₦airaland Forum

There are clear differences between the anointed and the appointed: the former is greater than the latter and so controls it. Do not seek or lobby for an appointment, rather seek anointing. Anointing is the supernatural ability to do something. God has a purpose for your life and thus gives you the necessary ability to achieve it. When you pursue an appointment that God has not anointed you for, you will live under stress and pressure. However, when you seek the anointing, the right appointment will follow and you will get great results.

In Acts 6:3, we see the correct order that things should follow. First, you must be full of the Holy Ghost’s anointing and power, then you will get the right appointment. Your focus should therefore be on the anointing and not the appointment. The appointment is merely a platform for the manifestation of the anointing. Before Stephen was appointed as a deacon, he had already been appointed by the Holy Ghost, but we did not hear of him preaching the gospel or performing miracles until the appointment came. After the appointment, Act 6:7-8 says:
“And the word of God increase; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.”

This tells us that when you appoint the anointed, great exploits follow. If you have the privilege of choosing people for any appointment (in Church or otherwise), ensure you select those who are anointed with the supernatural ability from God to function.

If you have been appointed into a role that you are not anointed for, then first, check if that appointment is God’s purpose for your life. If it is His purpose for your life, then you must cry to Him for anointing. Being anointed without being appointed can never produce excellence.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

If we could see things the way God does, our lives would be far better. Sometimes, criticism comes because God wants to make you more popular and influential. Some people may even harm you because God wants to promote you. If you cannot see things from God’s point of view, you may miss the coming blessing. As long as you remain in love with God, you can rest assured that all things are working together for your good. Ephesians 1:3-6 says the purpose of God for your life had been settled before the foundations of the world. All the things you have gone through and people you have met in your life – whether good or bad, are part of the purpose of God for you.

I find the story of Joseph (Genesis 37:46) very instructive. He was one person who saw things from God’s point of view. His father loved him greatly and gave him a coat of many colours – prophetic of where he was going. His brothers became jealous of him because of his dreams of greatness and they sold him into slavery. If his brothers had accepted him, they would not have sold him into slavery. If they had not sold him into slavery, he would not have arrived in Egypt, and neither would he have reached the throne. If he had not gotten to the throne, his brothers would not have come to bow to him as God had shown him many years before.

Joseph saw things from God’s point of view; he knew that if he could just stay holy, everything happening to him would eventually lead him to the throne. He never let his wilderness experience take away his hope or make him sin against God. At every stage of his ordeal (as a slave in Potiphar’s house and as a prisoner), his leaders attested to the fact that God was with him.

God is working out His purpose for your life. Those who hate you and those who love you are part of the plan. Stay holy, keep trusting Him; your reward is just around the corner. Galatians 6:9 says:

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Sometime ago, someone walked up to me and said “I have known you for a long time now and you have remained consistent with your faith.”

I replied “That is because I am dead to the flesh.” A dead man does not change. Are you dead to the flesh?

A man that is dead to the flesh is not affected by the changes around him. He is not affected by criticism. If you slap a dead man, he would not react; insult him, he would not retaliate. That is the attitude of anyone who is dead to the flesh. Are you dead to the flesh? If your sincere answer is “No” then let us look at how you can become so.

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 14:33

The first thing is to forsake all that you have. You need to see no value in any material possession. Nothing in this world should be of more value to you than God. He said anyone who would follow Him must first deny himself (Luke 9:23). How do you know if you have forsaken all?

I once spoke to a man about Christ and he told me that he had surrendered all unto God – I knew he was not being sincere, so I said “Glory to God. Brother, please, would you loan us your car for evangelism tomorrow?” His countenance changed immediately and he said “You know that is my only car and I have to go to work tomorrow.” So now, I want you to be sincere with yourself: Have you forsaken all for Him? if Jesus were to ask you to sell all that you have to give to the poor, would you?

Also, the flesh is very stubborn and will not go down without a fight. It can only be defeated by fasting and prayers. The more you fast, the more life you give to your spirit and the less you give to the carnal nature. When you fast, your flesh begins to die to lusts. You would also begin to value the things of the Spirit far more than ephemeral things (Galatians 5:16-17).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible informs us that every human being is bound to experience some challenges and difficulties in life. The devil is out to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Many have become victims of the bondage of stagnation, failure, fruitlessness, sickness, disappointment and misfortune. In Old Testament times, Jubilee – observed every fiftieth year, was a time of deliverance from debt as well as recovery of lost property.

The biblical laws regarding Jubilee were in three categories:

1. Redemption of Land
2. Redemption of Houses
3. Redemption of Slaves and Debts

I prophesy to anyone who needs deliverance and restoration. You shall receive Jubilee today in the mighty name of Jesus.

“…Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the Prey of the terrible shall be delivered….”
Isaiah 49:25

No matter how difficult your captivity experience may have been, JESUS is here to set you free!

Are you bound by sin, burdened by debt or threatened by poverty? Are you involved in a secret society or struggling under the weight of generational curses? Are you under the grip of one addition or the other? Is your health under attack or the peace of your family threatened? Jubilee through Christ is available every day to everyone who will accept Him as their Lord and Saviour. Accept Jesus today; He will come into your life and turn your situation around for good.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Prayers
1. Thank God for the youths even if you are one yourself. Praise Him for giving them strength, agility and a glorious future.

