₦airaland Forum

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.

Divine restoration is God’s act of bringing a person or something back to its intended state. For example, when something that God created to be full becomes empty, a divine restoration will be required for it to become full again. God can restore what seems to have been lost forever. No matter what the case may be, I want you to know that you serve a God who can raise dry bones and make them a mighty army (Ezekiel 37:1-14). I pray for you right now that the Lord will restore whatever things you have lost that seem impossible to regain, in Jesus’ name.

In Mark 8:22-25, we see the story of a man who was blind and was brought to Jesus for healing. Jesus spat on his eyes, touched him, and asked if he could see. The man said that he could see men as trees, walking. This tells us that he was probably not born blind; he must have seen trees and men before then. He used to see, but for some reason, he became blind. Jesus gave him a second touch, and then, he began to see clearly. The man had a divine encounter that restored his sight. I decree a divine restoration of any good thing you might have lost, in Jesus’ name.

In Genesis 18:9-14, when God paid Abraham a visit and said that Sarah would have a baby in nine months, Sarah laughed. This was because, at that time, she was 90 years old. In Romans 4:17-21, the Bible described Sarah’s womb as ‘dead’. Nevertheless, God has the power to reverse the irreversible. If He could make the womb of a 90-year-old woman to carry a baby for nine months and cause her to deliver safely, what can He not do? In Jeremiah 32:27, the Almighty God said:

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

Beloved, do you need a divine restoration in any area of your life? Call on God today, and He will restore anything in your life that is not working as He intended back to its original state. Don’t continue putting up with what is not working in your life as God intends. He can restore everything the enemy might have stolen from you. Cry out to Him in prayer with faith in your heart, and you will experience a divine restoration to His original plan for your life, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In 2 Samuel 7:1-16, God told David, “Even if your son offends me after you have died, I will only discipline him; I will not take My mercy away from him. I will establish your throne forever, no matter what happens.” This was why Jesus, the King of kings, introduced Himself as the root and the offspring of David in Revelation 22:16. That is a very good example of an irreversible blessing. When you read 2 Samuel 7:1-16 closely, you will notice that God’s pronouncement came just after David decided to build Him a house. This was something no one had ever done for Him before then.

In Genesis 22:1-8, God gave Abraham a little test by asking him to sacrifice his son. When Abraham passed the test, God swore by Himself to bless him.

…By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Genesis 22:16-18

God did not need to swear because once He speaks, it is done. However, He swore to show that the blessing He was pronouncing over Abraham could never be reversed. This tells us that in order to get an irreversible blessing from God, you have to do something that will touch His heart. God can bless you irreversibly when you do something that impresses Him.

Another person who can pronounce an irreversible blessing on you is your father. In Genesis 27:30-33, the Bible says that not long after Isaac blessed Jacob, Esau returned from hunting. When their father discovered that he had blessed the wrong fellow, he told Esau that Jacob had been blessed and that the blessing could not be reversed. When you read the passage closely, you will also notice that Jacob got this irreversible blessing just after he had made a special meal that pleased his father. If you can do something that pleases your father such that he blesses you from his heart, the blessing will be irreversible. I pray that God will give you irreversible blessings, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many times, when we come across a blessing while reading the Bible, we tend to rejoice and ‘claim’ that blessing. However, as a Mathematician, I have learned that for certain equations to work as expected, certain conditions must be met. Thus, when I see a blessing in the Bible, I always want to dig deeper to see the conditions that must be met for me to enjoy the blessing.

Some Christians don’t enjoy some blessings God has pronounced upon them primarily because they are either ignorant of the required conditions or have failed to fulfil them. Therefore, it is very important that you know the conditions that are attached to God’s promises so you can fulfil and maintain those conditions in order to enjoy the blessings.

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 12:1-3

In the Scripture above, God gave seven blessings to Abraham based on the following conditions: He instructed him to leave his country, kindred, and father’s house in search of a land He would show him. So, for Abraham to enjoy these blessings, he had to fulfil all the conditions that God gave him. Abraham left his father’s house and his country in search of the land God promised him as he was instructed, but he took one of his kindred (Lot) with him, thereby flouting one of the conditions. As a result, the blessings God promised him remained on hold until Lot separated from Abraham in Genesis 13:14-15.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 contains some very beautiful promises. However, you should not get carried away by the promises alone; you should also take note of the conditions attached to them. God said that you must hearken diligently to His word and not turn away from it in order to enjoy the blessings. If you read further down in verses 15-68, you will see the consequences of not fulfilling the conditions the blessings were hinged upon.

Beloved, if you meet God’s conditions, you will enjoy His blessings. However, if you do not meet them, you will not be able to receive or enjoy them.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God loves His children so much (1 John 3:1), and He desires to give them blessings without any sorrow (Proverbs 10:22). However, as a responsible Father, He will not answer some prayers from His children when He knows they are not yet mature enough to handle what they are asking for. For example, no responsible father will give his five-year-old child a car to drive, no matter how much the child asks or begs for it. Likewise, before God gives you some blessings, He will ensure that you have the capacity to handle them and that they will not harm you in any way or distract you from fulfilling His purpose for your life. He will not give His children things they ask for that would end up affecting their destinies negatively or destroying them.

3 John 2 says:

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

God wants you to prosper and be in good health, but that is only as your soul prospers and you increasingly become spiritually mature. This is why you must ensure that your soul is prospering by feeding it with the word of God regularly. When you do this, you will begin to prosper and enjoy God’s blessings in every other area of your life.

Joshua 1:8 says:

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Beloved, when you fill your heart with God’s word, it will set you up to enjoy His blessings and have good success. The Bible also says that if your delight is in the word of God and you meditate on it at all times, you will be so blessed that you will be like a tree planted by the riverbank that not only brings forth its fruit in due season but also never has withered leaves. The Bible further says that all you do will prosper (Psalm 1:2-3).

There are, however, different kinds of blessings you can receive from God. Over the next two days, I will be discussing two of them, which are conditional blessings and irreversible blessings. I pray that God’s blessings will overshadow you, even as you keep growing spiritually and your soul prospers in Him.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As I conclude this series today, I want you to know that God made man with the authority to operate in the physical, soulish, and spirit realms. God made us this way so that while we are still living on earth, we can also have a connection with Him in heaven.

