₦airaland Forum

A Christian who refuses to grow spiritually will be controlled by what he or she should be in control of. Such a Christian will beg to have things that should ordinarily be in his or her possession.

Until you grow spiritually, there is a limit to what God can trust you with. Hence, you must take personal responsibility for your spiritual growth. Don’t depend on your pastors to do what you should do by yourself. Any Christian who does not grow spiritually will be ill-prepared to face the storms of life. He or she will be unable to take on responsibilities in God’s kingdom and will be at the mercy of every satanic attack.

When giving out important assignments, God will always bypass a spiritual baby for a more mature believer. This is why it is important for you to pay the price for spiritual growth. You need to consistently feed on the word of God and spend time in His presence.

Many years ago, when nobody lived at the Redemption Camp (now Redemption City), I would leave my house in Mushin, a suburb of Lagos every Tuesday morning and stay at the camp until Thursday morning. Apart from me, the only other people at the camp were the carpenters who were involved in the ongoing construction work. However, they would stop as soon as it was dark and retire for the day, leaving me alone to seek God’s face with all my heart all night. One night – I remember that night like it was yesterday – I prayed: “Father, I surrender all. It is only You that I want. I don’t want to be an ordinary pastor. I am not asking for gold, clothes, or fame. I just want You to empower me to do this work. If You’re not going to do it, please take me away.” That day, God answered my prayers, and there was a tremor in the camp that was felt as far as in Ijebu Ode, a town that is over 60 kilometres away. When you desire to grow spiritually, God will visit you in mighty ways that will shake your world for good.

Beloved, what is hindering your spiritual growth? Have you become too busy chasing after worldly pleasures? Have the cares of this life choked your love for God? Strive to continually grow spiritually so that you will not be tossed to and fro by the devil’s tricks (Ephesians 4:14).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Whenever demons get involved in people’s lives, they usually set up evil patterns in their lives that become difficult to break. Such patterns will become so strong that such people will feel helpless, even when they can see themselves heading towards destruction.

When you speak to people who are addicted to pornography or engage in a bad habit like smoking, you will often learn that the pattern started when things in their lives were beginning to look promising. The devil set up those evil patterns in the lives of his victims to ensure that they do not experience the things that God has in store for them. However, once the patterns are broken, they become free from his stronghold.

To break these evil patterns, it is important to ask the Holy Spirit for help. Luke 11:21-26 tells us that only a stronger man can take things that are in the possession of a strong man. When a demon tries to introduce an evil pattern into the life of a believer, the Holy Spirit helps him or her to prevent it. Many people make the mistake of relying on their strength to fight off the devil; however, that does not work. Instead, they should engage in a spiritual exercise that will cause them to be filled with the Holy Ghost. They can start worshipping God or praying in tongues. As they do this, they will weaken the devil’s influence in their lives. They must, however, be willing to continue in this practice indefinitely. As they continue to do this, they will discover after a while that they have become so strong in the Holy Spirit, and the yoke has been broken over them. Isaiah 10:27 says that the yoke will be broken by reason of the anointing.

Jesus said in Luke 11:21-26 that when a demon is cast out of a person, it will return to check the state of its former accommodation. If it finds the place clean and empty, it will repossess the person and invite seven worse demons than itself to also come in. This means that if an evil pattern has been broken over the life of a believer, he or she must continually grow in God’s grace. Such a fellow must pray, fast, study the Scriptures, and fellowship with other believers consistently. The deeper such a fellow goes in Christ, the more assured he or she will be of a permanent victory over all forms of evil patterns.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God’s ways are beyond natural human comprehension. He can choose to make a donkey talk (Numbers 22:28), provide resources in unusual places (Matthew 17:27), and use a sworn enemy to arrange for a fellow’s promotion at work like He used the Egyptians to sponsor the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness (Exodus 12:36). As a believer, don’t think you can understand all of God’s ways – all He requires from you is your faith and obedience. When you ask Him for something, you should do whatever He tells you to do and believe that He is more than able to meet your requests.

People who think that God is too slow and that they can handle things by themselves often get into trouble. Abraham learnt this the hard way when Sarah convinced him to help God by having a child through her servant (Genesis 16:2). That single decision is the cause of some of the major problems in the world today. If God has said He will do something, He will do it to perfection; you cannot do it better than Him.

In 2 Kings 6:1-7, the sons of the prophets wanted to build a bigger accommodation, and they came to tell Elisha. They decided to go beside the Jordan River to get wood for the construction, and while the others were excited to start the project, one of them asked Elisha to go with them.

Beloved, it is good to make plans and embark on projects. However, if you don’t involve God in all you do, your ‘well-laid-out plans’ can crumble. This was what happened to the sons of the prophets. While they were happily cutting down wood and gathering it for their building project, they suddenly had a setback. One of them had borrowed an axe, and while cutting wood with it, the axe-head fell into the water. Apart from negatively affecting the completion timeline of the project, this setback also meant that they had incurred some debt because the axe was borrowed. Thank God one of them had earlier involved Elisha. He simply asked them where the axe-head fell, cut down a stick, and threw it into the water. What happened next cannot be explained by science; the stick sank, and the heavy axe head swam.

God’s ways are not man’s ways, and only a fool will always try to explain how God works. When it comes to relating with God, faith and obedience is all He expects of you because His ways are past finding out.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In 1984, a woman came to me from Oyo state in South-Western Nigeria for prayers concerning her finances. I told her, “Don’t worry, God will provide for you. You can go home now.” She said, “I cannot go home because I don’t have the money to travel back.” I didn’t have much then either, but I divided the little money I had into two and gave her one half – this happened in June. By the following August, she came back and bought a big cow for the church’s annual convention. God can turn people’s stories around and make their lives better in a very short time.

Years ago, I heard the story of a woman who was barren. Her pastor had been praying with her for the fruit of the womb for several years, but nothing happened. Finally, the pastor called her and said, “All the other barren women that I have prayed for have already become mothers. Why is your case different?” The woman then told the pastor that when she was young, she got pregnant and tried to have an abortion, which failed. To save her life, the doctors removed her womb. The pastor asked, “Do you mean you have no womb?” The woman replied, “Yes”. The pastor asked again, “Then why are you asking me to pray that you become pregnant?” The woman replied, “But you’re the one who taught us that with God, nothing shall be impossible.” From that day, the pastor began to avoid her. Anytime he saw the woman coming from one direction, he would walk away from her in the opposite direction. This went on for a while, and one day, the woman told herself, “It’s alright. If the pastor is avoiding me, I will look unto God and take my eyes off him.” That night, she had a dream in which she was standing naked in a room. A huge man came through the wall with the skin of an animal in his hand. She became so frightened that she couldn’t move. When the man got to her, he wrapped the skin of the animal around her and disappeared. She woke up, shaking and sweating, but immediately, she knew that God had come to give her a new womb. Today, she is the mother of many beautiful children.

