magic, and we need to demonstrate greater power to silence them so the youths do not give in to their devices. This power is available in God for all those who are willing to pay the price, but unfortunately, in a very subtle manner, the devil is pushing the church to lukewarmness.

You need to realise that whenever Jesus taught in a place, the Bible says that the power of God was always present to heal. I have discovered that when we preach about healing, God heals. When we tag a service ‘deliverance night’, a lot of demonised people in attendance will get delivered. We choose themes that show God that we are keenly interested in doing His works. He said that He will baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Luke 3:16). There is a difference between just speaking in tongues and having the fire behind your tongues. When you are baptised by the Holy Spirit and fire, it will be evident; miracles will happen, souls will be won, and the whole world will bow to our Lord. Seek the fire today!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

In John 20:21, Jesus Christ said, “…as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” In Matthew 10:40, He said, “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” The work of ministry is an assignment from the Father, so when you are called to do something, you can be sure that God Himself is backing you up.

In John 5:30, Jesus said, “I can of my own self do nothing: …” This is good because whatever you are to do for God, you cannot do it by yourself, but the Father who sent you will back you up. It is good news because all you have to do is tell Him, “I can’t do it Lord, but I know you can do it through me.” There is something called ‘the God Factor’. Let God do it; however, He can only do it if you are willing to cooperate. If you believe He can do it, He will do it. If you believe that He can use you to heal the sick, you will have to pay the price, and then, He will produce the results. Whatever assignment God gives you that seems impossible, talk to Him, do your part, and He will yield results through you.

In Yorubaland, one of the names we call God is Oronmonise faya ti. It means the one who sends a child on an assignment and backs the child up. When God sends you on an assignment, He stays with you and empowers you to ensure that you fulfil the assignment. Many people don’t fulfil their assignments because they hardly go to God for instructions. They start the work quite alright, but they hardly pray for direction, whereas it is in the place of prayers that God will give them instructions on each step to take. They keep doing everything to make the work succeed, but when it is time to make decisions, they don’t ask God for the best decisions to make. After a while, when they realise that they are not fulfilling the assignment, they accuse Him of helping others and not helping them.

Beloved, you cannot do anything by yourself (John 15:5). The work God has given you to do cannot be done by your power or might but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). If you really want to fulfil destiny, don’t lean on your understanding; lean on God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I said that the mark of the beast could be in the form of a mark, his name, or the number of his name. I also said that the mark will not be a tattoo printed on the skin but rather an implant, planted into the body of those who take it that submits their will to the government of that time, which will be headed by the antichrist. Today, I will discuss what will really be planted into the bodies of people that receive the mark of the beast.

If you have been staying up to date with technology, you will have seen that technologies already exist to put microchips in people’s bodies so that with it, they can access the internet directly from their brains, make phone calls just by thinking, and have medical ‘miracles’ like healing a broken leg in record time, et cetera. From the experiments conducted with these microchips, scientists can see whatever the test subjects can see and even make them raise their hands or legs by controlling the chips from a computer. These microchips are connected directly to the brain so that whoever is controlling the microchips can control the minds of the people who have them. In other words, getting the mark means submitting yourself to the control of the government of that time. When they are in control, they can make people do whatever they want. That is why those who have the mark will be condemned because now, they cannot do the will of God as the antichrist is now in control of their minds. Getting the microchip in their bodies will seal their fate because the antichrist will control their minds to obey only him.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Romans 6:16

The devil is aware of the Scripture above and hence knows that whomever you obey is your master. Everyone who takes the mark of the beast will become a servant of the devil.

Beloved, don’t take the risk of being around on the earth when almost everybody will become servants of the devil. It will be hell on earth, and it will be almost impossible to avoid taking the mark at that time. Give your life to Christ and live holy now so that you will be in heaven when the antichrist takes over the earth.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many have heard about the mark of the beast but haven’t taken the time to study what it really is. The Scriptures give us a hint in Revelation 13:11-18.

The mark of the beast can actually take different forms; it can be a mark, a name, or the number of a name. Whichever one it is, it is a representation of the beast, and whoever receives it on his forehead or right hand will be identified as a worshipper of the beast. Only such people will be allowed to buy, sell, or be a part of the society after the rapture has taken place. Anyone who refuses to get the mark of the beast will be hunted and killed.

Now, what really could this mark be? In the days of Apostle John, there was no technology, so he could only describe everything that he saw in his vision with the things he had seen around him. A mark that is taken on the forehead or right hand must have been imprinted by a machine, and the imprint must be something that cannot be washed off. The reason tattoos seem permanent is that they are printed on the skin. However, they become blurred over time and can even be erased with laser surgery. Since this mark is one that is so important to people’s identity and life, it will not be one that can fade or be erased. This means that it will go really deep into the skin. It is likely to be an implant and not an imprint.

