₦airaland Forum

Today, as I continue discussing the unlimited nature of the Almighty God, I want to let you know that He is also not limited by time because He controls times and seasons, as we see in Daniel 2:21. He enthrones kings and dethrones them at will. He is the source of all wisdom, and He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. I declare that regardless of the challenges you may be facing, the Unlimited God, who controls times and seasons, will turn everything around for your good, in Jesus’ name.

There is nothing called ‘too late’ with God because time cannot stop Him when He wants to achieve something. In John 11:20-44, everyone, including Lazarus’ sisters, thought it was too late for Jesus to do anything about Lazarus’ situation because he was now dead. However, Jesus said, “I am never late.” The sisters felt that Jesus didn’t understand how bad the situation was, and one of them, Martha, said, “By now, he will have started stinking.” They didn’t know that it is never too late for God to showcase His glory. I decree that every blessing that has been considered ‘too late’ for you will begin to manifest in your life.

A woman was barren, and her husband had spent large sums of money seeking a solution to her barrenness to no avail. Finally, they went to a professor who decided to run some special tests on her, and he discovered that the woman had no ovaries. He called the husband aside and said, “Why are you wasting your time? Your wife has no ovaries. She cannot produce an egg for you to fertilise. Forget it; you can never have children!” On hearing the professor’s report, the woman concluded that her case was hopeless and she would never have children. However, her husband said, “That’s the doctor’s report. Let’s go and hear Jesus’ report.” He brought her to one of the RCCG conventions, and as I laid my hands on her, she fell under the anointing and remained on the ground for about 45 minutes. I thought she was sleeping because the programme was held at night, but I didn’t know that my Father was performing a special operation on her. The following year, the woman came back rejoicing with her baby.

Beloved, I pray for you today that the Unlimited God will cancel any report that is contrary to His will for your life, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Over the past two days, I’ve discussed how God cannot be hindered by opposition or seemingly impossible situations. Today, I want to talk about how the Almighty God reveals His invincible nature in the midst of circumstances that seem to be out of control.

A lady once came to me crying for help. When I asked her what the problem was, she said that her husband abandoned her with their four children and went to live with another woman who had five children from other men. The lady told me, “I fought and did everything I could to keep my husband, but I lost. Now, I want God to help me.” I told her that the issue was a simple one since she had decided to allow God to help her. I prayed with her and assured her that her husband would return home to apologise to her. A few days later, her husband and the strange woman started quarrelling, and the strange woman said to him, “Don’t you know you are out of your senses? If you are within your senses, how will you leave your wife and your four children to come and stay with a woman who has five children, none of which are yours?” The man replied, “That is true, you know.” He acknowledged that he was out of his senses, so he packed his belongings and returned home. When he got home, he pleaded with his wife to take him back, and she did. I decree that all your defeats shall be turned to victory, in Jesus’ name. Wherever things have gone out of control in your life, the Unlimited God will step in and rearrange them in your favour.

When an election was drawing near in Nigeria some years ago, some people were panicking because things seemed very uncertain. I asked some of them, “Do you think God is scratching His head and asking Himself, ‘What is the best action to take now?” No situation catches the Almighty God by surprise, and no situation is too complicated for Him to unravel. Everyone and everything we see on earth is under His feet because heaven is His throne, and the earth is His footstool (Isaiah 66:1).

Beloved, do not ever be anxious about situations that seem to be out of control. Place them in the hands of the Unlimited God; he will bring everything under control and give you peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God is not only unlimited when it comes to opposition; He also cannot be limited by circumstances. In Genesis 18:9-14, when He said that a 90-year-old woman would become pregnant, the woman laughed because, humanly speaking, she had a good cause to laugh. She had reached menopause, and her husband was almost 100 years old, yet God said, “Nine months from now, you will have a baby boy.” When she laughed, God had to call her to order by saying, “Do you think anything can be too hard for me to do?” No case is too difficult for God to solve or too hopeless for Him to turn around.

The Bible doesn’t tell us how long Manoah and his wife waited to have a child, but their waiting season ended after God sent an angel to visit them (Judges 13:2-24). Humanly speaking, Zachariah and Elisabeth were too old to have children. In fact, the Bible says that they were stricken in years, meaning they were old and feeble. Yet, their old and frail nature didn’t stop God from giving them a child (Luke 1:5-25). When God is ready to bring forth life, no deadness can limit Him.

In Ezekiel 37:1-10, Ezekiel saw a valley that was full of dry bones in a vision. Dry bones are associated with people or animals that have been dead for long. When Ezekiel was taken to this valley that was full of dry bones, God asked him if the bones could live again. The man of God immediately realised that he had come face to face with a situation that his faith could not handle. “Lord, only You can tell,” he replied wisely. Then, God said to him, “Prophesy to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, hear God’s word and come together, every bone to its bone as it was originally.” Naturally speaking, it is impossible for dry bones to hear anything, but when the Unlimited God steps on the scene, dry bones not only hear, but they come alive, locate the parts they were joined to, and become a mighty army! I pray that every dry and dead situation in your life will hear the voice of the Unlimited God and come alive again, in Jesus’ name!

Ezekiel spoke to the dry bones as the Unlimited God commanded him to. Beloved, when you’re faced with situations that seem hopeless, you must speak God’s word over them. Declare what God has said into seemingly hopeless situations, and nothing will be impossible unto you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God likes to ask questions, and we see several instances of this in the Bible. When He asks a question, however, it isn’t because He doesn’t know the answer, but because He wants to reveal something about Himself. God asked the question in the Scripture above because He wanted to let you know that He is unlimited.

The word ‘unlimited’ is a combination of two words: ‘un’ and ‘limited’. ‘Un’ is a prefix of Latin and Greek origin that simply means ‘not’, while to be limited is to be restricted. Therefore, when we say that God is unlimited, it means that He is sovereign and has absolutely no restrictions.

The devil limits people by placing an embargo on their lives that says, “Thus far can you go and no further.” For instance, if someone is lame, he or she might be able to crawl but cannot stand, walk, or run; hence, the fellow’s movement is limited. God is not limited and cannot be hindered; He cannot be stopped from doing what He wants. Our God, the I AM THAT I AM, cannot be limited by anyone or anything.

When God wants to work, no one can hinder Him; when He wants to create something, He can use what seems like nothing to produce a masterpiece. When He saw how chaotic and dark the earth was in the beginning, He didn’t wring His hands in frustration and despair. Instead, He said, “Let there be Light!” (Genesis 1:3). As thick as the darkness was, it fled at the sound of God’s voice. Whenever opposing forces gather, He who sits in the heavens laughs because His unlimited power can be displayed without question (Psalm 2:1-4).