2. Father, don’t let the devil win over the lives of our youths. Please help them to overcome every temptation that comes their way and don’t let them give in to negative peer pressure.

3. Father, raise youths who will uphold Your name in their generation, youths who will stand for You and will not be ashamed to preach the gospel at all times.

4. Father, whenever we hear from our youths, let it always be good news – news of promotion, great achievements, breakthroughs and miracles, in the mighty name of Jesus.

5. Father, anoint our youths greatly and perform great miracles through them.

6. Father, for all our youths of marriageable age and status, please let their wedding bells ring this year.

7. Father, let our youths be greater than their parents and the elders of today.

8. Father, don’t let the sun of our youths set prematurely. Don’t let us ever bury our youths.

9. Father, put an end to the wave of depression amongst our youths today. Fill them with joy and put an end to every evil effect of social media in their lives.

10. Father, please deliver our youths from the claws of evil additions and associations. Help them all to find and achieve Your purpose for their lives.

11. Father, as our youths grow, do not let them depart from the path of righteousness.

12. Your special request to God for the youths.

I join my faith with yours and pray that the Lord will grant all your requests concerning the youths, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In his final letter, Paul charges Timothy – his son in the faith, to “do the work of an evangelist” (2nd Timothy 4:5). By this, the Apostle establishes the instruction of Jesus for believers across generations – preach the gospel everywhere. If we would be called by His name, we must obey His command every day, urging people to come to Jesus for salvation.

“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”
2nd Corinthians 5:18

Jesus has given all believers the ministry of reconciliation, the task to bring all men to Him. Are you active or dormant in this ministry?

The work of an evangelist is to lead people to Christ through the gospel. Unlike a Pastor, an evangelist does not disciple souls, but a Pastor can be an evangelist. As an evangelist, you are constantly looking for and preaching to the people in the world. After they have accepted Christ, you can then hand them over to a Bible – believing Church where a much mature believer can discipline them.

Evangelism is different from follow-up or publicity. It is bringing people into the love of Christ. Now that you know what it is, can you say you have been doing the work of an evangelist? Are you constantly preaching Christ to people in the world? Are there still people in your vicinity who you are yet to preach to?

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:15

Jesus wants you to do His work wherever you go and whatever you do. He wants us to have compassion for lost soul and draw them into the kingdom.

If I were you, I would obey. Your obedience demonstrates your love for Him and will draw untold blessings to you (John 14:15, Matthew 6:33).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The line between holiness and sin appears to be disappearing as sinful people now parade themselves as righteous. The truth however is that the world may change, but God’s standard never changes. He will not lower His standard to accommodate anyone; rather, He will give you grace to meet up with it. In order to receive that grace, you would have to take a step towards meeting God’s standards. James 4:8 says
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hands, ye double minded.”

You will need to root out and tear down everything that is in opposition to holy living in your life, then He will grant you the grace to live holy. When I see people who say they want to live holy lives still entertaining sin, I know they are not yet ready. Is there any friend that can lure you to sin? Any television show you like to watch that promotes sinful habits? Any place you like to visit that makes it comfortable to commit sin? Stay away from all such things from today.

James 4:8 also talks about the double-minded. These are people who have one leg in the Church and the other leg out; people who claim to live holy but willfully commit sin from time to time. James urges such people to purify their heart. With God, there is no sitting on the fence. There is no lukewarmness with Him; you are either hot or cold, in or out. He says in Revelation 3:15-16:
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

If you are planning to be His child and still engage in sin from time to time, stop deceiving yourself; you are not. Maintain the standard of holiness in all ways; that is the master key to heaven.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”
John 15:18

You must be aware that the moment you say yes to Jesus, you have signed up for persecution. By mentioning His name alone, you could develop enemies. Yet, He doesn’t want you to worry because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). If as a Christian, you don’t go through any persecution, you may need to check your salvation. Jesus said:
“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”
Luke 6:26

Every true Christian will face persecution: at the office, in the family, amongst friends or with strangers. What matters is how you handle it. Some go back to the world because they cannot stand while some others get stronger after going through it. Which category are you in?

Be deliberate about increasing your spiritual strength. Study your Bible more, pray more, be regular at fellowship with the brethren. This is because surely, your spiritual strength will be tested someday (Proverbs 24:10). On such a day, it is how much of God you have in you that will determine your actions.

Those who pray in tongues regularly are supernaturally empowered to withstand any form of persecution. This is why Paul did not relent in preaching the gospel despite all the persecution he went through; he remained steadfast. Peter denied Jesus before He was baptized in the Holy Ghost, but as soon as the Holy Ghost came upon him, he endured persecution and described it as a good thing (Acts 5:41).

No matter how much the devil challenges you, do not yield. No matter how much you have been threatened to accept a bribe or manipulate figures, stand strong. As long as you stand with Christ, you would never be defeated. He has already overcome the world.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God is omnipresent – He is everywhere and sees everything at the same time. It does not matter what you are going through, He is right by your side.

When the three Hebrews boys were facing King Nebuchadnezzar, to an outsider, it may have appeared they were on their own without any help whatsoever. However, the boys were confident; they knew who they believed. They were even bold enough to add that they would still not bow to any idol if God decided not to rescue them.

