₦airaland Forum

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.

Today, I will continue my teaching on the full armour of God by discussing the helmet of salvation. A helmet is a piece of armour that covers the head. Your head is a part of your body that can be used to identify you, as evidenced by the snapshots used in identification cards. Wearing the helmet of salvation identifies you as a child of God and tells the devil to take his hands off you.

It is unfortunate, however, that many believers remove their helmet of salvation when they get to certain circles; they don’t want people there to know that they are saved. They try to conform to the world rather than being different. Romans 12:2 says:

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

When a Christian refuses to identify as a child of God, that Christian is removing the protection from his or her head, and that is one delicate part of the body that will result in instant death if it is struck. Many people lose their salvation because they are trying to conform to the world. Keep your salvation intact by boldly identifying as a child of God everywhere you go.

The blood of Jesus, which was shed on the cross, is what gives us the gift of salvation. Those that are saved are of the light and not of the darkness, as seen in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10. Hence, you must behave as a child of light at all times. Matthew 7:16 says that you can identify those who are saved by their fruits. If you start exhibiting fruits that are not of God, your helmet of salvation is off, and that spells trouble because on the last day, when Jesus comes back to take His own to be with Him, He will only take those who still have their helmets of salvation on. This is why you must work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Don’t assume that you still have your helmet of salvation on just because you have been going to church or even because you are a pastor. Check your salvation at all times to be sure that you are still standing. 1 Corinthians 10:12 says that you should take heed if you think you are standing, lest you fall.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In continuation of my teaching on the full armour of God, I will be discussing the third piece of armour listed in Ephesians 6:10-17. This armour is actually called the ‘shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace’. The first thing to note about this armour is that it implies moving around with the gospel. Your security is in your preaching of the gospel. The more unbelievers you are able to convert to Christianity, the lesser the devil’s attacks on you will be. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says that two are better than one, and a threefold cord is not easily broken. When you are the only Christian in your neighbourhood or family, you are more open to attacks because everyone around you is in the opponent’s army. However, if you win all your family members and neighbours to Christ, you will be more secure. When the enemy tries to strike, you will have soldiers around you to come together to pray and send the devil packing. When you are feeling weak spiritually, you will have brethren to strengthen your weak hands and lift your feeble knees (Isaiah 35:3-4).

The peace element in these shoes will give you peace as you go around preaching the gospel. The devil will come at you with all kinds of things to scare you so that you will not preach the gospel, but when you have peace, his tricks will not work on you. He is like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5: that scares people but cannot bite. That peace is necessary as you go out to preach the gospel because you will face persecution. Also, as you preach the gospel, you are to bring peace to chaotic environments. This is why in Luke 10:5, when Jesus sent His disciples out to preach the gospel, He said that the first thing they were to say when they got to a new place is, “Peace be unto this house.” What you are spreading is peace, not chaos, and for anyone that receives the gospel, the first thing they will experience in their heart is peace.

Beloved, do you have your shoes of the gospel of peace? Do you win souls? Imagine how much peace will be in your country if one of the souls you have won becomes the president of your country tomorrow. When you preach the gospel, you are doing it for your own security.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I started a discussion on the full armour of God. Today, I will be discussing the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness is the piece of armour that protects your heart. To be righteous is to always do the right thing according to God’s standards, When you are righteous, your heart is protected against the tricks of the devil. The moment you stop being righteous, you expose your heart to all manners of sin in the world, and this is how backsliding starts. The devil is after your heart; this is why Proverbs 4:23 says:

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

The devil wants to turn your heart away from God, so he suggests sin to you every now and then. However, if your breastplate of righteousness is intact, you will not fall. The devil will present something that does not seem really bad to you. I have always said it, if it is not really bad, it is already bad; stay away from it. If you do that which does not really seem bad, you have opened up your heart to accommodate even more sin. Before you realize it, you will start doing things that you said you would never do again; this is how believers backslide.

Is the devil already presenting something that does not seem really bad to you, and you are already making up an excuse for yourself to do it? Desist from that thing immediately; his plan is to get you to remove your breastplate of righteousness so that your heart can become open for his attacks. If a Christian’s breastplate is off and the devil attacks his or her heart, it is instant death. Removing every form of carnality from your life is the only way to keep your breastplate of righteousness on.

