₦airaland Forum

Exodus 22:2-3 says that the death penalty is appropriate for a thief. Proverbs 29:24 also says that if you partner with a thief, you hate your soul. You are not allowed to steal as a child of God. Stealing means taking that which does not belong to you without the permission of the owner or using that which is not yours as if it were.

When I was a lecturer, I wrote a personal letter and wanted to use an official envelope. Then, God said, “Don’t!”. I replied, “Why not?” He said, “That’s for official letters, not personal letters.” I responded, “Lord, how much does an envelope cost?” and He said, “If you know an envelope is that cheap, go and buy yours.”

Jeremiah 17:11 tells us:

As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

The scripture above is saying that if a person acquires wealth by fraudulent means, it will not last, and the fellow will eventually regret his or her actions. For example, in 2 Kings 5:20-27, Gehazi fraudulently sought to amass material possessions from Naaman but ended up becoming a leper.

Several years ago, I was chairman of a high school’s board of governors. I decided to help the school by building a boys’ and girls’ hostel, a school hall, and the principal’s quarters. The principal decided that it was also an opportunity for him to build a small house in his hometown with some of the resources provided for the school’s building project. So, as the school buildings were being constructed, he was also building his little mansion. When he finished, somebody surfaced and said, “Who built on my land?” He said, “I bought this land from so and so.” The real landowner replied, “You bought it from the wrong fellow.” The principal said, “Okay, let’s not argue, how much do you want for the land?” The man said he was not selling the land and asked him to remove his house. The house is still there today, uninhabited. The landowner didn’t bother using the land, he clearly didn’t even need it. All the principal’s efforts were wasted, and his dreams were dashed because the word of God is clear.

The life of a thief is a terrible one. His days are full of curses, and there is no peace for him at all. Beloved, it is only the blessing of God that comes without adding sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

These days, many people have tried to water down the standards of God because of modernisation. However, the Bible clearly states in (2 Timothy 2:19) that God’s foundation stands sure. God said clearly in Malachi 2:16 that He hates divorce. Mark 10:9 also says clearly:

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

The moment a man and a woman are joined together in holy matrimony, they are no longer two people but one flesh. Just as you cannot decide to cut yourself into two and continue living, a married couple should never be divorced – God hates divorce. They are joined until death separates them. This is why my late Father in the Lord used to say to brothers who were about to get married in the church, “Once you carry her, you have carried her for life.” Luke 16:18 says that if you divorce to marry someone else, you are committing adultery. The court may give you papers of divorce and a new marriage certificate; however, in heaven, you are recognised as an adulterous fellow. If you are married, know this very well, God does not intend for you to ever get divorced; marriage is a lifetime commitment.

Knowing that the moment you are married, you are joined to your spouse for life, you must take extra caution to marry the right person if you are yet to be married. If you have not heard from God with several confirmations, don’t get married yet. It is better to be single and make heaven than to be married and have your marriage lead you to hell. Believe me; you will be doing yourself a lot of good if you wait on God to lead you before you get married.

If your marriage is troubled, getting a divorce is not the solution. You have already made a vow before God that you will be with your spouse until death separates both of you, and you must uphold that vow (Ecclesiastes 5:5). Rather than considering divorce, go to God, the One who created the institution of marriage and cry to Him for help. Is there anything too hard for Him to do? (Jeremiah 32:27). The answer is ‘No’, for nothing is impossible for Him to do (Luke 1:37), and this includes providing a solution to the problem in any marriage.

God hates divorce, and if you are truly His child, you will not want to do anything your Father hates.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Matthew 6:9-13, the Lord was teaching the disciples to pray. He said in verse 13 that they should cry to the Father, “Lead us not into temptation and in case we have already fallen into trouble, then deliver us from evil.” This part of the Lord’s prayer bothered me for a while. Can God really lead someone into temptation? Then I read in Proverbs 22:14:

The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

This means that when someone is abhorred of God, such a person will be pushed into the mouth of a strange woman so that he can be destroyed completely. You will understand this better when you read 1 Corinthians 3:17:

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

So, if you notice that it is becoming very difficult to overcome any temptation, you should go on a retreat for some days and cry to God for mercy. He has promised that He will always make a way of escape for you (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Watch your steps. Don’t get yourself into a situation where God will say, “I have had enough of you. Go ahead and do as you like, and we will see the result of your actions.” Have you toyed with sin and said to yourself, “There was no repercussion for the things I did in the past, so all is still okay?” Don’t deceive yourself; everything you do on earth is recorded in heaven, even your idle words (Matthew 12:36). If you don’t stop, one day, God will open that book and say, “Is this person taking me for a fool? I will show him that I am not a fool and cause him to destroy himself.” May that not be your portion, in Jesus’ name.

Now, I know there might be someone reading this now who is still not willing to stop sinning. This is the kind of fellow described in 1 Timothy 4:2.

The truth is, your holiness does not help me in any way; it helps you. I am not asking you to live holy so that I can make it to heaven, I am asking you to live holy so that you will not spend eternity in hell. I have done my duty by bringing this message to you. A word is enough for the wise.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people dwell on their past achievements in the kingdom of God. They talk about the days they were on fire for God, how they used to pray for long hours, and how they used to win souls for God. Currently, however, you cannot see any sign of that same zeal they talk about in them. These are the kind of people we call ‘old soldier’ where I come from in Nigeria.

An old soldier in this context is someone who used to be very active in the army but who, after a while, became old, unfit and irrelevant. Old soldiers, in this sense, are Christians who used to be very vibrant, win souls for God, heal the sick, and perform many wonders in Jesus’ name. However, somehow, they started to lose their zeal and became unfit, so that now, when people are talking about zealous Christians, they hardly mention them. Such Christians have moved from hot to cold in the things of God. If this describes you, then you need to retrace your steps and return to your first love.

You need to go back to the days when you put God’s will above your comfort and convenience; the days when the things of this world were not enticing to you and all you cared about was doing the will of God. You need to go back to those days because being an old soldier in the body of Christ is a very dangerous thing. Jesus Christ said in Luke 9:62 that if anyone places his hand on the plough and looks back, he is not fit for the kingdom of God. To God, past glory is gone; what is more relevant to Him is your current spiritual state. In Ezekiel 18:24, He said that if someone has been righteous all his life but turns around and starts sinning, if that fellow dies in sin, he or she will be condemned. As far as God is concerned, the path of the righteous will shine brighter every day until the perfect day – which is the day he sees Jesus in glory.