God gave man a body so he can live in the physical world and a soul so he can think, feel, and choose (Genesis 2:7). Then, in Job 32:8, the Bible says, “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” In other words, we can connect with God through our spirit to receive inspiration from Him. This combination makes us special and differentiates us from animals, plants, and even angels.

In the physical realm, our bodies interact with the world through our physical senses: sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell. Beyond that, we have a soul; we have a will and emotions that allow us to think deeply, make decisions, and establish relationships. For example, you can look at people and discern their true intentions even when they try to conceal them. The most important part of man, however, is his spirit. Our spirit allows us to connect with God. It is through our spirits that we hear from Him, understand spiritual truths, and receive Him into our hearts. Romans 8:6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death…” In other words, if people operate in the physical and soulish realms but their spirits are not connected to God, they are as good as dead because they are not operating in their full capacity as human beings.

Beloved, paying attention to the physical realm only will cause you to pursue temporary and intangible things. In Ecclesiastes 2:11, Solomon said, “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.” Focusing only on your emotions will cause you to be misled because your feelings cannot be trusted. If you make a decision based on how you feel when you are sad, for instance, before long, you might realize that you have made a terrible decision. The only way you can function in your full capacity and walk in God’s perfect will for your life is when your spirit is connected to the Lord.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psalm 8:4

The love that God has for man seems so unbelievable that the psalmist had to ask the question in the passage above. His love is immeasurable and everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3). He loves us so much that when Adam fell in the garden of Eden, He put together a redemption plan for us so we could be restored to Him. He also gave us the right to sit with Him because of His tremendous love for us. Ephesians 2:6 says that God has made us sit together with Christ in heavenly places.

In Yorubaland where I come from, we often say that the house of the fellow you love is never too far. Because of God’s overwhelming love for us, He came all the way from heaven to save us. He loves us so much that even the strands of hair on our heads are special to Him.

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. – Matthew 10:29-31

Whenever I hear Christians say that they doubt in their hearts whether God will answer their prayers or not, I wonder if they truly know how much God loves them.
Romans 8:32 says:

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

If someone loves you so much that he or she gave you his or her only child, what else is so big that the fellow cannot give to you? I want you to know how much God loves and values you so that when you go to Him in prayer, you will know that you are speaking to someone who is willing to give you anything you ask for and who wants only the best for you (John 14:3-4).

Beloved, God loves you more than you can ever imagine, and it grieves Him when you don’t even realise how special you are to Him. Spend quality time with Him daily so you can learn more about His love for you and know the many wonderful things He has prepared for you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Man is very special because he has the capacity to accommodate the Spirit of God inside him. This is such a magnificent thing because God is so big that heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool (Isaiah 66:1), yet He decided to make Himself so little that He can dwell inside us (John 14:16-17). In Exodus 25:1-9, God asked Moses to build a sanctuary to house His presence. However, after Jesus died for our sins, He made every child of God His temple. This means that if you are a child of God, He is living inside you, and everything that answers to God also answers to you. What a tremendous privilege!

I remember when I joined The Redeemed Christian Church of God. I thought I was a very wise man, after all, I was a university lecturer. We had many non-literate people in the church back then, and I used to look down on them. However, one day, I thought to myself, “These people may not be educated, but they are always radiating joy while I am always worried about one thing or the other. They seem to be so much at peace, but there is always a storm raging inside me.” I decided to give my life to Christ that day, and the first thing I experienced was peace. All my anxieties and worries vanished, and for the first time in my life, I was truly joyful. The joy I felt inside me was so much that the next morning, my boss in the office noticed that I was joyful without me saying anything to him.

Man was not originally made to be anxious about anything. It is the fallen nature that made us lose our joy. The good thing, however, is that Jesus came to restore us to the original plan of God. You will experience peace and joy when you become the temple of the Most High God because Psalm 16:11 says that in the presence of God, there is fullness of joy, and Philippians 4:7 says that the peace of God that passes all understanding will flood your heart indeed.

Beloved, if you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you cannot be a part of God’s original design. The Lord wants to come into your heart (Revelation 3:20), and I encourage you to let Him in. He will lift all your heavy burdens (Matthew 11:28), and you will begin to experience peace and joy like never before.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Over the past two days, I discussed God’s original plan for mankind, which is to have dominion over the earth and everything in it. I also noted that some Christians are not operating in this God-given dominion because they have not grown spiritually as they ought to.

Another set of Christians who are not living in dominion as God intends are those who have grown spiritually but are still not conscious of the tremendous power they possess. They still fidget when the devil threatens them and see certain acts of dominion as being exclusive to ministers of God. However, the Bible says in Mark 16:17-18 that every believer can cast out demons, heal the sick, and operate in dominion as God intends.

Years ago, while praying, I said, “Lord, give me power to perform miracles for you,” and He responded, “Keep quiet. What have you used the power I have already given you for? Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit?” I said, “Yes, Lord.” He then continued, “What does Acts 1:8 say?” I quoted it to Him, and He responded, “Since the Holy Ghost has come upon you, then you have power.” I then said, “But I don’t feel powerful,” and He replied, “Did I say that the just shall live by feelings or faith?” This happened in the middle of the night, and the next morning, I was asked to pray for a little girl who had been so sick that the doctors had given up on her. I was afraid that she would not be healed if I prayed for her, but I remembered my conversation with God and proceeded to pray for her.

While I was praying, the girl went limp. I immediately thought to myself, “I’m in trouble. It seems this girl has died.” When I finished praying and opened my eyes, I saw that she was sleeping. She had not slept for days, and when she woke up, she was completely healed. From that day on, I started using the power that God has given me to take dominion over situations.

Beloved, when power is stored without being used, it remains dormant. However, when it is used often, it grows. As Peter used the power he received from the Holy Spirit, he grew from having to drag a lame man to his feet (Acts 3:1- to his shadow healing the sick (Acts 5:15-16). The more you use the power God has given you as a believer, the more dominion you can exercise.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I explained that God’s original design for mankind was for us to have dominion on the earth and everything in it; however, man lost that dominion when sin crept in, but Jesus Christ came to restore us to our original state. I also explained that once you become born again, you become greater than everything around you because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Unfortunately, many Christians are still living under the bondage of the devil. They have dominion as God intended originally but fail to exercise this dominion.