Many times, we don’t feel God by our side when we are facing trials, but He is there. You will realise it when you are in the furnace and the fire burns off your chains, leaving you unharmed.

God’s eyes are on you even when you are about to commit sin. A Pastor is said to have taken a female member of his church to a hotel with the intent of committing fornication. When they got in and the Pastor tried to touch her, she said “Sir, we looked left and right to be sure no one could see us, but we did not look up. God can see us.” She could feel that God could see them, so she fled.

You cannot hide anything from God. You may pretend to people in Church, but He knows your secrets. Your spouse may not be able to access your phone, but God knows all of your conversations; you can deceive everyone but not Him.

According to Luke 8:17, knowing that God can expose you should make you repent.

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

Don’t continue in sin because sooner or later, every secret will be made open. I hope you make a change immediately. He has not yet revealed your sin because He wants you to have a chance to repent. If you refuse to repent, He will expose you and that would be dangerous.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God has designed life such that as men, we are dependent on each other. Once in a while, we might need help and may become weary if it does not come (Proverb 13:12). I have experienced this countless times but God has always helped me. He is the Ever-Present help in the time of need (Psalm 46:1)

Sometimes, there may be nobody to help. At other times, those you have trusted may just decide against helping you, but not God. David, in Psalm 27:10 said:
“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.”

Even if everybody were to forsake you in your time of need, God would never do so. The Yorubas say that when fire burns a parents and his/her child at the same time, the parents would naturally focus on saving him/herself first irrespective of the depth of love towards that child. However, with God, He will put you first. In Isaiah 49:15, God asked a vital question.
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.”

Can you recall the explosions that occurred in Lagos in 2001? Many people were so scared that they left their children behind and ran for their lives. When such things happens, mothers forget their suckling children. May we never experience such again in the mighty name of Jesus.

At other times too, those who really want to help may have tried their best, but are unable to save the situation. Doctors are great, but once in a while, even they do not have solutions to some health problems. Although some ailments have been termed incurable by man, there is no such thing with God. He does the impossible.

Set your love upon God, then call upon Him today. He will answer you (Psalm 91:14-15).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Unlike everything and everyone else that grows old with age, God is the same forever; He doesn’t age. He will not grow older tomorrow neither will He become weaker next year. He doesn’t even dwell in time, He dwells in eternity. Hebrews 13:8 says:
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day and for ever.”

He does not change. Though Jesus came into this world through the virgin Mary about two thousand years after Abraham was born, yet He said in John 8:58:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.”

He laid the foundation of the world and made the Heavens. This means He has been in existence before the earth and the Heavens were created and will still be after everything and everyone is gone (Psalm 102:25-27).

The never changing nature of God gives us the assurance that all His promises concerning us are yea and amen. It doesn’t matter how long ago God made a promise to you; just hold on to it, He will bring it to pass.

For a long time after I became the General Overseer of the RCCG, I continued to remember the promises God had made to me. One of them was that I would lead a mighty end-time army in the Redeemed Christian Church of God. At the time, anyone could have doubted the fulfilment of the dream because the Church was not growing. Thank God I held on to the promises; today they are being fulfilled one after another.

Hold on to God’s word concerning you. It may appear time is running out, but never give room to doubt. It will not tarry, His time is not yours.

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
Habakkuk 2:3
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Who you look to will determine how far you go in life. It can be a distraction sometimes to be surrounded by people who you think can help you as it would become hard for you to look to God for everything you need. What can man give to you? Can man keep you alive? Man cannot even heal himself. If he gives you money, can he give you prosperity? Rather than run after man, spend time chasing God. God can turn your life and that of your generation around forever. You don’t need an appointment to see God; He is everywhere and willing to help you.

A life that looks to Jesus is a life of peace, joy and love. A person who looks to Jesus would not depend on any man to live; his future is secured in Jesus Christ.

The Christian faith is a race and we cannot finish the race without the help of God. Our confidence in succeeding in this race is placed in Jesus Christ! We are encouraged to look unto Him and Him alone. Turn away from your past – failure, success, sins and so on, and look unto Jesus Christ. We look to Christ because of who He is, what He did and where He reigns.

Who is He? He is the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus knows everything about our earthly race. Indeed, He ran His in faith because He is the author and finisher of faith. He is the perfect example to follow.

When we look up to Jesus; He will perfect what He began in us. Those who look unto God cannot be put to shame. You cannot trust in God and be put to shame.

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”
Psalm 121:1-2

Never look unto man; look to Jesus alone, He is higher than the highest. He is a very present help when you are faced with life’s challenges (Psalm 46:1).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“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.
2nd Corinthians 10:5

Fear is a product of thoughts and imaginations the devil whispers to us. To defeat fear, you must cast down all such imaginations.

Anything that does not align with God’s word should not be allowed into your heart. For example, when the devil whispers “You will soon die”, cast down that thought by saying “I shall not die but live to declare the glory of the Lord” (Psalm 118:17). If he says you will fall, cast it down by saying “The Lord will make me the head and not the tail. I shall be above only and not beneath…” (Deuteronomy 28:13). Don’t let the devil tell you what God has not said about you; always use the scripture as a weapon. That is what Jesus did (Matthew 4:1-11).