Beloved, Jesus is the master at turning negative situations around. If you are currently experiencing any negative situation in your life, I decree that God will give you a mighty turnaround, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

James 1:5-7 says that you should only ask God for things in faith. It further says that if you doubt, you should not expect to get anything from God. I know that some situations can look scary and tough, but if you want to live above those situations, you have to believe in God. In Matthew 14:28-29, Peter’s faith was unwavering when he told Jesus, …bid me come unto thee on the water.” However, when he looked at the boisterous wind around him and stopped believing, he started to sink. No matter how tough things are, do not lose your faith.

When I got born again in The Redeemed Christian Church of God, I was extremely happy about my salvation, but I was very sickly. Every two weeks, I would be sick with malaria and would require medical treatment. At that time, whenever Christians talked about healing without medication, I did not believe them. I used to say, “You have shown me the way to heaven; don’t send me there too quickly.” Then, one day, I heard a testimony from an old man about how God miraculously healed him of a bent back, and immediately, my faith was aroused. I thank God that since that time, that faith has been getting stronger daily. If you want to see great miracles in your life, believe what God has said. If He has done mighty wonders before, He can do them again and again.

I once went to a Kenneth Hagin camp meeting in the United States of America and saw about 7,000 people in one convention. I had never seen anything like that before because, at that time, the entire congregation of The Redeemed Christian Church of God was less than 1,000. However, while on the plane back to Nigeria, I told those who went with me that, one day, our pastors alone would be more than 17,000. They didn’t believe me. Today, God has surpassed my expectations. When you have faith in God, He sets you up to break records. He makes you a wonder unto many when you believe.

Science says prove it, and I will believe you. However, God says believe Me, then I will prove it. When God asks you to do something, believe Him. Don’t try to add or remove from what He has said. Just believe, and He will do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God and Abraham had a conversation one night in Genesis 15:3-6, and Abraham reminded God that He had not given him an heir. In response, God told him to go outside and see if he could count the stars. He then told him that his children would be as many as the stars. You might wonder, “Why did God have to tell Abraham to go outside and look at the stars? Why didn’t He just tell him that his descendants would be so many that it would be impossible to count them?” I believe it was because God needed Abraham to see what he would be getting.

Similarly, in Genesis 13:14-17, God told Abraham, “All the land you see shall be yours.” He also said, “Move away from where you are, walk through the land as far as you can, and it shall all be yours.” God knew that for Abraham to own the land, he had to first have a vision of it. In any situation you find yourself, what you see is what you will get. In an economy where people complain that things are tough, if you see poverty, that is what you will get; likewise, if you see abundance, you will experience it. In a situation where doctors say there is no hope, if you see life, you will have life. All you have to do is regulate your faith to see only what Jesus has promised you, and that is what you will get.

In Numbers 13:16-33, Moses sent the twelve spies to check out the land of Canaan, and they came back with reports. While Caleb and Joshua saw themselves inhabiting the land, the remaining ten spies saw giants and a land that swallowed up its inhabitants. Joshua and Caleb saw God’s mighty ability, but the others saw themselves as grasshoppers. In the end, everyone got what they saw. The ten spies were swallowed up in the wilderness while Joshua and Caleb got into the land and inhabited it (Numbers 32:11-12).

Beloved, what do you see in your life, marriage, or career? Whatever you see is what you will get. If you see victory, you will walk in it. However, if you see defeat, you will experience it. God wants you to see correctly, and the only way to do this is to know what He says in His word. What has God said about your home, children, career, health, and life? Believe His promises concerning you, and they shall come to pass.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Revelation 3:20 says that Jesus is standing at the door of your heart right now, knocking and waiting for you to let Him in. Every time you hear a word from God that convicts you of sin, that is Jesus saying, “Let me into your heart so I can cleanse your heart of sin.” You have no idea what Jesus Christ can do for you when you let Him into your heart. The moment you let Jesus in, your past will no longer determine your future – only Jesus will. With Jesus living in you, your future will only get brighter and brighter (Proverbs 4:18).

You may say, “I already let Jesus into my heart some time ago.” That is good, but do you still get convicted of certain sins when you listen to a sermon or read your Bible? If yes, that means there are some parts of your life that Jesus hasn’t taken over yet, and He is knocking on the door of your heart so you can let Him in. There is no partial salvation; Ephesians 5:27 says that Jesus is coming for a bride without blemish or wrinkle. If there’s still a blemish in your life, surrender it completely to Jesus Christ today.

You may also say, “I have a good relationship with Jesus.” However, there is more. David described a relationship with God as a journey into the deep. He said, “Deep calleth unto deep.” (Psalm 42:7). After walking, eating, and talking with Jesus during His earthly ministry for three and a half years, John saw Him in a vision in Revelation 4:1, and Jesus told him, “…Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” There are always higher realms in God, and Jesus is standing at the door of your heart, knocking and calling you to come up higher. It is not enough to just confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour; there is more. God wants you to operate in His miraculous power (Mark 16:17-18). He wants you to be an agent of change, but you need the power of the Holy Spirit to do that. There will always be higher doors to enter and deeper realms to access in God.

Beloved, Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart today. He is calling you to higher and deeper levels in your relationship with Him. Open your heart to Him; He will beautify your life with His glory and make you an agent of change for His kingdom.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One can easily assume that everyone who attends church regularly or functions in a department within a church has encountered Jesus. However, in my experience, I have realised that many people are working hard in the Lord’s vineyard but haven’t had an encounter with Him. They know a lot about Him, but they don’t know Him.

Paul thought he knew God until the day he had an encounter with Jesus Christ. When you truly meet Jesus, you will become a completely new person. Before Paul met Jesus, he persecuted believers. However, when he met Him, his story changed. In 1 Timothy 1:13-16, he spoke about his horrible past as a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an injurious person, and how he obtained mercy from God. In Christ, he became a Chief Apostle (2 Corinthians 11:5) and fulfilled his destiny (2 Timothy 4:6-7).

Peter was just another fisherman from Galilee before he met Jesus. However, when he met Jesus, he was given a glorious destiny (Luke 5:10). Even when he failed and denied Jesus, his future was still secure because of his encounter with Jesus. When a man meets Jesus, his failures and weaknesses become part of his success story because God works all things together for his good (Romans 8:28).

Isaiah thought he knew God until he had an encounter in Isaiah 6 that changed his life. When he saw the Lord in His glory, he fell on his face and cried, “…Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). After meeting the Lord, Isaiah was willing to go wherever the Lord sent Him. When you truly meet Jesus, all your excuses will be burnt away like chaff.

