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For your prayer to be a sweet savour before the Almighty God, you must be prepared not only to praise Him but also to honour His Name. You cannot truly claim to belong to God without reverencing or honouring His Name. This is why the Lord posed this crucial question to us in Malachi 1:6:  
“A son honoureth his father and a servant his master: if then I be a Father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my Fear? Saith the LORD of hosts unto you, o priest, that despise my name. And ye say, wherein have we despised thy name?”
If you look at the types of relationships referenced in the above Scripture passage, you will agree with me that the lower member of each relationship owes a type of honour to the higher member. A son owes his father a high degree of honour and respect borne out of love. Also, a servant owes his master some degree of fear, honour and regard, as the master is the source of the servant’s livelihood. As a result of those, a father can demand honour of his son, just as a master can demand honour of his servant. However, when it comes to our relationship with God, many people who claim to be God’s children, prefer to relate with God without giving Him the honour due to His Name. Unsurprisingly, this is unacceptable to the One to whom all honour is due.

Today, the Lord is asking, “where is my honour?” in other words, there are many honour-thieves in the Christian fold. Are you an honour-thief? If you call on God’s Name without giving it the high regard it deserves, you are an honour-thief. If you fail the materials test, by offering to God a detective gift or a gift that does not befit His status as the King of kings, nor reflect the level of His blessings on your life, you are an honour-thief. If you treat His assignments or handle His work with anything less than the honour due to Him, you are an honour-thief. If your lifestyle makes people look down on your God, you are an honour-thief. If you offer torn currency notes to God, when you know you cannot even use such to pay for things, you are an honour-thief. Do you honour the Lord in all you do?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The power of vision is one very crucial lesson we can learn from Elisha’s unshakeable focus when his master was about to be taken up to heaven (2 kings 2: 1-15). Vision gives directions. What you see is what you attain, and what you focus on determines what comes to you in life. You can never rise above your vision. While speaking to Abraham concerning His promise that Abraham’s descendants would inherit the land of Canaan, the Lord plainly told him that what he would possess would be determine by the extent of his vision. Genesis 13:15 says,
“For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”
People have often said that what the mind can conceive can be achieved. What can you see? What can you picture or envision concerning your future? For your mind to be able to see clearly, you have to be born again and have a recreated spirit which is capable of seeing things the way God sees them (Romans 12:2).

In addition, what you focus on is equally very important. This is because what you focus on expands and fills your sight. Your focus affects you significantly, shapes your life and determines what you attract to yourself. The sons of the Prophets in all three locations Elijah visited before his rapture to heaven focused on loss. They focused on the fact that their national Prophet would soon be raptured, and they would soon be without their leader. Consequently, that was exactly what they got. On the other hand, Elisha focused on his singular goal of receiving a double portion of the Spirit of his master, Elijah, and he got it. We have a way of attracting what we focus on. What or who is your focus? Hebrews12:2 says we should look unto Jesus. In other word, it says we should make Jesus Christ our Focus. Furthermore, 2nd Corinthians 3:18 says,
“But we all, with open face beholding as a glass the glory of the Lord, are change into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
When we focus on Jesus, we will begin to change from what we are into what He is. Focusing on Jesus is a major change medium that will definitely make us what we ought to be. Until you focus on Him, you will unknowingly be focusing on other things, individual or even yourself. What is your focus today?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Scriptures declare that wisdom is a major asset we must acquire (Proverbs 4:7). To get wisdom, you have to first lay its foundation stones with knowledge. What you know can determine your position in life. It was what Joseph knew, together with the ability to interpret dreams, that God used to move him from prison to the throne (Genesis 41:1-44). In other words, the stop-gap between you and your place of destiny is knowledge. Can you truthfully say that you know enough to get you to your place of destiny? If your answer is in the negative, then start acquiring knowledge today. In many corporate organizations, preference is given to those who have acquired more knowledge than others. This is why there is a tendency to select employees with higher degree for higher positions in these organizations. So don’t just remain stagnant in knowledge, acquire more of it! Enroll for higher degrees and relevant online or offline training programmes to position yourself for a more successful career ahead of time. What you know can promote you and bring you before kings.

Furthermore, what you know can deliver you from death. No wonder the Lord in Hosea 4:6a, said:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:”
It was the information Daniel and his colleagues received from God that delivered them and the rest of the wise men of Babylon from death. In other words, what you don’t know can kill you. Ignorance is not just a disease, but also a killer – a worse killer than some diseases. Ignorance is a terrible destroyer! Lack of knowledge can lead to a lot of wasteful spending. For example, if a person doesn’t know the importance of maintaining good hygiene, he or she will fall sick often and waste money on treatments that could have been avoided. Do you know that many people are being taken advantage of by the devil because they do not know their rights and privileges in God’s Kingdom? They do not know that they have been healed by the stripes of Jesus, and so they continue in sickness. If you fail to know that Jesus has paid the price for you to be rich, you will remain in poverty and even celebrate it like some people do today. What do you know?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

If you are sure of your salvation from sin, you need to be grateful to God. The reason is that there is nothing else in the whole wide world that can transform a sinner into a saint other than the Name of Jesus and the power of His Blood. Acts 4:12 says,
“Neither is there salvation in other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
No hero from any country can save you; neither can any prophet from any age or dispensation deliver you. No amount of money can buy you out of Hell, and no level of good works or moral uprightness can redeem you either. Only faith in the Name of Jesus and faith in the cleansing POWER OF His Blood can save you. Thank God that Jesus fully paid for our redemption! If He had only paid in part, you can be sure that no one would have been saved today, going by Satan’s antecedents. However, Jesus fully paid for our redemption - Hallelujah! To show that the price has been paid in full, shortly before He died on the cross, He publicly declared “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Therefore, you ought to daily thank God for your salvation. How often do you appreciate Him for saving your soul?

Today, many believers celebrate their birthdays, graduation from school, promotion at the office, appointments, winning big contracts and other major achievements in life, but many of these people forget to even say “Thank You Jesus for the salvation of my soul”. This is the benefit that should give you the greatest joy! After the 70 disciples sent out by the Lord for evangelism returned with fantastic testimonies of the success of their outing, the Lord shocked them by telling them that they were rejoicing over what was not the main issue. He then told them what the object of their joy should be:
“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirit are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”                                             Luke 10:20
Your salvation from sin is far more important than any other achievements you have on earth. Great is the value that God and the whole of heaven place on it. You should therefore thank God for it every day of your life; it is well worth it.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To experience exploits in your life, you must have a personal relationship with God. You must believe that He lives and love Him with all your heart. You must also learn to trust in Him. The command to pay tithes on your earnings simply places a demand on you to trust in God. Your response to this command shows the level of trust you have in Him. If you can pay your tithe correctly, it shows that you trust God for your livelihood, but if you find it difficult to be faithful in doing this, it simply shows that you trust more in your earnings than in God to sustain you. After I became newly born again and we were taught to pay tithes, I laughed and said in my mind, “These people do not know that I am a mathematician. If 100% is not enough for me, how can 90% be enough after I have paid 10% as tithe? Thank you very much! Even though these people are not educated, they still want to use their smartness to take 10% of my income from me. Let them try and take it” However, down the line, God convinced me by Himself and I observed remarkable changes in my life.