Ephesians 6 says the enemy will throw fiery darts (arrows of fire) at us, but the shield of faith will protect us and ensure they don’t touch us.

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
Ephesians 6:16

The devil sends fiery arrows in the form of fears to pierce and weaken us. Once fear is allowed into the believer’s life, he/she becomes weak and unable to fight. This is why every believer needs the shield of faith to ward off the enemies and their attacks. Remember, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).

Usually, when people in distress go to God, the first thing He says is “Fear not”. This is because He knows that once fear is gone, the battle is as good as won.

I say to you today: it does not matter what the devil has told you; fear not, you will win this battle in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

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

As a believer, you must already have some level of faith. However, irrespective of the current level of your faith, you still have a duty to grow and strengthen it. Just like your physical body needs food and exercise to stay strong and healthy, your faith also needs food and exercise. The word of God is the food that our faith needs to become strong so as to do exploits for Him.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10:17

You must study your Bible diligently every day. The more of the study of God’s word you do, the more of His abilities you will see and every fear that has previously weakened your faith will vanish.

Alongside the word, another delicacy you must add to your diet in order to have strong faith is prayers in the Holy Ghost as seen from Jude 1:20. The indwelling of the Holy Ghost empowers a person for exploits. Acts 10:38 says:
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

The Holy Ghost is responsible for miracles, signs and wonders. Hence, if you want your faith to birth signs and wonders, you must pray in the spirit often. Paul said he prayed in the Holy Ghost more than all the other Apostles (1st Corinthians 14:18); no wonder God was able to use him to achieve so much.

Your faith also needs exercise to grow and stay alive. Faith without works is dead (James 2:20). You have to put your faith into action, then leave the rest to God. If the miracle doesn’t happen the first time, keep exercising your faith and very soon, it will be strong enough for exploits.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A great leader must be able to foster unity amongst his/her followers. Unfortunately, many leaders fall short of this and it limits the achievement of their goals. In Genesis 11:6, God said “The people is one.” Grammarians could argue that after ‘people’, ‘are’ should follow, but God used ‘is’ to show how unified the people were.
This unity would have made them achieve their goals if God had not intervened (Genesis 11:6).

What then is that vision of yours that looks impossible to achieve? Rest assured that if you have a united team working on it, you can pull it off. Jesus’ earthly ministry only lasted three years, yet thousands of years after, His gospel is still spreading like wildfire. This is as a result of the Holy Ghost in our midst, who did not come down until the Apostles were in one accord (Acts 2:1-3). The Holy Ghost leveraged their unity to spread the gospel.

To foster unity amongst your followers, don’t give any room for gossiping or backbiting. If you do, it can cost you your vision.

Also, you cannot afford to show you have a favourite follower. Even though John was Jesus’ favourite amongst His disciples, He was careful not to ever mention it. Jesus had refused to answer a question that others asked Him, but He could not refuse John, so He answered with an analogy, so as not to raise eyebrows in John 13:25-26:
“He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.”

Finally, unity is fostered by humility. When the system is just and everyone is working to achieve the same goal, there will be progress. Remember, the Lord said: a kingdom divided against itself shall not stand (Mark 3:24).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

We have seen that if you want your followers to have one language, then you must ensure the vision is big and clearly articulated from the onset.

If your vision is to ensure there is a restroom in every building in your city, people may not take you seriously as it may appear too simple a task. However, if your goal is audacious like that of Barack Obama – the first black President of the United States of America, then people would follow you with all their heart.

God-given visions usually seem impossible to achieve; however, He is able to fulfil whatever He has promised (Romans 4:21). A vision worth pursing is that which appears impossible to achieve. If for nothing else, people will follow to see if it will actually be achieved.

One day in 1998, I announced we were going to hold a crusade in Lagos where four million people would be in attendance. It really looked impossible, but at the end, we discovered over six million people attended. Of course, while many did come to be part of the big vision, some came to see if we would actually have the projected attendance. People were so many that not all could see or hear what was happening on the altar, but they stayed until the end because it was a vision that was worth becoming a part of.

The crowd attracted international media and ever since, we have had gatherings with larger numbers by God’s grace. I know the power of God had always drawn people to our programmes; however, it is proven that if your vision seems impossible, you will attract attention. The vision of the people in Genesis 11:5 was so big that it got God’s attention.

“And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.”

Can your vision attract God’s attention? If people don’t see your vision as impossible, then you may need to rethink it.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Rarely will anyone see a better way of doing things and not connect with it. If you want to do the extraordinary, your followers must first and foremost share the same vision with you.

Before the people started working on the project in Genesis 11, the leaders had spelt out the vision to everyone. Don’t expect people to join you when they don’t know where you are going. Sell your vision so convincingly that they will adopt it as their own and be ready to pay any price to get there. Habakkuk 2:2 says:
“And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”

As a leader, is your vision written for all your followers to see? Is it plain enough for them to understand? Is it available on all ‘tables’ rather than just your tables? If you answered yes to all, then you have laid the right foundation for your followers to key into your vision.

Habakkuk 2:2 says the vision should be plain upon tables, not just a table. Thus, every stakeholder must be aware of the vision.