Beloved, if you genuinely want to meet Jesus, make it mandatory for yourself to study God’s word every day. Revelation 19:13 says that He is the Word of God. When you study the word of God, you are fellowshipping with Jesus Christ. The more of God’s word you study, the closer you will get to Him. It will be difficult at first because the devil will try to stop you, but as you keep at it, you will discover that you are being transformed because you are getting to know the Son of God for yourself.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is a popular saying that good luck is when opportunity meets preparation – this is very true. A person can dream about achieving a particular feat, but if he or she does not prepare adequately towards this, when the opportunity comes, the fellow will be caught unawares and it will become obvious that he or she never prepared for it. In 1 Samuel 17:12-50, you will observe that David had been preparing himself for war while he was in the desert tending sheep. He had no weapons, but he continually trained until he mastered how to use a sling perfectly. His ‘lucky day’ came when he encountered Goliath and defeated him with just one swing of his sling.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
1 Samuel 17:50

Unlike David, Rehoboam wasn’t prepared for the throne of Israel. Although he was the son of King Solomon, who many consider to be Israel’s wisest king, he was very foolish. He was the heir to the throne, and it would have been expected that he would have been preparing for the day he would become king. Unfortunately, he wasn’t prepared for something that he knew was coming, and he failed (2 Chronicles 10:1-19).

When a student knows that a school examination is coming and he or she doesn’t prepare, such a student can be said to be foolish. As a member of staff in an organisation, when a fellow knows that there will be regular performance appraisals and doesn’t do his or her job well, that fellow is foolish and cannot be promoted. If a pastor who knows that he or she will preach a message on Sunday does not fast, pray, or study for the message, he or she is the devil hindering his or her own growth. When the time for a big breakthrough comes in your life, I pray that you will be prepared, in Jesus’ name.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 says that time and chance happens to every human being on the earth. This means that every human being on the earth will have opportunities to advance in life. However, only those who are prepared will recognise those opportunities when they come and maximise them.

Beloved, you must continuously increase your capacity, especially in areas you are seeking advancement so that when opportunities come your way, you will be prepared to make the best of them.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many years ago, I went to preach in Onitsha, a town in South-Eastern Nigeria. On my way back to Lagos, I needed to refuel my car, so I stopped at Asaba to buy some fuel. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any. I kept driving until I got to Benin, but I still couldn’t get any fuel to buy. I continued my journey until I got to Ore. By then, the car’s fuel tank was on reserve. I didn’t know what to do. It was a Sunday evening, and I had to give some lectures the next morning. Then, God spoke to me, “Son, take your eyes off the gauge and keep driving.” I drove the car on reserve fuel from Ore until I parked in my house in Surulere (over 200km). God can bring something out of nothing, but for you to enjoy His blessings, you must be obedient to Him. When He says go, you should go, and when He says stop, you must stop. Proverbs 3:5 says that you should not lean on your own understanding.

In John 5:2-9, there was an account of a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him lying by a pool and asked him, “Do you wish to get well?” The sick man answered, “Sir, I have no man to put me in the pool when the water is troubled.” Jesus then said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” Immediately, the man became well and began to walk. His simple obedience to Jesus’ instruction to rise and take up his bed broke the bondage he was in for thirty-eight years. No matter how long a problem has existed, once God sends His word and you obey Him, you will have total freedom.

More than four decades ago, I was to travel outside Nigeria for the first time and had never been inside an aeroplane before. I was a lecturer at the University of Lagos and was to give a presentation in Sierra Leone. I was a bit anxious because I had never travelled outside the country, but then, somebody gave me instructions on how to clear myself at the airport. I listened, obeyed the instructions, and my journey was successful.

Beloved, when God gives you an instruction, don’t think you are wiser than Him. He knows the end from the beginning and the best pathway for your life. If you want to succeed in life, simply obey God’s instructions. Obedience always precedes the miraculous.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When God called me to become a pastor, I did not want to answer the call, but He insisted. So, I told Him, “I don’t want to be an ordinary Christian or an ordinary pastor. If You want me to be who You say You want me to be, I want to at least do the works that Jesus did, and even greater.” The Lord said, “No problem. It’s just that you will have to start from where Jesus started. He fasted for 40 days and nights before He performed His first miracle.” At that time, the only times I ever fasted was on Good Fridays, and those fasts only lasted from morning until 12 noon. I told God, “40 days and nights?” He responded, “Well, you are the one who said you want to do what Jesus did, and even greater, so you have to start from where He started.” I almost said, “Lord, don’t worry,” but I thought to myself, “If there is anything you learnt in Mathematics, it is that you start from the known to the unknown, from simple equations to simultaneous, quadratic, exponential, and so on.” So, I started with three days and nights; I’m telling you, it felt like three months. After some time, fasting for three days and nights every month was no longer difficult for me, so I moved on to five days and then seven until I got to fasting for 40 days and nights more than once a year.

Beloved, you can attain any height if you are steadily growing in the right direction. Don’t think that those who are at the top got there in one day. Line must be upon line, and precept must be upon precept, a little here and a little there (Isaiah 28:10), after which you will find yourself in the place where you desire to be.

I believe that all the teachings of Jesus can be simply summarised as ‘nothing goes for nothing’. There is a price to pay if you want to be great. You may not be able to pay all the price now, but if you take it one step at a time, you will soon get to the desired height. You can start from where you are because if you keep waiting to start big, you might never start. God commits more into the hands of those who are faithful in little (Luke 16:10).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

No matter how high you have gone in God, you can go even higher. However, only those who are hungry for more will go higher. People who settle easily cannot move higher because they either think they have enough or lack the capacity or ability to achieve more.

I once travelled to Rivers, a state in Southern Nigeria, and ministered in several locations within the state. In one of the locations, while I was ministering, I laid my hands on some sick people. When I finished, I wanted to wash my hands, so two ladies brought water and soap for me – one was carrying a bowl of soapy water, and the other was carrying a bowl with clean water. As I was washing my hands inside the bowl of soapy water, I sensed in my spirit that the lady carrying the bowl was hungry for the anointing. Suddenly, I felt the anointing of God flowing from me into the water, then through the bowl and into her hands. Suddenly, she began to vibrate violently, and someone had to quickly take the bowl from her hands. The people around quickly got her a chair to sit on, but she continued shaking under the influence of the anointing. The interesting thing was that the anointing was still in the water and in the bowl, but the person who took the bowl from her did not feel anything. He didn’t feel anything because he was not hungry for more. Hunger attracts greater levels of the anointing and draws people into higher realms in God. Those who are hungry for more of God are always willing to pay the price. They don’t complain when it is time to fast or grumble when it is time to pray. Because they are hungry, they are willing and ready to do all it takes to go higher.

