₦airaland Forum

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.

Occasionally, I wonder, “Do I still love God like I used to? Was there a time when I loved Him more than I do now?” In the past, many of us were willing to do anything for Him; we were hungry to please Him at whatever cost and give to Him even when we had next to nothing. I remember the days when we used to have Bible Study Leaders Retreat, and we would take offerings. From the offerings, you would know that if the congregation had more, they would willingly give more. One brother gave his belt because he didn’t have any money to give!

How is your love for God now? Is it greater or less than it was before? There are people who, when they got born again, could dance vigorously during praise and worship, not caring if anyone was looking at them. Now, they can’t even shout hallelujah at the top of their voices. No matter how big a fellow is, he or she is still nothing before God. If a person is too big to dance for Him, He can decide to show that fellow how small he or she really is.

One day, I asked God, “Lord, David did a lot of terrible things, even more than Saul, yet You said David was a man after Your heart while You rejected Saul. I know that You are not partial, but I am curious to know why.” He responded, “What did David do in 2 Samuel 6:14?” I replied, “He danced with all his might.” Then He asked, “Can you show me a place in the Bible where Saul danced for me?” That was when I really knew why God rejected Saul. It is not so much about dancing; rather, it is about the heart of a man after God has raised him. David’s love for God increased as he went higher, while Saul’s love reduced as he went higher. Which of these two are you?

If a believer’s love for God is reducing, such a believer is not far off from offending Him, and that might result in God rejecting the fellow. If you don’t believe me, read Philippians 1:9-10:

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

May your love for God keep increasing for the rest of your life, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people have sought to find out the real meaning and essence of life. I have discovered that the only thing that gives life meaning is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Christ, life has no meaning. Without Christ, a man is like a boat, rocked back and forth by the waves of this world. He may pursue a variety of personal objectives, amass wealth, achieve success in one field or the other, or gain pleasure in one thing or another, but soon he will discover that they are all momentary and unsatisfying without Christ. No matter how rich you become, Ecclesiastes 5:10 says that money doesn’t satisfy. In Christ, you have everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

In Ephesians 2:1, Apostle Paul referred to those without Christ as being ‘dead in trespasses and sins’. He said in verse 3 that they fulfil the desires of the flesh, and if anyone has lived long enough, he or she would have discovered that the desires of the flesh do not bring satisfaction. At the end of the day, what people need to gain the joy that they seek is to satisfy the burning desire to connect with their Maker, the Lord Jesus Christ. Until that is done, they will always feel empty. Cars, awards, titles, and all the money in this world can never fill that void in their hearts. Until they have a relationship with Christ, their lives will remain meaningless. This is why when people become born again, all of a sudden, they feel this inner peace that cannot be explained. What follows after is joy. Life now suddenly has a meaning.

Beloved, make Christ your top priority. Don’t trade Him for money or anything else because it will profit you nothing if you gain the whole world and lose your soul (Matthew 16:26). People who do not have Christ will not only live a life of depression and chaos on earth, but they will also suffer for eternity in hell. The worst thing about hell is not the unquenchable fire and undying worms that will torture its occupants (Mark 9:48); it is the eternal separation from God and the regret of choosing to continue in sin despite hearing several messages of God’s salvation. Save yourself from that torment by giving your life to Christ now if you haven’t done so, and ensure you live holy henceforth.

NOTE: If you are born again, you can make this message into a tract. Put the contact details of any RCCG parish at the back of the tract so that people who read it can have a minister of God to call for counselling and prayers. Use it to win souls to Christ.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will conclude my teaching on ‘impossible’ prayers. There is a popular saying that an opportunity, once lost, can never be regained. The fellow who said that did not put God in the equation. With God, nothing is impossible. He can restore the unrestorable. You might have lost an opportunity in the past and now you think that it is impossible to regain that opportunity. However, there is nothing impossible with God.

In Ezekiel 37:1-11, God restored life to dry bones. God can restore that opportunity that you think is long gone to you if you have faith. He specialises in doing the impossible.

When I was studying at the University of Lagos, I applied to the Federal Ministry of Education for a scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree. Time passed, and I never got a response from the ministry. Somehow, I raised the money for my tuition, and life went on. When I was close to obtaining the Master’s degree, I met someone I used to know back when I was a games master in a secondary school. He was a games master at another school, and we had met when both of our schools were involved in a competition. As we talked, I found out that he now worked at the Federal Ministry of Education. I told him, “You people are very tough at the ministry. I applied for a scholarship, and I wasn’t even called for an interview.” He told me that he would look into it. I thought I would get a letter asking me to come for an interview, but to my surprise, the letter I got was to tell me that I had been awarded the scholarship. Since I had already paid my tuition, I bought a land and built my first house with the money I was awarded. God used a casual meeting to restore an opportunity that I thought was long gone, and it led to me building my first house.