In Psalm 2:1-12, we see how the nations and heathen kings gathered to oppose God, but in the end, they failed. When the enemy stacks one opposition after another against you, that is time to laugh because you have a Father who is truly unlimited. If you call on His name and put your total trust in Him, He will work His wonders in your life, regardless of the nature of the opposition or the number of enemies you might be facing. Beloved, you have no reason to be intimidated by the devil’s threats and obstacles that seem insurmountable; call on the One who is truly invincible, and you will overcome everything that stands in your way.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I discussed how praise opens the door to promotions by using David’s life as an example. Do you know that Michal’s disdain for her husband’s lavish praise shut her womb? If you want to enjoy fruitfulness in every aspect of your life, never despise praise. Never see praise as unnecessary, and don’t despise it when others praise God.

Some people see the praise and worship sessions of church services as unimportant, so they deliberately delay getting to church until praise and worship sessions are over. Praise and worship sessions are an integral part of church services; in fact, many people receive their miracles during such sessions. Don’t cheat yourself out of God’s blessings by despising praise and worship; they are too important to be treated casually.

People who refuse to praise God become unfruitful like Michal. In Matthew 21:18-22, Jesus was hungry as He returned to Bethany. He saw a fig tree from afar and moved close to it, expecting to find fruit on it to satisfy His hunger. However, when He got to the tree, it had many leaves but no fruit, so He cursed the tree. Although it wasn’t yet time for fig trees to bear fruits, Jesus didn’t spare it; it had no fruit to satisfy the hunger of its Maker, so it withered completely. Hebrews 13:15 tells us that praise is the fruit of our lips, and we are asked to offer it to God continually.

You have no excuse not to praise God. Elisabeth didn’t have a child after many years of marriage, yet she didn’t use it as an excuse to neglect praising God; she served Him faithfully despite her childlessness, walking in all His commandments and ordinances (Luke 1:5-7). Praising God is one of His commandments, and you must be blameless in keeping it. Job didn’t stop praising God in the midst of his numerous losses; he lost all he had except his wife in one day, yet he blessed the name of the Lord (Job 1:20-21). As a result, God turned his situation around and blessed him with double of everything he lost. If you desire to be fruitful and victorious in every area of your life, you must be committed to praising God, even in the midst of many challenges, like Jehoshaphat, who praised God even when he was surrounded by enemies (2 Chronicles 20:1-28).

Beloved, when you offer God the fruit of your lips continually, you will experience His tremendous blessings and enjoy fruitfulness in every area of your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

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People often describe David in different ways: the shepherd boy, the giant slayer, the worshipper, etc. Despite these different descriptions, almost everyone who has heard and read about David agrees that the most important thing about him is that he knew how to praise God. That was the reason God loved him so much and kept promoting him to the extent that many regard him as Israel’s greatest king. If you want to also experience constant promotion and breakthroughs, you must be addicted to praising God.

What exactly is praise? Praise is not thanksgiving, and it is not worship. Worship is telling God that He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and anything you do to show Him that He is your Lord. Praise, however, is boasting about God, like when a boy boasts about his father. In Matthew 21:15-16, the chief priests and scribes, who had seen the marvellous wonders that Jesus did, refused to praise Him. However, children began to cry in the temple, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” Despite the fact that they didn’t praise God, the chief priests and scribes were angry because the children lavishly poured out their praise on Him. Don’t become too big to praise God because when you do, you will become too insignificant to be promoted by Him.

Only a fellow with a childlike heart can truly praise God. In 2 Samuel 6:13-23, when David brought the ark of God back to Israel, he praised God with careless abandon. He was not ashamed to dance before the Lord; he boasted in the Lord publicly and didn’t care about his position, reputation, or anything because he knew that he was praising the source of everything he had. When his wife, Michal, saw him, she felt embarrassed and scolded him when he returned home, saying, “Don’t you have shame? Can’t you behave yourself when praising God? As a king, you should know better.” David replied, “Leave me to praise my God shamelessly. He is the One who promoted me above your father and everyone in your house. He is the source and owner of my life.”

People who praise God like David never stop enjoying promotions. You should never allow the opinions of people who have not faced the things you have faced and the victories that God has given you to stop you from praising Him exuberantly. Become more intentional about boasting of God’s goodness and faithfulness over your life, and He will continually lift you higher and bless you far beyond your expectations (Ephesians 3:20).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To be in a constant state of confusion is to be in bondage mentally. One common form of confusion is when a student finds it difficult to understand what he or she is taught, no matter how hard he or she studies. Some students understand what they are taught, but when they are asked to recall what they have learnt during tests or examinations, for example, they don’t remember anything. Another form of confusion is when a fellow never knows the right decisions to make.

In Daniel 4:28-37, King Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind and was driven away from the midst of people. After seven years, the Lord decided to have mercy on him, and his ‘reason’ returned to him (Daniel 4:34). The prodigal son’s senses also left him for some time, and he didn’t make any wise decision until he came back to his senses (Luke 15:11-32). When the enemy attacks someone with confusion, the person might begin to call what is good bad and what is bad good.

There was a boy whose parents were professors, yet he always failed his exams and was always at the bottom of his class. His parents did everything they could to help him with his academics. They even got after-school teachers for him, but he kept failing. After a while, they brought him to me, and the Almighty God intervened. In the next set of examinations he wrote, the boy passed with flying colours and got the first position in his class. His teacher was shocked because, before that time, even if he had been given the answers to copy during an exam, he would have copied them wrongly and still failed. The teachers decided to make him sit for the examinations again, and this time, he scored even higher. For anyone reading this whose brain is in bondage, I pray that God’s fire will fall and set you free from every confusion, in Jesus’ name.

When a demon attacks a person with confusion, the person’s life can quickly go off course. Such a person can become uncoordinated and unsuccessful as a result of demonic activities. I pray for you today; in any area where the enemy might have attacked you with mental fogginess and a lack of clarity in your mind, you will begin to experience jubilee. I declare that you will continually walk in light and understanding, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I once went to a church to preach and was told that I couldn’t enter the auditorium with my shoes on because it was against their doctrine. I asked if there was anything else they wanted me to remove and said that I would gladly remove it. As long as I was given the opportunity to preach the gospel and win souls, nothing was too much for me to let go of. The pastor of the church, who is now a pastor in RCCG, was amazed.

Soul winning matters a lot to God, and it is important that you go all out to win souls. By going all out, I mean going all out in line with God’s word. Unfortunately, some Christians think that engaging in sinful acts with unbelievers is a way to win souls to Christ; this is a lie from the pit of hell. You cannot walk along the path of sin under the guise of preaching the gospel and expect God to accept what you have done. You must do things God’s way.

When Paul stated that he became all things to all men that he might save them, he meant that he sacrificed his comfort and many other things to reach out to different kinds of people. He was willing to let go of his status, influence, and comfort to tell others about Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-33, he shared some of the things he sacrificed and suffered for the sake of the gospel. He was beaten with rods in some cities, shipwrecked on different occasions, and stoned in other places. His ultimate goal was to bring men into God’s kingdom, and he was willing to do anything, so long as it wouldn’t be a sin, to achieve this.