Are you hungry for more of God? Do you wish to go higher in God? Indeed, in John 7:37, it is those who thirst that Jesus invited to drink from Him. However, He also said you must come to Him before you can drink from Him. A lot of people talk about how they long to go higher; however, when the time comes to do what it takes to come to Him, they are the first to say that they can’t fast, pray, or study their Bibles for long.

Beloved, thirst to go higher in God, but also be prepared to give what it takes.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Every day, people see problems that they wish they could do something about. What if God could use you to bring a solution to every problem you encounter or make you the solution to that lingering issue in your family? If something terrible happens in your neighbourhood, can you say a simple prayer that will effect a change such that the people who were in sorrow will start rejoicing?

When the widow of one of the sons of the prophets came to Elisha because of her debt problem, she didn’t return home the same. Elisha opened her eyes to see that the solution she desperately needed was in her house. He showed her the secret to getting out of debt and living a financially independent life (2 Kings 4:1-7). Sometimes, becoming the solution to another person’s problem is not by giving them money but by opening their eyes to see what they have never paid attention to, empowering them with the correct knowledge and information to live a bondage-free life. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Jesus is the way, the TRUTH, and the life (John 14:6). Hence, the ultimate way to help people with problems is to introduce Him to them.

In 1 Kings 17:17-24, when the son of the widow died, she didn’t turn to the king for help. Instead, she turned to Elijah, and God used him to raise her dead son. If such a thing happened around you, do you have the capacity for God to provide such a solution through you? You may say, “Oh, I am not a prophet like Elijah.” However, there is no record in the Scriptures that only ordained ministers of God can perform miracles. Mark 16:17-18 says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Jesus is the ultimate solution to every problem, and He has given those who believe in Him the authority to perform signs and wonders in His name. To do this, however, you must exercise your spirit more than your flesh.

Beloved, be the kind of believer who studies the Bible and prays regularly. When you are such, then God will make you a solution to the problems of many people around you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is commonly said that statues are never built in honour of critics. While it is not bad to criticise people who are not doing what they ought to be doing, you must not just stop there.

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
1 Kings 17:1

In the Scripture above, we see that Elijah started out as a critic. The king wasn’t behaving in the right manner, and just like any critic, Elijah walked into the palace and confronted him. However, he didn’t stop there; he moved on to become a vessel that God used to provide for the needs of a poor widow and her son (1 Kings 17:8-16).

Would you rather become a mere critic or an activist whom God will use to put solutions forward? Would you be content with only carrying placards and protesting or also becoming so wealthy that you can feed the hungry? Carrying placards and protesting will attract the attention of the people you are criticising. However, beyond that, you must grow to a point where you can recommend and even provide some of the solutions you are demanding. Don’t just become a critic that challenges those in authority; grow to the point where your impact cannot be ignored.

This message is particularly for youths. They should learn from Moses who thought he could fulfil his destiny his own way, and as a result, he had to stay in the wilderness for another 40 years until he was ready. The positive change you want can happen, but you must be wise enough to let it happen in God’s way. Matthew 10:16 says, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Christians need to be as strategic as serpents. The most dangerous thing about a serpent is its silence when it wants to attack its prey. When it attacks, the prey only realises it when it is already too late.

Beloved, be wise. God has a great destiny for you, but you must not let overzealousness prevent you from fulfilling your destiny. Rather than just being a mere noisemaker, increase your capacity so that you can indeed become a force to be reckoned with. Your zeal should be matched with the right knowledge and actions (Romans 10:1-2).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When I was leaving for my postgraduate studies, I handed my mother over to my wife, knowing that she would take good care of her. My wife is a helpmeet indeed, and a true helpmeet is a great blessing, not just to her husband but her in-laws as well. She won’t seek to compete with them or disrespect them; rather, she will help her husband by honouring his people. Nowadays, some women say that they are only married to their husbands and do not care about their in-laws. This is not right because their husbands came from a home, and as helpmeets, they have a responsibility to love their husbands’ people too.

Ruth was a wise woman. When she married Naomi’s son, she took Naomi as her mother. Her love for Naomi was so great that when her husband died, she abandoned her hometown to follow her mother-in-law to a place she had never been. She was ready to risk everything to care for her aged mother-in-law. In return, God rewarded her selflessness by giving her another home. Ruth’s service to her mother-in-law opened the door of fruitfulness to her (Ruth 1-4), and in the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:1-16, you will find her name in verse 5.

Loving in-laws is, however, not peculiar to wives alone. Husbands must also love and honour their in-laws. The fact that they have fulfilled all the necessary traditional marriage rites does not mean their wives’ parents and family members are unimportant. For example, Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law when he visited Peter’s house in Matthew 8:14-15. Immediately Jesus healed her, she arose and ministered to them. If she hadn’t been treated well before that time, and if she wasn’t made to feel welcomed in the house, she wouldn’t have thought of serving everyone present, including her son-in-law.

If you’re married, God put you in your spouse’s family because He wants you to extend His love to them. Whether they reciprocate or not, your responsibility is to love them. No man snuffs out the little light he has because every other person is living in darkness. Instead, he makes his light shine brighter for all to see. If your in-laws don’t believe in Jesus yet, your marriage has given you the opportunity to show them the light. Ask God for the wisdom to relate with them, and in everything you do, let the love of Christ rule your heart, actions, and decisions.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is very important that parents speak the right words into their children’s lives. Speaking the right words plays a huge role in laying a solid foundation for children. Unfortunately, some parents are careless with their words. They are not diligent in processing what is in their hearts before they speak; therefore, what comes out of their mouths towards their children is not wholesome. Parents should bless their children, not curse them or make negative pronouncements on them. When Rachel gave birth to her second son, she pronounced a curse on him because of the pain she went through in childbearing. If Jacob had not changed that name to Benjamin, that child would probably have lived a sorrowful life (Genesis 35:18).

Many people live in sorrow because of the evil pronouncements their parents made over them. Parents should not do that to their children; instead, they should use their mouths to bless them every day. They should also learn to keep some things that God reveals to them about their children to themselves so that they don’t expose them to human and demonic attacks. Mary kept the things she had received concerning Jesus in her heart (Luke 2:19). It isn’t everything God shows parents about their children that they should share. Some things are for an appointed time; they should wait for that time.

Parents should also not share everything about what is going on in their children’s lives on social media. Social media is a marketplace with different kinds of people. If Mary or Joseph had been careless about the whereabouts of Jesus when God told them to leave for Egypt, Herod could have found a means to kill him in Egypt. Parents should be wise about sharing their children’s information online. Some children have gotten into the wrong hands because their parents were careless.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says that parents must teach their children God’s ways. They must tell them about His laws in the morning, noon, and night, and use every opportunity to drill God’s word into their minds. If you’re a parent, use your mouth to raise your children, not tear them down. My mother would always bless me by saying that when I call one person, hundreds will come running, and today, those blessings have truly manifested in my life. Let your words be seasoned with grace always (Colossians 4:6). Let your lips be a wellspring of life to your children. Let them always know they will meet words of life, not death, on your lips.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Joel 2:28, God promised that He would pour out His Spirit in the last days, and old men will dream dreams while the young men will see visions. Whether you are old or young, God wants you to do exploits with His Spirit that lives in you.