What you may have lost could be more serious. If you have lost your first love for Christ, and the passion and love that you had for Him at the beginning seems to have died, God will restore your love for Him today, in Jesus’ name. You can love Him far more than you ever did. All you have to do is cooperate with Him as He guides you on what to do for that love to be restored.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In continuing my teaching on the categories of prayer, I will focus on ‘impossible’ prayers today. The Bible says that some things are impossible with men, but with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26), (Luke 1:37). If you have any doubt about this at all, just take a look at Redemption City, and you will know that with God, all things are possible. There are buildings in Redemption City that were built in seven days and which have been standing for around 40 years. The first secondary school building in the city is a two-storey building that was built in 18 days. I don’t use human engineering, I use divine engineering because, with my God, nothing is impossible.

The moment God hears, “It can’t be done” from your mouth, it just may never be done. This is because Numbers 14:28 says, “…as ye have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you:” Despite a fellow’s unbelief, God’s purpose will always be done, only that He will raise up another generation that will get the work done. In Numbers 13-14, twelve spies were sent to Jericho; ten of them came back and said that they couldn’t take the land, while only two said they could. God ensured that all the people who said that they couldn’t take the land were wiped out in the wilderness, while only the two who said that it was possible entered the land. In (2 Kings 7:1-17), Elisha proclaimed a seemingly impossible economic breakthrough within 24 hours. Everyone in the room kept quiet except one man who said that even if God created windows in heaven, it would be impossible. The breakthrough happened, but that man did not partake in it. Never say that anything is impossible; the moment someone says that something cannot be done, as far as he or she is concerned, it just may never be done.

When Jesus said in John 14:14, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it,” He was not joking. Therefore, if I ask for something that seems impossible, He will give it to me because He did not put any limit on what I can ask for according to His will (1 John 5:14-15).

Beloved, don’t express doubt when it comes to God. Don’t try to understand what He can do and how He will do it. Just believe.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In continuation of my teaching on the categories of prayer, I will focus on dangerous prayers today. Some prayers are dangerous because what will follow if God answers them will be dangerous. This is because to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).

The prayer for God to anoint you and give you spiritual gifts is a dangerous prayer. The greater your anointing, the more visible you will be to the enemy. When you read Judges 15, you will see how powerful Samson was. However, in Judges 16, you will see how dangerous that power was. This is why I spend quality time praying for my children who are evangelists. I thank God for their lives and the miracles happening through them, but I also know that the anointing makes them very visible to the enemy, and they need to be protected.

The enemy is always after anointed people. In (2 Kings 1:7-15), the king sent a total of 153 soldiers to arrest Elijah. However, in (2 Kings 6:8-16), when the king wanted to arrest Elisha, who had a double-portion anointing, he sent the entire army. There is a level of wealth and influence that, if you ask God for and He gives it to you, will have dangerous results. This is why sometimes, God holds some things back from some people, because He knows that they cannot handle them. Like Elisha, if you ask for a level of the anointing and God gives it to you, your tongue will not remain the same. With it, you can bless, and you can also kill. In (2 Kings 2:19-24), Elisha spoke, and the curse that had been on Jericho for generations vanished. Also, he decreed a curse on 42 unruly children, and they all died immediately.

It is good to ask for great things, but when you do, remember Numbers 20:1-12. Moses had led the Israelites for 40 years, he made only one mistake, and God said that he wouldn’t go into the Promised Land because of it. This is why it is important to always pray for your leaders, especially your spiritual leaders. The power that they possess can both heal and kill. In Acts 5:1-11, Ananias and Sapphira sold a land, brought less than the amount they received to Peter, and that deception cost them their lives.

Power can bless, kill, heal, and make sick; be sure you can handle it before you ask for it. In (2 Kings 5:1-27, Naaman was cleansed by obeying an instruction from Elisha, and Gehazi became a leper by another word from the same mouth.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Over the last three days, I have discussed very easy prayers and easy prayers. Today, I will talk about hard prayers.

You pray hard prayers when you ask God to change the natural order of things and negate the laid-down laws that govern the world. For example, when Joshua stopped the sun from setting, he prayed for something that was contrary to nature (Joshua 10:12-14). Also, in 2 Kings 20:1-11, King Hezekiah wanted the sun to go backwards as a sign that he would be healed. That was a hard prayer, but God did it still. If God answered these prayers by breaking the laws of nature just because someone asked Him to, then there is nothing that is too difficult to ask Him to do in your life.