Your thoughts should dwell on spiritual things (Philippians 4:. If your mind is drawn to carnal things rather than spiritual things, you are in a dangerous state, but when your mind is drawn to spiritual things, the temptations to be unrighteous will become less effective on you. This is why Romans 8:6 says:

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Beloved, don’t let the little things of this world open you up to spiritual death. If something seems bad, stay away because it will only lead to spiritual death.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Over the next few days, I will like to discuss the importance of the full armour of God listed in Ephesians 6:10-17. The first piece of armour listed is the belt of truth because it is the most important. John 17:17 tells us that the word of God is truth. Jesus Christ is the Truth (John 14:6). You are to tie the truth around your waist and have it hold everything else you wear and own together.

Those who live by the truth win the battles of life because the truth makes it impossible for them to be captives of anything the world has to offer (John 8:32).

The truth will give you a perspective far greater than that of the world (Psalm 119:100). This is why you should live your life according to God’s word. When you do this, everyone will see you as wise because you will excel in everything that you do and be above your peers who do not know the truth.

The devil is the father of lies (John 8:44); he will try to lie to you and twist the truth every now and then. This is why you must know the truth so you won’t fall for his tricks. In Genesis 3:5, he suggested to Eve that she was not yet like God even though Genesis 1:27 says that she was made in His image and likeness. Eve ate the forbidden fruit because she did not really know the truth. In Matthew 4:3, the devil told Jesus to turn stone into bread if He was really the Son of God. Jesus did not fall for that because He was sure that He is the Son of God. If you don’t really know the truth, the devil will deceive you, and once he does that, your belt of truth, which holds all your other armour in place, will be gone, making you vulnerable to attacks from the enemy.

Don’t expect the devil to come with a black cloth and horns on his head; sometimes, he disguises himself like an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He can tell you that the grace of God covers all sins and that you can keep sinning and still go to heaven. He can come up with logical reasons to tell you that God doesn’t exist or that He is wicked and doesn’t love you. These are lies that the devil has used to strip people of their belt of truth in the past. Don’t fall for his tricks.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS FOR YOUTHS

1. Father, thank you for the youths. I am grateful for your unconditional love, blessings, and kindness to the youths.

2. Father, please increase your love in the hearts of the youths. Let them love you far more than anyone or anything in this world, in Jesus’ name.

3. Father, please guide and protect the youths from the path of destruction. Don’t let the devil deceive them into walking the wrong path in life, show them the path of life and give them the grace to walk in it.

4. Father, please frustrate every agenda of the enemy to corrupt the youths and destroy the future of the church, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, please set the youths free from every curse or battle inherited from their parents, in Jesus’ name.

6. Father, please anoint the youths with your special anointing for exploits. Let them excel in everything that they do and stand out in their fields of practice, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, please make all the youths productive in the society. Settle them with good jobs and thriving businesses, and make them useful to themselves and their families, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, please give the youths the grace to live holy in this perverse world. Don’t let them fall for the tricks and temptations of the devil to sin, in Jesus’ name.

9. Father, please give the youths in the church the grace to do your work even at their young age. Let them become evangelists, pastors and ministers that will do far greater works than their fathers, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, please answer the prayers of the youths according to your will. Encourage them to draw closer to you, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, please don’t let the youths repeat any mistakes that their parents have made. Give them the grace to break negative generational patterns, in Jesus’ name.

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

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Jesus said in Luke 9:23:

… If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

If you will truly follow Christ, you must be ready to suffer for His sake. No one follows Christ without taking up his or her cross. An evangelist might have told you to just give your life to Christ and everything will be beautiful. That is true, everything in your life will indeed be more beautiful because you have given your life to Christ. However, there will still be some suffering. Jesus Christ said that when we come to Him, He will take our heavy yokes from us, but He never said that He will leave us without a yoke. Rather, in Matthew 11:29-30, He said:

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Jesus said that He will give us His own yoke to carry. His yoke is lighter than the one we were carrying before we got born again, but it is still a yoke.

The reason many people fall when temptations come is that they were not prepared to suffer for Christ. You must be so determined to follow Christ that you literally say, “If I perish, I perish!” (Esther 4:16). When you do this, your strength will be great, and you will not faint in the day of adversity (Proverbs 24:10). Those that do not faint in the day of adversity always enjoy great benefits when the adversity is over.

In Genesis 39, after all that Joseph had gone through in the hands of his brothers, the biggest test of his life came; the wife of his master wanted him to lay with her. He said, “How can I do this thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). He was willing to face whatever consequence will come with Him following and obeying God. He went to jail, but as soon as God saw that he carried His yoke willingly, He arranged for him to meet Pharaoh, and by the time we get to Genesis 41, he had become the Prime Minister of the greatest nation on earth at that time.