When God gives you a vision, He expects you to run with it. You may encounter obstacles, but you must see beyond them. For example, in Numbers 13 and 14, Moses sent 12 spies to search the Promised Land and bring him a report. The 12 spies returned with giant grapes to show that the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey; however, ten of them complained that there were giants in the land. Caleb and Joshua, who had a clear vision of God’s promise, said, “We saw what you saw with our physical eyes, but if this land eats up its inhabitants, then there would be no people there. God gave us the vision, and He will help us take the land. Let’s go ahead and possess the land.” The Bible says in Numbers 32:11-12 that while all the children of Israel in that generation perished, only Joshua and Caleb made it to the Promised Land.

Beloved, the vision God has given to you will sustain you and prolong your days. No matter your age, if you can still see what God wants you to see clearly and are ready to pursue it, He will ensure that He keeps you alive and in good shape. Abraham was 75 years old when God called him to go to a land, He would show him (Genesis 12:1-4). Because he was willing to run with this vision, God kept him alive until he was 175 years old (Genesis 25:7-.

If God has given you a vision, run with it; do not give in to any obstacle. Also, do not run ahead of God, as this will only lead you into trouble. Habakkuk 2:3 says, “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.” This means that you need patience to run with the vision God has given you (Hebrews 12:1). This way, you will not make hasty and rash decisions as you pursue the vision. I pray that you will fulfil every vision that God has given to you, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will conclude my discussion on spiritual eyes as part of the series I started three days ago.

In 2 Kings 6:15-23, an army came to arrest Elisha, and his servant became afraid. Elisha, however, was not bothered; he told his servant that those who were with them were more than those who were against them. He then prayed that God should open his servant’s eyes. Even though the boy wasn’t physically blind and could see the Syrian army, his spiritual eyes needed to be opened so he could see God’s mighty army surrounding them.

…And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
2 Kings 6:17

After God opened the spiritual eyes of Elisha’s servant, his fear of the Syrian army must have disappeared immediately. Elisha then asked God to smite the Syrian soldiers with blindness, and he led them to the king’s palace. He wasn’t holding any weapon, neither did he bind the soldiers; he just told them to follow him, and because they had become blind, they followed him into their enemy’s territory. They would have lost their lives that day if Elisha had not stopped the king from killing them. He was able to arrest the soldiers who came to arrest him because he could see beyond the physical.

In 1 Samuel 17, Israel was being tormented by Goliath. The torment went on for 40 days and nights because there was no one on the battlefield whose spiritual eyes were opened. They all saw a formidable giant, but David came to the battlefield and saw Goliath as a dead man. David said to him, “I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today, I will cut off your head and feed the Philistine army to the birds so that the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Samuel 17:45-46).

Beloved, what you see with your spiritual eyes will go a long way in determining if you will live as a victim or a victorious believer. If you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, spend quality time in constant fellowship with Him. As you do this, I pray that the Lord will open your spiritual eyes. If, however, the Lord has already opened your spiritual eyes, I pray for greater revelations for you, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Over the past two days, I have discussed two of the three kinds of eyes that humans have: physical eyes and mental eyes. Today, I will be discussing the third kind of eyes: spiritual eyes. Your spiritual eyes give you the ability to see the invisible.

And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
2 Kings 2:9-10

In the Scripture above, Elisha requested for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Elijah replied, “Your request will be granted if you can see me when I am being taken away from you.” What he actually meant was, “If your spiritual eyes can be opened to see the invisible, you will get what you have asked for.” When the chariots of fire descended from heaven, Elisha saw them and cried, “My Father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof” (2 Kings 2:12). God must have said, “His spiritual eyes are opened; he can have what he wants.” When your spiritual eyes become open, your destiny also opens up.

In 2 Kings 6:15-23, the Syrian army surrounded Elisha’s house; his servant saw them and was terrified. He ran to tell Elisha about the situation, and Elisha prayed that God would open his spiritual eyes. After he prayed, God opened his servant’s eyes, and the fellow who was scared became courageous because he could now see the invisible.

…And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
2 Kings 6:17

When God opens your spiritual eyes, you’ll be able to see beyond the physical realm, and you’ll have a better understanding of the divine power that backs you up as a Christian. If God has been using you before, this will further strengthen your faith and empower you to do more exploits for His kingdom. For this to happen, you must be born again, and your spirit must be better fed than your body. This can be done by praying, studying God’s word, fasting, worshipping intensely, and fellowshipping with other believers consistently.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Besides physical eyes, I believe that every human has mental eyes, which the Bible refers to as the eyes of understanding. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul said, “I pray that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened.” In other words, he was saying, “I pray that your eyes of understanding be opened.”

The eyes of your understanding are very important. According to Deuteronomy 1:13, understanding is one of the major requirements for becoming a leader. Hence, to be an effective leader, you must have understanding and the eyes of your understanding must be fully opened. This was why Solomon asked God for an understanding heart to lead His people (1 Kings 3:9). The state of the mental eyes is what makes the difference between people who are highly educated, moderately educated, or illiterate.

I worked as a tutor at Ondo Boys High School in South-Western Nigeria before enrolling for my undergraduate studies. In those days, there were 40 class periods per week, and I was made to teach 36 of them. I worked alongside a university graduate who had to teach for only 23 class periods every week, yet he always complained that the school was overstretching him. My salary was about 15 pounds a month, while his salary was 60 pounds a month. I was surprised about his complaints because he was earning about four times more than I was earning, even though he was teaching fewer class periods than I was. One day, I asked him, “Why are you complaining? You have fewer periods to teach compared to me.” He replied, “I am not being paid for what I do now. I am being paid for the work I had done on my brain in the past.” My understanding could not be compared to his because I only had a secondary school certificate while he had a university degree, so we were paid differently, based on our levels of understanding.

If you want to be successful, your mental eyes need to be opened. You need to study hard and try new things to get better outcomes. A wealthy man once said that the more you learn, the more you earn. Someone else said that readers are leaders. Those who will be great in life value learning more than entertainment; therefore, they keep on learning. The day you decide that there is nothing more to learn, your mental eyes will begin to go dim. Beloved, the more you learn, the more the eyes of your understanding receive light. Therefore, make up your mind never to stop learning.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I believe that humans have three kinds of eyes: physical eyes, mental eyes, and spiritual eyes. Over the next few days, I will discuss these kinds of eyes.

