NewStats: 3,263,904 , 8,181,823 topics. Date: Sunday, 08 June 2025 at 05:18 PM d2r6p

The first equation in what I call the ‘mathematics of marriage’ states that ‘Love is blind. Proverbs 10:12 says that love covers a multitude of sins; therefore, married people should not complain about all of their spouse’s faults. To deflect offences, they must learn to accommodate their shortcomings.

Some people are known to call their spouses ‘angels’ affectionately. Though I am not against this, another equation states that ‘Angels don’t eat jollof rice.’ This is a humorous way of stating that human beings are not angels and, hence, are prone to human mistakes. It is important that married people do not have unreasonable expectations of their spouses that will keep them in a state of being constantly offended. If you’re married or about to get married, you must understand that you and your spouse will offend each other many times in your marriage. However, knowing how to deflect those offences and turn them around will help you a lot.

Years ago, I was preparing for a trip, and my wife wanted to accompany me to the airport. I knew she was likely going to delay me, so I said, “A car will move faster if it is not pulling a trailer behind it.” She responded, “Who’s the trailer?” I could sense that she was offended by what I said, so I quickly said, “I’m the trailer; you’re the car. I don’t want to slow you down.” She laughed and said, “You’re not serious.” If I didn’t know how to turn the situation around, a fight could have started from there. It is important for married people to know when to stop talking or say things that will diffuse the tension when their partners are about to get offended.

James 1:19 is a perfect template for deflecting offences in marriage. When you are swift to hear, you will know how to patiently listen to your spouse without looking for ways to attack him or her or defend yourself unnecessarily. Being slow to speak is knowing that sometimes, it is unwise to say everything on your mind. Lastly, any fellow who is slow to anger will not easily get offended.

Beloved, if you want to have a marriage with fewer fights and offences, you must learn not to have unreasonable expectations of your spouse. You must also learn to accommodate your spouse’s weaknesses while you work patiently with him or her to get better through the help of the Holy Spirit.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Marriage is a school where you study a subject called ‘the spouse’. People need to study their spouses in order to discover what makes them happy and what offends them. Spouses also need to learn how to each other to achieve their goals and succeed in all aspects of life.

If you are married, understanding your spouse will help you avoid offence, especially when you know his or her weaknesses. For example, a man who knows that his wife struggles with managing time should not be offended whenever she takes her time to get ready for outings. Instead, he should help her to manage her time however he can. Likewise, a woman who knows that her husband struggles to express his feelings should be more patient with him and encourage him to be more open with her. In marriage, you must seek to understand your spouse’s strengths and weaknesses so you can work together to make the best of your union.

When I got married to my wife, we made a vow never to be angry at the same time. We agreed that whenever one of us gets angry, the other partner should keep quiet. One day, we were travelling to Lagos from llesha, another town in Western Nigeria, when my wife got angry about something and expressed her feelings to me. I knew she was right, but l was also angry. As I was driving, she continued to express her anger, but I could not say anything to her because of our vow. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I parked the car and walked away, leaving her inside. After walking for a while, l stopped at a village and bought some fruits. I returned to the car and gave them to her. My wife was already worried because I had been gone for a while. She accepted my peace offering, and that was the end of the issue. I was able to appease her in this manner because we had taken some time to study each other, and we know what works for us.

Once some people go through courtship and then get married, they wrongly think they have learnt all they need to know about their partner. They do not realise that they have only just begun. If you are married, you will avoid many misunderstandings if you humble yourself to study your spouse with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In 1979, I would wake up in the middle of the night and cry out to God, “Oh God, I have agreed to serve You as a minister, but I don’t want to be an ordinary minister of the gospel. I need power to do Your work; please give me power.” I would cry out to God in prayer from 10pm to 5am, but nothing happened for months. Then, one night, God spoke and said, “Will you keep quiet and listen? What have you done with the power you already have?” I thought to myself, “If I already had power, why would I be asking for it?” The Lord continued, “Son, what is written in Acts 1:8?” I knew it by heart, so I quoted it. He then asked if l had been baptised in the Holy Spirit, and I said, “Years ago.” He asked me, “Is my word true?” I replied, “Yes, it is.” He asked further, “If you have been baptised in the Holy Spirit, why then are you still asking for power? I said, “But Lord, I don’t feel powerful”. Then He said, “Did I say the just shall live by their feelings?” He told me that the just lives by faith, not feelings, as the Bible says in Romans 1:17. After this conversation, I told myself that I would lay hands on the next sick fellow I came across, and I went to sleep.