In those days, I was a lecture in the university. I had a car but was afraid to drive in Lagos so I got a driver. At the end of the month, I would pay my driver his salary, but by the middle of the next month, I would have to borrow money from him to buy petrol (gasoline). This happened month after month. I continued to struggle with my finances and even had to spend all my earnings. However, when I started paying my tithes, I suddenly realized I did not need a driver anymore, because boldness came from nowhere and I could now drive myself. Also, I did not have to visit hospitals again because I now had the Great Physician as my doctor. My children did not fall sick again, and that leakage in my finances was blocked off. All of a sudden, doors of opportunities began to open to me because I trusted the Lord. Are you still struggling with tithing? If you are, it only shows that you do not trust God to take care of you. The truth is, whatever you are paid may never be sufficient to meet all your needs because you are limited to that source, whereas you are open to various devourers. In contrast, when you tithe, you will have access to resources beyond your income because God’s storehouse will be opened to you, and He will also block every source of losses in your life. It is a matter of choice. Why don’t you start trusting God from today by paying your tithe faithfully?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One unfortunate thing about backsliding is that backsliders often fall so slowly that they hardly notice their deteriorating state. By the time some of them realize how far they have gone, it is rather too late. Are you a backslider? May the Lord restore you fully to Himself today! According to James 1:14-15, backsliding is a process that progresses from lust to sin, and ultimately ends with death. In Luke 22:3-6, Judas accepted to be paid 30 pieces of silver to betray his master. He must have thought he was going to make some quick, free money. He probably believed that nobody would be able to capture Jesus. After all, how could anyone apprehend the man who calmed the storms by His words? However, after the plot blew up in his face, he felt so disappointed in himself that he returned the money and committed suicide by hanging himself. The question is, why steal or accumulate what you are not going to spend? Do you know that some people who are stealing, particularly from God, will not be able to spend their evil loot? Those who steal God’s money to buy a car are only driving a moving coffin which can claim their lives at any time.

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
1st  Corinthians 10:12
On the straight and narrow way to Heaven, overconfidence has killed a lot of people, preventing them from making it to the very end. A case in point is Samson. His fall from grace, which led eventually to his tragic death, was a gradual process. From violating little instructions not to eat anything from a dead animal as a Nazirite, to unwholesome jesting and riddles that made light of the commandments of God he has broken, to visiting a harlot, and eventually ending his ministry on Delilah’s laps (Judges 14-16, Numbers 6:1-21). Overconfidence has brought many people to a pitiable place where they are now. Always remember that nobody can stand by his or her own power alone, except God helps the fellow. In fact, we are so weak that we need to always rely on God’s strength to live the Christian life. Have you ever thought or even boasted that you cannot fall? You are just like Peter who boasted that he would never deny Christ, but at the end of the day he denied Him thrice (Matthew 26:31-36). Recognize your weakness and engage in regular Bible study, prayers and fasting to draw strength from God. Furthermore, deliberately avoid any appearance of evil that can tempt you, and break any tie that can lure you back into sin. The Lord will keep you from falling, and He will restore you if you are already down.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When you walk with God, not only must you be obedient, your obedience must also be complete. From the story of how Elisha stuck with Elijah till the latter was taken up to heaven, we learn that until you obey to the very end, certain blessings may not be received, and certain promises may not be fulfilled by God (2nd Kings 2:1-15). This is very serious issue as it calls for endurance. Would Elijah have been ruptured if he had refused to go on to Jordan, after obeying God’s instructions to go to Bethel and Jericho, and after several years of obedience to God in ministry? I very much doubt it. Similarly, if Elisha had not served and followed Elijah till the very end, would he have received a double portion of the Spirit on his master? I don’t think so.

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
Matthew 10:22
Beloved, to get very special blessings or rewards from God, you must be ready to serve Him till you take your very last breath. You must pay your tithe, obey Him, win souls, worship Him, and follow peace with all men until your very last second on earth. Heaven is not for those who run the marathon for years and give up just a little before the finish line; rather, it is for those who endure all things to the very end.

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62
In God’s Kingdom, there is no room for half measures. It is either you are following Him to the end or you are not following Him at all. If you have decided to serve Him, Please don’t stop to look back! Looking back can disqualify you, rendering you unfit for God’s kingdom. Today, it is rare to get a committed worker or minister like Elijah, who would be doggedly determined to reach his goal without being discouraged, distracted or disillusioned. Have you turned aside from God’s calling on your life? Are you busy making excuses as to why you cannot obey God, saying “after all, God understands”? Sorry, God does not understand you going back on your commitments. He does not understand compromises. If you are in such a state, come out fast and hold the fort to the very end!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Man’s surest source of rest is Jesus Christ because He never breaks His promises (Matthew 11:28-29, 2nd Corinthians 1:20). In John 16:33, He assures us that as long as we are in this world, tribulations and problems will come, but because He successfully overcame them, He will see us through if we put our trust in Him. Therefore, because He overcame and we are following in His footsteps, we are also bound to overcome. Are you struggling with sin and expressing doubts on whether you can ever overcome like Jesus did? Fear not and do not doubt! You can overcome that besetting sin! The truth with such sins is that the one who keeps falling into them has not truly made up his or her mind to stop them. The Bible declares that sin shall not have dominion over you, and God cannot lie (Romans 6:14). If you are therefore falling into sin and you probe yourself a little deeper, you will find some level of tolerance for that sin, or some excuse you always give for why you cannot stop committing that sin, or even some iota of likeness for that sin. If the devil can find any of these in you, he will celebrate, knowing that any of these can keep you perpetually at the bus stop of that sin. If you are serious about stopping a bad habit, you will have zero-tolerance for it.