Your physical eyes are the two eyes that you use to see physical objects and the world around you. According to Matthew 6:22-23, they are the light of the body and are so important that Jesus restored the sight of every blind person that came to Him asking for sight during His earthly ministry. In Bartimaeus’ case, He spoke His word, and that word supplied two brand-new eyes (Mark 10:46-52). In the case of the man in John 9:1-7, He released His anointing into ordinary mud, and from that mud, He created two brand-new eyes. In Mark 8:22-26, He touched a man who was blind twice. The first time He touched him, the man said that he could see men looking like trees. This wasn’t good enough for Jesus, so He touched him again. When you go through the Scriptures, you will discover that instance was the only time Jesus touched anybody for their healing twice. I am sure Jesus did this to show the importance of the physical eyes. If anyone reading this devotional has problems with their physical eyes, I decree that God will touch such a person today, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Since your physical eyes are the light of your body, what you see with them will determine the state of your body. If you want your body to be full of light, you will not look at things that come from the kingdom of darkness. You won’t watch certain movies or view certain pictures as they can quench the light in you and make you live in darkness. The devil is after your eyes because he knows that if he can darken them, he has succeeded in darkening your body, which is the temple of the Lord. Don’t let him succeed; look away from things that can bring darkness. Flee from every appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

Samson was greatly helped by God, and God used him to achieve mighty things. However, the moment he began to fix his gaze on the wrong things, he opened himself to the enemy’s attack. The enemy removed his eyes, and he was plunged into darkness because he became careless with his eyes (Judges 14-16). Beloved, be careful of what you fix your gaze on, and don’t give the enemy a chance to plunge you into darkness.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Proverbs 29:18 says that where there is no vision, the people perish. The rich fool in Luke 12:15-21 died because he told his soul to rest and pursue nothing. A lack of vision kills; when you’re pursuing a goal, your youth is renewed with each passing day. Sometime ago, I told some of my older friends that we are not old men because Joel 2:28 says that the old men shall dream dreams while the young ones will see visions. Since my older friends and I still have visions that we are pursuing, we are young.

Beloved, it is not enough to have a vision; you must also pursue it. Some people can talk so passionately about their vision today, but when you see them again three years from now, you will discover that they are still talking about the vision but have not taken any step to fulfil it. If you ask them why, they will give all sorts of excuses.

People who have a vision they truly believe in don’t let anything stand in their way. Obstacles tremble when a man of vision approaches them. When God gave us the vision of the RCCG campground, we did not have the money, but that did not stop us from taking steps towards getting the land. We overcame that obstacle, and not long after that, another obstacle arose: there was no water in the camp that could support thousands of people. That also did not deter us, and we kept forging ahead. Before long, we had more than enough water. The reason many people haven’t seen their visions come to pass is that they are not doing anything to fulfil them. To fulfil a vision, you have to make moves first, and when you do, God will carry you towards the vision. Only a fellow who pursues his or her vision will hear it speak. When God spoke to Habakkuk in 'Habakkuk 2:1-3', He instructed him to write the vision so that at the appointed time, it would speak. When you start taking steps in the direction of the vision God has given you, your vision will speak, and many will hear it.

Has God shown you something? Get to work; don’t give room for excuses. God wants to give your vision a voice that can speak life to nations, but until you do something about what you have seen, your vision will remain silent.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Several years ago, we held a Holy Ghost Service at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos. During the service, the Lord said that there was somebody in the congregation who had only one kidney because the other one had been removed through surgery. The Lord further said that the remaining kidney was not in good condition, so He would give the person two brand-new kidneys. If I had not recognized the voice of God, I wouldn’t have dared to tell the congregation what I heard. A man in the congregation knew that the Lord was talking about him because one of his kidneys had been surgically removed, and the other one was not functioning properly. On Saturday morning, as soon as the programme was over, he went straight to the hospital where the surgery to remove his kidney was done and asked the surgeon to examine him. The surgeon said, “I remember your case; the day we were removing your kidney, everything went wrong. The surgery that was supposed to take less than an hour lasted eight hours.” When the surgeons examined him, they found two brand-new kidneys. When God, who is the God of hope (Romans 15:13), steps into a case, that case changes its status from ‘hopeless’ to ‘testimony’.

God gives victory over hopelessness. For example, in Genesis 18:9-14, when He told Abraham that Sarah would have a son in nine months, Sarah laughed because she thought the situation was hopeless. However, the Almighty God, who could have said, “Because you laughed, I cancel what I have said,” did not change his mind. Instead, He said, “You can laugh as much as you like, but Isaac will be born.” Beloved, if you have considered your situation as hopeless before now, I have good news for you today. In the name that is above every other name, your Isaac will be born.

There is no hopeless case with God. Jeremiah 32:27 says, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” In Ezekiel 37:1-10 the Bible tells us that the Almighty God caused dry bones to live again. They were not just dead bodies; they were very dry bones. Yet, the Lord God caused His servant to prophesy, and the dry bones came back to life.

Beloved, the God who made dry bones to live again can take care of your situation. Men may have written you off, but with God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When God created the world in Genesis 1:1-31, the first thing He made was light. This is because when light is present, it becomes easy to put every other thing in place.

In Mark 10:46-52, a blind beggar called Bartimaeus was crying desperately for the attention of Jesus Christ. He was living in the bondage of poverty and was likely a lonely man who had nobody to help him. His case seemed to be a hopeless one simply because he could not see. When Jesus asked him what he wanted, he asked for the ability to see. He could have asked for money and clothes, but all he asked for was the ability to see light. Your ability to see, including physically and spiritually, is far more beneficial than money and clothes.

When God’s light comes, every form of darkness and sorrow disappears. The question now is, how can you let the light of God into your life? Jesus said in John 8:12 that He is the Light of the world. If you let Jesus into your life, His light will shine in you and chase out every form of darkness. He will shine so much in you that you will begin to shine on others. This is why He said in Matthew 5:14 that you are the light of the world. Through you, darkness will leave your family, and everyone who comes in contact with you will benefit from the light you carry. Before I became born again, there were curses and sorrows in the Adeboye family. However, after the Light – Jesus Christ – came into my life, every generational curse was broken. Poverty and sorrows were also banished forever.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

Beloved, no matter how potent the generational curses or forces of darkness that might be holding you back are, once you surrender your life to Jesus Christ, all things will become new and His light will drive darkness away from you. If you are, however, not yet born again, please say the following prayer:

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I have been living in darkness. Now, I am ready for Your light. Please, come into my life and make me a new creature in You. I denounce every sin I used to commit (mention all), and I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You, Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS FOR LEADERS

1. Thank you, Lord, for all the leaders you have given us in our nation, state, church, workplace, and across all other spheres of life. Thank You for keeping and preserving them.