Like Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13, forget those old days of glory and begin to seek God afresh. Make your Bible your best friend more than ever before. Intentionally set out quality time to pray daily. Look for a vibrant fellowship of believers that you can associate with regularly and ensure that your zeal for God’s kingdom keeps growing.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of the ways the devil attacks and hinders God’s plan for people’s lives is to lead their hearts into a state of hopelessness. It is unfortunate that some people in the church today have yielded to the devil’s devices and are living a life that is full of hopelessness.

In Ecclesiastes 1:1-14, we see the richest and wisest king in the world speak with a tone of depression and loss of hope. This tells us that money, power, and all the material things of life cannot give anyone joy and hope. Those who allow the deceitful pleasures of sin to erode the love for God from their hearts will one day look at themselves and feel empty. This was what happened in King Solomon’s life as we see in 1 Kings 11:3:

And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

The Bible warns us in Hebrews 3:12 that we should take heed, “…lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” Solomon departed from God, and his life became empty even though he was a rich king.

There is no joy or satisfaction in having material wealth and losing your connection with God. Mark 8:36 says:

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Money and fame cannot give you hope. Only Christ in you can give you hope for a better tomorrow. With Christ, you not only have high hopes for your future here on earth, but you also have an assured future in eternity. If you have Christ, hold on tight to Him because that is the greatest possession you will ever have. 2 Peter 1:3 says:

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

If you have backslidden at one point or the other, do a self-examination, identify where it all went wrong, and go to God in genuine repentance. You should also ensure that you seek help from other believers around you. Never be too proud to speak to someone that can help you regain your connection with God. If your heart has been turned away from God, I pray that He will restore your connection with Him and take away every feeling of hopelessness you might be experiencing, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Whether you believe it or not, God has a plan for your life. Even if your parents weren’t planning to have a baby when they had you, as long as God formed you in your mother’s belly and made you come out of the womb alive, He has a plan for you. Jeremiah 1:5 illustrates this clearly:

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Believe me, the plan that God has for you is a good one. He made that known in Jeremiah 29:11. The question now is, are you walking in line with His plan for you? It is not enough for God to have a good plan for your life; if you refuse to live according to His plan, it will look like there was none in the first place.

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21

God is willing to guide you in the direction you should go at every point of your life; He is willing to be your compass all through life. Another question you must answer is, are you willing to draw close to Him enough to hear His voice? After you have heard His voice, are you willing to obey Him, even when He asks you to do something that seems foolish? Only those who draw close to God, listen to Him, and obey Him completely will fulfil His plan for their lives.

I thought I was on the right path when I was trying to become the youngest Vice Chancellor in Africa. I thought that was a good plan until I met God and drew close to Him. Thereafter, He began to whisper into my ears which way to go at every point. When He told me to leave my job and become the General Overseer of a church whose total monthly income was not up to my salary, that was a hard thing to do – thank God I obeyed. I did not become the youngest Vice Chancellor in Africa, but today, many Vice Chancellors call me Daddy. The Redeemed Christian Church of God also owns a university that has been rated as the second overall best in the country. God’s plans will always be far greater than anything you can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will conclude my discussion on the qualities that make the devil’s bait effective: the devil ensures that his bait invokes his prey’s pride. In Genesis 3:6, Eve ate the forbidden fruit because she felt that it could make her wise. When you are lured to do something to show off, beware!

Usually, the enemy catches people who think that they can never be caught (1 Corinthians 10:12). When a fellow says, “I believe in holiness, and I practise it, so the devil can never get me,” he or she should take heed. For example, in Luke 22:31-34, the Lord said to Peter, “Satan desires to have you.” Peter said, “Lord, even if it involves death, the devil will not overpower me.” Jesus replied, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

In Judges 16:4-21, we discovered that Samson fell because he was over-confident. Delilah did not hide her intentions, she clearly asked for the secret of his power to know how to overpower him. Samson thought that with his track record, he could not be captured and so, he decided to play a game with the devil. Don’t play games with the devil, he has been around for a long while. His track record shows how many great people he has destroyed. (1 Thessalonians 5:22) says, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” If it looks like evil, don’t think that you can withstand it. Run!

I know someone who said that he joined one of the secret cults on his campus because he was curious. He said he did it for fun, believing that he would not get involved in the terrible things they do as if that were possible. Don’t joke with the devil. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:18 that pride goes before destruction. Proverbs 29:23 says that a man’s pride shall bring him low.

Some years ago, a lady was to be employed as my private secretary, and I said, “No way!” I know the nature of my work; I work day and night. What will I say I am doing alone in my office at night with another man’s wife. Some people came later and said, “Sir, we thought you were anointed.” I said, “I know, but does the anointing turn your body to stone?”

If you think you cannot fall, you are already on your way down because your pride will make you get close to the trap enough for it to eventually catch you. Pride goes before a fall.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will discuss the second quality that makes the devil’s baits effective. The devil uses baits which are pleasant to the eyes and taste to get people in his trap. For example, Eve considered the forbidden fruit to be pleasant to the eyes and good for food when the devil tempted her with it (Genesis 3:6). Presenting sin as if it is pleasant is an old trick of the devil to trap man, and every believer must be wary of it.

If a fellow is controlled by physical senses, he or she becomes vulnerable to the devil’s bait. This is why you must be dead to the flesh. When people always want to satisfy their flesh, they will not be able to control their sexual desires, eating habits, and so on.

The very dangerous thing about the devil’s bait being pleasant to the taste is that if a fellow tastes it once, it can become difficult to stop, just as I described three days ago. The key to avoiding the bait is not to taste it at all. Yes, it looks attractive, but you must not go near it at all. An African proverb says, “What you should not eat, you should not sniff.”

Ask anyone who is addicted to something bad, and they will tell you it all started with a taste. Those who masturbate only tasted it once, and when they saw that nothing happened to them, they did it again and again until they found out that they had become addicted. Those who are addicted to alcohol usually start out as casual drinkers before becoming heavy drinkers. When the trap snaps shut and many of these people look back at their lives, they regret the first day they ever tasted the enemy’s bait. If a snare is prepared by the fowler and you stay away from the bait, you will not be caught in it.