If the mark of the beast is likely to be an implant, then it means that something will be planted into the body of those who will be left behind after the rapture, and it will be a sign of worshipping the beast (Revelation 20:4). It will be a sign that tells everyone, “I am loyal to the beast, I obey him.” The implant will be used to control them and ensure that they obey the beast whether they like it or not.

I will discuss this further tomorrow, but I want to urge you today to surrender your life to Jesus Christ if you are yet to do so. He died for your sins so that you can reign with Him in eternity. Don’t let His sacrifice go to waste over you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

After yesterday’s teaching, you may be asking, “If Jesus will come and defeat the devil and his agents, what will happen to the people who have taken the mark of the beast that will be left on the earth?” Revelation 19:17-21 says that when Jesus comes with His bride to fight the devil, an angel will gather all the birds of the air, inviting them to a great supper where they will eat the flesh of those who join the devil to fight against the Lord’s army. According to National Geographic, there are between 50 billion and 430 billion birds in the world. Clearly, there will be enough birds to eat the flesh of those who dare to fight God.

While those who died without the mark of the beast are raised up to reign with Christ for a thousand years, those who died while fighting Christ and His army will not be raised until the millennial reign is over (Revelation 20:5). After the armies have been destroyed, there will still be some people who are not soldiers but who have taken the mark of the beast on earth. These are the people that the saints will reign over for a thousand years. After the millennial reign, the devil will be released from his prison, and he will gather a great army to fight the saints. However, this time, the saints will not need to fight because God will send fire from heaven to devour their enemies. Revelation 20:7-9 says:

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

When everyone with the mark of the beast must have died, their souls will be resurrected to face their own judgement. This is the second resurrection. All those who are part of the second resurrection will partake in the second death, which is condemnation to the lake of fire with the devil and his agents.

I pray that you will not partake of the second death, in Jesus’ name. However, you have a part to play by ensuring that you surrender to Jesus Christ and live a holy life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The first resurrection is a topic that is not often preached in churches, and that is understandable because it is not something that any pastor should encourage their congregation to be a part of. Everyone should aim to be raptured when Jesus Christ comes to take His saints. Those that are left behind after the rapture have a very small chance of making it to heaven, so it will be foolish to risk missing the rapture.

The first resurrection is the last chance that will be given to those who miss the rapture. After the rapture has taken place and the antichrist has taken rulership over the earth, he will bring up a policy that will mandate everyone on earth to worship the beast and take the mark of the beast. The book of Revelation is written in codes, therefore, do not assume that worshipping the beast means that a beast will be on a throne and people will be compelled to bow to it. This basically means that everyone will be forced to obey the beast. I pray that you will not be on earth to experience that, in Jesus’ name.

There will be some people who will miss the rapture and who will be determined not to worship the beast or take his mark. It will be really tough for them because the antichrist will do everything possible to break them. They will be tortured in every way possible – emotionally, financially, physically, and so on. Worse still, almost everyone in the world will be worshipping the beast, and so they will be loners in a very perverse world. There will be no church meetings and gatherings because almost everyone in the church will have been raptured. There will be no pastor to encourage them and no brother or sister to strengthen them; it will be just them against the world and the government – it will be very tough. Many of the people who determine not to worship the beast will eventually yield and end up in hell. Those who stand their ground will be beheaded by the antichrist. However, when Jesus comes back with his saints to defeat the devil, He will give them another chance to be judged, and they will join Him to reign over the earth for a thousand years.

Beloved, surrender your life to Jesus Christ if you haven’t and commit to living holy for the rest of your life so that when your time is up here on earth or when Jesus returns, you will be with Him without having to experience the ordeal of the first resurrection.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Man has several enemies; the last one that every man will face is death. According to 1 Corinthians 15:26, the last enemy to be destroyed is death. Death sees you dealing with other enemies and stays aside, waiting until the last moment to pounce. There is no way we can dodge death. Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed unto men to die once, so, we are all going to die. Kings, presidents, pastors and General Overseers will all die. As anointed as Elisha was, he still died.

Fortunately, Jesus Christ has defeated man’s last enemy. In 1 Corinthians 15:41-57, the Bible makes it clear that death has been swallowed up in victory. If you are a bride of Jesus Christ and you are committed to serving God in Spirit and in truth, death is merely a horse that will transport you to your glorious home above. Those who are not born again should be afraid of death because while death leads Christians to heaven, it leads sinners to the second death.