Beloved, you cannot exercise dominion as a baby Christian. Galatians 4:1 says:

To really take your place as a child of God, you must grow in the Spirit by praying and studying the word of God diligently and regularly. Many Christians brag that they have been born again for many years; however, spiritually, they are still babies because they haven’t grown as they ought to. Some Christians should have grown spiritually to the point of being able to raise the dead by virtue of God’s anointing upon their lives, yet they do not have the courage to lay hands on someone suffering from a headache.

As a child of God, you should desire God’s word so much because it is the food you need to grow spiritually. 1 Peter 2:2 says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” Jesus also said in Matthew 4:4 that man should not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.

Beloved, if you want to walk in the dominion that God intends for you to operate in, you should live by God’s word just as you survive and function physically by eating food. Like Jeremiah, who said that he ate God’s word (Jeremiah 15:16), you must also consume God’s word even more than you consume physical food. You must also pray regularly. In fact, when you study the word of God regularly, it will push you to pray because as you study, you will find yourself longing to speak to the One whose word you are studying. Prioritize spending quality time with God daily by praying and studying His word, and you will indeed walk in dominion in every aspect of your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When you look at the stars, the moon, and the beauty of nature generally, it is hard not to wonder what makes us humans so special that God cares so much about us. This is exactly what David was asking in Psalm 8:4.

From Genesis 1:26, we see that God made us in His image and gave us the responsibility and dominion to rule over all His creation on earth (Genesis 1:26-28). Therefore, you and I have God’s mandate to be in control of the earth. God, however, didn’t stop there; He went further to say in Matthew 18:18 that He will uphold our decrees here on earth from His throne in heaven. Unfortunately, when man sinned, he lost his place and the dominion God had given him at creation. That was why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to restore us to His original design and reinstate our dominion.

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you have become greater than everything in this world (1 John 4:4). If you are yet to accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, I implore you to do so now. This is because, if you can truly let go of sin, situations will no longer control you; rather, you will control them. The economy will no longer decide what happens to you; instead, you will thrive, regardless of what happens in the economy.

The devil and all his demons are afraid of the children of God because they know that God has made His children sit together with Christ in heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers (Ephesians 2:4-6). This is why, whenever someone I have not met before comes to me for prayers, the first question I ask such a person is, “Are you born again?” If the fellow is not born again, even if I pray and the problem is solved, a worse problem might come on him or her because the person is still prey to the devil.

Beloved, the foundation of every genuine solution to any problem you can ever have is in Jesus Christ. You must repent from any sin that may be in your life and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour if you are yet to do so. Ensure you live a holy life by adhering to His word and obeying all His instructions. When you do these, you will enjoy good success and truly live in dominion over every challenge that comes your way.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A lot of people want to worship the only true God, but they are limited by many factors. For example, Pharaoh prevented the children of Israel from leaving Egypt to worship God until a divine intervention compelled him to let them go. After God’s intervention, he could not even wait until morning before releasing the children of Israel to go and worship God. That very night, he called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said,” (Exodus 12:29-31). However, after making this pronouncement and releasing the Israelites, the Egyptians still went after them with the intention of bringing them back into bondage, but God silenced them in the Red Sea, and the Israelites were finally free to worship God (Exodus 14 and 15).

You probably want to worship God, but something is hindering you. You want to praise God and tell people about how great He is, but then, occasionally, you remember one little problem in your life that has lingered for a long time. That problem might be so bad that people around you have even been asking you where your God is. You look at that problem, and suddenly, it becomes a struggle to praise God. I decree that the Almighty God will intervene in your situation and silence whatever might be hindering you from worshipping Him the way you really want to, in Jesus’ name.

Many people want to do mighty things like building churches for God, helping the poor, sponsoring crusades, and so on. However, the only hindrance they have is a lack of finance. If you are one of such people, I pray for you today that you will receive the abundance you need in order to do anything you want to do for God, in Jesus’ name.

Revelation 4:11 says, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” God created all things for His pleasure. He created your hands to clap to Him in worship, He created your mouth to praise Him, and He created your legs to dance for Him. Therefore, anyone, whether in the government, in your family, or anywhere at all, who tries to hinder you from worshipping God and giving Him pleasure will face His wrath like Pharaoh did if he or she does not repent.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

All humans have the freedom to worship whatever they want to. Even in countries where people are restricted from worshipping publicly, nobody can restrict anyone from worshipping his or her 'god’ privately. This freedom to worship has been given by God; however, you must be vigilant at all times to know who or what you are worshipping because who or what you worship will determine what you become (2 Corinthians 3:18).

It is important that you examine your priorities because they are pointers to the people or things you actually worship. Some people do not know that their phones have become the god they worship. They take their phones everywhere they go, even into the bathroom. Their eyes are always glued to their phones as they spend hours browsing through them. If they don’t have their phones with them, they will begin to panic and will not be able to function normally. Sadly, this god often leads them into anxiety, depression, and many health challenges.

What you give your attention and resources to eventually shapes your values, thoughts, and behaviour. If your focus is primarily on material possessions, your social status, or even other people’s opinions, they can easily become idols in your life. You must examine yourself regularly to know the things or people that mostly occupy your thoughts and what you exert most of your energy on. If these things or people are not aligned with your purpose in Christ, then you need to take heed, lest you fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Another subtle, yet common object of worship these days is work. Many Christians allow themselves to be trapped in the cycle of work such that they neglect their health, families, and walk with God. I know the value of hard work, so I work very hard and encourage people to do the same. However, when work becomes the source of your identity, it has taken God’s place in your life. You must also be careful not to worship comfort and convenience. Today, many youths talk about living a soft life, and unfortunately, their pursuit of this soft life has become the god they worship.

Beloved, the freedom of worship is a precious gift that God has given to you; however, you must use it to worship Him alone. You must also be mindful and disciplined to ensure that you are not worshipping an idol at any time. Keep your total focus on God at all times, and He will reward you with His grace and peace.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Nigeria, there is a common saying that everyone has the freedom of speech, but freedom after speech is not guaranteed. As funny as this statement sounds, it is very true in the spirit realm. Proverbs 6:2 says:

Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

God doesn’t stop you from speaking, but you must be careful so that the things you say do not bring you into bondage.