Long before our exponential growth started in the RCCG, we made it compulsory for the vision and mission statements to be displayed publicly in every parish. Everyone knew our number one vision is to make heaven and the second is to take as many as possible with us. So, we were always looking for ways to start new parishes of the Church. Today there are so many parishes around the world, not because I am an expert at planting them, but because the vision is no longer just mine, it is everyone’s.

Sometime ago, I prophesied that the work would be so much, I wouldn’t be able to attend to all and even ushers would perform wonders. Today, by the grace of God, miracles happen during praise and worship sessions at some of our services. A lot of members and workers are already being used of God. One woman even raised three dead people in one day, something I am yet to do.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

You can attract blessings just by being around the right people. Likewise, it is possible to pick up curses by being in the wrong company. That is why the Psalmist said in Psalm 26:4-5:
“I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with disassemblers. I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.”

Some time ago, I travelled abroad for a crusade and noted the absence of a particular son of mine who was ill at the time. I went to the hospital and while praying for him, I felt the power of God come down mightily. The next day, I got a report that not only had my son been healed and discharged, but also everyone else in the ward. They got their healing just because they shared the same ward with my son.

Who you associate with has a great influence on what you attract. This is why you must be friends with good Christians. Search for people who are wiser than you and be their friends. Proverbs 13:20 says
“He that walketh with the wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

Don’t stay in the midst of gossips or people jesting about their sinful acts. If you find yourself among those smoking and drinking, leave immediately.

Always choose your partners and associates carefully. Partner with genuine children of God. If the person carries the blessings of God, you can be sure that your project(s) will be blessed. When you are in business with one who is suggesting you cut corners, give bribes or cheat, break such relationship because that fellow will invite the devil into your enterprise.


God commands us to love our neighbour as ourselves, not that everyone must be our friend. We must choose our friends wisely. Keep your associations pure.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Several years ago, I promised to visit one of my Pastors. I had told him I would stay only a few minutes, pray and leave. Since he wanted me to stay a bit longer, he devised a means. He got a very good collection of hymns and started playing just before I arrived. I ended up staying for hours.

Do you know God will cut His visit to some homes short if the environment is not conducive?

“….therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.”
Deuteronomy 23:14

My Father-in-the-Lord – Pa Josiah Akindayomi, once preached a message about this. He said we must keep our houses clean if we want God there. God detests dirt so much that if He finds any unclean thing in a camp, He leaves (Deuteronomy 23:14). He asked: When last did you clean under your bed? If it is full of dust and dirt, God cannot stay. Those who work with me know that, if you claimed to have cleaned a room and I find dust at the top of the door, you may have to repeat the cleaning because I want anywhere I am to be conducive for God to stay.

Pa Akindayomi also taught us that God cannot stay where ungodly music is played. This is because music carries a spirit with it. If you play godly music, the spirit of God will stay, but if you play worldly music, demons are invited to stay. What kind of music do you play in your home? This can determine if God will stay in your home or not.

Finally, God is love. He cannot stay where strife and bitterness persist. If you are always fighting and insulting your spouse, you are sending God away. Instead, pray together, raise an altar of praise in your home. Once there is an altar where you and your family meet to pray and praise God, you can be sure He will dwell with you for as long as you want Him to.

Jesus loves you and He wants to stay in your home; make it conducive for Him today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Obededom must have been afraid when King David said he was bringing the ark of the covenant to his house. God had just struck someone dead for touching the ark, and now, the same vessel was headed for his home where he lived with his wife and children. What he did not realise though, is that when God comes into the home of the righteous. He does so with many goodies. Today, He is coming, so, many goodies are coming too.

“The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.”
Haggai 2:8

His coming means the arrival of wealth. The cattle upon a thousand hills belong to Him (Psalm 50:10), as well as the gold and the silvers. Therefore, once He steps into your home, poverty is banished! I decree: as you welcome God into your home, poverty is banished in the mighty name of Jesus.

God’s arrival will bring fulfilment of density. Since God lives in Heaven, if He decides to come to your home, then there will be an access road between it and Heaven. Like Jacob saw in Bethel (Genesis 28:12-15), his life had been on one spot, serving his uncle for more than fourteen years. Things changed the day he dwelt in a place with a door between Heaven and earth. As God visits your home this season, He will put you on the right path towards the fulfilment of your destiny in the mighty name of Jesus.

God’s coming means the Lord of hosts is coming. Just by rising from His throne, all your enemies will be scattered (Psalm 68:1). Once He enters, demons will be roasted. His coming means anointing is coming to break yokes – ancestral or not. As He comes today, every such yoke is broken in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There were many other houses the Lord could have chosen to visit when He decided on that man’s where He ate the Last Supper (Mark 14:12-16). The Lord will visit your home this season in the mighty name of Jesus.

Imagine if the President of your country offers to dine with you in your house. Everyone on the street would know! Even if you decided to keep it secret, the day before he/she arrives, security operatives would have been monitoring, making sure everything is in order. If that applies for a world leader, imagine the preparation for and effects of a visit of the King of Glory to your house. All the hosts of Heaven would occupy the street such that every witch, wizard or demon would have been scattered. God will visit you this year.