Your destiny depends on the answer to this question: are you ready to suffer for Christ?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In 1 Kings 17:8-16, Elijah came to the widow of Zarephath, who had only one meal left. The Bible says in Luke 4:25-26 that there were many widows in the land, but Elijah was only sent to her. This is because God had chosen to bless her with supernatural provision. Even though God had chosen to bless her, she needed to give something to bring the blessing into manifestation. When Elijah asked for her last meal, she could have said, “You want to take the last meal out of the mouth of a widow and her son? And you call yourself a man of God.” However, she obeyed and brought the meal to Elijah, and from that moment on, lack became a thing of the past in her family.

God is the owner of heaven and earth; He can get whatever He needs without the help of any human being. He said in Psalm 50:10-12 that if He was hungry, He could eat any of the cattle on a thousand hills because they are His. However, as great as He is, He sometimes requests that a man should give Him something. When He does this, it is because He has chosen to bless that man. God could have provided for Elijah in any way; He had been feeding him for months using birds. In 1 Kings 19:4-8, when Elijah was hungry, an angel brought food and water, so when the brook dried up, God could have sent angels to feed him. It was not Elijah that needed help, it was the widow of Zarephath; she was the one in serious need. When God decides to meet your need, I pray that you will not resist His will.

In 2 Kings 4:8-17, you will see the story of the great woman of Shunem. She saw the man of God passing by, and God moved her to invite him to eat. Elisha refused, but the Bible says that she constrained him. Something within her said, “Don’t let that man of God go until you have blessed him.” Elisha ate the meal and kept coming back for more. She kept feeding him and even built an apartment for him. Then one day, God put an end to her barrenness when Elisha prayed for her. God prompted her to do the things she did, and although they cost her money, she got what money couldn’t buy in return. May you cooperate with God on the day He decides to bless you, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When people are young, they feel like they can carry the world on their shoulders. They move with strength and keep surmounting mountains. A time will come, however, when they will no longer be able to do the things they normally do. At that time, when they are old, they will need young people to help them. If they had been preparing younger people, they would have no problems, but if they had kept their secrets and resources to themselves, there would be no one to help them.

When I was approaching the age of 60, many people were rejoicing, preparing for a huge celebration. At that time, as far as they were concerned, RCCG had done well as we were in about 50 nations of the world. Meanwhile, I was in agony because I knew that at 60, my afternoon was almost over, and my evening was about to set in. I was crying to my God one night, pacing up and down, saying, “Lord, what am I going to do now? You told my father in the Lord that RCCG is going to spread throughout the world, and I believed that it was going to happen in my lifetime. Now, my sun is about to set, look at where I am and help me.” Then God spoke, “Son, I determine when the sun will set.” Thank God, over two decades later, my sun has not set yet.

We are where we are today because God taught me how to prepare for the evening. As at the time I am writing this, RCCG is in 197 countries and this includes some nations I have never been to. However, my children are there; people who sat, learned, and were equipped by God through me. I am not resting on my oars, I am making more preparations, working harder than ever before. This is why at least three times in a year, during the Holy Ghost Services, I pick teenagers and young people in their twenties to preach on the altar, discovering new talents, and encouraging and preparing them for tomorrow.

If you are elderly, do yourself a favour, bring forth the youth, prepare and equip them, give them opportunities to lead, and send them out to get established, so that when you grow old, there will be people behind you to say, “Well done, we have your back.”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God is Love (1 John 4:, but He is also a consuming fire (Hebrew 12:29). Many people are on His consuming side, but they think they are on His loving side. Don’t be deceived by those who tell you that once you are a child of God, you can behave anyhow. They usually say so because the Bible says that grace came through Jesus (John 1:17). However, the Bible did not say that Jesus is grace, because Jesus is far more than grace. He brought grace, but you will never find anywhere in the Bible that says that Jesus is grace.

If Jesus was full of grace alone, John 1:14 would have said ‘full of grace’ and stopped there, but it went further to add ‘truth’. In John 14:6, Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and life…”. He never said I am grace.

When many of my children want to be funny, they will draw a caricature of me wearing a bow tie and holding a tambourine. No matter how funny the drawing looks, when people see the bowtie and tambourine, they will know that the drawing was made in reference to me. I am usually seen with a tambourine, but I am not the tambourine. Let us assume that the tambourine makes me smile at you. If I have the tambourine in my hand as I am relating with you and you do something wrong, I can decide to put down the tambourine, stop smiling, and scold you.