After a sinner has died on earth, he is judged and sent to hell fire (Psalm 9:17). Jesus said in Luke 12:5:

But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

In hell, sinners will be tormented by demons while waiting for the second death. After the rapture has happened, the marriage supper of the lamb and a few more events will take place (Revelation 19:7-21), after which the devil and his agents will be cast into the lake of fire. Those whose names are not found in the book of life will also be cast into the lake of fire with the devil and his agents (Revelation 20:14-15, Revelation 21: – this is the second death. This is the death that you should do everything not to experience. Everyone who dies the second death will be condemned to a lake where fire and brimstone will burn them forever. They will be neighbours with the devil and his demons. If you have seen how terrible a demon looks, you wouldn’t want to be in a place with millions of them around you for eternity. There is no pleasure of sin that is worth ending up in the lake of fire, none at all.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I was invited by a chief several years ago to pray for him because he was sick. I asked if he was born again, and he said, “Yes”. This made me happy, and I assured him that he will get well. I prayed, but nothing happened. I sent two of my prayer champions to his house to stay there; they fasted and prayed for him for seven days. Still, the man got worse. Then, I decided to fast and pray for 21 days for the man. That was when God spoke, “Son, it is good to fast, but if it is for this man, he will not get well.” I responded, “But this man said he is your son, why don’t you want to heal him?” Then He told me to ask the chief seven questions. The next time I went to visit him, I said, “Chief, God told me to ask you some questions.” He told me to go ahead and ask. Before I finished asking all the questions, he knew that his secrets had been exposed. I thought he would repent so we could pray together for God to heal him, but he told me never to visit him again. Is there anything that you think has been hidden away that you don’t want anyone to find out about? The word of God says in Luke 8:17:

For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

God knows the secret sins that individuals might have, and if they refuse to confess and repent of them, He can decide to reveal them in such a way that they will be disgraced.

The fact that sin is hidden does not mean that its consequences are also hidden. The word of God is clear, whatsoever you sow, you will reap (Galatians 6:7). Proverbs 11:21 says that no sinner will go unpunished. If you are hiding any sins, my advice to you is that you confess them to God and repent of them immediately to avoid their consequences. We have a great promise from God that if we confess our sins and forsake them, He will forgive us (1 John 1:9), (Proverbs 28:13). If you have secret sins, you have a choice today to either continue in them and suffer their consequences or confess and forsake them so you can have God’s mercy. Choose wisely.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will continue my teaching on the importance of spending time with children. Many ministers of God make the mistake of putting their ministries before their families – this is not how God wants it. 1 Timothy 3:1-5 tells us that a man must first have his house in order before he takes up leadership in ministry. As far as God is concerned, your home must come first, then your ministry next. If your home is not in order, you have no business being in ministry.

If you are a minister, don’t neglect your family because you are helping to build other families. There are many ministers’ children who have serious issues that need attention while their parents are helping other children settle theirs – this is wrong. Do not ignore your children because you believe that you are already teaching them the word of God during family devotions and church services. Your children don’t see you only as a minister, they also need you to listen to them every now and then as their parent. When you are with them, don’t talk as a minister, talk as their parent, showing them love and care. The reason many ministers’ children become wayward is that they are living with a minister, not their parent. Make the work of ministry something they enjoy and not something they detest because it takes their parents away from them.


I realised that I needed to be with my children during festive seasons, and as such, even when we had church programmes at those times, I always ensured that they came along with me. On our way to such programmes, I would share jokes and riddles with them so that they would have fun and be relaxed. Whenever we arrived at the venue of the programmes, wherever I sleep is where they would also sleep. Even when things were quite tough and all I had to sleep on was a wooden bench, we would all sleep on it together. So, rather than see the programmes as things that took their father away from home during holidays, they became times of bonding and adventure for us.

When you are praying for great exploits in ministry, remember to pray for your family too. Put them first in the place of prayers. What you pray about shows what you prioritise.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I started discussing the importance of spending time with children. As parents spend time with their children, they must also spend time with what and whom their children spend time with. Parents should check the apps on their children’s phones to see what they are being exposed to. When they are watching movies or cartoons, they should watch with them to be sure that they are safe for them. They should check the websites they visit and ask them to invite their friends over so they can know the kind of friends they keep. They should visit their schools regularly to know the kind of people their teachers are. Parents should not see anything their children are involved in as too low or immature for them. Whatever or whomever children spend their time with will influence them, and parents must be there to ensure that they are influenced correctly. Solomon, in Proverbs 1:10-16, spoke to his son about the people he should interact with. He knew that even after raising him the right way, other people and things could still influence him negatively.