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”
Revelations 3:21
God does not have double standards in the criteria He uses for allowing people into Heaven, or for giving them rewards for work done on earth. Jesus Christ is God’s standard. So if you will enter into eternal rest in Heaven, you must meet with God’s standard as exemplified by Jesus Christ. If you will be rewarded by God in Heaven, Jesus says you must be prepared to overcome the same way He overcame while He was here on earth. You can run the Christian race without stress when you follow in His steps. Have you taken pains to study the life of Jesus? Have you noted how He responded to temptations, sin, enemies, friends, difficulties, lack, needs, challenges in ministry, and betrayal by associates? God expects you to respond as Jesus did in all these situations. If you do so, you will be granted access to the privileges reserved for overcomers in Heaven. 
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

On the 22nd of this month, we saw that those Christians who always want everything to revolve around them and who always want to be in charge are yet to be broken. Another sign of not being broken is selfishness. The Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, has forewarned the Church of God that selfishness will be the hallmark of sins committed during the last days. 2nd Timothy 3:2 says,
“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”
Selfishness is all about falling in love with oneself to a point where everyone and everything else is second place. The height of selfishness is when you love yourself to the point of idolizing yourself; this is a form of idolatry. The Holy Spirit reveals one class of such people in Philippians 3:19, where He said:
“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”
It’s unfortunate that a lot of selfish people are mounting the pulpit of God today, parading themselves as ministers of the gospel. Such people do not serve the God of Heaven, but rather they serve their own stomachs. The goal and desires of selfish people revolve around the mundane things of this world. They can never be heavenly-minded.

Selfishness negates God’s eternal word in Mark 12:30 which says:
“And thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
God says you should love Him with all you have, but selfishness says “No, how can I love you when I have not even loved myself enough.” If you are a lover of self, you will always run into problems with God. To obey divine instructions and commands, you will often be required to displease yourself, and that is what a selfish person cannot do. If you are selfish, you will find it almost impossible to please God. A selfish person will hear messages on tithing but will find it difficult to tithe. Why? He would be calculating what he would lose if he gives up the tithe, and what he stands to gain from keeping these funds. A selfish person has no understanding of spiritual things. Are you controlled by love for God or by selfishness?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Philippians 3:10, Paul expressed his burning desire to know Jesus. It is good to have your gaze focused on Jesus and equally important to know Him. Why? It is because what you know determines your position in life. Knowledge is power. Proverbs 4:7 says,
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
Wisdom is the correct application of knowledge for personal or cooperate benefit. This implies that knowledge is the foundation of wisdom. If you want to be wise but run away from knowledge, wisdom will elude you. How open you are to learning new things demonstrates your readiness to be wise. Men of wisdom like Paul and Daniel were given to reading books. Daniel chapter 9 is a manifestation of how knowledge acquired from the study of books can be applied positively in actions that have serious spiritual implications. Daniel 9:2 says,
“In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”
Today, not many people take time to read decent books on various subjects that can add to their knowledge base. For believers, this should not be so. If there are people who should be knowledgeable, it should be believers. We should be conversant with our environment, and we should stay very current.

In Matthew 26:41, Jesus established a link between watching and praying. What are you required to do while watching? You are required to gather information, and to know what is happening around you. God wants you to be informed. Why? Knowledge about your situation will help you pray more effectively with understanding. If you want to succeed as a prayer champion, knowledge is crucial. When you watch, seek knowledge or gather information, it will compel you to pray more often. Find out, those Christians who are prayer-less are often those without knowledge. They know too little, and so they do not see the need to pray. If people come to tell you lots of things or if they confide in you, it is because God wants you to stand in the place of intercession for them, rather than becoming a tale-bearer. Are you seeking knowledge? Is what you know making you to pray more?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

True leadership makes room for fresh leaders to be raised and imparted. One leader who succeeded in raising several other leaders was Paul. In Romans 1:11-12, he wrote to the believers in Rome, expressing his longing and sincere desire to be with them in order to impart some spiritual gifts to them. There is no better way to deploy the ministry of impartation than through fasting, prayer and laying on of hands. One of Paul’s spiritual sons who benefited from the ministry of impartation was Timothy. When hands were prayerfully laid on him, Timothy received some spiritual gifts. We see Paul reminding him of these gifts when in 1st Timothy 4:14 he said:
“Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”
Through impartation, there can be transfer of spiritual gifts from a man of God to the one being prayed for. Note also that fasting plays a key role in this. As leaders, when workers, ministers and other leaders are being raised, before they are commissioned into service, it is important to support them through the ministry of impartation backed by fasting and prayers.

“And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.”
Acts 14:23
After Paul and Barnabas had taken the gospel to several cities during their first missionary journey, they revisited these cities, appointing leaders over the churches they established there. It is worthy of note that in doing these, prayer and fasting were given prominence. This is why it is quite surprising to see some brethren who are slated for ordination engaged in normal activities as if there is nothing at hand, instead of separating themselves to prayer and fasting. In any case, the level of preparation before a spiritual activity will determine the extent of the blessings received by each person. Even for regular services in your local assemblies, it is important to prepare before attending such meetings. Whenever you want to prepare for any programme, do not forget to embrace fasting and praying.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In John 21:1-13, we have an amazing account of Jesus inviting His disciples to come and dine of a meal He had already prepared. The Lord Jesus Christ loves good food and He prepares the best of dishes in the whole universe. To catch a glimpse of how these meals in Heaven will be, just take a look at the bread and wine that is used during the Holy Communion. By the time the Lord takes them over and they are transformed into spiritual food, the elements of these erstwhile ordinary items will begin to do what no ordinary meal can do in the life of those who partake of it. In 1 Kings 19:1-8, after the mass slaughter of the prophets of Baal, Jezebel sought to kill Elijah. He therefore fled for his life until he was so exhausted that he lay down under a juniper tree and slept off. Then two heaven-backed meals were set before him and he ate them. What was the result? 1st Kings 19:8 says,
“And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meal forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.”
That meal provided him physical sustenance to the extent that his body survived without food and water for 40 days and nights! Medical science will tell you that it is impossible to live without water for three weeks, but Elijah did this after he took heaven-baked bread! Also, that meal revived him spiritually. The same person who was contemplating suicide was now able to ascend the mountain of God. Depression was completely gone away from him!

Do you know that the Holy Communion, which assumes a spiritual dimension after the Greatest Cook touches its elements, is capable of taking care of various sickness and diseases? Through it, you can be delivered from every power of darkness that is holding you bound! Through it, your debtors can be compelled to pay you what they owe you! By this Heavenly meal, you can break the yoke of besetting sins and live righteously before God. Through it, various impossible situations can be made possible. How often have you availed yourself of the limitless opportunities provided by the Holy Communion? How often do you attend a meeting where it is served? When you attend such meetings, do you release your faith along with your requests, or do you withhold your faith? From today, take steps to enjoy the heavenly baked meal that is the Holy Communion. 
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To successfully run the Christian race, certain assignments cannot be delegated or carried out without your involvement. In Joshua chapter 7, Joshua delegated the assignment of fighting Ai to some of his men, and at the end of the day, they suffered defeat. Nothing kills like overconfidence! Have you ever wondered if Judas Iscariot was originally a thief? In Luke 6:12-13, the Lord prayed all night before selecting the 12 apostles. It is therefore most likely that he did not start out as a thief. However, even if he was originally a thief, nobody gets to the zenith of an evil deed suddenly. It is usually a gradual process. Backsliding is a process and not a sudden event. If you see a brother backslidden to the point of shamelessly going about with wolves, on closer examination, you will discover that he must have been secretly frolicking with sin for a while. He must have tried a sinful act the first time and “gotten away with it”. This would have encouraged him to try a second, third and fourth time. Since he was not caught, he would gradually continue to practice such acts of sin more frequently, until his final descent becomes glaring for all to see.