During the Nigerian civil war, there was a slogan used by one side of the conflict: “The price of safety is unresting vigilance.” Please, my beloved, stay as far away from the devil’s bait as you can. If you are addicted to a sinful habit, you need the power of the Most High God to break free from it. Seek help from a spirit-filled man of God and you may also consult a Christian professional counsellor to break free from that addiction.

By the grace of God, you will not become the devil’s prey, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I promised to discuss the three major qualities that make the devil’s baits effective. The first bait the devil ever used was the forbidden fruit. When you read Genesis 3:6, you will see all the qualities of the devil’s bait in the fruit. Eve saw that the fruit was pleasant to the eyes. The fowler’s bait is usually attractive and difficult to ignore.

The devil studies a fellow and knows the things that he or she is attracted to. You will hardly see a man commit adultery with a woman he considers ugly. The bait the enemy will use is usually attractive. Don’t be fooled by its attractiveness; it has death in it. In Judges 16:4, Samson ‘fell in lust’ with Delilah and threw all caution to the wind. The devil used his attraction to her to bait him into a trap that eventually destroyed him. There are probably things around you that you are attracted to that are sinful or that may cause you to sin. It is a trap that you should beware of so that you will not become prey to the devil.

If a man is attracted to light-skinned women, the devil will put them all around him as temptations to commit fornication or adultery. If he is attracted to flashy cars, the devil will keep bringing flashy cars his way. If he lets his lust for flashy cars push him to steal, then the devil has caught him. This is why Christians must circumcise their hearts to change their affections.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:2

Do not be too attracted to the things of the world. You must soak yourself in the word of God. Let His word abide in you so much that the only things that are attractive to you are the things that please Him. Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). Beware of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). If you discover that things of the world are becoming more attractive to you than the things of God, it means that you are vulnerable to the devil’s snare. Declare a fast for yourself, go on a retreat and spend quality time in God’s presence till that lust dies.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
Isaiah 49:24

According to the word of God, anyone who catches prey with a trap like I described yesterday can legally lay claim to it. There are lawful captives of the enemy. We have tried to cast demons out of people before, and they would say, “You are trespassing because this fellow belongs to us. They walked into our trap.” For example, I once had a student who was on his way to his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) station when he fell sick. The doctor said he was allergic to rice. When they brought him to me, and as I was about to pray for him, the Lord said that he had to make restitution. It turned out his father stole a neighbour’s bicycle to pay his school fees, and the owner placed a curse on the thief. His father died from an allergic reaction to rice, and now the son was on the same path. If that had not been revealed to me, we would have prayed in futility because the boy was a lawful captive.

I told him to buy a bicycle for the man’s son because the man was late. Incidentally, when he returned after doing so, I was about to eat rice. He ate my rice, finished it, and nothing happened to him. Another boy was brought to me for prayers because he was barking. This boy had been having sex with their dog in the house. I prayed, but the barking did not stop. I advised the parents to keep bringing him for the Holy Ghost service every month and be hopeful that God will have mercy and deliver the lawful captive from his captor. When a fellow walks into the trap of the enemy after being lured by his or her lust, the devil can lawfully lay a claim on the fellow.

In James 1:12-16, Apostle James tells us clearly that God does not tempt anyone, but rather, people are tempted by their own lusts, which result in sin and then death eventually. The bait the devil uses does not usually look like death. The bait has three major qualities to make it effective: it is usually attractive to the prey, it is pleasant to the prey’s taste, and it invokes the prey’s pride.

I will discuss these qualities in detail in the following days because I believe God that after this study, you will never fall into the devil’s trap.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible teaches that there are some people called fowlers who hunt for souls. A very good example of a fowler is an adulteress (Proverbs 6:26). The Bible says that she hunts for precious life. The chief of all fowlers is the devil (1 Peter 5:.

A fowler uses a snare to entrap prey. I grew up on a farm, and we used to get our meat by trapping animals. In the evenings, we would get traps, dig into the soil, put the traps in the hole, cover them with leaves, and sprinkle soil on the leaves so that everything would look normal. After setting the traps, we would put baits (usually corn) on both sides of the traps and then go to bed. At night, when an animal sees the baits around a trap, it will go close and eat some of the corn. When it sees that nothing happens, it moves forward, eats a little more and then goes on until it finishes all the corn on one side. Since it has eaten all the corn on one side, it ignorantly attempts to cross over to eat the corn on the other side, and suddenly, as it steps on the trap, it snaps shut and catches the animal. By morning, it is in our cooking pot. There are countless people in hell today because they tasted sin and nothing seemed to happen, so they kept sinning until they got caught in the devil’s trap.

Many young ladies from good homes who were taught to keep their virginity have ended up badly because they had sex once, and since nothing happened, they continued until they got pregnant, contracted a disease, or became fully immersed in that terrible lifestyle. One thing a trapped animal experiences when the trap snaps shut is great fear. Likewise, one of the signs that a fellow is in trouble is fear.

The one who is caught in the trap of the fowler is called prey. Interestingly, prey sounds like pray. If a Christian does not pray, he or she will become prey. Psalm 91:3 says that the one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will be delivered from the snare of the fowler. If you don’t want to fall into the snare of the fowler, your secret place with your Father must be on fire. If your altar grows cold, you may soon find yourself in the devil’s cooking pot. Pray fervently for at least one hour every day, and it will be difficult for you to be the devil’s prey.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God broke protocols when Solomon became king in 1 Kings 1 as he was not the heir apparent. Adonijah strongly believed that he was the rightful heir to the throne, and he even attempted to coronate himself while David was still alive. In spite of Adonijah’s actions and all other factors that seemed to disqualify Solomon, God moved in the latter’s favour and ensured that he was crowned king.

Some years ago, one of my sons came to me and said, “Daddy, I need a new job, and I have been invited for an interview. I applied for the Deputy Managing Director position, and I will be going for the interview soon.” I was about to pray for him when he said, “No, don’t pray, just say a word.” So, I said, “The interview will go well.” He said, “Amen,” and left. He returned the following day, excited. He said, “Daddy, when I got to the interview, they directed me to the boardroom and asked me only three questions, ‘What is your name? What post have you applied for, and when can you start?’ I told them I will start tomorrow.”