In Titus 2:11-12, the Bible says that grace brought salvation to us, teaching us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts. When someone is ungodly and embraces worldly lusts in the name of grace, that fellow has rejected the salvation that came by grace and, as such, will see the consuming side of God.

Beloved, I advise you to be wise; enjoy the grace of God, but don’t take it for granted. Even though Jesus Christ is full of grace, if a person takes that grace for granted, He will show the fellow His consuming side. Make up your mind never to frustrate God’s grace upon your life (Galatians 2:21). God’s grace is meant to help you overcome sin; it is not a licence to dwell in sin.

Do exploits for the kingdom with the grace that God has made available to you through Jesus Christ. Be like Apostle Paul, who said that the grace of God was what made him do all that he did for God (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Wisdom is the correct application of knowledge. Acquiring knowledge and applying it are two different things. For example, if a man is driving on a road and sees a road sign that says, ‘Narrow bridge ahead,’ as soon as he sees that sign, he has acquired knowledge. However, what that man decides to do with that knowledge will tell if he is wise or foolish. If the man is wise, he will slow down because the bridge ahead is narrow, and there might be an oncoming vehicle. On the other hand, if he is foolish, he will keep driving at the same speed or even increase the speed of the vehicle.

God said in Proverbs 4:7 that wisdom is the principal thing. Principal refers to the most important thing. This means that to God, getting wisdom is of utmost importance.

The Bible tells us that there are two types of wisdom. The first one comes from fearing God.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: – Psalm 111:10

Wisdom begins when the fear of God is established in your life. When you fear God, you won’t do anything to annoy Him because you know that He determines your beginning and end. The Bible calls Him a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29); therefore, He is the last person you should offend. Also, if the Consuming Fire is on your side, you have nothing to fear because the word of God says that if God is for you, nobody can be against you (Romans 8:31). Wisdom teaches you to fear God, thus fear Him wherever you go and at all times.

The second type of wisdom is the wisdom of this world (1 Corinthians 1:20). This wisdom is not from God and is actually foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). The world does not recognize God, and as such, worldly wisdom is based on human logic and things that the human mind can grasp. With worldly wisdom, some things can be deemed impossible. However, the Bible tells us that with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Do not go with the world’s wisdom, as it is foolishness before God. Choose to fear God, obey His word, and He will give you wisdom, which is the principal thing that you need to succeed in life. When you embrace godly wisdom, you will be honoured and crowned with God’s glory in everything that you do.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Proverbs 15:22 tells us that without counsel, purposes are defeated. In other words, if you plan to do something and you don’t have any advice, you might not be able to achieve it. Proverbs 20:18 says:

Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

Getting advice or counsel, as the Bible calls it, is very needful. Do not begin any endeavour without getting good advice. Proverbs 24:6 says, “…in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” When you surround yourself with many good advisers, you will be safe and unlikely to make costly mistakes in life.

Note that it is not every piece of advice that you should take. God said in Proverbs 8:14 that counsel and sound wisdom are His. Every counsel you take must ultimately be from God, and as such, you should ensure that every bit of advice you receive aligns with the word of God before you accept them. This is because some clever people might come to you with pieces of advice that sound very good but that are ungodly and misleading. God is the best counsellor. In fact, that is one of the names of the Lord Jesus Christ according to Isaiah 9:6.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Whenever you get advice from anybody, check for what the word of God says concerning it. If you discover that it is not in agreement with the word of God, then you should know that it is not coming from godly wisdom, and you must reject it. This is why you need to know the word of God yourself so that when somebody gives you a bit of advice, you will be able to differentiate if it aligns with the word of God or not. Be like the Berean Christians; always ensure that you search the Scriptures to confirm everything you hear, irrespective of who says it (Acts 17:10-12).

Seek God’s counsel in everything that you do. Study His word and listen to His advice through the mouth of many wise counsellors who are children of God and who understand His word. This way, you will remain on the right path and will not be led astray.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God has a purpose for everything He does. In Exodus 8:1, He said to Moses, “…Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.” God’s reason for delivering the Israelites from bondage was so that they could serve and worship Him. Likewise, your salvation comes with a purpose, as the passage in Ephesians 2:8-10.

In Mark 1:40-45, a leper came to Jesus and said, “I know that You can make me clean if You are willing.” Jesus answered, “I am willing.” With one touch, the leper was cleansed, and he went everywhere testifying. God heals so that there can be testimonies. Also, anytime He sets captives free, it is for a purpose. In Mark 5:2-20, the madman of Gadara was delivered and was ready to follow Jesus everywhere, but Christ said No! He had been delivered for a purpose – to be a witness.