“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”
Ecclesiastes 8:11
The devil does not usually come with a frontal attack against a child of God. He uses subtle, little issues that one will consider as nothing. Those things the devil says do not matter really matter a lot. When you do not see anything wrong in intimately hugging the opposite sex or touching their bodies at will, know that you have started backsliding. If you take a little money from the church purse in your care unnoticed, you have also started backsliding. If you do not cry to the Lord and ask for His help there and then, and you allow your descent to linger, before long, you will be openly fornicating or even selling Jesus for peanuts without feeling remorse. Examine yourself; how is it with your faith today? Have you backslidden in any way? If you have, run to the cross of Calvary for God to restore you before you get to a point of no return! God still loves you. Respond to His love now!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In our walk with God, total obedience is the key to success. If you will walk with God, then you must be prepared to obey Him completely. If you decide to obey some instructions, delay your obedience to some or even flout some others, you will definitely have problems with God. If you doubt this, ask King Saul. From his experience, we can see that partial obedience is the same thing as full disobedience before God. Saul was sent on a mission by God with specific instructions which were clearly spelt out to him with these words in 1st Samuel 15:3:
“Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”
But when he got to the point of executing the instructions of God, he obeyed some, ignored some and outrightly disobeyed some. 1st Samuel 15:9 says,
“But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.”
He ignored and disobeyed some of God’s instructions because he wanted to remain in the good books of his soldiers. What was the end results of this act? He was rejected and abandoned on throne, while God chose a replacement for him. May God never reject you!

A further lesson here is that it’s not everyone rejected by God that He dethrones immediately. After Saul’s rejection, he was still on the throne for years, while God was already relating with David as king. During this period, how did Saul rule over the kingdom? As a lunatic of course! Today, like Saul, many leaders and pastors have been abandoned by God in the position they occupy. Although such people still maintain the status quo, the power to help them succeed is no longer available to them. Never be carried away by anyone occupying any position. It is only God who knows those who are standing and those He has rejected on their thrones! Are you in obedience? Do you obey God completely? Beloved, obey every instruction you are given by God completely, and you can be certain that all will be well with you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is a time to work and a time for rest. Everyone who labours very hard always looks forward to a time of rest. Rest is so crucial that even God Himself rested after spending six days creating the heavens and the earth. It is therefore not a mistake that God programmed sleep into our body system. He knows that after we have worked hard and are tired, we would need to rest the body in order to get back on our feet. Psalm 127:2 says,
“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”
Good sleep is indeed a blessing from God. However, rest for the body is not as important as the rest needed by the soul. If your mind is seriously troubled over an issue, even when you lie down on your bed, you will be unable to sleep. The only place to find rest for your soul is in Christ. No wonder He made a call for you to enter into His rest in Matthew 11:28-30. Have you been worried or troubled lately? Receive rest today in Jesus’ Name!

“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”
Isaiah 3:10
One major reason why you as a true believer should be at rest is because of God’s promises. According to 2 Corinthians 1:19-20, the promises of our God are very reliable. Romans 3:4 says that even if all men are liars, this cannot compel our God to be a liar like them; He will always remain true. Therefore, if He says your tomorrow will be alright, take it as a report card that you are getting even before sitting for the examination. If He said it, He will surely do it. God’s word has integrity. Based on His word that cannot fail, I know my tomorrow will be alright. Irrespective of the raging storm, I will simply rest in Him. Beloved, let Jesus Christ be the One you lean on. Who or what you lean upon in the time of trouble is very important. If you lean on human beings, they will most likely compound your situation because every human being is prone to failure due to so many factors within and outside their control. In contrast, if you lean on the Eternal Rock of Ages, you can be assured of true rest, joy and peace.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
From the above scripture, we understand that since we are expected to do the works of our Master, we as true disciples of Jesus Christ are here not only to advance the Kingdom of God on earth, but also to destroy the works of Satan in the lives, homes and circumstances of people (John 14:12). To be effective in this assignment, you cannot approach the battle physically; rather, you need both divine revelation and spiritual backup from God. Let us take the disciples of Jesus Christ as a case in point. Matthew 10:1 says,
“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”
At this point, the disciples were empowered by the Lord to heal all manner of sicknesses and diseases, and to cast out demons. Not too long after they were empowered, a demonized boy was brought to them for deliverance. They struggled for so long to cast out the demon, but they just could not deliver him. Finally, this case was referred to Jesus and He delivered the boy. The disciples thereafter went back to Jesus to find out what was amiss, and why they could not deliver the boy. In response to their enquiry, the Lord told them that they had manifested some unbelief, and that their prayer was not backed up with fasting (Matthew 17:20-21).

This experience of the disciples goes to show that when you are having doubts or even unbelief, and decided to truly seek God’s face in prayer and fasting, such doubts, fears and unbelief would give way to faith. When you fast, it strengthens your faith and your prayer life is given a boost. We often attempt certain assignments without the backup of a commensurate level of faith, and hence we experience failures in such assignments. You can actually add fire to your faith and shut the doors against unbelief and doubt by spending time with God through fasting and prayer. Do you still harbour doubts, fears and unbelief in your heart about any assignment God has given you? Discard them now! God wants you to operate in the realm of faith and not doubt. Feed your faith with God’s word, prayer and fasting, testimonies of what God have done, and shun all remarks contrary to the advancement of your assignment.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

All those who have accepted God’s call to salvation should be aware that they have equally been called to a life of brokenness. The Christian life is a life that walks in the Spirit. Having crucified the flesh with its affection and lusts (Galatians 5:24, Galatians 5:16). The place of brokenness is the place of true service and reflection of Christ. While the fellow who is broken is dead to the flesh, the fellow who is carnal is still very much alive to it. There are certain traits that characterise the life of an unbroken fellow. These traits will be visible in such a life, irrespective of the ecclesiastical position occupied. One of such traits is the desire to be pre-eminent in all things. Those who always want to outshine others must be extremely careful. It is good to excel, and God wants this for His children, but struggling for pre-eminence within the fold, just to gratify the flesh or feed your ego is a mark of not being broken.