I congratulated him, and he said, “Daddy, speak another word.” I said, “The Almighty God who has given you the job will promote you rapidly.” The following day, he returned, trembling. He said, “Daddy, I got to my new workplace, and the same people that interviewed me said that after I left, the Managing Director resigned. They asked if I was ready to become the new Managing Director, and I said yes.” I congratulated him again, and he said, “Daddy, speak another word.” So I said, “The God who has begun a good work in you will perfect it.” Believe it or not, the following day, he was back. This time, he was almost speechless. He said, “Daddy, I got to my workplace, and I was told that they discovered that the former Managing Director resigned because their competitor offered him double the salary they were paying him, and since they didn’t want me to leave, they had doubled my salary.” I congratulated him again, and he said, “Daddy, speak another word.” This time, I said jokingly, “Do you want to take over the company from the owners?”

My God does not need to follow protocols when He wants to promote His children. Psalm 115:3 says that He does as He pleases. I pray for you today that God will break all protocols and take you to the very top, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Light can be shining brightly outside, but if your eyes have grown dim, it will not matter because you will be unable to experience its brightness. Genesis 27:1 says that Isaac waxed old, and his eyes became dim that he could not see. This tells you that when a person’s vision dies, it means old age has set in.

In Ecclesiastes 12:1-3, when Solomon said, “…those that looked out of the windows be darkened,” that was his way of saying, “When your eyes can no longer see as a result of old age”. So, one of the ways you will know that you are in your old age is when you no longer have visions. Joel 2:28 tells us that you get to an age when visions become replaced with dreams. The right visions drive people to run (Habakkuk 2:2) to ensure that they are fulfilled, while those who dream usually do nothing to bring their dreams to reality.

Some years ago, I was talking to three elders who are also my special friends, and I told them that the definition of old age is ‘dreamers’. As long as you still have a vision you are pursuing, it means you are not yet old. This is why I sometimes joke that only those who are older than me are elders because I am still pursuing my vision. So, I am still young, even at 82. It is pathetic to see young people who are already old because they have no vision. Yes, they talk about dreams for their future, but they are mere wishes because you don’t see them pursuing them at all. When I see such young people, I often think to myself, “Young fellow, where is your vision?”

When a person becomes a dreamer instead of a visioner, then the fellow is old. Such a person’s day, which is the time he or she has to spend on the earth, is almost over. The word of God says in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” In other words, when a person’s vision is gone, the fellow is on his or her way out.

I believe God is talking to a specific reader of this devotional. You had great visions, but now, you have forgotten about them. Wake up!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To some, eternity seems like a far-off idea that should not be given much thought. However, it is a reality you must not lose sight of. The truth is, everyone will have to ask themselves, where will I spend eternity? God has provided answers to this question in the Bible and has made them plain and accessible because He does not want eternity and the events surrounding it to take anyone unawares. It is therefore surprising that some Christians live in this world without eternity on their minds. Such Christians can be easily spotted from their lifestyles and attitudes toward the things of God. They live as if they will be on earth forever, whereas Hebrews 13:14 says:

For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

This was not the lifestyle of the heroes of faith. From the things they set their affections on and their confessions, people could tell that they were eternity-minded. Hebrews 11:13-14 tells us that they saw themselves as strangers and pilgrims on earth. Hebrews 11:16 says:

But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

What a glorious testimony this is. I desire this for myself, and I pray that you will also have such a testimony, in Jesus’ name.

Don’t let the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches blur your vision of the place Christ has prepared for you. Eternity is real, and where a person spends eternity is determined by the way he or she lives in this present world (Romans 2:3-10). The place Christ has prepared for you is a place where you will no longer die, it is a place of joy and pleasant experiences (Revelation 21:1-7). On the other hand, there is another place where whoever rejects God’s grace in Christ will spend eternity. This place was prepared to punish the devil and his demons, but those who live their lives to please the world, their flesh, or the devil will also partake in it (Matthew 25:41). It is a place of everlasting fire and pain. May you not be found there, in Jesus’ name. To escape this horrible and eternal torment, give your life to Christ today, and if you have done so, live holy and remain eternity-minded.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Revelation 1:8, our Lord Jesus Christ reveals Himself as the Alpha and the Omega. Later on in Revelation 21:6, He describes Himself as the Beginning and the End. For further emphasis, in Revelation 22:13, He said, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” This means that everything starts and ends with Him.

From the Scriptures above, you will clearly see that you cannot start anything without God’s permission, and you cannot finish anything without His approval. This is good news for you, especially if you are about to embark on a project. Just talk to the Alpha and Omega about it.

God is the One who began this world, and He is the One who will end it. In other words, everything in this world is under His control, therefore, when you are close to Him and let Him guide you throughout your life, you will have a better quality of life because the One in control is your guide. This is why Proverbs 3:5 says:

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

God knows what will happen before it happens. He knows where there is danger and where your blessings are hiding. He said in Isaiah 45:3 that He will show you the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches in secret places. He knows these things because He is the Beginning and the End. This is why David wrote confidently:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psalm 23:1-2

If I may ask, who is your shepherd? Who guides you through life? For me, I know that I am too foolish to go through life on my own, and this is why I have made the Beginning and the End my shepherd. When I was looking to buy land for the Redeemed Christian Church of God’s campground, I admired a particular location because it was on a major road, and in my own limited mind, it was perfect. However, God guided us to the location we are now, which has now proven to be so much better because He is the End. Those who let Him guide their decisions never regret it.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people who claim to trust God with all their hearts surprisingly depend on their own understanding and attempt to strategise their way through life. The question, however, is, how deep is our understanding? Do we understand as much as God does? You must understand that two captains cannot be in charge of a ship at the same time. It is either you let God take the wheels of your life, or you leave Him out of it. You cannot be in the driver’s seat and only remember God anytime you run into trouble; you must trust Him totally and rely on Him for everything. If you are truly a child of God, you must always be led by Him (Romans 8:14).

Trusting God does not start out easy; He will work on you, and as He leads you, He will mould and shape you to become a better person. When you trust God to lead you, everything you touch prospers. Abraham was a man who trusted God completely, and he prospered greatly. He left everything he ever knew for a land that God said He would show him. He left without a plan; he was determined to trust God all the way. Shortly after, he grew so big that he had 318 men who could go to war with him living under his roof (Genesis 14:14). He was so rich that he rejected a king’s gift so that the king would not take glory for his prosperity.

When you trust someone, you don’t ask unnecessary questions. When you board a plane, you trust that the pilot knows what he is doing and that he will take you safely to your destination; you don’t ask to see his license or inspect the condition of the plane. If you can trust human beings with your life that much, how much more the Most High God?