However, do you know it is possible for someone to deny God the opportunity to visit his house? How do I know? Jesus said in Matthew 18:20:
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

If He has offered you a chance of hosting a believers’ fellowship in your house, it means He really wants to be in your house. When you say “No”, you are saying, “Lord, you can keep your offer, I am fine by myself.” May you not reject God in the mighty name of Jesus.

Some feel their house is too big or too beautiful to be used for fellowship. They think “How can just anyone be allowed into my house in the name of fellowship?” When you think this, you are not keeping the people out, rather, God!

The people you think are too low for your house are humans like you and tables turn! God’s heart is with the poor and rejected, so don’t demean them in any way. Also, if your house is too big or beautiful for God to visit, then it would be just perfect for the devil to dwell in because there is never a vacuum in life.

Be wise, let God in.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Psalm 23 is one of my favourite Scriptures because it shows clearly our (the sheep) total dependence on God (our Shepherd) as well as His capacity and willingness to provide for our needs.

In this Psalm, God provides sleep for His sheep – “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”. Thus when I am tired, He gives me rest – not just anywhere, but in green pastures. A sheep lying in green pastures has so much food that he sleeps in it. That is extreme abundance.

“He leadeth me beside the still waters”, so I can drink to my satisfaction. “He restoreth my soul” means I will never be depressed because my soul is refreshed always. “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness” assures me of divine guidance. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me” tells me His presence will be with me so much so that I can bring down any mountain. “Thy rod” means correction – He can reprove me when I err; what love! “…and thy staff, they comfort me” means even in my low moments, I will never lack comfort. “Thou preparedst a table before me” is divine catering. Is there ever a better caterer than the Almighty? “In the presence of my enemies” shows security, real security! “Thou anointest my head with oil….” When God Himself pours oil on your head, nothing can be impossible for you. “My cup runneth over” refers to overflowing blessings. “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me…” not for a week or a year, but “All the days of my life…” Isn’t that wonderful? Everywhere I go, goodness and mercy will be my escorts. Then it says I have somewhere to dwell – “in the house of the Lord, forever and ever!” Amen.

God has provided everything: He is a great provider! However, these benefits are only for the sheep. Are you one? Do you obey God’s every instruction, follow His path, know His voice? If you are yet to come into the family of God, it is high time you gave your life to Christ, so He can become your shepherd.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Treasures are precious objects of great value. The accumulation of such could however lead to pride (1st Timothy 6:17), greed (Luke 12:15), dishonesty (Joshua 7:21), and idolatry (Exodus 32:2-4).

Real treasures are however spiritual with eternal value, and they come from knowing and serving God. Such treasures are usually hidden and could turn out to be anything around us: it was the slave girl in Naaman’s case (2nd Kings 5:2-3), a little jar of oil in the case of the widow in 2nd Kings 4:1-7 and David in Jesse’s case (1st Samuel 16:11). Moses was the hidden treasure reserved for the salvation of Israel. I cited all these examples of ordinary people and objects that were hidden treasures to explain that the All-Knowing God is able to make all things work together for the good of His children. Romans 8:28 says:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

In many cases, treasures are not easily identified even when in plain view. That is why it is very important to develop a good relationship with God and live at peace with our neighbours. The slave girl may not have volunteered the information that led to Naaman’s healing had she been ill-treated in that household. The widow’s neighbours may not have loaned her so many vessels if she had not maintained a good relationship with them. The divine appointment of David as king and Moses as Israel’s first spiritual leader would not have happened if they did not have a good relationship with God.

If you want God to reveal hidden treasures that would lead to great and unprecedented breakthrough in your life, you must first accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, then live in total submission and obedience to God. Only then can you be sure of accessing the hidden treasures of God and all things will begin to work in your favour.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Having established yesterday that your period of loneliness will soon be over, today, I want us to look more deeply at David’s major preoccupation when he was alone with the sheep. This major preoccupation is also what attracted the anointing that broke the yoke of loneliness in his life. 1st Samuel 16:18-19 gives a report about David while he was alone with the sheep.

“Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cumming in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.”

David’s harp-playing prowess was attested to by one of King Saul’s servants who had witnessed David playing while he was alone with the sheep. The servant could attest to the fact that God was with David, so in reality he was never lonely. When I used to drive myself around, many times I would praise God to such an extent that His presence would fill the car and I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on driving. I would have to park the car by the roadside for a bit. Now, I spend hours walking alone in the middle of the night, praising God. Sometimes I go into the bush because I don’t want any disturbance, but never do I feel lonely in those times. Today, I have so many people around me that it would be difficult for me to be lonely in any part of the world.

God’s presence is the best company you can ever want. If you spend your lonely days praising God, doing His will and soaking yourself in His presence. Soon, He will anoint and lift you out of that place of loneliness and you would become one whom the whole world would want to spend time with.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Loneliness can be a very painful experience. It is possible to be in the middle of a large crowd and still be lonely. It is lonely life when you are a good cook, but have nobody else to eat the meals you prepare. It is a lonely life when you see something and you laugh alone because there is nobody to laugh with. For anyone reading this devotional today who is looking for a life partner, in the name that is above every other name, your wedding bells will ring soon. All that loneliness will be over soon in the mighty name of Jesus.