In the early Church, there were people who liked to show that they were in charge, even when there were superiors set over them. Apostle John encountered Diotrephes and he had problems with him because of this trait (3rd John 1:9). Those who like to have pre-eminence usually find it difficult to recognise or submit to higher authority. They want to be the ones calling the shots. They may have supervisors over them, and yet they will still want to be the ones that people take orders from. They run a parallel government to that of their superiors, and because their power base is illegal, they use lots of manipulation, coercion, intimidation and forming of unhealthy cliques to maintain their power. Such people are involved in every divisive and rebellious scheme being witnessed in the Church and in society today. Those who seek pre-eminence operate through charismatic witchcraft, and they are involved in very subtle mind-control. They want to be recognised and honoured first and above others. Their suggestion must always be taken or else you must be prepared for a fight. If you have those traits in you, you are very carnal and close to Hell’s gates. If you struggle and manipulate your way to gain pre-eminence over others, in Heaven’s records you will be the last or even have no placement there. If you are involved in this manifestation of carnality, beat a retreat today!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Looking at Jesus with the eyes of the spirit is so important to believers because it helps us to see ourselves more clearly. When you see Jesus and you take a look at yourself, it makes you to see yourself the way God sees you, and consequently, it propels you to make necessary adjustments. Also, you need to see Jesus so that you can access your help. In Psalm 121:1-2, David said he would lift up his eyes to the hills where his help comes from. When you lift up your eyes to heaven, you will behold Jesus. If only you can see Jesus, distractions will fade into oblivion. Many of us are separated from our Source because instead of looking up, we are looking sideways: we are looking for help from neighbours, colleagues and fellow men. These people are quite limited in the level of help they can render, no matter how highly placed, financially endowed or intellectually sound they may be. Making man your source brings limitations into your life. Even within your family, do you know that it is wrong to focus on your father or mother as your source? The right approach is to view God as your source of help, and to see every other person as a conduit pipe through whom God can channel His help. The right attitude to have in every home is to always channel the family’s requests to God, and thereafter, allow God to channel His provision through whatever means He wants. Henceforth, get your family to focus on Jesus as the Provider, and He will never disappoint you.

Moreover, focusing our gaze on Jesus is a sure path that leads to Heaven. Hence, Hebrews 12:1-2 says that we should look towards Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Jesus Christ is the One who began the Christian faith and He is the One who completes it. He walked the earth and successfully ended in Heaven. If you focus your gaze on Him, you will be able to follow in His steps. If you follow His steps, what He did you will do, and where He ended you will end. The shocking news here is that we really do not have any alternative to doing this. If you do not look to Jesus, you will not see His steps, and hence, you will end up following the wrong path. This will result in you not ending your journey where Jesus ended His. May this not be your story in Jesus’ Name. While here on earth, focus your graze on Jesus, and you will be able to see Him in Heaven.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One way of avoiding mistakes in life is to learn from the experience of those who have gone ahead of you in faith, business, career or family life. If you learn from the fall of others, you will not meet with the same tragic end that befell them. This is why you need to listen to the advice of elders. Piglets are expected to learn from the mother pig. For this reason, Job 32:7 says,
“I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.”
It is also commonly said that experience is the best teacher. There are several things you will be taught from the school of life when you listen to what the elders the Lord has placed around you have to say. There is a Nigerian proverb that says, “A child may have as many clothes as an elder, but he cannot have as many rags as he. “Learn from those who have trod on the path you are walking on.

I had the opportunity of delivering the sermon at the wedding of the daughter of a country’s president not too long ago. I observed that both the girl and her husband were highly educated. I therefore said to them, “Looking at you, I can tell you are both brilliant people, but you are just starting a journey into marriage, a journey I have been engaged in for about 47 years, and as a result, I have one or two things to teach you.” It is very important that you listen to your elders. Are you newly married? I have two equations to keep you going – one: love is blind, and two: marriage is a miracle – worker with special anointing for opening blind eyes. When you solve these two equations simultaneously, the answer you will get is this: Love is blind but marriage will open its eyes.

Beloved, never shun the advice of an elder! Apart from your biological elders, your pastors and senior pastors are also elders. Except when they asked you to veer off the path of righteousness, please listen to them and follow their good advice. If you have a godly, humble heart, it will be easy to listen to elders. Can you believe that some people do not listen to their elders because they want to be in-charge of their lives? They erroneously believe that if they listen to elders, they will lose control of their lives. Righteous elders will want to guide you on God’s holy path and ensure you reach your goal. Be wise today!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Proverbs 3:9-10, we are enjoined to honour the Lord with our first fruits. What does the word ‘honour’ really mean? Honour can be viewed from the perspective of giving a person something he or she doesn’t really need. We see a manifestation of this in the academia. When universities or colleges want to give honorary degrees, they look for people who don’t need money, academic qualifications or any such things, and they honour them with a degree. This is why it is called an honorary degree. They give such degrees to eminent personalities, people of proven abilities and achievers in different fields. This is comparable to the way God operates. What money can you give to the One who created the heavens and the earth? What can you give to the One who owns all silver and gold? He says to us, “If you come to the city where I reside, what is most precious to you on earth is what the streets are made of. So what do you want to give me that I don’t have already? “Therefore, whatever we think we can give to God can only reasonably be given in honour of Him.

“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”
1st Corinthians 4:7
When we speak about giving God something, is it really so? What do we have that we have not received from Him? if we have indeed received all we have from Him, it clearly shows that we are simply giving back to Him out of what He gave us. When we were still living in my first house in the Redemption Camp, my little children held a meeting in a room one Christmas season, and they sent the youngest, who was about four years old then, to ask me what I wanted for Christmas. I said I would like a jet. He said they weren’t proposing that kind of gift, and so I asked for a pen. He ran back to the room to meet the others, and he later came back to me asking me to lend him N10. I gave it to him without asking what he wanted it for because I knew its purpose. So at Christmas time, I got a beautifully wrapped gift. Even though I knew what was inside because it was bought with my money, I still gathered my children round to hug them, just for even thinking of giving me something at that tender age. This mirrors the relationship between God and His children. How often do you honour God?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When you read through 2nd Kings 2:1-7, you will notice that Elijah, Elisha and the sons of the prophets in Bethel, Jericho and Jordan were all very much aware of Elijah’s transition to glory and the day it was scheduled to take place. In fact, they even treated the knowledge of this event like an open secret. One lesson from this is that if you walk in the spirit, significant events will be common knowledge to you. God has secrets (Proverbs 25:2). There are certain things known only to Him, which He may want to share with men once in a while. Daniel 2:22 says,
“He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.”
In as much as God wants to share with men, if He looks around and finds no one qualified by His grace for such secrets, He will simply keep it to Himself.