Years ago, a pregnant woman came to me, saying that she already had daughters, but that her in-laws had threatened to chase her out of her husband’s house if she didn’t deliver a son with her current pregnancy. I told her that according to science, a baby’s gender is decided within 72 hours after it is conceived. She replied that I was not the one who will change the gender of the baby; all she wanted was for me to agree with her in prayers. I did so, and she gave birth to a boy. You may say that the baby was probably a boy all along, however, I shared this testimony while preaching one day, and a woman came to meet me after the service. She was eight months pregnant and had done a scan which revealed that the baby in her womb was a boy. However, she wanted a girl because she wanted to be able to share her dresses with her daughter. I told her, “You know very well that this baby is fully formed by now.” She replied that I was not the one who will perform the miracle; she just wanted me to agree with her in prayers. I did so, and she gave birth to a girl!

Nothing is too hard for God to do (Jeremiah 32:27). He made the laws of nature and can suspend them at any time. He can reverse the irreversible just because you ask Him to. During one of our programmes, a man wanted to see the miracles happening at the altar and whispered to God that he would like to be taller. He outgrew his trousers on the spot and everyone could see it! Indeed, nothing is too hard for God to do.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will continue my teaching on the various categories of prayer by looking at the second category: easy prayers. You pray easy prayers when you ask God for what He has already guaranteed in the Bible. For example, asking God for your daily bread is asking for something that He has already guaranteed (Matthew 6:9-11). The shepherd does not eat grass; it is meant for the sheep. So, when you ask God for food as His sheep, it is an easy prayer that He will answer easily (Psalm 23).

Psalm 35:27 says that God has pleasure in your prosperity. Therefore, asking for wealth is an easy prayer. Years ago, when I asked God for money to build a small house in Mushin, Lagos, He said, “Don’t ask for a house, I have decided to give you a city.” So, when seven of us gathered in Ilorin to pray for a campground, one of us began to prophesy, “I have already provided the land, I will only show it to you.” The land was already provided because He guaranteed it in His word (Psalm 2:.

One of my children said, ‘Give me’ is the prayer of a child. When your son comes to ask you for food, he is just saying, “I am ready for the next ration,” he is not bothered about the provision of the food. In the same vein, you should not be bothered about things that God has already promised you in the Scriptures. They are already provided for you, so all you need to do is ask, and you will get them at the right time. There is no need to worry about money, food, or all those things that make you comfortable; God has already provided them (Matthew 6:25-34).

When you worry about the things that God has guaranteed, it shows that you have little faith. Before you came to this world, He had prepared everything you need to survive. Just ask for them when you need them. As you ask, pay attention to whatever instructions He will give you on how to get them. In 1 Kings 17:4-6, He told Elijah to go to the brook and food was brought to him there. If Elijah did not obey, he would have died of hunger even though food was available for him. Your well-being is God’s responsibility; stop worrying about it.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I taught about praise and worship being in the category of very easy prayers and the fact that even little children can praise God. Today, I will discuss God’s reaction to very easy prayers.

The first thing you must know about this category of prayers is that God is looking for people that pray this way. Students seek knowledge, politicians seek power, businessmen seek profit, but God seeks worshippers. He is constantly searching for people that will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). When He finds such people, He is so happy that He gives them blessings and miracles that they did not even ask for. Psalm 67:5-6 says:

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

When we had just begun to hold the Holy Ghost Service at Redemption City, I was fasting and praying towards the programme one day when God said, “Don’t pray, just praise Me.” I did that, and the way He responded amazed me. On the first night of the Holy Ghost Service, He healed 14,000 people. We were few then, so that was almost everyone in attendance! After the programme, I was in my prayer room, thanking Him because I had not seen such before. Then, He told me to praise Him more and that He would do more the next day. I did not understand what He was saying because almost everyone had been healed on the first day. What I did not know was that the people who had gotten their healing went to tell their friends, and more people came the following day. On that day, 16,000 people were healed! I became frightened. Imagine having a congregation of 15,000 people, and by the next day, it had grown to 30,000! Praising and worshipping God causes Him to do frightening miracles.

A few years ago, during a wedding ceremony in a parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, the groom suddenly fell and died while signing the marriage register. All the pastors gathered and prayed all the prayers they knew, yet the young man’s corpse grew colder. Then, someone said that they should all stop praying and just praise God. Not long after they started doing that, the groom rose from the dead.

Beloved, the easiest route to getting God to pay attention to you is through praise and worship. Do it continuously.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are five categories of prayers: very easy prayers, easy prayers, hard prayers, dangerous prayers, and ‘impossible’ prayers. For the next few days, I will be teaching on each of them to help you have a more robust prayer life.

The first category of prayers is the very easy prayers. This is praise and worship. Praise and worship is very easy because you don’t have to be a theologian to praise God; even little children can praise Him (Matthew 21:15-16).