David was one man who experienced loneliness. He was left all alone at the backside of the desert. The only company he had was sheep. When the national prophet visited his town and told his father to bring all his sons, nobody remembered to bring David, but he was eventually anointed by Prophet Samuel and straightaway, the yoke of loneliness in his life was destroyed permanently (1st Samuel 16:11-13).

David was alone in the desert for many years, but he did not take that as an excuse to misbehave, after all, nobody could see him there. He did not decide to commit suicide. I want to encourage you: the time of loneliness is not a time to destroy or terminate your future. The anointing that will end the loneliness is coming; when it arrives, will it find you waiting faithfully on God?

Use the time of loneliness to build up yourself and your skills. David developed his skill of poetry and harp-playing during his lonely time and that got him into the palace. Psalm 23:1 says:
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

He probably wrote that psalm while still a shepherd. He built his battle skills in that time and ended up winning a war for his nation. You need to realize that loneliness is only a phase, not the destination. God will put an end to every form of loneliness in your life, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible teaches that God is the source of love; indeed, it is His very character. Love involves the totality of our being in terms of thoughts, feelings and actions. Matthew 22:37-38 says:
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

Out of love, God gave His only begotten Son as the ultimate sacrifice for the Salvation of humanity (John 3:16). He then commanded all Christians to reciprocate by loving one another. 1st John 4:7-8 says:
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

We are enjoyed first to love God with all our hearts and soul and mind. This is the only way we can truly appreciate what love is and then express it to others. God has empowered us as Christians to do this.

“…Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
Romans 5:5

The Bible shows us that love (charity) is revealed in action, especially what you do in the interest of others.

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly. Seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in inquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;”
1st Corinthians 13:4-6

This is the standard God has set for all His children. Assess yourself using the Bible verse above and make amends immediately wherever you have fallen short of God’s standard.

Finally, the way to demonstrate our love to God is to obey all His commandments (John 14:15). As a Christians, we must always radiate the love of God in a way that will draw people attention to Jesus Christ, not the other way round.

Can others see the love of God in you?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

You know that you have met the black sheep of a home when you see a person who only cares about what he/she can get from the family. Good children, no matter how wealthy the family is, are more interested in increasing the family’s wealth.

Black sheep exist in God’s family too. They only care about what they can get from God and never bother about what they can give to Him. They show up when the Pastor wants to pray for business growth but are absent during evangelism. Thankfully, God also has many children who are committed to giving all to Him, hungry to make Him happy every day. To which category do you belong?

Always check to see if God needs anything to be done. Ask your Pastor how you can be of service to God. Organise seminars, evangelisms, Bible Study meetings, invite speakers to teach the people more about the Bible, raise ideas on how the Church can grow. Become obsessed with doing something for God. Mordecai told Esther:
“…and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14

Whatever position you occupy – in the Church or secularly, always seek an opportunity to do something for God through it. Whatever it is you have – Professional network, money, influence or physical strength, let your thoughts always be “How can I use this to advance the kingdom of God?”

The child who is always thinking about giving to the family rather than receiving is the one who will enjoy the best the father of the home has to offer. David was always thinking of what he could do for God. Even when God told him not to build His temple, he provided all that was needed for it. God blessed him so much that he had all he ever wanted, and even more.

If you are constantly thinking of what you can do for God, He will pour the best blessings upon you. Those who always offer acceptable service to God never lack any good thing.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:1

For a dedication exercise to be complete in the sight of God, there must be a sacrifice alongside to show commitment. In Genesis 17:9-13, God asked Abraham to circumcise all male children in his house. This act marked the children of Abraham as God’s; they were dedicated to Him. Today, we must know however, that the ultimate circumcision is that of the heart (Romans 2:29, Deuteronomy 10:16) – giving our lives to Christ. He is our sacrifice. Anyone that will be a child of God has to come under the sacrifice by confessing Him as Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9-10).

When David came face to face with Goliath, he said the Philistine was doomed because he was not circumcised – not dedicated to God. When you are dedicated to God, no Goliath can stand in your way. When you are not, you are exposed.

Anytime there is a dedication, it must go with a sacrifice (Leviticus 12:6-. God knows everyone’s ability. Bring a worthy sacrifice alongside whatever or whoever you are dedicating to Him – yourself, car, business, home or child. When Hannah was going to dedicate Samuel to God, she took along three bullocks and some other materials (1st Samuel 1:24). You see why only few prophets can compare with Samuel.

When you are sealed as God’s own, demons will have no power over you anymore. Even the devil will see you and say “This one belongs to God.”

Always remember the ultimate dedication happens when you surrender your life to Christ as a living sacrifice. You are to deny yourself, pick up your cross every day and follow Him (Luke 9:23). You cannot continue to live in sin and claim you are dedicated to God. 1st John 3:8 puts it clearly: those who sin are of the devil.

As you go about your daily activities today, ensure you remain dedicated to God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“…Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” Matthew 22:21

So many people take dedication for granted and this is because they don’t understand the power behind it. When you dedicate an object, it becomes the possession and responsibility of who it is dedicated to. This is why you must dedicate your children or property to God alone.

It could be very risky to wait several years before handing your children over to God. It doesn’t necessarily require a party; you could just take them to Church and let the Pastor dedicate them officially. If you have to, you can celebrate later.