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
Amos 3:7
When you have a closely guarded secret, do you tell everyone on the street about it? I very much doubt you would do that. Rather, you will want to keep it to yourself, and even if you would tell anyone at all, it will be someone who is not only close to you, but who is also trustworthy enough in keeping secrets. Who are those God will share His secrets with? It is His servants! If you are not getting divine information regarding crucial future events, it is most likely that you need to correct certain aspects of your service. When you serve the Lord, He will share some of His secrets with you. The more you serve Him, the more you have future information ahead of time. Also, you must be His friend. Abraham was God’s friend, and so, when God was about to destroy Sodom and He realised that Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his family were there, the Lord told Abraham about it. This gave Abraham the privilege and opportunity to intercede for them. Are you a friend of Jesus Christ? What is the level of closeness you share with Him? Friends communicate a lot. Do you often hear God’s voice? How often does He speak to you using various means of communication? You become His closest friend by serving Him like never before, and He will not leave you in the dark concerning your tomorrow and that of your family.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

If you are born again, you can connect with God’s destiny for your life. God has a plan for every being He has made, but those who refuse to receive His Lordship will be unable to connect to His plan and purpose for their lives. In other words, sin is a separator that can disconnect the sinner from his or her God-given destiny. One truth you must recognise however is that the fulfilment of your destiny is in God’s hands and also in your hands. To this end, Proverbs 10:27 says,
“The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.”
Although you have a specific number of years allotted to you on earth, your ability to fear God, obey Him and make Him happy will not only help you to fulfil your years, these can also help you to increase the number of your years, just as it happened to King Hezekiah (2nd Kings 20:5-6). In contrast, if you decide to live recklessly, the number of your years can be cut short (Psalm 34:16). The implication of this is that you can shorten or lengthen your years on earth depending on how you live your life.

Long before the foundation of this world was laid, God had chosen us in Christ (Ephesians 1:4). No wonder Jeremiah was told by the Lord that  what he would become on earth had already been decided before he was born (Jeremiah 1:4-5). Do not however misconstrue God’s plan for you. According to Jeremiah 29:11, He has beautiful plans for you. These plans include your shinning as light and bringing healing to your world as salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16). Believe it or not, part of His plan is for you to continue from where He stopped on earth in relation to His miraculous works (John 14:12). Furthermore, some level of momentary suffering is allowed for you as part of His plans (1st Peter 2:21). In fact, if you will be glorified with Christ, you must be prepared to also suffer with Him (2nd Timothy 2:21). It is also part of God’s plan for you to be a joint-heir with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). This means that you are not as poor as you think you are. Everything God has belongs to Jesus Christ, and you are a co-heir to that inheritance (John 16:15). Apart from these, it is part of your destiny to forever live with Jesus in all eternity (John 14:3). Having known all these truths, it is important for you to daily thank God for His glorious plans for you and live your life in consonance with your divine destiny in Christ. 
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

From the creation story, the fact that man was the last of God’s creation, though he is the most significant, indicates that God can give you the very best at the end. From this we understand that the end of believers is glorious. No wonder Ecclesiastes 7:8 says,
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”
You might have started on a shaky note, but I want to assure you that you will end up being well established. Your faith may be very weak now, but it will become great faith at the end. Never judge your future by the limitations of your present! God will help you overcome those obstacles and limitations and He will safely take you to your glorious end. Indeed, Job 8:7 says you might have started small, but you will end with great increase, provided you sustain blossoming relationship with God.

In addition, we observed from the account of creation in Genesis chapter 1 that when God was making all other things, He did not call a council meeting, but when it came to the creation of man, a council meeting of the Godhead was called. They all had to be in agreement for man to be created. The implication of this is that to get the best from God, man must be in total unity and alignment with Him. Also, we will be wise to follow the pattern demonstrated by the Godhead in all our decisions. Some issues are more sensitive and volatile than others. There is a time to take a unilateral decision on issues, and there is also a time to consult widely and take a joint decision. Lastly, when it comes to the issue of human management, you would need to go to God for help. Why? Human beings are the most difficult resource to handle. They are very diverse in thought, knowledge and understanding, and so their responses to issues are so divergent and vast. Human beings are also unreliable; it’s no wonder Jesus did not commit Himself to any man. John 2:24-25 says,
“But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”
If you will succeed in leading men and women, you must involve God to a large extent. How well are you managing fellow men?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah saw the Lord and this opened his eyes to see himself the way he truly was before God. As the brightness of God’s presence illuminated every aspect of his life, he had no choice but to seek divine assistance, and as he cried for help, God sent an angel to purify his unclean lips with a coal of fire. When you see Jesus, you become a candidate for purification. Purification is essential because without being purged by God, your faithfulness will be hampered (John 15:2). In other words, the more God refines you, the more likely He will use you for greater works. Many of us quote John 14:12 and claim that because we believe in Jesus, we automatically qualify for greater works. However, the truth is, there can be no greater works without divine refinement. God does not use unclean vessels for His work. If He has chosen you for an assignment and you come to the realisation of how unfit you are for the work, it is because He wants you to be challenged, and He also wants you to ask for His purging and cleansing.

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of earthly; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.”
2nd Timothy 2:20
It is not enough to be a vessel unto God. You should ensure that you are a vessel used for honourable purposes. Beyond this, 2nd Timothy 2:21 tells us that being purified is crucial to being used of God, and that although God may have His ways of purifying us, we also have a personal responsibility to purge ourselves. You have to put in considerable effort to purge yourself. Those carnal habits you have must go! Anger and malice must go! Little lies must go! Get rid of hypocrisy! Fruitlessness in soul-winning must go! The more you purge yourself, the more you will be a candidate for more and greater works. Don’t ever think that there is no more work to be done in the Kingdom. There is so much work yet to be done, and although the labourers are increasing in number, those purified and set apart for God’s use are few. Are you prepared to make yourself ready for God’s use? There are a few believers who have purged themselves and are prepared for any assignment God has for them; God will use such vessels to do just about anything, even as He bypasses many other vessels that are not pure enough for His use. Do all you can to be a pure and prepared vessel for God!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Just before He began His earthly ministry, our Lord Jesus Christ embarked on a 40-day fast. According to Matthew 4:1-2, He was led by the Holy Spirit into this exercise. Do you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you? Has He ever led you to do some fasting before? If He has, did you simply obey Him, or did you make excuses as to why you couldn’t fast? From the experience of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can see that fasting is necessary to equip us for the work of the ministry. When God commits a specific assignment into your hands, do you make out time to seek His face through fasting and prayer, or do you just jump into the assignment without necessarily seeking His direction, assistance, wisdom, protection and grace to succeed on the assignment? If you seek Him for assistance, it shows you realise your limitations and recognise that it is only through His power you can succeed in the assignment. In any case, Jesus clearly told us that we cannot do anything the way it should be done without Him (John 15:5). If we fail to seek His face, it shows we have confidence in ourselves, believing that we do not need Him to help us on the job. Beloved, you cannot do any divine assignment the way you are expected to do it without the backing of the One who sent you. From today, never embark on any assignment, be it spiritual or secular, without first seeking God’s face in fasting and prayer!