I woke up late the following morning to meet a church member with her child in my living room. This woman had a child who had been ill and the child had not slept for days. At the hospital, she was asked to take the child home because there was nothing more the doctors could do. Although I was scared, I laid my hands on the child and felt the child go limp. I thought the child was dead, but when I opened my eyes, the child was fast asleep; God had healed her. Since then, I have not stopped laying hands on people, and l have seen special miracles happen.

Beloved, if you are baptised in the Holy Ghost, you already have the power of God in you. You do not have to feel powerful; just believe in God’s word, and He will perform special miracles through you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many years ago, God spoke to me while I was preaching, and I shared it with the congregation. He said, “There is someone here; three breakthroughs are coming for you. When the first comes, 100% of the proceeds should be given to Me. When the second comes, you are to split it 50-50 between Me and you. The third one will be all yours.” Some days later, a widow brought some money to me and said that it was the proceed of the first breakthrough God had mentioned. Because I knew she was struggling financially, I refused to collect the money, insisting that God may not have been referring to her. She insisted that I collect it, and I eventually did. I kept the money somewhere, ready to return it to her whenever she realised that she was not the one the prophecy was about. After some time, she returned and said, “Daddy, this is 50% of the second breakthrough.” I collected it, prayed for her, and kept that also. A while later, she came back to me and said, “Daddy, the bank that said my husband owed them some money before he died called me recently to apologise. You know how I have been struggling to pay back the debt; however, they said that they just discovered that my husband was not owing them. They mentioned that they were the ones owing him a lot of money, and now, they have paid me everything.” She heard God’s message and knew without a doubt that He was talking about her. She obeyed His instruction, even though it was not convenient, and she experienced greater breakthroughs.

Some people want to be comfortable financially and have more time before they can serve God. They want to have a better job before they pay their tithes. The widow in Luke 21 : 1 - 4 proved her commitment to God by giving her all when it wasn’t convenient. People who always want to wait until they are comfortable before they serve God often don’t get to serve Him at all. Paul told Timothy to preach the gospel in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). ‘Out of season’ refers to inconvenient moments, and those moments test our commitment to God.

Beloved, you don’t prove your commitment to God when it is convenient for you to obey Him. Honour and obey God in season and out of season, and you will experience His overflowing blessings.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise. Proverbs 27:21

People should not chase after fame because of its potency to destroy. In 1 Samuel 9:1, Saul’s father, Kish, was described as a mighty man of power who was also wealthy. Yet, Saul was obviously very humble because when his father sent him to search for their lost donkeys, he went without complaining. Even during the search, he listened to his servant’s advice to seek a prophet’s counsel concerning the lost animals (1 Samuel 9:6-. When he became the king of Israel, he was humble in the first two years of his reign until he began to seek the approval of men. Saul forgot that it was God who appointed him king, and he began to chase after endorsements from men. The first time he did this was when the Philistines gathered against him, and Samuel delayed before ing him at Gilgal. When he saw the people scattering from him, he did what he wasn’t supposed to do by offering the burnt offering (1 Samuel 13:7-10). He did the wrong thing because he wanted to gain the people’s attention and approval. It was a costly mistake because it earned him God’s disapproval. When we allow the desire to gain people’s approval to move us into doing the wrong things, we have set ourselves against God.

In 1 Samuel 15, despite his earlier mistake, God gave Saul a chance to repent. He instructed him to destroy the Amalekites. God’s command was clear: utterly destroy them and spare no one (1 Samuel 15:3). However, Saul, in his blind lust to be ‘a man of the people,’ went against God’s instructions (1 Samuel 15:24). When we seek fame above serving God, we have fallen into the trap of the fear of man because the Bible says that the fear of man brings a snare (Proverbs 29:25).

People who desperately seek fame will compromise God’s standards to please people. At the end of the day, such people, like Saul, will lose out because God will not trust a man who desperately desires fame with the precious matters of His Kingdom.