I met a woman who had three daughters with the youngest approaching age thirty, yet none of them was in a relationship, let alone marriage. I was about to pray when the Lord urged me to ask her certain questions. She eventually confessed that all three daughters had been dedicated to Ifa (A West African deity) when they were born, claiming it was to protect them from witches and wizards. We broke the hold of lfa and rededicated the ladies to God. That same year, all three got married.

Some marriages remain fruitless because someone poured liberation during the traditional wedding ceremony. This is why we advocate that the Church wedding must be done after the traditional, so any such strange spirit that may have been invited into the union, whether with or without the knowledge of the couple can be expelled.

Some businesses have been possessed by one demon or the other because a ‘well-wisher’ invoked a contrary spirit at the opening ceremony. You must never allow such. There is nothing the devil is involved in that ever ends well. From now, dedicate everything that is yours to God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is only a beggar who would not consider the status of whoever is giving him/her gifts, he/she just collects alms from whoever, whenever. God is not a beggar. He accepts gifts only from His children and rejects the proceeds of cheating, embezzlement and the like.

The fact that money lands in the offering bag or Church account does not mean it has been accepted by God. “….And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect…”
Genesis 4:4-5

Note the sequence in the verse above: the names appeared before the offering. This means that the acceptance of the offering depends on the giver. If God accepts your offering, He has accepted you.

Some people have complained of stagnation despite being faithful in the payment of their tithes and offerings. This might be because God has not accepted them. If He hasn’t, He cannot accept their offering. In 2nd Corinthians 8:1-5, Paul asked the Macedonian Church to give themselves to God first before giving to the man of God. That is the only acceptable offering – one that is offered after the giver has given his life to Christ. So, before your next offering, ask yourself: “Am I a genuine child of God?”

It is a terrible thing for God to reject an offering, because it means He has rejected the giver. Cain, out of envy, killed his brother because of this.

A long time ago, the RCCG was in dire need of a new sound system and a rich man donated the latest model to the Church. While I was still rejoicing about this, I heard God say “Tell him to take the gift back; I don’t want it.” The man left in sorrow knowing God had rejected him. May God never reject you and your offering in the mighty name of Jesus. For that prayer to be answered, you must ensure you are in right standing with Him, living a holy life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are over two billion Christians in the world today. However, not all will make it to Heaven, according to Matthew 7:21.

Pretense is a key reason for this looming failure. Many ‘Christians are not Christ like at all; a lot of them live in sin, yet keep a pious appearance to deceive others. They forget that God is all knowing and will reward everyone according to their works. They forgot this world is temporal whereas the world to come – Heaven for the redeemed and hell for the condemned, will last for eternity.

How is your standing in Christ? Your work, position or title in the Church does not matter; if you continue in sin, you are on the road to perdition (Ezekiel 18:20). Be sincere with yourself today and repent. This kind of penitence is the major difference between Saul and David. 1st Samuel 15:30 give the account of Saul when he sinned:
“…he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God.”

And 1st Corinthians 21:16-17 gives the account of David when he sinned:
“…Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. And David said unto God, is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered…”

While Saul was concerned about his reputation with the elders, David called them to join him to pray for forgiveness. Are you a Saul or a David?

Don’t allow the devil to rob you of the opportunity you still have to repent, confess and forsake your sins. Stand by your decision no matter what.

On the last day, true Christians will be separated – the holy ones to Heaven and the pretenders to hell. Where will you be?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

If you extend your hand to someone for a handshake, the person would most likely decline if his/her hands are dirty. Naturally, humans avoid staining clean people. However, God does not operate that way. He is willing to give you a hug even when you are dirty.

The father of the prodigal son for example, did not ask him to take a bath before he could embrace him. He saw his son from afar and ran to meet him (Luke 15:11-32). The woman with the issue of blood had been bleeding for twelve years. She may have been smelly, the doctors might have taken all her earnings and left her wearing rags but she chose to touch Jesus – the One everyone was celebrating. Considering her state, ordinarily, she may not have wanted to come close, but she did! She probably felt too dirty to speak, so she decided to just touch the hem of His garment. She did not stay away totally because she was dirty. She made the move and He did not reject her; He even prayed for her (Luke 8:43-48).

The countless sins you have committed – stealing, adultery, fornication, or even murder may make you feel dirty. So, you may think God cannot accept you anymore. Listen, He is waiting for you to take just one step towards Him. There is no sin too big for the blood of Jesus to cleanse, neither is there any sinner too guilty for Him to forgive.

You might not be able to pray unhindered if you are still feeling dirty. In this case, you have to first pray for forgiveness. All He needs is genuine repentance and He will do the rest.

You might not be able to pray unhindered if you are still feeling dirty. In this case, you have to first pray for forgiveness. All He needs is genuine repentance and He will do the rest.

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…”
James 4:8

All He requires is that you take a step towards Him and He will do the rest. Even if you have entered into a covenant with the devil and sold your soul to him, God is able to help you. He remains the same; he still set lawful captives free (Isaiah 49:24-46).

His arms are still wide open, come to Him now when He is near (Isaiah 55:6). Don’t wait until it would be too late.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.