There are things parents teach their children that the world will try to convince them to compromise on. 2 Corinthians 2:11 tells us not to be ignorant of the enemy’s devices. Parents must pay attention to whatever their children are paying attention to. It will be unwise to teach them and then leave them to the world to corrupt them. Beyond that, parents should occupy their children with godly activities so that they can have things to spend their energy on. They should encourage them to join the workforce in their local assembly as well as Christian book clubs and associations. School activities and excursions are good, but parents must also prioritise spiritual engagements for their children. They shouldn’t ignore their children’s spiritual growth, but rather, they should teach them to build a connection with the Holy Spirit so that they can hear His voice telling them what and what not to do, even in their absence.


If you are a parent, engage your children in conversations to know what they have in their hearts and the things that influence them. Matthew 15:11 says that it is what comes out of a person’s mouth that defiles him or her. Talk to them about anything and everything to hear what they will say and know what is in their hearts.

I pray that you will not fail God over your children, in Jesus’ name.

A major danger in this generation is that parents are so busy with work that they neglect their children. It is absolutely wrong for domestic helps or nannies to spend more time with children than their parents. (1 Corinthians 15:33) says that evil communication corrupts good manners. Whomever children communicate with the most is whom they learn from the most. If you are a parent, you owe it to God to raise the children He has given you and not hand that responsibility over to someone else.

Nowadays, it is almost as if couples are competing with each other on who makes the most money. So, while men are out working, women are also working, leaving children without proper care. Fathers and mothers must both be available to raise the children that God has given to them. Psalm 127:3 says that children are God’s heritage; in other words, when you leave this world, what God expects you to leave behind for Him are the children that He has brought under your care, and this is not limited to your biological children. Parents are only caretakers, and if they damage what has been placed under their care, they will pay dearly for it.

There were times I wanted to play football with my peers as a little boy, but thank God my mother was always home to send me inside the house to study my books. I thought she was being mean, but she built in me the ability to ignore distractions and focus on my goals. The fear of my father’s punishments also put me in check while growing up. My elder brother was quite strong, but the day I saw him crying when my father disciplined him, I determined never to do anything that will make my father discipline me.

Some children develop bad habits right under their parents’ roof. However, the parents only get to find out several years later, and at that time, it takes only the grace of God for them to change. If you are a parent, don’t be too busy to train the children that God has given you. When you leave this world, the cars you drove and houses you bought will not matter; what will matter are the children you left behind. There is an African adage that says, ‘If you refuse to build your child because you are building a house, the child you did not build will sell the house you built.’ As a parent, the children God has given to you must be your priority, not material possessions.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A father has tremendous power over the lives and destinies of his children. Any wise child will always seek his or her father’s (biological or spiritual) blessings. This is why you must always think of ways to provoke your father to bless you. Unfortunately, these days, most people are after getting material things from their fathers and hardly think of what they can do to make their fathers bless them.

One day, I had just returned from a journey, and two of my spiritual children came to welcome me. The one who got to me first merely greeted me, the other followed suit when he joined us and then proceeded to collect my bags. Immediately he did that, I said to him, “God bless you.” The first son said, “Daddy, you did not say ‘God bless you’ to me.” I responded, “What did you do for me? You saw me carrying these bags, but you didn’t help me.” If you want your father to bless you, you must be ready to do something that will provoke him to do so.

One very important thing about a father’s blessing is that it is irreversible. Even though Isaac realised that he had blessed Jacob instead of Esau, he could not reverse it (Genesis 27:33). This is why you must seek your father’s blessing in every way you can.

Once your father blesses you, you are blessed forever. Nevertheless, blessings are different. Some blessings come from the soul, some from the heart and some from the mouth. When Isaac wanted to bless Esau, he told him to prepare his favourite meal so that after he had eaten it, he could bless him from deep within his soul (Genesis 27:4).

A father can bless three of his children, but one will still be greater than the rest because the father loves that one in a special way. How well does your father love you? Do you often provoke him to pray for you or are you the type that provokes him to anger regularly? Some people hardly send money to their old parents, some hardly call them, while some others don’t even visit them. They may be old and frail now, but their blessings and curses remain very powerful. Whatever you do, ensure that you get as many blessings as possible from your father before he dies.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Any ground that hosts the manifest presence of God is holy ground, and such grounds carry great power. Merely by stepping on such grounds, people receive great miracles. Beyond that, you can carry the power on a holy ground just by having contact with it. Exodus 4:1-2 tells us:

And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

God told Moses to throw his rod on the holy ground that he was standing on, and the rod became a snake. As Moses bent to pick up the snake, his hands touched the holy ground, and from that day, they became anointed. Every ground is ordinary ground until God touches it. When God touches a ground and your hand touches that ground, that hand can never remain the same.