In addition, when people are being prepared for the work of ministry, prayer and fasting are needed to equip spiritually. This was practiced in the early Church. Acts 13:3 says,
“And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
When some prophets and teachers gathered themselves together to minister to God, the Holy Spirit selected Paul and Barnabas from their midst, to take the gospel to other nations. What did they do after this? They took time to pray and fast with them before releasing them to go and do the work.  Even today, fasting is still needed to equip the various levels of the Church workforce. From the level of foundational classes for young coverts and above, we should encourage praying and fasting as a means of equipping the saints for the assignment ahead of them.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Giving is a common and crucial activity that every serious minded believer in Christ should regularly engage in. The wise believer would hear this and flow with it, but those who think they are ‘smart’ will hear and ignore it to their own undoing. Luke 6:38 say that you should give and it shall be given to you. Have you ever asked yourself who benefits when you give to God? Can you make God richer by giving to the owner of the universe? Can you add to the owner of silver and gold by giving to Him? Everything you have, you receive from Him (1st Corinthians 4:7). You are the one who gains from giving to God. When you refuse to give, who loses? The Holy Spirit answers that question in Proverbs 11:24:
“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”
If you fail to give, you are the one who loses. Why? Your giving determines how far you go in life. Overflowing abundance is a product of sacrificial giving. If you have been sowing sacrificially to God and His Kingdom but you have not yet reached the level of swimming in abundance, you should be celebrated. Why? It is because you are not likely to die until God pays you back in full. The One who said we should owe no man cannot afford to owe you.

Moreover, when you praise God, who gains? Can your praises add to Him in reality? In Psalm 18:1-3, David said several things about who God was to him. He said God is worthy to be praised, because he realised that when he praised God, he got delivered from his enemies. In other words, refusing to praise God would have resulted in him becoming a casualty in the hands of his enemies. So who loses if you refuse to praise God? Revelation 5:11-13 talks about God’s mass choir in Heaven. It says the size is something like 100 trillion. If God has such a great choir of angels and saved souls worshipping Him, what difference will adding or subtracting your voice from it make? Do you think that God will miss your voice? Therefore, who gains from worshipping and praising God? It is you! Every time God demands that we give something to Him, it is for our own good and not His. Only the fellow who wants to deceive himself or herself will think otherwise.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God is both the God of love and a consuming fire (1st John 4:8, Hebrews 12:29). He is extreme in His love for mankind, and He can also be extreme in His judgment. This is why you must never take Him for granted. All over the world, there is resurgence in the doctrine of eternal security. This doctrine says that once you are saved, no matter what you do, your salvation is forever intact. This is one of the deceptive pills that the devil uses to drown souls forever in Hell in these last days. You shall not fall a victim of this in Jesus’ Name! Today, many people are not taking the totality of God’s word into consideration while interpreting scriptures that talk about God’s grace. Such people believe that grace is devoid of responsibility. Ephesians 2:8 says we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and I am in total agreement with this. Also, 1st Corinthians 15:10 says that whatever we are and whatever we become is by the grace of God, and I also totally agree with this. But beyond these, some people further believe that works are not necessary any more or else it won’t be grace. This is a lie! Philippians 2:12 says after being saved by grace, you must work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Did 2nd Timothy 2:22 not command us to flee from youthful lust? In fact, 1st Corinthians 3:17 says,
“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
In other words, after being saved, you become a holy temple for God to dwell in. if you then go back into sin, God will bring His judgement on you. This too was written by the apostle of grace.

Beloved, never play with sin! Don’t joke with backsliding! Wounds can heal but the scars would remain as a reminder. The scarred flesh is never like the original. A scar is a dent on the body. It disfigures and distorts the fine form and beauty of the body. If you have a scar somewhere on your body and somebody looks at you there, the scar will be the very first thing they will see. When the prodigal son returned home, he was well received, and a feast was held in his honour, but he had lost his inheritance! He returned as a disenchanted son. After David sinned with Bathsheba and killed her husband, he later realised his evil, confessed it and was forgiven and restored to full fellowship with God; yet, the sword never departed from his house ever since! You can avoid scars! Live right before God and obey Him in all you do, and he will guide you to avoid the pits the devil has dug to orchestrate your fall.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Almighty God is not only a God of love and mercy but also a God to be feared. One reason why you ought to fear Him is that He can not only bless you, but He can also turn your blessing into a curse. In Malachi 2:2, something went amiss among the priests and God had this to say:
“If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart”
When you refuse to ascribe to God the glory due to His Name, or when you do not use the blessing God has given you to glorify Him, you may be provoking Him to turn that blessing into a curse. May God not curse your blessings in Jesus’ Name! This is why you must do all that is within your power to obey God always.

Many years ago, a young man came to me saying that he needed a major breakthrough. Then I asked him, “Will you serve the Lord?” He chorused with enthusiasm, “I will serve Him!” So I told the Lord, “Almighty God, see this young, zealous man who is ready to serve you. Please bless him.” Some days later, he returned to me with excitement and said, “Sir, my landlord has a house with 13 flats for sale. He says I can sell the property for any price; all he is asking me to give him is a particular amount that is less than half its worth!” So I said to him, “Congratulations! Your breakthrough has come at last. How many flats are there again?” “Thirteen”, he replied. Then I said to him, “That means you will give one flat to God as your tithe.” At this, he got angry and said, “This is the trouble with you pastors! This is the reason why people should not even share their testimonies with you!” So I asked him to forgive me. He said, “This is my very first breakthrough”, and I replied, “I am sorry sir”, and he left. He thereafter sold the house to a prospective buyer, and he took the amount he earlier agreed with the landlord to him. The landlord looked at him strangely and said, “Which house did you sell?” “The house at plot so and so sir”, he replied. The landlord said to him, “Did I ever ask you to sell that house?” “Yes sir, you did, and you asked me to bring so much for it”, he replied. The landlord then yelled, “You think you can use your black magic on me, right? If you don’t leave here now, both you and your witchdoctor will face the music!” The young man returned to me, saying he was now ready to do what I asked, but I said to him, “Leave me out of this. It is strictly between you and God. Go and settle with Him.” Are you prepared to honour God with the blessings He has given you?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God allows you to go through tests before giving a prize. Unfortunately, some people do well for a while, but when it comes to the crucial tests of life, they fail. May you never fail in the tests of life in Jesus’ Name! One lesson that is evident in 2 Kings 2:1-3 is that to get to your higher glory, you may meet the discouragers, mockers, and dream killers. Even the Lord Jesus Christ faced mockers in His own family. Most members of His family did not even believe in Him until after His resurrection (John 7:5, Acts 1:14). In John 7:4, they scoffed at Him saying:
“For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.”
Some people will not want you to dare that great height because they have tried it several times and failed. They cannot stand you achieving what they could not achieve. Some others will mock you just to discourage you and weaken your faith. Beloved, a lot of the distractions you will encounter from people on your way to the higher glory God has for you will be borne out of envy. Just look at what Elisha went through with the sons of the prophets on his way to his promotion. Regardless of their motives, every ministry of discouragers and mockers organised against the fulfilment of your destiny shall fail and be completely frustrated this season!