God also sets free for His name to be praised. In Mark 3:1-5, the man with the withered hand received his healing because Psalm 47:1 says, “O clap your hands, all ye people…”. A withered hand cannot be used to clap for God, so his hand was restored.

What is the purpose of a miracle? The Bible says in Acts 3:1-11 that when the lame man at the Beautiful Gate received his miracle, he started walking, leaping, and praising God. When you receive a miracle, it is so that you can begin to praise God. Also, miracles lead to the salvation of souls. In Acts 4:4, we see that Peter’s speech after healing the lame man led to five thousand people being saved! God does miracles to draw people to Himself.

In Luke 5:1-11, when Jesus stepped into Peter’s boat after he had laboured all night and caught nothing, he received a huge miracle that frightened him. The Lord said, “From now, you will no longer catch fish but men.” Peter got a breakthrough that drew him to serve God because the Bible says that he forsook all and followed Him.

You should ask yourself, “Why has God delivered me from darkness and kept me healthy? Why did He save my soul?” He did all these for a purpose. Have you discovered that purpose? Don’t just thank God for healing, salvation, deliverance, and provision; remember that He did everything for a purpose. You must continually seek to discover His purpose for your life and fulfil it.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A person’s strength of character is best revealed in the midst of adversity (Proverbs 24:10). You will be surprised at the level of unbelief demonstrated by many who claim to be children of God when they are faced with adverse situations. At such times, fear makes many lose their hold of God’s infallible word; this is what happened to the disciples in Mark 4:35-41. They were so afraid of the great storm threatening their lives even though Jesus was right there in the boat with them. At that moment, they forgot all the great deeds they had seen Him do and all the powerful things they had heard Him teach. Think about yourself, how do you react when you are in trouble like the disciples? Do you blame God, or do you act as if He is not even there with you at all? You must always remember that Jesus Christ is with you in the boat of life. Not only is He with you, but He can also feel the turbulence of the boat and will come to your aid once you call on Him. Hebrews 2:18 says of Him:

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

He personally promised to be with you always, even to the end of the world (Matthew 28:19-20). How comforting! In addition to this promise, He also said to you in Isaiah 43:1-2:

Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

I must, however, point out that only the redeemed of the Lord can lay claim to His promises in this Scripture. Have you been transformed by the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary? Do you have the assurance of salvation in your heart? If you are genuinely saved, I congratulate you. Nevertheless, our Lord wants you to demonstrate faith in Him by trusting Him in the midst of adversity. It is impossible to please God without having faith in Him (Hebrews 11:6). I, therefore, encourage you with these words of the Master in Mark 11:22 that says:

…Have faith in God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS FOR CHILDREN

1. Father, thank you for the gift of children. Thank you Lord for all the children around me; thank you for their lives, health and sound mind.

2. Father, I ask for mighty testimonies over all the children I come in contact with. Let me always have reasons to rejoice over them.

3. Father, please build a wall of fire around all the children in my family, church, and community. Make them untouchable to the devil and his agents, in Jesus’ name.

4. Father, please surround the children around me with the right people. Do not allow them to be influenced wrongly, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, pour out Your Spirit on all the children around me. Let them blossom and flourish in your goodness and grace, in Jesus’ name.

6. Father, please provide the parents around me with the resources that they need to take care of their children. For the children without parents, Lord, You are the Father of the fatherless; please send help to them.

7. Father, as we celebrate Children’s Day across the world today, please remember those who are looking up to You for children of their own and grant them answers to their prayers, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, give all the children in my family, church, community, and the nation as a whole, hearts that yearn for You. Let them grow up pleasing You and doing Your will at all times, in Jesus’ name.

9. Father, please give all the children that are connected to me in one way or the other good success in their academics. Give them the wisdom, knowledge and understanding to excel, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, please let Your supernatural guidance abide with every child in my family, church, and community. Guide them in every area and at every stage of their lives so that they don’t make costly mistakes, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, please break any generational curses that might exist in the lineage of all the children around me. Please raise a standard against every evil plan of the enemy concerning them, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer point for all the children around you.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Peter’s encounter with Jesus at the Lake of Gennesaret is a pointer to the fact that our Lord is indeed a generous rewarder (Luke 5:1-7). He allowed the Lord to use his boat as a pulpit and was rewarded with such a great catch of fish that his boat began to sink; he had to call additional hands to help him manage his breakthrough.