Sometime ago, a woman who had been looking for the fruit of the womb for many years told God in her desperation, “Lord, just let me get pregnant once, then you can take my life on the day of delivery. I just want this reproach to be over.” When it was time to deliver, she came to RCCG’s maternity clinic. For days, this woman remained in labour. Her condition was so bad that they had to call me to pray for her. After asking her some questions, we discovered what she had said earlier, and I said to myself, “If this woman wanted to die, why then did she choose to come here?” Apparently, she did not want to die anymore. We cried to God for mercy, and He answered. She delivered safely and went home with her baby in good health. Imagine if there was no man of God available to cancel the pronouncement she had made on herself in her desperation; she could have died.

2 Samuel 1:1-16 tells us the story of a young man who was destroyed by his words. After Saul’s death, this man, who was an Amalekite, ran to David to tell him that he had killed Saul, even though he was not the one who killed him (1 Samuel 31:1-6). He thought telling David that he had killed Saul would grant him favour before David, but the opposite was the case, and his words became his death sentence. When David heard him say that he had killed Saul, the anointed king of God’s people, he commanded one of the young men with him to execute him.

Beloved, be mindful of the words you speak, especially when you are highly emotional. Do not allow your emotions, whether excitement, happiness, anger, sadness, or frustration, to push you to say things that can put you in bondage and hurt your destiny. I pray that you will always speak with wisdom and grace. May your words never bring you into bondage, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I mentioned that you must open up your heart to the light of God instead of allowing bitterness to envelop you. When you become angry and bitter anytime someone offends you, you are opening yourself up for spiritual attacks.

If you see through every hurt or betrayal that you experience, you will understand that the real target is your heart. The devil wants you to allow bitterness in your heart so that when he is sending his arrows against you, they will have a place to land. Many times, when the devil’s agents try to attack a Christian and do not succeed, they do everything they can to get the believer to become angry. Once they can get the believer to become angry and bitter, their attacks will land on him or her. This is why you must always put on your armour of light and not allow anger and bitterness to creep into your heart – it is for your own protection.

Anytime the devil sees someone whom he cannot make angry or bitter, he has seen someone who has defeated him already. In 1 Samuel 18:14, the Bible says that David behaved himself wisely. This means that he avoided anything from contaminating his heart. Even when King Saul was trying to kill him, he did not get angry or try to retaliate. In 1 Samuel 24:2-7, he had the opportunity to kill Saul, but he only cut a piece of his robe. Even when he did that, the Bible says that his heart smote him. This shows that he was a man whose armour of light was intact. As a result, he eventually became king, just as God intended. I believe that if he had killed Saul, he would not have become king, even though it was God’s original plan for him.

If you want God’s plans for you to come to pass, don’t allow bitterness into your heart; don’t give room to the devil to destroy your destiny. When some Christians do not retaliate when people hurt them but rather turn around to bless them, the world will call them fools, but they know what they are doing. Such Christians will be careful not to allow a moment of bitterness or anger to tamper with their glorious destinies in God.

Beloved, do not give room to the devil in your life; keep your armour of light intact so that you can fulfil your God-given destiny.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many believers are dealing with darkness inside their hearts because their hearts are full of bitterness and anger. Some of these believers are angry with God, their spouses, children, parents, etc. I understand that the world is a wicked place, and it can be easy for bitterness to creep into your heart. However, instead of allowing bitterness to envelop you, you must open up your heart to the light of God. The word of God is light; let this light become an armour that protects you from darkness.

Romans 13:12 admonishes us to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. Light is an armour, and just as a soldier needs armour to survive the attacks of an enemy, light protects you from any arrow of bitterness that the enemy might shoot against you. To put on the armour of light, you must cast off the works of darkness. You cannot overcome the prince of darkness when you have the works of darkness in you. Sin is the greatest work of darkness. If you are still living in sin, you must repent, put on the armour of light, and live righteously.

As I have progressed in life, I have experienced betrayals from different people. I have been hurt by people who are far from me and people who are very dear to me. I have been hurt by unbelievers and even by some ministers of God. However, despite all these, I haven’t lost my joy. I haven’t stopped being kind, even to those who betrayed me. Even though they may have hurt me, my heart is protected by the armour of light, which will not allow darkness to creep into my heart.

Beloved, don’t keep malice, and don’t focus on people who have hurt you. Ephesians 6:12 says: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The real enemy is the devil, who wants to plant a seed of bitterness in your heart so you can be filled with darkness. Don’t let him succeed; rather, put on the armour of light by subjecting all your thoughts to the authority of Christ, casting off every sinful habit and meditating on God’s word at all times. As you do this, I pray that your heart will be filled with joy, and you will continually experience the peace of God that passes all understanding.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When God said, “Let there be light” in Genesis 1:3, it simply meant that there was darkness before then, and at that moment, light was yet to come. “Let there be light” signifies an end to sorrow and the beginning of joy. In Psalm 30:5, the Bible says that sorrow may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Sorrow changes to joy when light comes. Likewise, confusion gives way to clarity at the entrance of light.

If you are driving on a dark highway and suddenly, your car headlamps malfunction, you might find yourself in total darkness. In such cases, it is wise to quickly look for a safe space to park the vehicle because it is not safe to drive in total darkness. This is why darkness is associated with stagnation; there is usually no movement in an environment that is totally dark. If whatever is wrong with the car is corrected, however, and the headlamps begin to work again, then you can continue your journey. Whenever there is light, there is usually progress. I pray that light will come into your life in this new year, and there will be an end to stagnation. This year, you will experience progress and joy, in Jesus’ name.

In Acts 3:1-8, we read about a man who was born lame. For many years, he was carried to the same spot daily so he could beg for alms. He had been stagnant all his life; however, when the Almighty God decided to visit him, not only did he start walking, he was jumping and praising God. Light shone on him because he had met Jesus through Peter and John, and he experienced a great turnaround. When the light of God comes into your life, you will move forward and upwards.

People normally sleep at night, and this is why Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:7 that those who sleep do so in the night. There is usually no movement when people are asleep. However, when the day breaks, light comes, and people awake from their sleep to go about their daily activities. Stagnancy gives way to progress when light comes. Beloved, I pray for you that the light of God will shine on every aspect of your life. There shall be no stagnancy in your life, and throughout this year, you will only move forward and upwards, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of the things that happened in Genesis 1 was that God changed confusion to clarity. The Bible says that the earth was without form; however, after the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, beauty and order came out of the formless earth.