These days, some so-called evangelists dress, speak, and act like unbelievers, claiming that it is because they want to convert them. However, when you dig deeper, you will realise they are the ones who have been converted. When a light bulb is covered with dirt and cobwebs, it will no longer be bright. Likewise, sin hinders a believer’s witness for Christ and makes him or her an ineffective soul winner.

Beloved, God has given you a mandate to win souls, and you must sacrifice comfort and many other things to fulfil this mandate. However, your obedience to God’s word is not one of the things you should sacrifice. I pray that God’s grace will help you become an effective soul winner, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS FOR MARRIAGES:

1. Father, I thank You for the institution of marriage and the marriages of all Your children across the world.

2. Lord, please let all Your children experience great peace, joy, and rest in their marriages. For those who are yet to get married, let this be their experience when they do, in Jesus’ name.

3. Please remove every seed of discord that is threatening to destroy the harmony in the marriages of all Your children across the world, in Jesus’ name.

4. Lord, please arise with healing in your wings upon hurting couples and marriages around me. Mend every wounded home, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, please bless every expectant couple in Your church with children. Let them become joyful parents, in Jesus’ name.

6. Lord, please let Your grace continue to abide in my home and in all the homes around me. Help us to live godly and holy lives, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, please make me more forgiving, loving, and kind in my marriage. Make my marriage a godly example to others, in Jesus’ name.

8. Lord, please keep me and my spouse (or future spouse if you are yet to be married) faithful to our vows. Help us not to fall into temptations and traps that lead to emotional and physical infidelity, in Jesus’ name.

9. Dear Lord, please bless the union between me and my spouse (or future spouse if you are yet to be married). Let us enjoy abundance in every aspect of our lives and flourish as trees planted by the riverside, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, please surround my family with mentors, leaders, and friends who will give us godly counsel when needed. Put mockers and evil people far from us, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, please show all Your children how best to relate with their spouses. Help them to constantly honour and cherish one another, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer points for your marriage and the marriages around you.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Genesis 13:14-17, God told Abraham to walk the length and breadth of the land He had promised him so that he could see more than what he had previously seen. When you walk through a place, you are often able to see more than you can see while standing in one spot. The Almighty God told Abraham, “I will give you as much as you can see.” God wants to enlarge your coast, and I prophesy that before this time next year, you will be far greater than you are today, in Jesus’ name.

When some of my children told me that God had given the RCCG a 114-acre campground in the United States of America, I travelled there to see it, and I was really glad. When my children told me it was time to leave, I told them to leave me at the site with one of the vans and return to pick me up the next day. After they left, I came out of the van at night and began to pray and thank God for the campground. It was during the cold season, and after a while, the cold became so overwhelming that I had to return to the van. After I had warmed up a bit, I returned outside, and suddenly, I heard God say, “Take a walk. Walk around the campground. The more you see, the more I will give you.” I obeyed, and today, by the grace of God, what was 114 acres is now more than 800 acres. Also, that night, as I was walking, I saw a big house next to the campground, and God said, “Look at that house; it is yours.” The following morning, I told my children about the house, and two years later, the owner of the house put it up for sale. My children went to negotiate with him for the house, and when they agreed on a price, they told him, “Do you know that two years ago, God told our father that this house was his?” He replied, “Why didn’t you tell me since then? My wife and I have been contemplating selling this house for the past two years.”

Beloved, my God is the creator of heaven and earth, and He can give you everything He has shown you. I pray that He will enlarge your vision today and make you see beyond what you have always seen, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

John 15:1-16 reveals that God saved your soul primarily so that He can save others through you. You are a co-labourer with Christ in the vast field of the earth. Sadly, many people want God to enlarge them, but they are not expanding His kingdom. While it is good to pray for God to enlarge you, one area that must be enlarged in your life is your capacity to win souls and bear fruit. God indeed wants to enlarge you; however, it is not just for your enjoyment but so that you can reach more people for Him. I will discuss more on the need to ask God to enlarge your coast tomorrow.

There are numerous benefits of soul-winning. One of them is that your prayers will not be hindered. When you bear fruit and your fruit abides, you can ask anything in Jesus’ name, and the Father will respond speedily to your request. In today’s memory verse, Jesus said that when you bring forth fruit, and it remains, whatever you ask the Father in His name will be given to you. Soul winners have a blank cheque from God; whenever they go before Him to ask for the things they desire, they can go with so much confidence because He will not deny their requests.

There was once a soldier who had suffered a bullet wound that had broken the bones of one of his legs. The doctors had to fix a piece of iron in the broken leg to help him walk with it. The injury and the iron made walking painful and difficult for him. However, despite the pain, he usually set aside a day of the week to go out and evangelise. On one of those days, he was out from morning until evening, preaching the gospel. When he returned home, the pain in his leg became unbearable. He turned to God and said, “Lord, I wish this pain would go away so that I can serve you better.” Thereafter, he fell asleep. When he awoke, the piece of iron inside his broken leg was lying on the bed beside him, yet there was no drop of blood on the bed. While he slept, God performed a divine operation on his leg and restored it completely!

Beloved, do you desire instant and consistent answers to your prayers? Make evangelism your lifestyle; be addicted to winning souls for Jesus, and He will beautify your life with many wonderful testimonies.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In John 15:14-16, Jesus said that He appointed His disciples to bear fruit and that their fruit should remain. The word ‘fruit’ here means souls. Jesus has made it clear that only those who obey His commands are His friends, and whatever they ask of His Father in His name, He will give them. Those who are closest to me are soul winners because I know soul winning is paramount in the heart of God. I am determined to keep winning souls until I die. Even if there are no opportunities, l will create them so I can tell others about Jesus.

Someone once said that it wasn’t recorded that Jesus celebrated His birthdays and then criticised me for celebrating my birthday. I appreciated him and told him that God uses my birthday celebrations to win more souls into His kingdom. God has chosen us to bear fruits that abide in His kingdom; we must use every avenue we have to pursue this.

It is sad that many people don’t take evangelism seriously. Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, as we see in Mark 16:15. He didn’t ask us to go only where we are accepted or where things are easy; He asked us to go into all the world, whether things are rosy or not. When God gives us an assignment to go, we must go.

In Acts 16:6-40, Paul had a vision where he saw a man beckoning him to come to Macedonia to help them. Before this time, He had made some attempts to preach the gospel in some cities in Asia, but the Holy Spirit forbade him. One would think that because God asked him to go to Macedonia, there would be no opposition or trouble. However, shortly after Paul and Silas got there, they were beaten and imprisoned. Yet, this didn’t stop them from preaching the gospel. People who are not ready to face hardships will not go far in obeying Jesus’ commandment to go into all the world to preach the gospel.