There are many areas of service that attract God’s generous rewards. One of such is partnering with God to advance the agenda of heaven; this was what happened in Peter’s case. Another act that brings heavenly rewards is obedience to the Lord’s instructions. You can see this in the story of Abraham, who obeyed God when he was instructed to get out of his father’s house to a place God would show him (Genesis 12:1-4). He obeyed, even though he did not know where he was going. As if that wasn’t enough, when he was eventually blessed with Isaac, the child of promise, he was asked to sacrifice him as a burnt offering, and again, he obeyed. As a result of his obedience, God rewarded him with an everlasting covenant of blessing and multiplication (Genesis 22:15-17).

Another area of service that receives God’s attention for generous rewards is hospitality. An example is the story of the Shunammite woman who was so generous to Prophet Elisha that the Lord rewarded her with a son – a gift money could not buy (2 Kings 4:8-17). The story of the widow of Zarephath is another example of how God rewards hospitality (1 Kings 17:9-16). She sacrificed her last meal and that brought about meals that sustained her family throughout a famine. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:2:

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

God also rewards people who host His presence in their homes. According to (2 Samuel 6:11-14), God blessed Obed-Edom so much for housing the ark of the covenant that he became the envy of the king. This is a great lesson to those who are reluctant to submit their homes as house fellowship meeting centres. Such people don’t know the blessing they are missing out on by denying God the use of their space.

Beloved, as Hebrews 11:6 declares, our God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek, serve, obey, and honour Him. Use this to your advantage today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The joy that comes from knowing God is immeasurable. However, joy is just one of the many benefits enjoyed by those who know Him. From Daniel 11:32, you will understand that those who know their God will be strong and do exploits. As a Christian, you do not have to be fearful about the challenges that come with everyday life. God has empowered you to overcome whatever obstacles you might encounter. The Bible says in Romans 8:37:

…we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Furthermore, knowing Jesus empowers you to walk in victory every day and to be bold in the face of trials (Proverbs 28:1). Fear can paralyse a fellow, but God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Knowing God and understanding His perfect love for you enables you to live above fear. The Bible says in 1 John 4:18:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

After his encounter with the Lord, Paul was so full of joy from knowing the true God that he penned the words of Philippians 7:11, in which he confessed wholeheartedly that Jesus was everything to him. Even after he had attained great heights in the Lord, he still longed to know Him better because he discovered that the more of Jesus he knew, the more joyful, fulfilled, satisfied and hopeful of eternal life he became. I pray that you will experience this type of joy, in Jesus’ name.

Beloved, knowing Jesus increases your faith in Him, and as you increase in faith, you please God more. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith, it is impossible to please God. The joy of having eternal life is drawn from knowing Jesus. John 17:3 says:

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

To know Jesus is to know peace because He is the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). Knowing Jesus is knowing prosperity and abundance (Matthew 14:14-21), (2 Corinthians 8:9). Knowing Him is knowing divine healing and, better still, divine health (1 Peter 2:24). All these and more are the benefits of knowing our Saviour. Beloved, do you truly know Jesus?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Deuteronomy 8:18, the Lord reveals Himself as the source of power for prosperity. It is the blessing of the Lord that gives riches without any sorrow (Proverbs 10:22). Those who desire to prosper without sorrow will therefore pay attention to the path of prosperity He has set out in His word. Deuteronomy 8:6-18 also contains truths from God’s word that can deliver any soul from the bondage of poverty. Your Father in heaven wants you to prosper greatly, and so, we will examine a few of these truths today.

Firstly, the Lord told the children of Israel that the land He was giving them was being taken care of by Him from heaven. In other words, the land would yield its best to them because He was in charge of it, not because of their own efforts. To emphasize this, the Lord described the land to them further, saying in Deuteronomy 11:12:

A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

Therefore, to prosper in this world, you need to look away from the present economic situation around you and focus on the economy of heaven that is managed all year round by the Almighty Himself.

For the economy of your life to respond to the laws of heaven, you must be subject to the laws of heaven. Many people get excited about God’s promises but fail to do their part, therefore, they do not experience the fulfilment of the promises. God gives those who acknowledge Him as their Creator, Redeemer, and Lord the power to prosper. Do you regard God as your Creator? Do you honour Jesus Christ as your Redeemer, or do you take His death for granted by going back to sin even though you have been saved? For God to prosper you, you must honour Him as God indeed. Today, He is asking you the same question He asked the Israelites in Malachi 1:6:

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear?