Before God appeared in Genesis 1:2, the earth was dark and empty. Emptiness is not a good thing. If a student is said to be ’empty-headed’, for example, it implies that no matter how hard the student studies, he or she won’t be successful academically. After the Spirit of God intervened in Genesis 1:2, however, emptiness gave way to fullness. You will discover that God called everything that followed immediately after that intervention ‘good’.

When the supernatural collides with the natural, the natural must give way. For example, in Judges 14:5-6, the Lion of the tribe of Judah easily overcame the physical lion that roared at Samson because the Spirit of God was upon him. Believe me, you cannot achieve anything meaningful this year with your natural abilities alone (John 15:5). However, if you yield to the Holy Spirit, you will have outstanding success in all areas of your life.

When you yield to the Spirit of God, He overshadows you. This means that He will be in control of your words, thoughts, and actions. When this happens, you will experience a supernatural change in your life, and you will come into a realm of endless possibilities.

Beloved, yield completely to the leading of the Holy Spirit this year. Spend quality time praying in the Holy Spirit daily and rely on His leading in all you do (Romans 8:14). If, however, you have not surrendered your life to Christ, you must do so before you can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Confess your sins, promise God you will not return to them, and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. After you’ve done this, ask God to baptise you in the Holy Spirit and seek a genuine minister of God to pray with you so you can receive His baptism with the evidence of speaking in tongues. You must also fast regularly if you want to subject your flesh to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Lastly, you must study the Bible diligently every day and obey all of God’s instructions. If you do all these, the Spirit of God will move mightily in your life, and everything that has been termed impossible will become possible.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Before the first dawn in Genesis 1:1, there was God. The Bible says that in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. This means that before the first day ever came, God had been around. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” God is the creator of the beginning, and He created the beginning with His word. He created this new year and everything that will happen in it with His word. Therefore, if you want to be in control of events in this new year, you must pay close attention to the word of God.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mark 11:22-23

According to the Scripture above, if you have faith in God, you can command mountains to move, and they will move. The Bible also tells us in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing the word of God. The amount of God’s word you allow into your heart this year will determine how powerful you will be against mountains. If you study God’s word daily, whenever you encounter a mountain, you will be so full of the word and faith that when you speak to that mountain, it will disappear.

Psalm 107:20 says:
He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

There are certain illnesses that no doctor on earth can treat. There are also certain surgeries that doctors have not yet discovered how to perform. Some surgeries are now carried out by laser light that penetrates parts of the body that scalpels cannot reach. This is why, when the Bible says that the entrance of God’s word gives light (Psalm 119:130), it means that when God sends His word, it cures the incurable and penetrates areas of a person’s life that seemed impossible to reach.

Beloved, embrace God’s word more than ever before this year. Study, meditate on, and confess it diligently every day. As you fill your heart with the word of God and make it your companion at all times this year, I decree that you will experience all-round victory, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

At a time, Israel enjoyed the best in Egypt (Genesis 47:1-11). However, when a new king who didn’t know Joseph began to rule, daytime became night for the children of Israel, and their joy turned into sorrow. The Egyptians made life unbearable for them and things became so bad that the sons of the Israelites had death waiting for them even before they were born (Exodus 1:8-22). It was a very dark time for the children of Israel. However, when the Lord decided to turn their night into morning in Exodus 12:42, He judged their enemies and gave them a new dawn.

When God wants to bring a new dawn into a person’s life, He will often rise against the enemies he or she might have and deal with them. On that particular night in Exodus 12:42, there was a great cry in Egypt because at least one person died in every Egyptian household. It was so terrible that Pharaoh had to let the Israelites go that same night. He told them to leave Egypt at once with all their flocks and also asked them to bless him. What had been impossible for 430 years became possible in one night (Exodus 12:40-41) because God gave His people a new dawn and judged their enemies. In the name above all names, anything and anyone who wants to keep you in perpetual bondage will experience the judgment of God.

The Israelites’ new dawn came with a new economic and financial upgrade. The children of Israel took so much silver and gold from the Egyptians that Exodus 12:30-36 says that they spoiled the Egyptians. When you tell someone that you are travelling with your entire household and that fellow still lends you his or her jewellery, knowing that you may never return, that is an unusual kind of favour. When God gives you a new dawn, you will begin to operate in divine favour. The Israelites found favour in the sight of the people who had hated them. I decree that those who refused to help you before will begin to run around to help you from now on, in Jesus’ name.

Beloved, Jesus can give you a new dawn today. He can turn your story around and give you beauty for your ashes (Isaiah 61:3). I encourage you to pray today’s prayer point: "Father, please give me a New dawn of favour, in Jesus' name." with fervency and faith. Cry out to God until He gives you a new dawn, just like He did for the Israelites.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Prayers For The New Year

1. Father, I thank You for bringing me into the year 2026. I am grateful for all that You did for me, my family, and my friends all through the year 2025.

2. Father, please help me to love You more than ever before in this new year. Please help me to put You first in all aspects of my life and uproot anything You have not planted in me, in Jesus’ name.

3. Lord, please help me to be completely dedicated and devoted to You this year. Help me to serve You with all my heart, soul, and might, in Jesus’ name.

4. Father, please command this new year to favour me in all areas of my life. Please visit me and my loved ones with Your rain of ease, speed, and abundance, in Jesus’ name.

5. Lord, please let this earth bring forth good fruits in abundance for me this year. Cause me to enjoy the overflow of Your blessings throughout the year, in Jesus’ name.

6. Lord, please give me and my family joy unspeakable all year round. Please do not permit anything that will cause sorrow to come near us, in Jesus’ name.

7. Lord, please multiply Your church and make her stronger this year. Please grant Your church victory over all the attacks of her adversaries this year, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, please fill me with compassion for the needy and hurting. Make me Your instrument of peace, grace, and comfort to them this year, in Jesus’ name.

9. Father, please help me to win souls more than ever before this year. As you promised in Your word, please use me to perform greater works this year, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, please let all Your promises for me this year be fulfilled. Let all Your plans for me be established, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, help me to walk in Your wisdom this year. Please give me a clear understanding of Your will and enable me to walk in it fully, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer points for the new year.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

If you are reading today’s devotional, God has been really good to you! He has taken you through 364 days in 2025, and you will see the end of today as well in joy, in Jesus’ name. Storms arose during the year, and fierce winds blew, but God kept you safe. He preserved your life despite the enemy’s attempts to destroy you. I want you to take some minutes to truly praise the Lord.