Beloved, sometimes, as you preach the gospel, people will reject or mock you. However, be of good cheer whenever that happens. Jesus said that anyone who suffers persecution for His sake will have a bountiful reward (Matthew 5:11-12). Keep preaching the gospel at all times, whether it is convenient or not, and you will continue to shine as a star forever (Daniel 12:3).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I have always taken evangelism very seriously. As younger Christians, my mates and I were always looking for opportunities to tell people about Jesus Christ. Some of us bought megaphones, and we went about proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ at every opportunity we had. I recall a time when we went to preach in a town named Ganma in Kwara State. The town was so notorious for being hostile to preachers that there was no church there, and nobody dared to preach the gospel there. When I heard about the town, I said, “Really? I must go there to preach!” The people who told me about the town said, “If you go there, they will stone you.” I told them that I had been looking for an opportunity to be stoned so that I could tell Apostle Paul that I also suffered for Jesus when I meet him in heaven. I told some people in our church that I would go to Ganma to preach regardless of the cost, and some of them said they would go with me.

When we got to Ganma, the people there told us that they didn’t want our Jesus. We replied that we weren’t leaving, so we went from house to house, preaching the gospel. The townspeople reported us to their chief, and he sent for us. When we got there, we told him that we had come with good news for the people. We assured him that we were not saying anything against their religion and that we were law-abiding people. He said we could continue, so we left and continued preaching. The townspeople went to report us to the chief a second time, and again, he sent for us. We reassured him that we were not causing any trouble. At this point, some of the people with me began to get uncomfortable and said that we should leave before nightfall. However, we were yet to host a film show as we had planned. I told them that we were not leaving until we were through with everything we wanted to do. We hosted the film show, and many of those people who didn’t want to receive Jesus earlier and reported us to the chief came and eventually surrendered to Christ. Today, there is a provincial headquarters of The Redeemed Christian Church of God in Ganma.

Beloved, to be a part of God’s end-time army, you must be ready to tell others about Jesus, regardless of where the Lord sends you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Years ago, somewhere in Western Nigeria, there was a man who had become wealthy through evil means. However, God showed Him mercy by sending a preacher to tell him the Good News. The preacher told him that Jesus had paid for all his sins, regardless of how terrible they were, but the man refused the offer of salvation. He told the preacher, “Thank you; I’ve heard everything you said. My children can follow Jesus. As for me, it’s too late.” The preacher replied, “As long as you are still breathing, it’s not too late.” He, however, refused to be convinced, saying that he had spent most of his life with the devil and would like to end it with him. Unfortunately, he died a few weeks later, and in death, it is too late to repent. God offered him mercy, but he rejected it. If you are yet to surrender your life to Jesus, God is offering you mercy today; please do not refuse it.

In Luke 18:18-25, a rich young ruler came to Jesus because he knew that something was missing in his life. Apart from being rich, he also had a prominent position in society, yet he felt dissatisfied with his life. He wanted eternal life, so he came to Jesus with a simple but profound question, “What can I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). When Jesus told him that it was not enough to keep God’s commandments and that he needed to let go of the idol in his life by selling all he had to follow Him, the man returned home sorrowful. Divine mercy was offered to him, but he refused to accept it because his riches mattered more to him than eternal life. God’s mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), but He will never force anyone to accept it; it is a choice that everyone must make for themselves. Unfortunately, some people say that they will repent later. This is a dangerous position to take because no one knows the exact time Jesus will return (Luke 12:40), and as we see in Luke 12:20, God can demand their souls at any time.

Beloved, if you are still living in sin, I invite you today to call upon God while He can still be found; don’t wait until it is impossible to do so (Isaiah 55:6). No matter how terrible your past has been, He is telling you today that He will wash them away and make you whiter than snow (Isaiah 1:18). Let Jesus into your heart today (Revelation 3:20) before it is too late.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

James 4:7 says clearly that you should submit yourself unto God, then resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The devil cannot flee from you if you have not submitted totally to God. If you are not yet born again, Jesus Christ, the Light, wants to come into your life. He wants to give you a brand-new beginning, but He will not force Himself into your heart unless you open the door to Him voluntarily. He said in Revelation 3:20-22 that He is knocking on the door of your heart, and if you open up to Him, He will come in. If He keeps knocking on a person’s heart and the person keeps refusing to open, a day will come when it will be too late for the person to open his or her heart to Him again. On that day, the person’s heart will stop beating, and if Jesus is not already in it by then, no matter how much the person pleads, such a person will find himself or herself in hell, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is why I am appealing to you to open up your heart to Him now if you haven’t done so yet.

Many people claim to have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, but they haven’t truly submitted to Him as certain aspects of their lives are still ordered by their flesh. Many of such people go to church, while some are even church workers and ministers, but they are really not different from people in the world. When a person truly submits to the Lordship of Jesus, He becomes the supreme authority over such a fellow’s life. Whatever He says is what the fellow must do.

Jesus is the Light, and He is the only one who can drive darkness out of a person’s life. Darkness is sure to reign supreme in the lives of those who haven’t opened up their hearts to Jesus, even if they claim to be Christians. When darkness reigns in a person’s life, failure, defeat, sorrow, retrogression, and every evil thing will fill such a fellow’s life. Can you truly say that Jesus, the Light, is in total control of your life?

Beloved, if you are yet to truly submit to Jesus Christ, He is knocking at the door of your heart. Open your heart to Him today, and He will give you a glorious hope for the future (1 Peter 1:3-5).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The devil is a thief, so when he visits a person or family, his agenda is to steal, kill, and destroy. Unlike the devil, Jesus has come so that you can enjoy abundant life (John 10:10). Today, I want to share some more ways a person who has been delivered from the devil’s bondage can maintain his or her freedom and truly enjoy the abundant life that Jesus gives.

It is sad when someone who has been delivered by the mighty hand of God loses his or her liberty because of ignorance, carelessness, or foolishness. People perish when there is no knowledge (Hosea 4:6). They lose what they have received when they don’t apply the divine principles that are required to sustain it. The Son sets free, and whoever the Son makes free is free indeed (John 8:36). God doesn’t give temporary deliverance; He gives total freedom, but a fellow who has been set free must learn how to walk on the road of freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17 says that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Wherever the devil may be operating in, when the Spirit of the Lord comes on the scene, freedom comes. To sustain your freedom, however, you must allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in all you do. Let Him be Lord of your thoughts, words, and actions. Where He is Lord, no demon can thrive.

Knowing the truth is another way to maintain your liberty. John 8:32 says that you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Do you know the truth about Jesus’ payment for your freedom? Are you walking in this truth? To keep walking in freedom, you must know the truth in God’s word and immerse yourself in it so that it fills your heart. His word is the truth, and when you know the truth, it will make you free. This word must become your daily bread. Joshua 1:8 reveals that a major key to having good success in life is meditating on God’s word day and night. To keep the devil perpetually out of your life, let God’s word dwell in you richly in all wisdom (Colossians 3:16).