If you truly desire the power to prosper from God, you must ensure that your life honours Him. You must also ensure that you fear Him and love Him with all your heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:37).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many children of God do not fully comprehend the fact that our God is Omnipresent. When you really understand this truth, your heart will be filled with resounding joy, irrespective of whatever situation you might be going through. In Psalm 46:1, the psalmist revealed Him to us as the Present Help. To reassure us of this, God spoke to us through His prophet in Isaiah 43:2, saying:

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

To further convince us beyond any shadow of doubt, God manifested Himself in the flesh and said to us in Matthew 28:20:

…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

How comforting and encouraging this is. No wonder Paul was able to say in Romans 8:31:

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

The reason no one can be against you is that the presence of God is always there to chase any kind of danger and shame away from you. It was the Present Help who saved me from the financial embarrassment of not having enough to feed the crowd that came for one of our conventions. My wife came to me asking for additional money to keep feeding the crowd when the convention was just halfway through. I did not have any money, but the Lord showed up in His usual way of proving Himself mighty in my life. He sent people to me who met this need, and in the end, we had more than enough to feed the crowd. Another time, I was almost stranded during one of my trips to a foreign country because my flight was delayed for one day, and I had spent all the money with me. I prayed to the Present Help, and before I went to bed that night, I had more than enough for the rest of my trip.

In Psalm 46:1-7, you are encouraged to be of good courage because God is with you in spite of the enemy’s plans to harm you (1 Peter 5:.

Beloved, to enjoy this divine comprehensive insurance, you need to belong to the family of the Present Help. Give your life to Him and make a commitment to love what He loves and hate what He hates. You will begin to experience His presence wherever you go.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

From my experience as a lecturer before going into full-time ministry, I know that in a class, not everyone’s focus is on understanding what is being taught. Some students are focused on the teacher’s clothes, some on how he talks, others on impressing other students, and so on. What is worthy of note is that those who focus on less important things lose a whole lot in the end.

This same thing plays out in God’s kingdom; many Christians do not focus on the right things. All some Christians want from God is a new car, a new house, a promotion and so on. I pity such Christians because they might get what they are focused on but lose out on the more important things they have ignored.

Jesus Christ said that you should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33). In other words, if you just focus on making it to heaven by being righteous here on earth, cars, houses and other material things will automatically come your way. I am a living testimony of what Jesus said in this verse of Scripture. I set my focus on the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and now, I can’t count how many of these other things I have. The best part is that I am also on my way to heaven.

Why focus on things that are temporary instead of things that are eternal? Focus on the eternal things, and the temporary things will follow. Many people never reach the heights that God has ordained for them because somewhere along the line, they take their focus away from heaven and start pursuing material things. Their prayers change from, “Lord, help me to love You more” to “Lord, give me this and that.” You need to remember that when the roll is called up yonder, none of these things will matter anymore. Ask anyone who has had a near-death experience, and they will tell you that material things, as flashy as they may seem, are not worth all the attention given to them. From now on, make Paul’s admonition in 2 Corinthians 4:18 your lifestyle:

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The most difficult instruction Jesus Christ gave to His disciples is probably what we have in Luke 6:35. He wants us to love our enemies if we are to be genuine children of God. What are we to do about this seemingly difficult command? Firstly, you should note that His commands are not grievous (1 John 5:3). Also, when you consider the benefits of being a child of God, you will realise that what the Lord commands is just a little price to pay. Amazed by these benefits, John the Apostle wrote in 1 John 3:1:

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:

The commandment of the Lord to love your enemies is not just a New Testament doctrine. God commands us to do so because He is love Himself (1 John 4:7). He loved us even when we were in His enemy’s camp as sinners (Romans 5:, and since He has commanded us to be perfect even as He is (Matthew 5:48), it means that we have to be like Him in all things (Ephesians 5:1), even in loving our enemies.

Why is it so important to God that you love your enemies? One reason is that it practically reflects the true nature of your Father, showing Him to be different from what the devil portrays Him to be (Genesis 3:1-5). When unbelievers experience such uncommon love from you, they are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that your God is good. Many people testify that they gave their lives to Christ because of the benevolent acts of Christians. Your perceived enemies today may be your best Christian brothers and sisters tomorrow if only you will heed the Lord’s instruction to love them.

Through your love, their wickedness will melt away. One of my relatives, who was an idol worshipper and was well known for his wickedness, decided to follow me to church when he experienced the goodness of the Lord flowing through me into his life. When he was confronted by others as to why he abandoned his deity and foolishly followed me to serve the Lord, he confessed that he was left with no other option but to join me in serving Jesus Christ because of the love I had shown him. He asked those questioning his decision, “Can’t you see how my life has been spiritually and materially transformed?”