I learnt to trust God very early in my Christian walk because my Sunday School teacher taught me that if a son is at the top of a high place and his father asks him to jump, he will not ask questions because he knows that his father will catch him. The moment I learnt that, I began to trust God so much that once He says “Jump,” I jump, knowing that He will catch me. Everything we have achieved in The Redeemed Christian Church of God to date has been purely based on trust. When He says move, I move. No arguments.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23

The above passage tells us clearly that God wants your spirit, soul, and body to be preserved blameless until His coming. This is opposed to what many people say about God only caring about our spirit and soul, and not our body. God cares about your body, and He wants it to be blameless. He cares about what you wear (1 Timothy 2:9), how you use your body (1 Corinthians 9:27), and if you get a tattoo or not (Leviticus 19:28). He cares as much about your body as He cares about your soul.

The truth is, the state of your soul will determine the state of your body. What is inside will show on the outside. Many years ago, I invited some ministers to teach at The Redeemed Christian Bible College. They told the students that I was too legalistic by placing restrictions on how they use their bodies and that God only cares about the soul. By the time I got back to the class, the students had believed the people I invited. I needed to convince them otherwise, so I went to get two oranges. One orange was yellow, and the other was green. I raised both oranges up in the class and asked, “Which of these two oranges is ripe?” They all pointed at the yellow one. I asked again, “How did you know?” They said it was obvious from the outside that it was ripe on the inside. With that, I told them, “If Christ that you claim to have on your inside is not showing on the outside, it is likely that you do not have Christ in the first place.”

Whether we like it or not, people look at your outward appearance and make conclusions about Christianity based on what they see you do with your body. If you look like the people of the world, they will believe that you are just like them and that there is nothing special about you. They will not listen to the gospel you are preaching if you are dressed like a harlot or a hooligan. Don’t make someone turn away from the gospel because of your outward appearance, keep your body blameless.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

For someone reading this, it is possible that God has promised you many great things in the past, but you have not yet seen those things manifest. This was what happened to Abraham and Sarah. Years before, God had spoken to Abraham, promising him that he will be a father of nations. However, more than 25 years passed and not a single child was born to somebody who was supposed to be the father of nations. Eventually, in Genesis 18, God showed up for him. I pray for you today, God will show up for you and give you that long-awaited miracle, in Jesus’ name.

I remember when I became the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, I did everything I knew in line with the word of God to make the church grow. Every month, I organised a three-day seminar. I taught the Bible, preached, fasted and prayed. People would come for the programmes, and as soon as we finish, they would vanish. When I get to the church the following Sunday, at times, the congregation will even look smaller than what we had before the programmes. One day, some weeks before my birthday in 1986, God ended my barrenness. He asked me, “What do you want for your birthday?” and I said, “I want a miracle for every member of my congregation.” That was the beginning of the Holy Ghost Service. Today, all that you see happening in RCCG is an example of what God can do whenever He decides it is time to fulfil His promise to you. I pray that before the end of this year, everyone will see clearly that God is smiling on you, in Jesus’ name.

When God makes you a promise, you can rest assured that He will keep His promise. However, many people have missed out on the fulfilment of God’s promise due to a lack of faith. If God promises you something and after waiting for a while, you begin to think that God lied to you and won’t fulfil the promise, it may never come to manifestation. Romans 4:20 says that Abraham did not stagger at the promise of God, even after waiting for up to 25 years.

God is a promise keeper. However, if you want to see His promises concerning you fulfilled, you must accept Him as your Lord and Saviour, live holy, have faith, and wait patiently on Him.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The reason Solomon was extremely grateful to God in 2 Chronicles 1:6-12 is that he realised that he didn’t deserve to be king. His father was an adulterer and his mother an adulteress. His father was also a murderer who murdered his mother’s first husband. How could God pick the fruit of such a union and make him king? Solomon indeed had every reason to be grateful. If you look at your life closely, you will also see that you don’t deserve many of the things that God has given to you, including your life. I think you should really give Him thanks.

When people see me dancing in agbada at least once a year to praise God in my mother tongue, many of them do not understand. The day I asked God how He could choose the product of a sinful relationship like Solomon to be king, He also asked me, “Is your mother the first wife of your father?” I had no more questions because, based on the circumstances surrounding my birth, I don’t deserve to be called to pastor His sheep. I am always grateful to God because to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). Even the fact that I am here in this world is something to be grateful for. My mom had made up her mind that she wasn’t having any more children because she already had as many girls as she wanted and a boy. However, the boy died, and people begged her to give birth again. She agreed, and I was born. Coming from that background, and also considering all the sins I had committed before giving my life to Christ, it is a privilege that God could save a soul like mine and make me a pastor. So, I know why I dance and sing praises to my God.

When we say, “Let us thank God,” those who feel that they deserve everything they have don’t see the importance. For some of them, they believe God chose them because He had no choice and so, they don’t bother. However, for some of us, we know where we are coming from and the things we survived. I grew up amongst scorpions, snakes, and all sorts of wild animals, and was surrounded by witches, wizards, and the rest. For me to have survived in that kind of environment, I cannot keep quiet when it is time to thank God. Will you do the same?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will conclude the teaching I began two days ago on how to pray effectively. Many people make the mistake of giving up on their prayers when it appears as if God is not responding. Such people are only cheating themselves when they do that. To really get the desired results from prayers, you have to be persistent. Isaiah 62:7 says:

And give Him no rest, till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

You are to give God no rest until He has answered your prayers. Jesus Christ said in John 16:24 that you should ask, then you will receive so that your joy may be full.

From Luke 18:1-8, Jesus Christ assures you that if you keep knocking on God’s door, asking Him for something, He will give it to you. According to Him, even the wicked judge gave the widow what she wanted, how much more the good shepherd. This tells you right away that if you keep praying about that issue, no matter how long it takes, God will answer you. There are prayer points I prayed for 15 years before I got answers. I did not stop after praying for a few weeks. I kept knocking on heaven’s doors, telling God, “I will not let you rest until you have answered me,” and He answered me eventually.

This is an attitude that you must also imbibe. Some people get angry that God has not answered their prayers after a while and so, they stop praying. God is not your servant that you can command as you please; He is the King of kings. If you want something from a king, you must learn to humble yourself and keep asking until He is ready to give it to you. If you ask for a little while and go away without receiving anything, who would have lost? You or him?