Job spoke about how highly he esteemed the word of God in Job 23:12. Beloved, how important is God’s word to you? How highly do you esteem God’s instructions and directions? If you want to sustain the liberty you have received from God, you must allow Jesus Christ to be your Lord and place topmost priority on God’s word.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When God proclaims deliverance, He is saying to the taskmaster, the devil, “Let your slaves go, and if you don’t, I’Il deal with you.” The devil has no choice but to obey immediately. If you have suffered any form of satanic attack, whether oppression, repression, vexation, obsession, or possession, I decree that this is your season of total freedom. In the name above all other names, begin to walk in freedom.

Today, I want to discuss some ways a fellow can remain delivered from the devil’s attacks and continue to walk in freedom. Although deliverance from satanic bondage doesn’t require any monetary payment, it comes at a cost. The first price a fellow must pay to walk in freedom is total surrender to Jesus. Despite the long time he had spent in insanity, the madman of Gadara surrendered to Jesus. He longed for freedom, and the day he saw the One who could set him free, he ran forward, surrendered himself, and received his healing (Mark 5:1-20). Likewise, you must surrender completely to Jesus if you want to continue walking in liberty. You cannot remain in the devil’s camp and expect to be free from bondage; you cannot give in to his temptations and expect him to stay away from you. People who toy with sin attract demons, and demons come with different kinds of bondage. I discussed five of them over the past few days.

In John 5:5-14, Jesus healed a man who had an infirmity for 38 years. The devil and his forces were behind this long-lasting ailment, and the man suffered because of their activities. After Jesus healed him, we discovered what gave the devil room to afflict the man: sin. After he was healed, Jesus told him to sin no more, else a worse sickness will come into his life (John 5:14).

When someone who is delivered from demonic possession returns to the sin that gave the devil room to possess him or her in the first place, the fellow will end up worse than before (Luke 11:24-26). If a person becomes possessed by a demon of sexual perversion through watching pornography and God delivers him or her, that person must never return to watching it. If eating too much opened the door to the demon of gluttony into a fellow’s life, that fellow must shut that door once he or she is delivered in order to maintain his or her freedom.

Beloved, Jesus has paid the price for your deliverance, but it is your responsibility to maintain your freedom.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Exodus 12:1-24, God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites to prepare and eat a special meal before their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. The bread they ate had no yeast in it, and the meat was from lambs that had no spots or wrinkles. That meal was a similitude of the Last Supper Jesus ate with His disciples before He laid down His life to deliver those who believe in Him from the bondage of their sins. We call this divine meal the Holy Communion today and eat it in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ, just as He commanded (Luke 22:19-20). When we partake of the Holy Communion, we symbolically eat the body of Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, and drink His blood. This divine meal brings great blessings and deliverance upon those who eat it worthily.

Eating the Holy Communion worthily and with understanding empowers you to have dominion in every area of your life. When people in the occult want to ‘fortify themselves, they usually seek to eat the flesh of virgins and drink their blood because they know that there is great power in purity. As believers, what we eat at the Lord’s table is the flesh and blood of the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 43:3).

Beloved, you should note that just as the Holy Communion brings deliverance, it can also bring bondage and damnation when eaten unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:28-30). Those who eat it unworthily are those who have not surrendered their lives to Jesus and those who have confessed Him as their Lord and Saviour but still engage secretly in sin. For example, Judas became possessed by the devil when he ate the Holy Communion with sin in his life (John 12:4-6), and this eventually led to his destruction (Matthew 27:3-5). If you still engage in sin, please ensure you repent and surrender all to Jesus today. Doing this gives you a brand-new beginning (2 Corinthians 5:17) and qualifies you to become a child of God so you can enjoy all the blessings that come from eating this special meal.

The blood of Jesus gives us victory over our adversary (Revelation 12:11), and His flesh not only delivers us from the path of destruction but brings us into the new and living way of salvation, as we see in Hebrew 10:20. I decree that you will indeed experience deliverance as you partake of the life and power of God at the Holy Communion table.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When a fellow is obsessed, it means that the person’s mind has become completely preoccupied with someone or something, such that the fellow loses control of his or her emotions concerning that person or thing. Most cases of obsession are demonically induced and often lead to the destruction of the victim unless God intervenes. For instance, some people are obsessed with food; they can never stop eating. If a believer is in this situation, he or she will be unable to fast and will become an easy target for the enemy.

Some people’s obsession is alcohol; they cannot stop drinking. Substance abuse and uncontrollable sexual desires are other forms of obsession. Going by Judges 16:1-21, we can say that Samson’s obsession with women was what destroyed him. Excessive sleeping is another obsession that some people have. The Bible says that if a fellow loves sleeping too much, he or she will end up in poverty (Proverbs 20:13). The devil often turns people’s inordinate affections to obsessions aimed at destroying them.

I recall the story of a teacher who had a bicycle. He was so obsessed with his bicycle that whenever he got to a muddy part of the road, he would come down from the bicycle and carry the bicycle across the muddy portion of the road. When a person becomes obsessed with someone or something, the enemy can make that person a slave through that avenue. He will usually make the person fight anyone who attempts to set him or her free. The devil usually targets young people with obsessions because he wants to make them his slaves for life. When teenagers become obsessed with hard drugs, for example, they waste their youthful years on the unprofitable venture. Many of them lose their lives early, while those who manage to grow into adulthood are usually unable to start a fresh life unless God intervenes.

Beloved, flee every inordinate affection. Don’t allow the enemy to turn them into an obsession that will suck out your essence and destroy your future. Rather, be obsessed with God and His word. This is what Jesus meant when He said that you should love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Therefore, spend quality time with God worshipping Him, praying, studying, and meditating on His word daily. This is how to avoid or escape from inordinate affections and demonic obsession. The Lord will keep your mind at rest and bless you abundantly, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When the devil decides to torture his victims through vexation, he attacks them intermittently with problems that hurt and embarrass them. To achieve this, the devil assigns a demon or demons to operate in the victim’s life at regular intervals. In Matthew 17:14-18, Jesus was coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration when a father brought his son to him. The father narrated how a demon came at intervals to cause his son to throw himself into the fire and into the water. The demon wasn’t always troubling the boy, but it would come from time to time to push him to harm himself. Some people are perfectly okay in one minute, and in the next minute, they suddenly find themselves in trouble. For example, people with epilepsy are attacked at intervals, and the seizures sometimes come when they are in public places, thus causing them a great deal of embarrassment.

In the 70s, there was a lady in The Redeemed Christian Church of God who had a child who was suffering from the vexation of the enemy. The child had regular seizures, and whenever she rented a new apartment, her son would have one of such attacks. In those days, people believed that such attacks were contagious, and as such, the landlords of the apartments she rented would chase her out of their houses after such incidents. This sister had been moving from one house to the other until one day when, right in the centre of the town she lived in, the child had an attack. What she had been trying to hide became a public thing, and everyone around her at that moment fled. When this happened, she grabbed the child, looked up to the Almighty God and prayed. She said, “Father, my secret is out, and I have no help. Please, arise on my behalf.” That was the last day the child had an epileptic attack.