In (2 Kings 2:9-15), when the horses and chariots of fire came to pick Elijah, they swept the ground and took him away. Elijah dropped his mantle, and when Elisha bent down to pick it, his hand touched the same ground that the host of heaven had touched and became anointed. When you study the ministry of Elisha, you will discover that he only used Elijah’s mantle once – to cross the Jordan. He didn’t use the mantle when he healed the waters in (2 Kings 2:20-22), neither did he use it when an axehead fell into a river in (2 Kings 6:1-7). The power was in the hand that touched the ground where the holy chariot of God swept. In Acts 26:13, when the light of God shone on the road to Damascus, the Bible says that it was brighter than the noonday sun. That was the light of the Bright and Morning Star. When He came all the way down to earth, Saul of Tarsus didn’t just touch the ground, he fell on it. This is why handkerchiefs that had touched his hands and aprons that he had worn worked miracles.

Don’t joke with any ground that is holy. If you are on a ground that you know God descends on regularly, take advantage of it and get all you can from God before you leave the place.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will be concluding my teaching on the full armour of God by looking at the last piece of armour. The sword of the Spirit is the only primarily offensive weapon listed in Ephesians 6:10-17. It is clearly a very important weapon that every soldier of Christ must have. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. In the spirit realm, battles are not fought with physical weapons but with words. The most potent of all the weapons used in spiritual battles is the word of God. The word of God is a powerful sword in the mouth of a believer. With it, you can defeat any force in any realm. Hebrews 4:12 describes this sword as quick, powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

This weapon is available to you for spiritual battles. When you know how to use this weapon, no force can withstand you. This is why you need to know the word of God for yourself and memorize it. Any Christian that does not study the Bible will be powerless in spiritual matters. When the devil tries to attack your health, counterattack him with 1 Peter 2:24 that says that you were healed by the stripes of Jesus. When he tries to attack your finances, tell him that the Lord will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). If he tries to come against your children, tell him that children are the heritage of the Lord so he should get his hands off God’s property (Psalm 127:3).

The word of God is superior to any other word, so when you present it concerning any case, the devil has no choice but to give in. If you present your own words to the devil in a spiritual battle, he can ignore whatever you have to say. However, he cannot ignore the word of God. Psalm 138:2 says that God exalts His word above His name. Know the word of God and memorize it so that when you are faced with an adverse situation, you will have the weapons to use to conquer the devil.

Don’t suffer in the hands of the devil when you already have in your possession the sword of the Spirit – a weapon that is guaranteed to defeat him at all times.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Over the past few days, I have been teaching on the full armour of God. The shield of faith ensures that the fiery arrows of the devil do not get to you. This suggests that there will be times when the devil will try to attack your health, finances, marriage and so on. You should use the shield of faith to ward off all such attacks. A Christian without faith is vulnerable to the devil’s attacks. Also, a Christian without faith should not expect to receive anything from God as we see in James 1:6-7.

Some things will come up that will try to shake your faith, those are the fiery darts of the enemy. They will look scary and seem to be able to bring you down, but if you hold on to your faith in Christ, you will ward them off. Sometimes, they come as mountains standing in your way. You must command those mountains to be removed by faith, and they will be removed.

One interesting thing about the shield of faith is that it can be in different sizes. In Matthew 8:26, the Bible talks of little faith and then we have great faith in Matthew 8:10. The size of your faith will determine how many fiery darts you can ward off. This is why Proverbs 24:10 says:

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

In order not to faint in the day of adversity, you must build up your faith before adversity comes. Jude 1:20 says that you should build up your faith by praying in the Holy Ghost. Ensure that you pray in the Holy Ghost every day. In fact, pray in the Spirit every minute, after all, that is the only way you can really pray without ceasing as instructed in (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Faith also comes by hearing the word of God as we see in Romans 10:17. If you want your faith to grow, you must ensure that you study your Bible every day. Also, ensure that you listen to sermons from genuine men of God regularly; this will further help your faith grow.

One final way through which your faith can grow is through trials as the Bible says in (1 Peter 1:7). Although, many Christians do not want to face challenges, the Bible says that you should count it all joy when you face temptations as they help you become perfect in Christ (James 1:2-4).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.