If 2025 has been a really good year for you, I want to tell you that there are better days ahead. God is about to give you a new book with 365 blank pages! His thoughts towards you are always good (Jeremiah 29:11), and He has gone ahead of you to make 2026 a blessed year for you. Did you experience some unpleasant events this year? Cheer up; God is making all things new. My Daddy will restore anything that you might have lost (Joel 2:25), and He will give you a fresh start in 2026, in Jesus’ name.

Beloved, as you transition into 2026, I want you to do the following:

1. Reflect deeply on all God has done for you, and thank Him abundantly. It is because of Him that you are still standing.

2. Forget everything that has happened to you in the past. You cannot move forward if your gaze is fixed on what is behind you. If you had numerous achievements in 2025, you need to keep pressing forward like Paul because there is so much more to achieve (Philippians 3:13-14). On the other hand, if you experienced many failures, stop counting your losses. Look unto Jesus; He will surely give you good success in 2026 (Psalm 121:1-2).

3. Abstain from every appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). You cannot triumph over the roadblocks and traps the enemy has set for you if you allow sin into your life. Sin will keep you from progressing into God’s great plans for you in 2026. Do not allow the devil to cheat you of God’s best for you in the coming year.

4. Fix your gaze on Jesus; you need Him now more than ever. Allow Him to hold your hands, obey His instructions completely, and it will be well with You. Only those who are willing to follow Him wholeheartedly and are obedient to all His instructions shall eat the good of 2026 (Isaiah 1:19).

God has wonderful things in store for you in the next 365 days. In the name that is above all other names, I pray that you will not miss God’s best for you in 2026. Your life will not be cut short, and your eyes will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS FOR 2026:

1. Father, I thank You for preserving me throughout 2025. I bless Your holy name because I know I will experience more of Your grace and mercy in 2026.

2. Father, please go before me into 2026 and make every crooked path straight. No evil will come near me and my loved ones in the new year, in Jesus’ name.

3. Father, please guide me and direct my path in 2026. Let all my steps be ordered by You, in Jesus’ name.

4. Father, please draw me closer to You in 2026. Help me and my household to abide continually in You, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, please strengthen the bond within my family in 2026. Draw us closer together, and let us be truly united in You, in Jesus’ name.

6. Father, please open doors of favour and advancement to me and my family in 2026. I decree that we will prosper in the land, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, please give me and my family good health throughout 2026. May we not spend our days in sickness, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, You are my source. Please provide for me and my family in 2026. We shall not lack anything good, in Jesus’ name.

9. Father, let Your peace that passes all understanding surround me and my family in 2026. Fear and anxiety shall be far from us, in Jesus’ name.

10. Lord, please anoint me for greater exploits in Your kingdom in 2026. Give me the courage and the grace to draw many souls into Your kingdom.

11. Father, please bring destiny helpers my way in 2026. I will not struggle to fulfil the glorious destiny You have given me, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer points for 2026.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

2 Corinthians 1:3 tells us that God is the Father of mercies. This means that He is not only merciful but the source of mercy. God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4), and His mercy is renewed every day (Lamentations 3:22-23), implying that His mercy is unlimited. God’s mercy can transform every aspect of a believer’s life that needs transformation. For instance, if a believer has health challenges or financial problems, God’s mercy can conveniently turn the believer’s situation around. His mercy is not one-sided; it is multi-dimensional and perfect. When the Father of mercies shows up in a fellow’s life, He can restore any opportunities that he or she might have lost and make everything new for such a fellow.

For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

We can see that even though God’s mercies are unlimited, they are not accessible to everyone because God Himself decides the people He shows His mercy. Before God can dispense His unlimited mercies on a fellow, the fellow needs to acknowledge Him as his or her Father. As the Father of mercies, He only releases His unlimited mercies to His children. While it is true that He causes the sun to shine on everyone, both good and bad (Matthew 5:45), there are certain levels of His mercies that He has reserved only for His children. If you are truly God’s child, your relationship with Him will give you access to His everlasting mercies.

Only God’s children have access to the full complement of His mercies; those who are not His children can only enjoy crumbs. God’s mercy is rich and multi-dimensional; however, a fellow must become His child to enjoy them. To unbelievers, He is a consuming fire, but to His children, He is compassionate and slow to anger (Psalm 145:.

Beloved, if you are not yet born again, do not waste another minute outside the tender arms of the Father of mercies. He alone can give you a rich and fulfilling life on earth and guarantee your place in His kingdom for all eternity. If you are already His child, live in obedience to His will, and He will shower you with His abundant mercies.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Years ago, a devout Muslim heard the gospel during one of our programmes and became born again. He was overwhelmed with joy, and we rejoiced with him. Three days later, he came to me and asked, “Are you sure Jesus can forgive all sins?” I said, “Yes”. He said, “You have not heard all that I have done. The evil I have done is so much, and I don’t think He can forgive everything.” I asked him, “Have you given your life to Him?” He said, “Yes”. I responded, “Please, go home rejoicing; Jesus has forgiven all.” After another three days, he returned and said, “You have not heard everything I did.” Then, he proceeded to recount various sins that he had committed. I told him that once people give their lives to Christ, God gives them brand-new beginnings. He kept coming back to me with doubts about specific sins that he thought were too big for Jesus to forgive until one day, he said, “If Jesus can forgive this sin that I’m about to tell you, then I won’t worry anymore. I needed a man’s heart to make a charm. A young relative died, and I went to his grave at night, exhumed his body, and cut out his heart for the charm. Do you think Jesus can forgive that?” I opened my Bible and showed him 1 John 1:7, which reads, “…and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” I then asked him, “What is the meaning of all?” After a while, he replied, “I think all means all.” I said, “That is correct. It doesn’t matter how many sins you have committed up until now. The moment you give your life to Jesus, God forgives you of them all. No sin is too big for God to forgive.”

David knew the limitless extent of God’s forgiveness, and he wrote in Psalm 103:12 that God removes our transgressions from us as far as the East is from the West. Whenever David asked God to forgive him and cleanse him of his sins, God always did so. All God wants from you whenever you fall into sin is your sincere repentance.