The Lord will always arise for those who call upon Him in truth. Psalm 145:18 says, “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth!” Beloved, have you been experiencing the vexation of the enemy? Has he been coming into your life at intervals to steal, kill, and destroy? Surrender your life to Jesus if you have not done so. Promise Him that you will live according to His will from now on, and call upon Him to deliver you. He will surely rise in your defence.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When a fellow is repressed, the devil sits on the fellow and pushes him or her down. An oppressed person remains stagnant, but a repressed person declines steadily. The devil not only prevents a repressed fellow from rising, but he steadily destroys the fruits of the person’s previous efforts.

In Judges 6:1-6, the Israelites offended God, and He handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites would allow the Israelites to plant and care for their plants, but as soon as it was time for harvest, they would come in their multitudes to wipe out all the harvest. When the devil represses a person, he causes that fellow to work hard for something and then attacks and leaves the fellow worse off than when he or she started.

Repression destroys all of a fellow’s efforts to increase. Some people make lots of money but cannot account for how they spend it. It is as though they have bags with multiple holes that steadily leak away their resources and progress. Even when they make a lot of money, they remain in debt. When I was younger, an incident happened in our village. A rich man used his riches to forcefully take away a piece of land that belonged to another person. The other person said, “No problem. Even though I don’t have the money to fight you in court, we will see.” The rich man started building on the land, but the man he grabbed the land from did not say a word. The day the building was roofed, the original owner of the land went at night to plant a charm in the building, and by the next day, there were cracks in every corner of the building. The cracks were so bad that the rich man had to pull down the entire building. He tried to erect a building on the land several times, but cracks kept appearing. As a result, he wasted a lot of resources without achieving his goal.

Beloved, if the devil has been repressing you in any form, I decree today that, whether it is your fault or not that the enemy has been pushing you down, it is your year of jubilee. I pray that the fire of God will descend and deliver you from any form of repression that might be in your life, in Jesus’ name. God’s plan is for you to increase and move from glory to glory, and this will be your portion, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Deliverance is not only for those who are raving mad or evidently possessed by demons. A person can be under the influence of demonic forces and still look normal. In Mark 1:23-27, a man went into the synagogue with an unclean spirit. He probably looked normal until Jesus showed up. On seeing Jesus, the demon inside him began to manifest itself, and Jesus eventually evicted it from its host. I decree that any demonic force that might be disturbing you will be evicted today, in Jesus’ name.

The devil and his demons disturb people in different ways, one of which is through oppression. A lady once said that she always felt like she was carrying something invisible that was as heavy as a bag of rice on her head until God intervened. That is an example of oppression. To oppress is to prevent someone or something from rising. It also means to prevent someone or something from increasing. Even ministers of God can be under the devil’s oppression. In such cases, such ministers might preach excellently, fast regularly, pray fervently, and study the Bible diligently, but their ministries will remain stagnant. However, when God’s deliverance comes, their efforts will begin to yield great results.

In Exodus 1:7-14, Pharaoh commanded his people to deal wisely with the Israelites because he didn’t want them to increase. He oppressed them in different ways to prevent them from rising. Many years ago, a young man’s Head of Department (HOD) decided to prevent him from being promoted. The HOD took the man’s file and hid it so that whenever it was time for evaluation, it would not be found. After a while, the man gave his life to Jesus, and shortly after doing so, there was a military coup, and the fallout affected some people at his workplace. The HOD was forcefully retired, and a new HOD was appointed. When the new HOD decided to go through the files of everyone in the department, he noticed that the man’s file was missing and ordered a thorough search. They searched everywhere in the office until the file was eventually found in the place where the former HOD hid it. The new HOD discovered that the man hadn’t been promoted for years despite his diligence, and he instantly gave him a double promotion.

Beloved, I pray for you; the fire of God will consume every force that might be oppressing you and hindering your success, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I want to conclude this series by discussing another kind of trap which the devil uses. This trap is very subtle but potent in keeping people under his bondage. It is something I would like to call a trap of hypnosis. In this case, the devil hypnotises an individual by trapping his or her mind and taking control of it.

In Matthew 16:13-23, Jesus asked His disciples who He was, and one of them, Peter, accurately described the person of Jesus. When he gave that description, Jesus announced that he could only have gotten it from a divine revelation. However, the next moment, when Jesus was telling the disciples about the things that were to come, Peter rebuked Him and said that He was not going to die. Immediately, Jesus said, “Get thee behind me, satan…” In a split moment, the devil had put Peter in bondage and was controlling his thoughts and speech, such that he started speaking as the devil’s puppet without knowing it.

One major tool the devil uses to hypnotise people today and take control of their minds is social media. He pushes certain ideologies to them consistently, and after a while, they begin to think the thoughts that he wants them to think. We see this everywhere in the world today; things that were considered shameful and an abomination a few decades ago are now seen as normal in society. The devil particularly targets children, ensuring that they learn all sorts of abominable things at a tender age so that he can take control of their fragile minds. As a child of God, you must beware of this subtle but very dangerous tool that the devil is using to bring people into bondage.

Many times, the devil sneaks his evil ideas into songs and movies, and by so doing, he subtly introduces them to unsuspecting people, hypnotising them without their knowledge. This is why (1 Thessalonians 5:17) says that you must pray without ceasing. To avoid this trap of the devil, you must remain in touch with the Holy Spirit at all times by studying the Bible diligently, meditating on it at all times, and praying without ceasing.

Beloved, watch, pray, and guard your heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23). You must take heed lest you fall (1 Corinthians 10:12) because Jesus Himself said that if it were possible, even God’s very elect will be victims of the devil (Matthew 24:24).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As I continue with my discussion on satanic bondage today, I will tell you how to deal with willing captives and prevent them from harming you.

Mark 16:17-18 tells us that if a true child of God prays for the deliverance of a slave of the devil, such a slave will be delivered unless the slave refuses God’s deliverance, as we saw in the cases of the witches I mentioned yesterday. For willing slaves who do not want to be delivered or have been forcefully delivered but repossessed, one way to compel them to seek deliverance is by putting them in a bondage of your own as long as they remain in the service of the devil. I will share an instance of this with you.

Some years ago, a man came to me claiming that his wife was a witch. The wife denied it and said it was his mother who was a witch. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that there was a snake inside her, so I said, “There is no need to quarrel. I will pray that if you are a witch, whatever demon is inside you will be bound. If you are not a witch, nothing will happen.” She asked me to say the prayer, as she thought nothing would happen. I did, and they left. A few weeks later, they came back to me. Her stomach had become swollen because the snake inside her had been bound, so it could not go out to defecate. The snake started defecating inside her, which caused her stomach to start swelling. This time, she was more than ready to be delivered.