2. Father, please give our leaders divine wisdom and guidance to make the best decisions that align with Your will at all times.

3. Father, please give our leaders the heart to serve. Let them lead with humility and compassion.

4. Father, please help our leaders lead with integrity and good character. Help them to shun corrupt practices, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, please give our leaders the mental strength to navigate the challenges and pressures that come with leadership, in Jesus’ name.

6. Father, please take care of the families and personal needs of our leaders. Don’t let the devil distract them from providing good leadership because of personal problems, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, please protect our leaders from evil forces. Don’t let the devil’s plans come to pass concerning them, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, You are the only true source of help; please send help speedily to our leaders so they can fulfil Your purpose for their lives.

9. Father, please surround our leaders with good advisers and resourceful people. Let selfish and manipulative people remain far away from them, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, I pray for wisdom for our leaders. Help them create policies that align with Your will, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, please let Your Spirit of excellence rest upon our leaders. Help them to find creative ways to solve our common challenges and make things better for everyone.

12. Your personal prayer points for your leaders.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“O God, thou art my God; early will i seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”
Psalm 63:1.

The Scripture above was written by David in the wilderness of Judah. A wilderness is often characterised by a lack of food and water, and even though David might have been hungry and thirsty, he expressed a much greater desire for something more than food and water – God’s presence. No wonder God called David a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).

In Acts 8:27-39, we read about the Ethiopian eunuch who had travelled many miles to Jerusalem to worship God. However, he had many questions as he was returning to his home country. As he travelled on the dusty roads of Gaza, an angel spoke to Phillip and told him to position himself on the road the eunuch was travelling on. As Phillip stood by the road, the Holy Spirit gave him an additional instruction to move closer to the man’s chariot. God was so interested in the eunuch that He moved everything – an angel, a man, and His Spirit - to give him the answers he desired (Acts 8:26-40). This is what happens when God sees genuine hunger for Him in the life of a fellow. He will never let the hungry go away without being filled, and He will always fill them with good things (Luke 1:53).

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
Matthew 5:6

God feeds you in proportion to your hunger for Him. Psalm 42:7 says, “…deep calleth unto deep…” When you really want to go deep in God, your hunger will attract the resources you need to go deep. A hungry and thirsty fellow is one who is desperate for food and water. In the same vein, God expects us to hunger and thirst for His power and glory. He expects us to desperately pursue Him and seek intimacy with Him. Jesus gave a parable in Matthew 13:44-46 that the Kingdom of God is like a man who found treasure in a field and sold all that he had so he could buy that field and own the treasure. Just like that man in the parable, God wants you to be hungry for Him so you can be filled and reflect more of His glory on the earth.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6); He does not reward the lazy. If you want to be successful, then you must be diligent.

I and one of my friends got born again at a time when making positive confessions was becoming popular among Christians. At that time, the popular teaching was, ‘All you need to do is to say what you want repeatedly, and it will be yours.’ This friend of mine was very diligent with making these positive confessions. He would wake up in the morning and say, “I have a brand new car, in the mighty name of Jesus.” Five years later, he was yet to own a car. One day, he asked me, “What’s your secret? I’ve been making positive confessions without tangible results.” I replied, “You wake up at 10 am in the morning, and at that time, I would have already put in five hours of work. Also, instead of working, you start making confessions. I’m sorry, but you will keep walking everywhere you go for a long time to come if you don’t change.”

Some people have become so attached to motivational speaking. They are usually the first to register for conferences; however, when it is time to put in the work, they are often nowhere to be found. No amount of confessions or unapplied knowledge can turn a lazy fellow into a high flyer. A fellow who doesn’t wake up every day to make positive confessions or listen to smooth-talking motivational speakers will still succeed if he or she knows how to work hard.

Although I’m in my 80s, I still go about doing God’s work diligently. When many other people are sleeping, I am walking about at night, praying. I don’t preach shallow sermons; if you listen to my sermons, you will notice that I make reference to many Bible passages. These things don’t come by just loafing around. Success in life is not automatic; being born a prince or princess does not mean that a fellow will succeed in life. No matter how much wealth a fellow inherits, if he or she is lazy and refuses to put in the work to multiply the wealth, that fellow will eventually squander everything and begin to suffer. Proverbs 18:9 says that a lazy person is a brother to him who is a great waster.

Beloved, laziness will make you waste privileges. It will also make you unprepared to maximise opportunities. Do not give laziness a chance; banish it from every area of your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Years ago, some Christian students in a particular university came to me and said, “We don’t know what is going on. Those of us who are in the fellowship are always the ones failing.” I replied them, “This might be because, at the time you are supposed to be studying, you are in the fellowship.” They said, “Is it not written that the Holy Spirit will help us?” I responded, “Thank God for the Holy Spirit, but the Bible says that the Holy Spirit will remind you of the things you have learnt. However, if you do not learn anything and end up failing, after He chastises you, He will comfort you.”

Beloved, to walk in God’s blessings, faith must go hand-in-hand with works. For example, in Luke 5:1-9, Jesus came to Peter, who had a boat and asked him to lend Him the boat for a while. After preaching from the boat, Jesus told Peter to cast his net into the sea for a catch. If Peter had not cast his net, he would not have seen the glory of God. If he had just said, “I believe you, Jesus. I know You can do all things,” and had refused to obey the simple instruction, he would have returned home empty-handed that night. Instead, he said, “At thy word – because You have spoken to me – I will do what You say.” He took a step of faith and did the work of throwing his net into the sea. Then, he caught so many fishes that his net broke. People who add works to their faith experience ‘net-breaking’ miracles. Another example of someone in the Bible who added works to their faith is the woman with the issue of blood in Luke 8:43-48. She did not just stop at knowing that Jesus carried the healing anointing, she forced her way through a large crowd just to touch the hem of His garment. The result was that she was instantly healed of a sickness she had suffered from for 12 years.

If you are not doing anything in line with the faith you claim to have, that faith is dead. You cannot sit in your house and pray for a job when you are not applying for any. Likewise, you cannot be trusting God for a visa to another country when you do not even have an international passport. Bring your faith to life by adding works to it; faith without works is dead.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

People keep asking why The Redeemed Christian Church of God is so successful all over the world. As a matter of fact, we are in some nations where Christianity is not allowed. In some of these nations, we baptise people secretly, and whenever we want to talk about the blood of Jesus, we say BOJ. We have had considerable impact in some of these nations because we did not allow anything deter us from spreading the gospel. We hold Bible Study meetings in open fields and miracles happen. Sometimes, the political leaders in such places come quietly at night, acknowledging that our God is the Almighty.