Beloved, do not chase after the approval of men. Rather, let God’s approval be your primary motivation. When you fear the Lord and serve Him wholeheartedly, He will position you to influence others for Him.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Praise is a weapon that turns situations men have already tagged ‘hopeless’ into joyful ones. In 2 Chronicles 20:1-28, three mighty nations came against Jehoshaphat and the children of Judah. It was a seemingly hopeless situation, but God instructed Jehoshaphat to leave every weapon behind and put the singers at the battlefront to give praises to Him. Interestingly, the enemies destroyed each other, and all the children of Judah needed to do was take away the treasures the three great armies brought along with them to the battle.

When Paul and Silas were thrown into prison unjustly, they engaged the weapon of praise. As they praised God, their chains fell off, and the prison doors opened (Acts 16:25-26). I pray in the name above every name, as you engage the weapon of praise, every situation tagged hopeless in your life will be turned around for your good. The Lord will turn your mourning into dancing and fill you with joy, in Jesus’ name.

In Joshua 6:2-5, the city of Jericho was shut in as a means of protection from the Israelites, and the only available option was to mount a siege that could last for months. God, however, gave Joshua a strategy that made the wall of Jericho fall down without any physical weapon within seven days. When the people shouted loudly after the priests blew the trumpet, the wall fell down flat (Joshua 6:20). If you are faced with a challenge of any kind and you are yet to get results even after fasting and praying, then you should praise God. When everything else fails, praise will not. Praise attracts God’s presence; He inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). When we praise God, we transfer our battles to Him, and He arises on our behalf.

Praise creates a joyful atmosphere around us, and it is with joy that we draw solutions and answers out of the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). As long as the enemy can keep a fellow sorrowful, he can steal his or her miracles. As long as Hannah was in bitterness of soul, her womb remained closed. However, the moment she arose, wiped her tears, and became joyful, the Lord ed her (1 Samuel 1:10-19).

Beloved, are you expecting anything from the Lord? Do you desire a change in your circumstances? Stop whining, complaining, and wearing a sorrowful countenance. Engage the weapon of praise, and my God will you and bless you, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A young fellow once gained ission into a university abroad and celebrated with his friends and family. However, during the celebration, one of his father’s enemies said to himself, “This boy is going abroad; if he succeeds over there, he will return and buy his father a car. I will give him something to carry along that will ensure that he fails,” so he diabolically inflicted the boy with a strange ailment. The boy got to his school and began to feel a terrible pain in his body. Doctors examined him thoroughly and could not diagnose what was wrong with him. After six years of living in pain, he returned to Nigeria and attended one of our programmes that was held at Ibadan Grammar School. While I was ministering, the power of God hit him, and the pain disappeared. He started shouting, “It is gone!” God gave him a new song after six years of torment, and He can do the same for everyone who cries out to Him in faith (Romans 10:11-13).

In 1994, the RCCG held a programme in Lagos tagged ‘The Battle of the gods’. A man who attended the programme was suffering from four killer diseases: hypertension, diabetes, meningitis, and a heart problem. His doctors had advised him to travel abroad, and while planning to do so, he decided to come for the programme. The power of the Almighty God touched him; he was healed of all four diseases and was given a new song.

When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion… Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing…
Psalm 126:1-2

One of the proofs that God has turned around people’s captivity is that their tongues will be filled with songs of joy. New songs always accompany deliverance, salvation, and miracles. In Exodus 15:1-21, after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and watched their enemies drown, they sang a new song to God. Moses and Miriam composed new songs, and everyone sang along to praise God for His wonderful miracles. Deborah also sang a new song after God gave them victory over Sisera and Jabin, the king of the Canaanites (Judges 5:1-31). Hannah was another person who received a new song from the Lord after she birthed Samuel (1 Samuel 2:1-10). I pray that the Lord will fill your mouth with songs of joy and laughter and give every member of your family new songs before the end of this year, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people are called by names they were not given at birth. They may not be called these names to their faces, but in their absence, people refer to them with those names. Sometimes, these names are not based on their good qualities but on qualities they are not proud of. For example, in Mark 10:46-52, the Bible tells us about a blind man called Bartimaeus whom Jesus restored his sight. To date, however, people still refer to him as ‘Blind Bartimaeus’. I don’t know if people are currently calling you negative names, but I know that my God can change your story for good such that you won’t have those negative qualities the world describes you by anymore, and they will have no other choice than to call you a new name.