I must warn, however, that if you want to bind someone who is a willing slave of the devil, you must ensure that you are strong enough spiritually to bind the spirit in them. In Matthew 18:18, Jesus said that there are some levels of spiritual authority that you need fasting and prayers to operate in. You must fortify yourself spiritually through the spiritual exercise of fasting and prayer to be able to handle some demons. Also, you must ensure that you are not living in disobedience to God’s word. 2 Corinthians 10:6 says that except your obedience is complete, you cannot condemn any disobedience. Beloved, ensure that you submit completely to Jesus Christ and be committed to your spiritual growth; this is the only way to fully exercise the authority you have in Christ.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I have observed over the years that there are two major categories of victims who are entrapped in the devil’s bondage. The first category are the victims who are not aware that they have been entrapped by the devil, while the second category are those who are fully aware. Within this second category, there are two major sets of people: those who want to be set free and those who do not. Today, I will be discussing the set of victims who know that they are in bondage but do not want to be set free. It may sound strange that some victims do not want to be set free from bondage, but from Exodus 21:2-6 and my personal experience, many people actually fall into this category.

For example, I have met witches who like the fact that they are witches and don’t want to be set free. I recall a particular incident that occurred years ago. A married couple started attending our church, but after a short while, the wife stopped coming. When we followed up with her, she told us that since she started coming to our church, she had been unable to fly to her witchcraft meetings at night. Since she wanted to continue flying to her meetings, she stopped coming. Deliverance was available to her, but she preferred to be in bondage.

In another instance, another woman, who was a witch, came to our church, and we prayed for her to be delivered. When nothing happened, she told us, why are you praying for me to be delivered? This is the power I use to control my husband such that he drives me to my boyfriend’s house, waits for me in the car, and when I am done having fun with my boyfriend, he drives me back home. Do you want me to lose that power?” She held on to her bondage even though deliverance was available to her.

If God wants to set someone free from bondage, but the person does not want to accept His offer, then that fellow will remain in bondage, since that is what the fellow wants. Such a person is a willing captive, and even if the person is forcefully delivered but does not submit to God, he or she will be recaptured and repossessed again (Matthew 12:43-45). Tomorrow, I will discuss how you can ensure that a willing slave of the devil is unable to harm you and how you can possibly compel them to seek deliverance.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Hunters usually use the favourite foods of their targeted animals as bait in the traps set to capture them. Once the animals see the food, they rush towards it, and as they begin to eat it, the traps capture them. This is the same way the devil traps humans; he studies those he wants to trap to find out the things they usually lust after. Then, he provides those things to them on a platter of gold. If they are not discerning, they will get carried away by their lust, and while they are ‘enjoying’ what the devil has provided, they will suddenly find themselves in bondage, and it will take only the grace and mercy of God to bring them out. I will turn 84 years old in a couple of months, and believe me, I have seen many great destinies that have been entrapped and destroyed by the devil with this method. I pray you will never be entrapped by the devil, in Jesus’ name.

I have always told my biological and spiritual sons, “If a lady smiles at you seductively, run as fast as you can in another direction.” 2 Timothy 2:19-22 says that you should flee youthful lusts. Flee means that you should run as if you are terrified. Don’t wait around to see what will happen; just run! Yoruba elders have a saying, “What you must not taste, you should not smell.” No matter how sweet poison smells, once you know it is poison, you will not sniff it. Likewise, once you see something that can destroy your destiny, flee!

Some people might say, “| gave in to temptation, but nothing has changed. In fact, things are getting better for me.” They should not be deceived; the devil is only doing everything to make them relaxed in the prison he has built for them. When you buy a chicken with the intention of killing it and preparing it for a special occasion, you will likely feed the chicken very well in order to fatten it up. The chicken might think it is enjoying, but you know that you are fattening it until the day it will be slaughtered. This is what the devil does; he ensures that his victims feel relaxed until the day of slaughter because he doesn’t want them to seek help. He always collects more from his victims than he gives them.

Beloved, all gifts from the devil have sorrow attached to them; only God’s blessings come with no sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

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Do you know anyone who used to be a Christian but has returned to the world? If yes, what have you done to restore such a person back to Christ? You might say that you have once tried unsuccessfully to talk to him or her about returning to Christ; however, have you tried again? Will you allow the fellow to remain on the path to hell just because you don’t want him or her to reject your counsel again?

Many years ago, some church members and I followed up on a church member who had backslidden, and thankfully, he returned to Christ. However, after a while, he backslid again and left the church. We did everything we could to get him to return until it got to a point where l said, “I’m tired. I’ll leave this man to do whatever he likes.” Many years later, I went to preach at the University of Ife. After my ministration, I wanted to return to Lagos, but God told me to travel in the opposite direction. I did not know where God was leading me to until I got to the neighbourhood where this brother lived. It was at that moment that I knew what God wanted me to do. I went to his house, and when I got there, his wife hurried to tell him that I had come to visit them. He did not believe it; he thought she was playing a prank on him until he came out and saw me waiting for him. That visit was all it took for him to return to the faith. He probably said to himself, “If you could still remember me and reach out to me after all these years and all the rejection, then your love for me is real, and I am returning.”

Beloved, don’t give up on anyone who has backslidden. Keep following up on them prayerfully, and never give up until the Holy Spirit convicts them to return to the faith again. Just one more phone call or visit from you may save such people from spending eternity in hell. Intentionally go after backsliders and restore them to the Lord. In Jude 1:22-23, the Bible talks about having compassion on such people. Keep reaching out to them, and never stop interceding on their behalf until they are restored. Remember, there’s a great reward for winning souls, as the Bible says that those who turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever (Daniel 12:3).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When God says you should be fruitful, He is not just talking about you being successful materially and having children; He is also talking about you winning souls.

In John 15:16, Jesus said:

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, being fruitful is primarily about leading people to Christ and ensuring that they grow and remain in the faith. A soul won to Christ is a fruit that brings eternal joy to God and also to you. The Bible says in Luke 15:7 that there is so much joy in heaven when a soul is saved from eternal damnation and won into the kingdom of the Almighty God.

God wants us to multiply spiritually. This is why Bible scholars often refer to Matthew 28:18-20 as the Great Commission. Jesus commands us to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. To make disciples means to teach others to follow Christ just as you are following Him. This involves preaching the gospel to unbelievers and mentoring other Christians with the word of God to help them grow in their walk with God. God wants you to make disciples; He wants you to reproduce yourself.

Apostle Paul understood this principle and taught it to Timothy. In 2 Timothy 2:2, he said, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” He instructed Timothy to pass on what he had learned to faithful believers who would teach other believers in turn. This is the multiplication God desires – fruitfulness that extends beyond you to others and continues through generations.