Moreover, it is glaring that there is so much work to be done for you to enter your higher glory. In other words, higher glory is not meant for everyone. It is especially not for the idle or lazy folks. It is not for procrastinators. Higher glory is not for wishful thinkers. It is for those who are diligent. It is for those who work extra hard, those who can burn the midnight oil. It is for those who can make sacrifices and be focused on the set goal until it is realised. Are you prepared for this? I pray that you will be successful in all the assignments you need to perform in order to enter your greater glory in Jesus’ Name! It is not just enough to work hard; you must also be ready and able to take up more or higher responsibilities. Some people limit themselves in this area. Are you capable of handling higher assignments? If you are wise, while you are on a particular level, you can open yourself to learn more things – particularly those things above your current level. You must be teachable. Are you willing to learn?
Written By Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A look at the creation story as recorded in Genesis Chapter 1 shows that man, the most important of God’s creation, was created on the sixth day. He was the last of God’s creation, even though he was the most significant. After man was created, God then rested from His work. One vital lesson here is that being first may not always mean being the most important, while being the last may not always mean that you’re the least important. Further reinforcing this truth, Jesus said:
“And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.”
This is good news to us all. Are you the last child of your family, and consequently you’ve believed yourself to be the least? You are simply short-changing yourself! Joseph was the 11th of 12 brothers but he was the one who became a father to them all. Concerning Joseph, it is written:
“And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.”
Genesis 50:18
There are many children who were born last in their families that are presently graced with the gift of becoming the light that every other member of their families look up to. From today, you will come to limelight in Jesus’ Name! The Lord will lift you up. However, you need to drop every faulty mindset you have now.

Moreover, another lesson here is that God can reserve the best for the last. When men have exhausted all their efforts and failed, God can show up and intervene in that particular situation. At the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, Jesus waited for wine to run out before He supplied a more superior wine (John 2:1-10). Sometimes, when God wants to assist us in certain situations, we shove Him aside, telling Him we are mature and can help ourselves. He therefore steps aside and allows us to  exhaust our abilities. If you are wise, you will agree with God early enough so that you do not have to waste so much effort in the long run. Yes, you can have the best towards the end! Indeed, do you know that God has reserved the prosperity of some people till they are in their late forties and above? Probably because He wants them to first mature spiritually, mentally and physically, knowing that after maturing, such people will be able to easily cooperate with Him over how He wants the blessings used. Whatever stage your life may be in right now, don’t discount yourself. It’s not over until God says so.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When you see Jesus, everything blocking your vision will give way. At the time I came into ministry, we served God selflessly. Nobody had to promise any of us a house, car, position or title. We just loved God and we were ready to serve Him no matter the cost. We were ready to take the shame and suffering that came along with our service. Furthermore, when we suffered, we did not grumble or complain, because our focus was on Jesus. This is where our focus should also be today. In Mark 10:17-22, a young man came to Jesus to find out what he needed to do in order to make Heaven. The Lord told him to go and sell all that he had and give to the poor, and then he should take up his cross and follow Him. This was too much for him to bear, and so he went away grieved. He thought he had met all the requirements, but the Lord told him what he lacked which he never knew of. Beloved, when you see Jesus, you will realise what is lacking in your life that you never thought about. When you see Jesus, you will be able to see yourself more clearly and deeply. Jesus is the mirror through which you see yourself for who you really are.

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
Isaiah 64:6
It was after Isaiah saw the Lord that he realised he had been inviting God’s judgement on himself as well as on the people. He did not know that his lips, which he thought were anointed, were also unclean (Isaiah 6:1-7). He saw his true picture and he cried out to God for help. When you see the Lord, it will change your prayer point, and you will begin to pray more appropriately. Isaiah cried for help and God sent an angel to touch his lips with a coal of fire from the altar to purify his lips. Malachi 3:2-3 says the sons of Levi must be purified by fire. This is why servants of God should not be afraid of trials. When you go through very trying times, it is likely that God wants you to be purified. He wants to take out the dirt and anything that will not allow you to fully manifest the grace of God that is upon your life. It takes you seeing Jesus to know how dirty or unclean you really are. Seeing your true state through Him will motivate you to call on Him for help.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

From the encounter the widow of Zarephath had with God in 1st Kings 17:8-16, we learn that God knows how to reciprocate love. It takes deep love for God for you to be ready to give up your very last meal for His sake. When in Proverbs 8:17 God said,
“I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”
He meant every word of it. When the widow was told to go and first prepare food for Elijah, she looked at him and said, “I will do it. Not for you, but for your God and because of my love for Him.” Can it be said that you truly love the Lord? The testimony of genuine love for God is a great testimony every believer in Christ should have. After all is said and done, may it be declared concerning you that you loved the Lord!

Beloved, do you know that the giving of first fruits is just a test of your love for God? By the grace of God, out of my love for God and to reach out to lost souls, I desired to convene a Holy Ghost Congress. The first Congress took place in 1977. I wanted to invite all students to come together for this purpose, but I could not afford to feed them all, I had no money, but I had a car, and without thinking much about it, I sold the car for that purpose. I did this with every sense of joy and satisfaction. At that time, some people thought I was mad, and really, I was madly in love with God.

When God says He loves who love Him, He means it, when you demonstrate how much you love Him, He will reciprocate. Just recently, I announced to the congregation that I no longer had a need for cars, so nobody should give me a car as a gift anymore. When I got home that same day, four new cars were already waiting for me. I said I didn’t want any more cars, but God said I haven’t seen anything yet. I gave Him my first car and ever since, He keeps sending me cars. The widow gave God her last meal and God kept sending more meals to her. While everyone around her was either starving or dying due to famine, she and her household got more fattened. You may not believe this, but do you know that I gave the very first house I built in my life to the Lord? For me, it was indeed a pleasurable thing to do. I did not come into this world with a house. God built one for me and when He needed it, I gave it to Him out of love. I can tell you that He has been very faithful to me ever since. Are you are still holding back the lands, houses, money and other things that you could have given Him to demonstrate you love and provoke greater returns? Do you really love Him?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.