Beloved, when you truly repent of your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you (1 John 1:9). True repentance is when a fellow stops engaging in sinful acts after God forgives him or her. God’s mercy is truly without limits; however, His forgiving nature should birth a changed heart in you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I discussed the story of the prodigal son and how he returned home to his father when he realized he could not make himself. Today, I will examine the lives of Jesus’ disciples and how He made all of them, except Judas Iscariot. When Jesus called His disciples in Matthew 4:19, He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” For example, by the time He was done with Peter, Peter became so famous and influential that today, over 2,000 years later, we are still talking about him. Those who allowed God to make them in the Scriptures have remained relevant up until now.

When God makes a fellow, He adorns the fellow with beauty and glory and gives him or her a purpose for living. Jesus told His disciples that by following Him, they would become fishers of men. He fulfilled this promise, and they all became great fishers of men (Acts 2:41, Acts 4:4), and He kept them all until the end, except the son of perdition (John 17:12). All these happened because they followed Jesus.

God cannot make you when you are not following Him consistently. Just because you followed Him yesterday doesn’t mean that you can live life by yourself today. Following Him is a daily decision. A famous songwriter once wrote, “I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.” When you truly follow Jesus, it will be evident in your words, actions, and lifestyle. After the disciples had followed Jesus for some time, the religious leaders observed them and noted that they had truly been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). If you truly follow Jesus, it will be evident for people to see. When you leave raw meat on fire to cook, for example, no matter how tough it is, it will eventually become soft. Sadly, many believers attend church services and other Christian programmes frequently; however, there is no tangible change in their behaviour and attitude.

Beloved, it is time to follow Jesus wholeheartedly and allow Him to make you if you haven’t done so yet. It is time to let go of all forms of worldliness in your life; lay them aside and follow Jesus. Jesus makes only those who follow Him. He purifies and prunes only the branches that abide in Him (John 15:2). Don’t waste your life chasing meaningless things; follow Jesus and let Him make you who He has destined you to become.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Luke 15:11-24 tells us about a young man who was very comfortable in his father’s house and had nothing to worry about until he probably started listening to the wrong voices. He became discontent and demanded his share of the inheritance from his father. When people begin to listen to the wrong voices, they often start making wrong decisions. You must always ensure that you listen to the right voice – God’s voice. To know how God speaks and the things He says, you must read and understand His word. Only those who constantly read and meditate on God’s word will escape the deception of these end times.

When the prodigal son was leaving his father’s house, he said, “Father, give me…” His request landed him far away from his father, and even though he seemed to enjoy himself for a while after that, his happiness did not last. He soon became poor, and since he was in a strange land, he suffered greatly.

Thankfully, the prodigal son came to his senses and realised that he could not make himself, meaning that he needed his father to succeed in life. He was in a haste to be made, but he needed to let his father take him through the right process. God is a God of process, and He always wants to make His children whom He desires them to be. Whenever a chef is making a meal, the process is not usually as attractive as the end product. For instance, the heating process is usually unpleasant. However, the ingredients that endure the heat will become fit to grace a king’s table. Those that don’t go in the fire usually end up as trash or food for pests.

When God was making Moses, He made him stay in the desert for forty years, tending to his father-in-law’s flock (Exodus 3:1). It couldn’t have been a pleasant experience for a man who had lived in the palace all his life, but the process helped to shape him into a tough leader who could confront Pharaoh, a man considered as the most powerful king on earth at the time.

Jesus called His disciples to make them (Mark 1:17). When He was done making them, the Pharisees and religious leaders marvelled because even though they were unlearned, they had become a wonder (Acts 4:13). Beloved, surrender yourself completely to God and let Him make you. When He is done, you will become a wonder to your family, friends, and the world at large.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are about one hundred billion stars in the galaxy, and God calls them all by their names (Psalm 147:4). The Bible even mentions Orion, a constellation of stars (Amos 5:, and Wormwood (Revelation 8:11). Among all the stars, God gave a special assignment to one of them. We don’t know the star’s name, but God surely knows it, and He must have called that star by its name and commissioned it to lead the wise men to Jesus.

In Matthew 2:1-12, the wise men, who were probably astrologers, talked about a star that they saw in the sky and how they knew that it belonged to a king. They followed the star all the way from their country to Israel, and as long as they followed it, it led them on the right track. If they had stopped following the star, they would have surely lost their way and begun to wander in darkness and confusion. People who celebrate Christmas without having Jesus can be said to be wandering in the dark. They can eat, drink, and be merry, but they will remain in darkness. You do not have to continue dwelling in darkness if you are like this. Jesus has come as the light of the world (John 8:12) to illuminate every place where there is darkness in your life. As the world celebrates his birth today, this is the perfect time to give your life to Him.

As soon as the wise men left Jerusalem and resumed their search for the King, the star led them to where Jesus was (Matthew 2:9). That star fulfilled its mission of leading the wise men to the Bright and Morning Star, Jesus. Every believer is like that star, called and commissioned to lead others to Jesus. As a believer, even as you celebrate the birth of Jesus today, do not forget that you are on a mission to lead others to Him. That star is still being spoken of today because it fulfilled its mission to lead the wise men to Jesus. As long as you keep leading and influencing others to follow Jesus, you will remain relevant in God’s agenda. Our Lord Jesus is the Bright and Morning Star, and your life should lead others to Him.

Beloved, if you are yet to give your life to Jesus, do so today. He is waiting for you to come to Him because He wants to set you free from the tyranny of darkness and confusion. Merry Christmas!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Matthew 15:21-28, Jesus said, “I cannot give the children’s bread to dogs.” This means that a person is either God’s child or a dog. Children have fathers, while dogs have masters. Children can walk up to their fathers anytime to ask questions and make requests, but dogs cannot. While a child can sit with his or her father on the dining table to eat, a dog usually sits under the table to eat crumbs. Such dogs will go hungry if there are no crumbs. If you have not yet surrendered your heart to Jesus, you are not yet God’s child, and now is the best time to turn to Him and allow Him to become your Father.

God has numerous names; He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16), He is the Almighty (Job 23:16), and He is the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last (Revelation 22:13). Despite all His names, when Jesus taught us to pray in Luke 11:1-2, He said that we should start by saying, “Our Father”. The name God loves to be called the most is Father. As Father, God is our source and sustainer; He is our helper. No responsible father will see his children suffering and leave them to continue to suffer.