Beloved, the Bible says that a person who wins souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30). Are you spiritually fruitful? Are you leading others to Christ? Are you teaching and mentoring others in the faith? If you have not been doing these, it is time to start. Begin with those around you – your family, friends, colleagues, and neighbours. Share the love of God with them and invite them to experience the blessings you enjoy in Christ. When you do all these, you will be truly fruitful, and God will make you shine like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:3).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Sometimes, some people who appear to have attained a level of success begin to relax in their efforts to advance in their respective fields of endeavour. They feel they are on top of the world because of the success they have achieved. However, no matter how successful or prosperous a person has become, there are always greater levels to attain. This is why I always tell those who are close to me that success is a journey, not a destination.

For example, people who have attained a great level of financial success can be classified as rich or wealthy. The rich have a level of abundance, but truly wealthy people are those who have so much abundance that they don’t have to think twice before they buy anything. I once heard of a truly wealthy man who went on a morning walk one day and bought a car factory he saw on his way just because he felt it wasn’t well kept. He was so angry at the state of the factory because that was the factory producing the brand of car he rides, so he negotiated with the owners and bought it immediately.

There is, however, a level of success that is greater than just being wealthy; it is a level that Psalm 92:12-14 refers to as ‘flourishing’. A flourishing person is described as righteous, planted in the house of the Lord, and fruitful even in old age. People at this level live according to the will of God, meditate on His word day and night, and prosper in all they do (Psalm 1:1-3). Isaac is a good example of someone who flourished in the Bible. God commanded him to stay in Gerar even though, humanly speaking, it didn’t seem like the right thing to do. However, he obeyed and flourished in the land (Genesis 26:1-14). He kept prospering until he became great and very great to the extent that the king pleaded with him to leave the kingdom because he had become greater and more prosperous than the entire nation.

Beloved, God desires that you flourish (3 John 1:2). His design and perfect will for you is not only that you become prosperous in everything you do but that you keep flourishing until you leave the earth. This is why Proverbs 4:18 says that the path of the just shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. I encourage you to be like Apostle Paul; forget your past successes and keep reaching for more (Philippians 3:12-14).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Growing up, my father was so poor that even poor people called him poor. However, God decided to pick the son of a man whose colleagues said could never build a house and began to do great things through him.

It is rare to find someone with two honorary doctorate degrees from prestigious universities. After I had received seven of such honorary doctorate degrees, I thought to myself that it was a perfect number already, and I decided not to receive such degrees again. Shortly after, I got a letter from a university in the U.S.A offering me yet another honorary doctorate degree. I tried to politely decline this by telling them that I would not be available on the day of the award ceremony because of other engagements. However, they decided to come and award me the degree in Nigeria. Beloved, God can move you from good to very good.

Elisha seemed to be doing really well as a farmer (1 Kings 19:19-21). However, he left everything and became Elijah’s servant. In 2 Kings 4:8-17, a Shunammite woman compelled Elisha to eat in her house. He accepted her invitation and kept going back there to eat whenever he passed by. The woman then decided to create a small apartment for him within her home so that he would be able to stop by, eat, and rest properly anytime he passed by on his travels. After some time, the Spirit of God prompted Elisha to ask her if she needed anything. At this time, Elisha had become so influential that kings obeyed him. He had moved from good to very good.

Elisha’s exploits were so profound that kings started talking about him (2 Kings 6:11-13, 2 Kings 8:4-5). In the same vein, God wants you to move to a higher level of influence and grace. However, the question is, can He trust you with the hearts and ears of kings? When Naaman came to Elisha for healing, Elisha didn’t take advantage of him (2 Kings 5:16). Likewise, when the king of Syria sent soldiers to arrest him, he captured them, fed them, and let them go back unhurt to their master (2 Kings 6:22).

Beloved, if you want God to keep taking you higher, you must not be greedy, and you must be compassionate. You must also never harbor unforgiveness in your heart. Make up your mind to remain faithful to Him forever if you have yet to do so, and He will continue to take you higher.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To subdue means to overcome and then exercise dominion. In Genesis 39:1-6, Joseph was brought into Potiphar’s house as a slave. However, God’s blessing made a way for him, and Potiphar put him in charge of everything in his house. When Joseph ended up in prison after his master’s wife lied against him, he was asked to be in charge of the prison’s affairs (Genesis 39:20-23). Eventually, Joseph ended up being a mighty ruler in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.

And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
Genesis 41:42-44

According to Philippians 2:9-11, you can control situations and circumstances because of the name of Jesus Christ. Likewise, 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.

As a child of God, you have access to the name of Jesus Christ, and this means that you should operate in dominion – you should be unstoppable. In Acts 5:17-29, when Peter and his colleagues were imprisoned, the angel of the Lord came at night and set them free. When Peter was captured and put in prison again in Acts 12:1-17, God moved again and set him free.

Beloved, your story will only get better than it is currently so long as Jesus Christ is your Lord and Saviour. Proverbs 4:18 says that the path of the just is as a shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day. This means that, no matter what the enemy has done, your life is to be better today than it was yesterday. Believe in the name of Jesus wholeheartedly and use His name to subdue any negative situation that arises around you. This way, you will indeed walk in dominion, and nothing will be able to stop you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is good to grow, but according to Genesis 1:27-28, your growth should be in multiples. God’s original plan for us is to increase by multiplication and not just by addition. Increase by addition is good, but that is a basic expectation. For example, it is expected that a child should be promoted from one class this year to the next class the following year. However, if a child is moved two or more classes higher than his or her current class within the space of one year, that commands special notice.

As a child of God, you are not like everyone else; you are special, and this means that you are not only expected to increase but also to multiply in every area of your life.

In Genesis 26:12-14, we can see that Isaac sowed in the land, and in the same year, he had a hundredfold harvest. Deuteronomy 1:11 also says that God can multiply you a thousandfold. In Genesis 21:1-7, Abraham and Sarah had one son, Isaac. However, in Genesis 25:21-26, the Bible recorded that Isaac gave birth to a set of twins. If you read further to Genesis 35:22-26, you will see that one of the twins gave birth to 12 sons. In Genesis 46:27, the 12 sons had become 70 people and in Exodus 12:37, their number had increased to 600,000 men, excluding children and women.

Child of God, stop limiting yourself by only seeking to increase by addition. Instead, you should aim for multiplication because that is your God-given mandate. When I became the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, I was 39 years old. God had told my Father in the Lord that his successor would take the church around the world, even though the church was only in Nigeria at that time. If I were seeking increase by addition, expanding to one new country per year to establish God’s kingdom, the church would only be in about 45 countries at the moment instead of the over 190 countries that the RCCG is currently established in. There was no way we could have achieved our God-given mandate without multiplication.

Beloved, to truly fulfil God’s purpose for your life, you should seek to multiply. He gave you the mandate to multiply right from the beginning of creation in Genesis 1:28. Don’t limit your potential by having a mediocre mindset about increase. Trust God to enlarge your coast exponentially, and by His grace, you will begin to multiply.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.