Beloved, be good to your enemies and never repay them with evil.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It takes clean hands to ascend to the hill of the Most High God and receive from Him. Isaiah 59:1-2 says:

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

When you ask God for something, and He does not give it to you, please check your life first before you start complaining. Are your hands clean? Are you living holy? The Bible says that if you are not living holy, you are at such a distance from God that He cannot even hear your prayers. Because people who are living in sin are far away from Him, He will not hear them. God hates sin and cannot come close to sin at all. If you want anything from Him, stay away from sin.

Some people feel that they can force God to do things for them. Since they do not want to stop their sinful lifestyles and also know that God will not hear their prayers, they will seek an anointed man of God to pray for them. They believe that God will answer the prayers of the anointed man of God. Several times, I have prayed for people for healings, deliverance, and breakthroughs without results. On several occasions, I have cried to God, “What is going on? This fellow is your child, why are you not answering my prayers?” A lot of times, God will say, “You don’t know the whole story.” It doesn’t matter how anointed a man of God is, God cannot be compelled to listen to his prayers over sinners.

My Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, used to say that it is what a father has that he will use to take care of his children. If God is your father, He will take care of you with His goodness. However, if your father is the devil, he will take care of you with the evil that surrounds him. If you want the blessings of God, ensure that you surrender your life to Him in totality and live holy. The Bible says that without holiness, no one can see God (Hebrews 12:14), so if you truly want to abide in His presence and experience His abundant goodness, holiness must be your lifestyle.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7

The above passage tells us clearly that the Holy Spirit which God gives to us is not a Spirit of fear. This also implies that fear is not a feeling, but a spirit, and that spirit is not from God. As Christians, whenever we find a spirit that is not of God around us, we must banish such a spirit immediately. Today, fear is banished in your life, in Jesus’ name.

The antidote to fear is faith. Ephesians 6:16 says: “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” When this Scripture was written, soldiers had to go to war with shields as it was essential for their survival against the attacks of the enemy. Likewise, we are to quench the fiery darts of the enemy with the shield of faith.

What are these fiery darts? They are the imaginations through which the spirit of fear creeps into a man’s life. This is why 2 Corinthians 10:5 says:

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The knowledge of Christ casts down fearful thoughts and imaginations. The more of God you know, and the more aware you are of His power and love for you, the less afraid you will be. You must subject every negative thought to the truth of God’s word. When the thoughts come, you should respond with the word of God that counters them. As you do this over and over again, you will overcome those fears.

You cannot know God without studying His word, hence, to truly banish fear from your life, you need to study God’s word consistently. The Bible says in Romans 10:17:

… faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The more of God’s word that you constantly listen to, the more your faith will grow. This will ensure that there is no room for fear in your heart. Study the word of God and meditate on it every day. Memorise His word, especially the portions that speak specifically to the fears you have. As God’s word dwells richly in your heart, every form of fear will disappear.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Revelation 22:15 tells us that as far as God is concerned, liars and dogs are in the same category. John 8:44 says that the devil is a liar and the father of lies, so, if you tell a lie, you are declaring openly that your father is the devil.

Years ago, I travelled to Ilesha and on my way back to Lagos, I decided to visit my late father in the Lord. I was close to his house when I remembered that he had taught us not to visit men of God empty-handed. So, I stopped to buy some oranges in Surulere. As my father in the Lord was eating the oranges, he said, “Wow, these oranges are sweet, did you buy them on the road?” I understood that the road he was asking about was the road between Ilesha and Lagos, not Surulere, however, I said, “Yes sir”. The moment I said so, the Holy Spirit said, “You lied”. I said, “What is the difference? After all, I bought them at the roadside in Surulere.” Again, the Holy Spirit said, “You lied”. I said, “How does it affect the sweetness of the orange?”

The Holy Spirit did not leave me alone, so I said to my Father in the Lord, “Papa, you asked a question just now. I actually bought these oranges in Surulere.” The old man nodded his head and said, “Hmmm, Holy Spirit.” He knew who was dealing with me. This is why it is surprising that many Christians have gotten so used to lying, even in the church. A lying tongue is an abomination to God (Proverbs 12:22). God is irritated by lies, irrespective of where it is told.

If God hates lying lips, it means that the prayers of a liar will be unanswered. God does not want to hear the voice of a liar. This is why many are struggling; the lies they love to tell have become a barrier between them and God. Lying can cut a man’s life short. In Acts 5, the man and woman who lied to God’s representative fell down and died. This is a warning to every child of God who tells lies. God does not want you to be destroyed. Do not tell lies.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.