When I was a child, I often followed my father to his farm. We always had to cross a particular river on our way back, and occasionally, the river overflowed its banks. Whenever this happened, it would sweep the bridge that was built across the river away. On one occasion that this happened, my father picked me up and carried me across the river on his shoulders because I was too small to walk on the riverbed and not be swept away by the currents. While he was walking through the river, I was playing with the water because I was on his shoulder. If an earthly father can do everything to protect his child, how much more our heavenly Father?

Beloved, if you are already a child of God and are experiencing challenges that are currently testing your faith, hold on to God; He is a loving Father, and He will surely see you through and bring you to an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11). If you are, however, yet to surrender your life to Him and you want to experience His special love and care, then accept His invitation to become His child today, and you too will enjoy peace on all sides, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I mentioned that God needs your hands to be clean so that He can use it to do great things. Your hands should bring blessings to people, not the other way around.

In Exodus 15:22-25, the Israelites got to Marah, and they couldn’t drink the water there because it was bitter. God showed Moses a tree, and he cut a branch from it, threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. I believe that if it had been someone else who threw that branch in the water, nothing would have changed. In 2 Kings 4:38-41, somebody unknowingly added a poisonous herb to the food that was being prepared for the sons of the prophets. Upon tasting it, they said, “There is death in the pot.” Elisha then said, “Bring me some flour.” He put the flour in the pot, and the poison was neutralised. The flour became a potent antidote because the anointing flowed through the hands that poured it into the pot.

Years ago, I travelled to Lokoja, a state capital in Central Nigeria, and I saw a huge tree on a major road within the city. The road was built around the tree, and when I asked why, I was told that the tree could not be uprooted because there were evil forces surrounding it. Quietly, I stretched my hand towards the tree and prayed a simple prayer. That night, there was a violent storm, and by the next morning, the tree had been uprooted. I decree that any tree that God has not planted in your life, family, or city will be uprooted today, in Jesus’ name.

God performed special miracles by the hands of Paul. Handkerchiefs and aprons were taken from his body to heal the sick and deliver those who were oppressed by demons (Acts 19:11-12). Pieces of cloth that had come in contact with Paul’s hands and aprons that had come in contact with his body became healing vessels and demon chasers. In 2 Kings 2:19-22, the inhabitants of Jericho told Elisha that their city was pleasant, but the ground was barren, and the water was bad. He took some salt and poured it at the source of the water flowing into the city, and the waters became fit for use. It wasn’t the salt that performed the miracle; it was the hand of the anointed fellow that threw in the salt. Beloved, I decree that as you raise your hands, any curse on your life, family, village, town, or country will be broken, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, I mentioned that the hands are conductors of the anointing upon a believer’s head. What a believer does with his or her hands can determine how the Holy Spirit will operate. In Exodus 17:8-13, when Moses lifted up his hands on a hilltop, Israel prevailed over their enemies; however, when he became tired and dropped his hands, Israel started losing. In Exodus 14:21-28, Moses’ hands did something extraordinary; He stretched his hand over the sea, a strong east wind blew, and a way was created where there was none before. The east wind is another reference for the Holy Spirit in the Bible. This means that a believer’s hands can determine how the Holy Spirit moves.

In 1981, after I had just become the General Overseer of RCCG, I travelled to Ifewara, my hometown in South-West Nigeria. Then, there was no direct road linking Ife, a major city in the South-West region, to Ifewara. To get to Ifewara, one would have to take a route through Ilesha, a smaller city within the region, making it an extra 70-kilometre journey. When I eventually got to my hometown, I told my people to make a request to God, and they asked for a motorable road linking Ifewara to Ife. I asked them where exactly they wanted the road to be built, and they pointed it out. I lifted my hand and said, “In the name of Jesus, let there be a road.” Six months later, the government decided to build a road from Ife to Ifewara. There was no logical or political reason to do so, and they didn’t build it to get votes because it was during a military regime; they built it because God found a hand that He could use to create a way where there was none.

Beloved, God needs your hands to perform great miracles on the earth. Psalm 24:4 says that only those who have clean hands can ascend unto the Lord’s hill. Are your hands clean enough for God to use? Can He use them as channels to do His will on earth? You must not put your hands into anything that has an appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Don’t use your hands to give or collect bribes; it will grieve the Holy Spirit. Don’t use them to engage in fornication or doctor figures to illegally enrich yourself; that will also grieve the Holy Spirit. Make your hands available and usable to God so that He can do mighty works through them.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As we see in Psalm 24:5, God places the anointing on a man’s head. However, a man’s hands are the conductors of that anointing. In 1 Samuel 17:34-37, David smote the lion and the bear with his hands. With his hand also, he held the sling that brought Goliath down (1 Samuel 17:49). In Judges 14:5-6, Samson was going down to Timnath when a lion roared at him. The anointing came on him, and he tore the lion in half with his bare hands. In Judges 15:14-15, it was also Samson’s hands that grabbed the jawbone of an ass and turned it into a weapon of mass destruction.

An anointed person’s head is like an electricity generator, and the fellow’s hands can be likened to wires that conduct electricity to where it is needed. The anointing on a person’s head determines the power the fellow carries in his or her hands. One day, I was in a store abroad buying books, and as is my custom, I was singing choruses while picking the books off the shelves. After a while, a man came to me smiling, and he said, “It must be such a lovely day, seeing how happily you are singing.” I laughed and shook his hand because he had extended it for a handshake. As he turned to leave, he exclaimed, What just happened? It is gone!” Apparently, he had been suffering a backache for years, but as he shook my hand, the pain disappeared. A casual handshake resulted in a miracle because my hands conducted the anointing upon my head into the needed vessel.

Beloved, you need God’s anointing upon your head if you want His power to flow through your hands. You must spend quality time in fellowship with God so that He will anoint you. When God anoints you, you will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. As a believer, your hands must be actively doing God’s work. When you see sick people, lay hands on them. Don’t withdraw your hands from doing God’s work because the anointing you carry will remain dormant if your hands are not taking it to where it is needed. The more you lay hands on the sick, the more demand you will place on the anointing upon your life, and the more it will grow. As the anointing upon your life grows, God will trust you to handle bigger things because He knows that your hands will deliver the things that He wants to do.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.