You may say, “What if God is not willing to answer my prayer at all?” You have to keep asking Him until He answers you. This is why you must pay attention to hear what He will say when you pray to Him. Don’t just keep asking, seek to hear from Him. The Holy Spirit is always available to teach you what prayer points to pray, and if He is the One teaching you how to pray, you can be sure that you are praying right.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I discussed the importance of being totally focused while praying. Today, I will continue the discussion on how to pray effectively.

When you pray, you must note that prayer is not a one-way conversation but a dialogue between you and God. In other words, prayer is not complete when you only talk to God and do not give Him the opportunity to speak back to you. In fact, whenever I pray, and I don’t get a response from God, I become worried because I really want to hear what He has to say. Even if his response is a rebuke, at least I know He has heard me. Habakkuk 2:1 says:

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

You are to stand on your watch until you hear what God has to say. It is not just a time to pour out all your complaints, wait to hear from Him too.

The reason many people don’t hear from God is that they just come to the place of prayer and start making requests. Isaiah 55:6 says that you should call on Him when He is near. You must first draw Him near to you before you call on Him. Psalm 100:4 says:

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.

The Scripture above means that if you want to go near God, as you enter into His courts, you should come with praises and thanksgiving.

In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus taught the disciples how to pray. He started with praise, saying, “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” It is this praise that gets you into His courts and then gives you an audience with Him. Before you pray, praise God first. For a prayer session of one hour, spend at least 50 minutes praising Him. After you have praised Him sufficiently and He has drawn near to you, you can be sure that He can hear you and that you will receive answers to your prayers.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Prayer is a very powerful tool given to us by God for regular communication with Him. As powerful as this tool is, it is rather unfortunate that many people don’t use it at all while some who do, fail to make the best of it.

The first thing that must be in place for you to pray effectively is focus; all distractions must be done away with. The devil knows that you need to be completely focused to get the best out of your prayer time, and this is why you usually remember some not-too-important things that can distract you during prayers. One of the reasons you see many men of God praying when everyone is asleep is that they don’t want to be distracted. In Mark 1:35, Jesus Christ woke up before daybreak to pray while others were asleep. He went to a secluded place to pray. You must try to remove distractions. Find a secluded place where you can always go to pray. That secluded place could be your closet or any other place without distractions.

Anyone who does not regularly go to a secluded place to pray will eventually grow cold spiritually; I am saying this from experience. Many years ago, God pointed my attention to the fact that I was growing cold. He asked me, “When last did you spend quality time in my presence? Do you remember when you used to worship me in your car so much that my presence will fill the car, and you will have to park by the roadside because tears would have filled your eyes?” I responded, “Yes Lord, I remember, but that was before I had a driver. If I worship you that much now and my driver sees tears in my eyes, he will think something is wrong.” He responded, “Oh, it is now my fault that I gave you a driver?” I quickly apologised. That night, I left the house when everyone had slept to pray in the auditorium. The moment I started worshipping, the tears came rolling down. I had been praying all the while, but the major difference was that I had not been going to a secluded place to pray, and that had made me grow cold. Now, I have made it a habit to pray in secluded places, and my fire has increased greatly as a result.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Titus 2:1-8 says that elders should behave right in order to influence the younger ones to also behave right – this is how it should be. Beyond words, the younger generation learns more by observing. Besides hearing the things you say, they can also see the things you do. If you want them to behave rightly, let them see you do what you are asking them to do consistently first.

When you lie to get a favour for your child in school, and then turn around to tell that child not to lie to you, you are deceiving yourself. If they hardly see you pray and read your Bible, you can’t turn around and ask them to read their Bibles. You should be bold to say to the younger ones like Apostle Paul said:

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Philippians 4:9

Titus 2:7 says that you must show yourself as a pattern of good works.

Many elderly people usually say that in order to catch the youths, they need to dress like youths and use their slangs. What they don’t know is that when they start looking and talking like them, they are endorsing their lifestyle and some of their negative actions. They can’t change them that way, rather, they will only reinforce their negative behaviour. Instead, they should be a standard for the youths to follow. More often than not, the youths know the truth and when they do the wrong things, they actually expect the elders to correct them. Now, imagine their confusion when they see their elders doing the same things they want to be corrected about. In Yorubaland, where I come from, we call elderly people who behave childishly ‘agbaya’, meaning ‘shameless old fellow’.

God is counting on elders to guide the younger ones on how to behave for them to have a better tomorrow. God also expects the youths to submit to their elders in humility. Finally, Titus 2:2 says that elders should be sober, brave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity and in patience. As an elder, let this be your watchword. Don’t be an agbaya.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are times we go in the wrong direction due to our human nature. For example, we had quite a good bargain when we purchased the first four acres of land that has now expanded to become Redemption City. As time went by, we kept buying more land even though the price was increasing. After we had bought about a thousand acres, some people spoke to me and said, “Why are you buying lands in this bush? There are other things to spend money on,” and I listened to them. However, one night, God said to me, “Son, who called you? These people or Myself? Who promised you a city instead of a boy’s quarters?”. I woke up and made up my mind to keep buying more land, but by then, what used to be 1,000 naira had gone up to 50,000 naira. Today, we have over 40,000 hectares, and we are still buying more. If you are moving in the opposite direction of God’s will for your life, God will step in today and bring you back to the right path, in Jesus’ name.

A fellow might have done something terrible in the past which made it impossible for him or her to reach some goals. An individual can commit a crime and end up with a life sentence. Even though that fellow’s case may seem hopeless, God can step in and turn things around.

In Genesis 49:1-7, Jacob, on his deathbed, cursed Levi because of some sins from his past, but God stepped in and gave Levi an opportunity to be restored. In Exodus 32:25-26, Moses returned from the mountain and found out that the children of Israel were dancing naked before an idol. He cried out, “Who is on the side of the Lord? Let him come to me.” Everyone belonging to the tribe of Levi crossed over to Moses and became his army. God looked down from heaven and said, “That curse on you is cancelled!” Levi missed it earlier, but he got on God’s side and was restored.