There was once a lady evangelist and missionary who was working in a village in Africa. In that village, she got everybody to become born again. The people realised what God had done for them, and they were on fire for Him. The lady then decided to convert those in the neighbouring village too. She informed the people around her about her plans, but they were not in favour of it. “You can go to another village, ma’am, not there,” they advised. She asked, “Why not?” They replied, “Because there are lions on the way. We have been hearing them roaring, and when they roar like that, it means they are hungry. Please, don’t go near that village.” “But I must go,” she insisted. So, a very elderly and feeble man said to her, “Okay, if you must go, I will go with you.” The evangelist looked at him and said, “If a lion attacks, even I can defend myself better than you can.” The man said, “You don’t understand; lions don’t attack when they are full. They only kill when they are hungry. So, the idea is this: I will walk ahead of you, the lions will kill and eat me, and then your way will be clear.” Those villagers were ready to lay down their lives for the gospel to reach the unreached.

Beloved, God will not be asking you for too much by telling you to preach to your boss, for instance. However, if you are afraid you might lose your job and refuse to do it, you will be hindering an unsaved soul from hearing the gospel and becoming saved. Do not let any barrier keep you from preaching the gospel; God is counting on you to prevent many people from heading towards eternal damnation.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In 2 Samuel 6:14, the Bible says that David danced with all his might. God loved David so much and was always with him because he was always praising Him. Whenever demons tormented Saul and David played the harp, God’s presence would fill the room, and the demons would run away (1 Samuel 16:23). Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of Israel. When you praise God regularly, demons cannot stay around you because once light comes in, darkness must flee (John 1:5).

Beloved, you must learn to praise God daily. In the Scriptures, you’ll find many reasons to praise Him. In Genesis 17:1, God calls Himself Jehovah Elshaddai, the God who is more than enough. In Genesis 18:9-14 and Jeremiah 32:21, He is revealed as the God of all flesh, with whom nothing is impossible. In Exodus 15:26, He introduced Himself as “…the Lord that healeth thee” because He is the Great Physician. In Psalm 24:7-10, He introduced Himself by two titles: The King of glory and the Lord of hosts. In Psalm 23:1, He presents Himself as Jehovah Rohi, the Good Shepherd who provides everything you need. In Genesis 16:13, He is El-Roi, the All-seeing, All-knowing, ever attentive God. He cares intimately about you and knows you by name (Exodus 33:17). In Jeremiah 32:17-19, He is El Gibhor, the mighty God who rescues. In Exodus 17:15, He is called Jehovah Nissi, your mighty banner of deliverance. In Isaiah 1:24, He is Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of hosts; He fights visible and invisible battles on your behalf and gives you victory over the enemy.

According to Ezekiel 48:35, He is Jehovah Shammah, the ever-present One. He is always there when you need Him, and He never slumbers or sleeps (Psalm 121:4). He is the Alpha and Omega of your life (Revelation 21:6); He always has the first and final say (Isaiah 44:6). He alone is God (Psalm 86:10); He is always good (Psalm 73:1), ever faithful (Lamentations 3:23), all-sufficient (Genesis 17:1), and never changing (Malachi 3:6). God is your comforter (John 14:16), deliverer (2 Samuel 22:2), helper (Psalm 54:4), teacher (John 14:26, strength, and song (Exodus 15:2). He is your very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). He supplies all your needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19) and does exceeding, abundantly above all you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). He saved you and will keep you until the end (Jude 1:24).

Beloved, you have breath in you; therefore, you have every reason to praise God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Paul persecuted Christians and threw some of them in prison (Acts 8:3). He considered himself the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15); however, God transformed him and began to use him to perform special miracles (Acts 19:11-12). If God could use Paul, He can use you too. Acts 5:14-16 tells us that people laid the sick on the streets of Jerusalem so that whenever Peter was passing by, his shadow would fall on them, and they would be healed. This was the same Peter who denied Jesus three times, but God restored him and began to use him mightily. If God could use Peter, He can use you too.

We were having a Holy Ghost Service at Redemption City when a woman got a phone call that her daughter had given birth to a set of twins, and she and the twins had died. The woman responded, “Don’t move them yet: please wait for me.” She ran to the hospital and asked to see the twins – she was shown their dead bodies. She took a bottle of oil and a handkerchief we had prayed over during the service, dropped some of the oil in the mouth of one of the dead twins, and said, “Come back here; who told you that you could die?” Within a few minutes, the baby coughed and came back to life. She did the same with the second baby, and the same thing happened. After this, the entire hospital was in pandemonium. Around that time, her daughter’s body was being wheeled to the mortuary. She told those wheeling the body to stop, dropped some oil in her dead daughter’s mouth, put the handkerchief on her, and said, “Who do you think is going to take care of your children? Don’t waste my time; come back!” Immediately, her daughter came back to life and sat up. God used her to bring three people back to life in one day. Beloved, God can use you to perform miracles too.

Mark 16:17-18 says that these signs shall follow them that believe: they shall cast out devils, speak with new tongues, lay hands on the sick, and bring healing to them by using the name of Jesus. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are the perfect candidate for God to use to perform signs and wonders. Be confident of His ability in you, and He will do great and marvellous things through you in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Some years ago, a woman, who was married to a very wealthy man, was barren. She and her husband sought a solution from everywhere and spent lots of money, but nothing changed. One day, one of her husband’s relatives told her to stop wasting her time because some witches had taken her womb, and she could never bear a child. She came to a Holy Ghost Service, and God spoke, “There is someone here; you have just been told that you have no womb. Don’t worry because I will give you a set of twins.” Not long after that, she became pregnant. At the hospital, a doctor examined her and said, “It looks like there is a child here.” She replied, “No, it’s not one child; God promised to give me a set of twins.” The doctor said, “You should be thanking God that there is even one.” She went back for another test about three months later, and the doctor said, “There are two babies here.” When the time came for her to deliver, she was flown to one of the best hospitals abroad, and she requested a Caesarean Section. After bringing the babies out, the surgeon searched and could not find a womb inside the woman. When she came around after the anaesthetics she was given wore off, the surgeon came to her and said, “I have performed more than 3,000 operations. This is the first time l am bringing a set of twins out of a woman who has no womb.”

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Mark 10:27

Beloved, no matter what anybody has said about the negative situations that might exist in your life, your case is not hopeless. When men say that a case is hopeless, it is because they have not met the God who turns hopeless cases around. Elisabeth’s barrenness seemed to be a hopeless case until God sent His angel to speak with her husband, Zechariah (Luke 1:5-25). If the world has called you barren and labelled your situation hopeless, in the name that is above every other name, the Lord will visit you and change your story. If you have been weeping in sorrow, you will now weep for joy, in Jesus’ name. Don’t give up; put your trust firmly in God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.