David said that his soul would not forget all of God’s benefits, and so he would bless the Lord (Psalm 103:2). As a songwriter said, if you count your blessings and name them one by one, it will be very easy to praise God. David said, “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1). You can praise God non-stop because praising Him is very easy when you count your blessings. It is very easy to do, yet it is extremely powerful. Unfortunately, many Christians don’t praise God much.

When we were about to open the first parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God in Abuja, I was in my hotel room, praying concerning the programme that would hold that evening and asking God to perform miracles, heal the sick, and save souls. While praying, God said, “Shut up, am I your houseboy? Have you thanked Me for all I’ve done for you in the past?” I said, “Oh Lord, thank You for all You have done in the past. Tonight, please heal the sick…” Again, He told me to shut up and that I should only praise Him and not ask for anything for the next three days. It was very difficult, but I did it anyway. By the end of the third day, He said, “Select elders who will be going around, teaching the doctrine of the church to strengthen its foundation because all you have seen thus far is addition; get ready for multiplication.” The result of praising Him then can be clearly seen today as RCCG has indeed multiplied greatly.

Do you engage in this very easy prayer of praise and worship? How often do you praise God? Look around you, there are multitudes of things you can praise God for; praise Him continually for them. I know there are some things that you wish He has done, but what about all He has done already? If you find it difficult to praise God for what He has done, how do you expect Him to do more?

Don’t be an ingrate; go ahead and praise God with all your might.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS FOR YOUR NATION

1. Father, I am grateful for your blessings over my nation. We are still standing because you are watching over us.

2. Father, please empower the leaders of my nation and grant them the wisdom and strength to lead us aright at all times.

3. Lord, please expose and uproot wicked leaders from their offices, in Jesus’ name. Never let the wicked rule in any part of my nation again.

4. Father, please give the righteous people in my nation the boldness to rule. Raise righteous people who will boldly take up the mantle of leadership, in Jesus’ name.

5. Lord, please let your mercy reign in my nation. Let there be no disasters or outbreaks of diseases, in Jesus’ name.

6. Father, please let my nation prosper greatly. Let our lands be filled with abundance, and let our economy blossom. Open new doors of opportunities and prosperity to us; let barrenness and scarcity come to an end in every part of my nation, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, please let peace reign between us and the nations around us. War and violence of any kind will not be mentioned in our land, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, please let your plans for my nation be fulfilled. Let them come to pass quickly, in Jesus’ name.

9. Lord, please have mercy and cause us to repent from any form of pride and foolishness that may destroy us in our nation, in Jesus’ name.

10. Lord, please let my nation be among the great nations of the world. Let those seeking to destroy my nation and steal her glory be brought to shame, in Jesus’ name.

11. Lord, please let there be a revival in my nation. Let us begin to seek you wholeheartedly, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer points for your nation.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Some people do not want to grow old; it is as if they are seeking a ‘fountain of youth’ that can keep them young forever. While it is impossible to remain young forever, you can still have the strength and vigour of a youth no matter how old you become.

I told some friends sometime ago that since Joel 2:28 says that young men see visions, if you still have visions that you are pursuing, you are young. God will give you visions when you wait on Him in His presence (Habakkuk 2:1-2). Those who spend quality time with God are visionaries; they come out of His presence loaded with visions that they want to accomplish. Before I became born again, my biggest vision was to be the youngest Vice Chancellor in Africa, but after I got saved and started spending time with God, I began to have bigger visions.

There is always a transfer from God to you when you spend quality time with Him. In Exodus 34:30-35, when Moses returned after he had been with God, the Israelites could not look at his face because God’s glory was all over him. Moses spent quality time with God; he once went to a mountain and stayed there with God for 40 days (Exodus 24:18). No wonder when he was 120 years old, his strength had not reduced, and his eyes were still very sharp (Deuteronomy 34:7). Abraham was over 80 years old when he went to war to rescue his nephew, Lot (Genesis 14:13-16). He could do so because he was a man of altars, always spending time with God. Spending quality time with God keeps you strong and youthful. With the little sleep that I often get because of my tight schedules, I should be looking older than my age, but by God’s grace, I am still strong enough at 82 to go on long walks, and my eyes are not dim. It is not because I am special; it is because I am always in contact with God’s glory in His presence.

Beloved, you can retain the vitality of youth even until your old age by being addicted to His presence. However, you shouldn’t live an unhealthy lifestyle and expect God to keep you young because you spend hours in His presence. Anyone who is irresponsible with his or her health will face the consequences.

Spend quality time with God; His glory will rub off on you, and your youth will be renewed as the eagle’s.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.