God can step in to give you hope again. I however have some questions for you: are you on the Lord’s side? Do you do His will? Are you committed to serving Him alone? If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, God will step in and bring you back to the path of fulfilling your destiny, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Two days ago, I discussed the prime of a man, the time when things are at their brightest, and I said that it is possible for someone to miss his flood. What should a fellow do if he or she has missed his or her flood? If a person has not made good use of his or her flood period, is there any way out before the night falls? If God is keenly interested in such a fellow, He will assist him or her to do one or two things that will turn the situation around.

Esau missed his flood when he sold his birthright. When the time came to get the generational blessing, he missed that one too. Genesis 27:34 says that He wept bitterly. Esau repented and cried to his father, saying, “Can’t I get just a leftover blessing?” God saw that his repentance was genuine and that his request for just a little bit of blessing was a passionate cry. As God is rich in mercy, He gave him the grace to recover some of the lost grounds. After Esau left his father, he made up his mind to make the best of the little blessing he got from him and prove everybody wrong. By the time we get to Genesis 32:3-7, Jacob sent some animals as gifts through some servants to tell Esau that he was coming home. Those people returned to tell Jacob that Esau was coming with 400 bodyguards to meet him, and the Bible recorded that Jacob trembled with fear. The one who got the original blessing trembled when the one who got the leftover approached him. By the time we get to Genesis 33:1-9, when they finally met, Esau asked Jacob why he sent all those animals and told him that he already had enough. Esau was so blessed that he asked Jacob to keep his possessions. He was indirectly saying, “I might have missed my flood, but as long as I am still breathing, I can still work my way to the top.”

You might have also missed your flood, but as long as you are still breathing, it is not too late. You can work your way to the top if you are determined to do so with God’s help.

Don’t give up on yourself. There are people who became successful in their old age. They may be few, but you can be one of the few. What you need is an undying determination and the grace of God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

If you are above 50, you are already in the second half of your day, and you need to apply wisdom more than ever before. By evening, you are supposed to be relying more on wisdom, not on strength as the flood might have subsided. You may refer to yesterday’s teaching to understand what I mean by the flood. Job 12:12 says that wisdom is supposed to be with the ancient; years are supposed to teach wisdom. Job 32:7 says that days should speak and multitudes of years should teach wisdom. This is why it is said that a fool at 40 is a fool forever. You are supposed to have become wise by the time you are 40 because as people grow older, they naturally become weaker.

Nobody will believe, except those who are close to me, that I used to be a boxer. Nobody will believe that there was a time I could carry a bag of cement in one hand and another in the second and say that I was balancing the equation. Now, even with two hands, I will think twice before I pick up a bag of cement.

In 2 Samuel 21:15-17, the Bible says that David waxed faint. This was the same person who killed a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:34-35). He was the same person that delivered 200 foreskins when he was asked to get a hundred (1 Samuel 18:25-27). David, the giant killer, the one who single-handedly cut off Goliath’s head, waxed faint, and he would have been killed in battle if somebody had not come to his aid. What lesson can we learn from that? When David was at his peak, he had prepared for the time he would grow faint. In 1 Samuel 22:1-2, when he was in the cave of Adullam, he gathered some vagabonds and turned them into mighty men. It was one of his boys that was there to help him when his evening came.

In 2 Samuel 23:1-39, we read of the people he had prepared who were now called ‘David’s mighty men’. These men risked their lives by taking on an entire army just to get him water to drink. If you are in your flood age, you should prepare disciples when things are going very smoothly. Are you preparing for those days when the flood will be gone? What arrangements are you making during your daytime because the night is coming? I am speaking in proverbs, but a word is enough for the wise. Start building younger people now so that when your strength is no longer as before, they can be there to help you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

People in their noon are the ones we often call ‘adults.’ You will notice that Jesus Christ started His ministry at the age of 30. John the Baptist, the greatest of the Old Testament prophets (Luke 7:28), also started around the same age. Samson, by the time he killed a thousand people, was around 30 years of age. David, when he became king, was also about that age. Phillip, when he was turning Samaria around for God, was also in the noon phase of his life. There is a saying:

“There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune, neglected, all the voyages of their lives are bound in shallows and mysteries.”

The noon time is when the flood comes. If you are a pastor, around this time, there is hardly any sermon you will preach that will not be appreciated. With very little effort, the church grows, but the flood does not last forever. If you miss that flood, you will get to a stage where it would not matter how well you preach because people will say, “We’ve heard this before.”

The noontime is probably what God was referring to when He said in Isaiah 60:1-5, “Arise, shine, for your light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.” God is smiling on your efforts. There are those who made good use of their flood and, as a result, were able to keep going when the evening came.

There was a young man whom God used to perform miracles, signs and wonders. He prospered so mightily that he reserved a presidential suite in Sheraton Hotel permanently for himself. In those days, he was always travelling with five Mercedes Benz cars. The number plates carried the name of the ministry, and each one was tagged ‘Ministry 1’, ‘Ministry 2’, ‘Ministry 3’, and so on. After a while, however, the flood subsided. Money stopped flowing in, the cars disappeared, and the police began to look for him because of the money he was owing the hotel.

Don’t misuse the flood when it comes. Be wise to use your brightest moments so well that the brightness will remain, even when the evening comes. Don’t waste your resources. Don’t mismanage your health and the relationships God sends your way. These are some of the things that will keep the brightness when the evening comes.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Specifically, the morning of a man stands for his youth. In (1 John 2:14), Apostle John said, “I have written to you young ones because you are strong.” The major characteristic of youths is their strength.

I know most youths see their youthful days as days to enjoy themselves. This is true, according to Ecclesiastes 11:9-10:

Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth…but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment…

Note that the above passage also says that youths will account for the seeds they sow later in life. Those that spend their youthful days engaging in all sorts of vices will reap plenty of trouble later in life (Galatians 6:7). In Genesis 49:1-4, when Israel was about to die, he called his children together and began to prophesy about their future. He said concerning Reuben, “Mighty Reuben, excellency of strength…but you will not excel.” Why did he say this? In Genesis 35:22, Reuben did something that he should not have done, and his father heard about it. Now, when his father was about to die, he told him he would not excel, even though he was the firstborn. When you read Revelation 7:1-5, you’ll be amazed that by the time they were listing the children of Israel who were sealed, Reuben was no longer the first.

Beloved, if you are young now, meaning that you’re less than 30 years old, make good use of your youth. Be careful of the kinds of seeds you sow now because you will reap their fruits later, and the harvest is always greater than the seed sown.

…I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
1 John 2:14

The above passage does not only say that you are strong as a youth, but also that the word of God is to abide in you, and you are to overcome the wicked one. Your youthful days are the days to soak in the word of God like never before. This is the time to memorise as many scriptures as possible. Now is the time to build your spiritual strength to stand against the devil and overcome him. Use your strength to do a lot for God because a time will come when you will discover that being a youth does not last forever.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Genesis 1:1-5, God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness ‘night’. The combination of both gave us the first day. When you dig deeper, you will discover that a day is broken into three parts – morning, afternoon and evening. In Psalm 55:17, David said, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” Day is God’s unit of measuring the time of man on earth. Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.” Proverbs 10:27 tells us that although God can lengthen a fellow’s days, He can also shorten them.

According to Psalm 90:6, the morning is the time for growing up, and it is the time for joy (Psalm 30:5). When you are growing up as a child, you have no responsibilities. When children wake up in the morning, they want breakfast to be on the table, and how it gets there is none of their business. Listen to a child laugh, and you will also begin to laugh because their laughter is right from the inside. The afternoon is when you are at your peak, and the sun is at its brightest. Job 11:17 talks about age being clearer than the noonday. The noon is the peak of life. The evening is when things begin to become dim, and the sun is about to set. (1 Samuel 4:15) says that Eli was 98 years old and his eyes waxed dim. Psalm 104:23 says that man goes to his work and begins to return home in the evening. Your evening is when you begin to round off your life.

It is pertinent to know which part of your day you are in so that you can act wisely and make the best out of it. However, if you don’t know, you could be trying to achieve good results with the wrong method. This is why those who fear God are called wise because even though they grow old, they have wisdom and can still do what strong people cannot. There is a time to use strength primarily, and there is a time to use less of strength and more of wisdom. There is a time to run and a time to pass the baton. You must recognise your times and seasons to make the best out of your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When you hear the expression ‘God is smiling on you,’ it means you are enjoying divine favour and grace. In Numbers 6:24-26, God said that the sons of Aaron were to pronounce a blessing on the people, and the blessing went thus:

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

When God’s face is shining upon you, it means the Lord is smiling upon you and you will enjoy divine favour everywhere you go. It also means that every darkness around you will be consumed, and you will be basking in His light.

When God decides to show you favour, you will achieve more than somebody who is working extremely hard without divine favour. When God shows you favour, miracles happen. For example, Genesis 24:63 says that Isaac went for a stroll and in the 67th verse of the same chapter, the Bible says:

And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

All the background work in getting Isaac a wife was done by some other people. When you compare Isaac’s experience to that of Jacob, who laboured for 14 years without pay before he could get the woman he wanted to marry, you will see the difference between favour and hard labour to get what you want. I decree that from now on, God will show you favour.

Not too long ago, all the universities in Nigeria were ranked, and Redeemer’s University came second. The first was the University of Ibadan, the oldest university in Nigeria, founded in 1948. Redeemer’s University was only 17 years old at that time, and we beat universities that were more than 60 years old. How could this be? The only explanation can be divine favour.

The question now is, what can you do to always enjoy divine favour? You can find a good answer to this question in Proverbs 3:3-4 which says:

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

To draw God’s favour to yourself, always tell the truth and show mercy to others.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many Christians don’t pray aloud anymore, and this is one of the reasons we are seeing fewer demonstrations of power among us. During the first service I attended at RCCG, we were asked to shout hallelujah, and the fellow beside me shouted so loudly that I almost ran out of the church. Where there is power, there must be noise. The Concorde, a plane that could take you from London to New York in about three hours, was grounded partly because people said it was noisy. With its powerful engine, it was bound to be noisy.

These days, many Christians have to be cajoled to shout ‘hallelujah’. I remember many years ago when I was asked to preach during a Christmas carol at Aso Rock, and all the high and mighty were there. When I asked them to shout hallelujah, they shouted like sophisticated ladies and gentlemen, until I said, “The next fellow to shout hallelujah is the only one who will see the new year.” This time around, they really shouted. Real Christians do not have to be threatened to praise their Father.

Many years ago, I was walking and praying within Redemption City in the middle of the night, hungry and thirsty for the power of God. I had been crying, “Lord, I told You from the beginning that I don’t want to be ordinary. I was serving You as much as I could when I was still lecturing at the university, making some money to do Your work, but you pulled me out. Now, You have made me a General Overseer, and I lack the power to do the work that must be done. Father, either empower me or take me home.” As I prayed, the ground under my feet shook violently. There was an earthquake that was felt from as far as Ijebu-Ode – it was in the newspapers. An earthquake is not quiet. Noise is necessary for power; stop trying not to be noisy. Don’t hinder the move of God with your so-called sophistication.

I am at a point in my life where I need other people to carry more fire than me so that when I am leaving, I will know that I am leaving commandoes behind that will take the work of God farther than I did. Stop forming, as the youths will say, when you are in the presence of God. Be free to make a loud noise that will shut the devil out and let the power of God flow.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God loves unity; wherever He finds people uniting in His name, He will show up. You can see a good example of this in 2 Chronicles 5:13:

It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

In the above passage, as the trumpeters, singers and musicians all sang as one, God’s presence came down like a cloud and filled the temple. God loves it when His children worship Him in one accord. This is why Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:20, “Where two or three people are gathered in my name, there will I be.” At the upper room in Acts 2, the Bible says that when the people were in one accord, the Holy Spirit filled the room with a sound like a mighty rushing wind. Wherever believers are gathered in unity, God will show up in His glory.

Psalm 133:1-3 tells us that when brethren come together in unity, it is like the anointing oil that was poured on Aaron’s head which went all the way down to his feet. Do you know what that means? It means that it is only when God’s people are united that the anointing can flow amongst them. Without unity, the corporate anointing will not flow. The reason many churches are not experiencing the power of God amongst them is that they are not united. Where there is gossip, strife and backbiting, don’t expect the power of God to flow. These vices are not of God, and so, God cannot be where they exist.

1 Corinthians 12:12 says that we are all different parts of one body. If the hand is envious of the eyes and the leg is keeping malice with the head, how can the body function effectively? When we become united in our local assembly and in the body of Christ as a whole, we will see great miracles amongst us that will amaze the whole world. If you are a pastor reading this now, you should ensure that all forms of strife amongst workers and/or members of your local assembly are resolved today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.