Whenever God sees that a name is hindering His work in a fellow’s life, He can change the name as He did with Abraham. Abraham was first called Abram, and although this name had a good meaning – exalted father – it didn’t fully capture what God had in store for him. Therefore, God had a conversation with him one day and said, “I want to make you a father of many nations, but your name is hindering Me from doing so. Henceforth, you will no longer be called Abram but Abraham because I have made you a father of many nations.” God also changed the name of his wife from Sarai to Sarah, which was more suitable for the matriarch she was to become (Genesis 17:3-16).

When I was a lecturer at the University of Lagos, a typist, whom everyone jokingly called ‘Prof’, made a life changing decision. He said to himself, “I am a typist, but everyone calls me ‘prof’. I will indeed become a professor.” He started taking evening classes, and after a while, he wrote his exams and gained ission into the University of Lagos. Before I left the University of Lagos, the typist was already studying for his Ph.D. He made up his mind to truly change his name and not to remain a joke.

Beloved, you can also make up your mind to have a brand new beginning by surrendering all to God and asking Him to change any negative name that is hindering His glory from being manifested in your life. I pray that God will turn around any negative situation that men define you by and fill your life with joy and laughter, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When Elijah went to Elisha’s farm and threw his mantle on him, Elisha didn’t waste time before he surrendered all to answer God’s call. Elisha seemed to be a rich fellow because Elijah met him plowing with twelve yokes of oxen when he ed by him. However, Elisha didn’t count this as anything because he returned home, killed a yoke of oxen, gave it to his people, and followed Elijah to become his servant. Within a day, the manager of an apparently thriving agricultural business became a prophet’s servant.

Elisha ministered to Elijah and was known as the one who poured water on the hands of Elijah (2 Kings 3:11). The blessings Elisha got for surrendering all in service to God are unquantifiable. He received a double portion of Elijah’s anointing (2 Kings 2:9-15), became a father to kings (2 Kings 6:21), and even after his death, his dry bones raised a dead man back to life (2 Kings 13:21). When a man surrenders all to the One who made him, he will live an impactful life.

From Elisha’s story, we see that lasting greatness begins with absolute surrender. Any seed that will count for anything, must first enter into the soil and die. It must surrender its beauty and strength so as to rot in the earth before new life can sprout from it. Jesus said:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
John 12:24-25

Beloved, surrender all to the One who made you, and He will guide you aright. When you surrender your life to God, you are asking Him to help you because you don’t know the best way to live your life. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing.” Paul also knew the secret to absolute surrender, and that is why he said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Those who surrender all to Jesus will gain more in the end. However, those who keep a part of their lives, like Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-2 end up losing even more than the things they are trying to keep.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Mark 10:46-52, Bartimaeus cried continually until Jesus attended to him. If Bartimaeus had not been persistent, he may not have gotten his miracle. In Genesis 32:24-28, when the angel said to Jacob, “Let me go,” he replied, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”

Beloved, hold on to God until you get your miracle. He said in Isaiah 62:6-7 that you should not let Him rest until He establishes you and makes you a praise in the earth. Many people don’t get their miracles because they give up too soon. However, people who know how to continually knock on heaven’s doors always receive answers. Jesus told the parable of the widow who didn’t stop demanding justice in Luke 18:2-5. She wouldn’t let the judge rest until he attended to her matter. Although he didn’t fear God or regard men, the widow’s persistence pushed him to help her. In Luke 11:5-10, Jesus told another parable of a fellow who went to his friend’s house at midnight to ask for bread to entertain a visitor. Jesus said that even though his friend might not want to respond to him because it was late, he would rise and give him as many loaves as he wanted because of his persistence.Heaven-inspired devotional

Every problem you might experience in your life has an expiry date if you don’t give up on God. If you continually knock, the door will eventually open. People who are fainthearted or give up easily cannot get anything significant from life. Such people let go, even when they are so close to their blessing. People who don’t let go are people of great determination. Some of them wrestle all night in prayer and continue knocking on heaven’s door until they receive answers. Be determined; don’t give up on your prayers until you receive answers like Daniel (Daniel 10:2-14), Jacob (Genesis 32:24-28), Elijah (1 Kings 18:42-45), and the widow in Jesus’ parable (Luke 18:2-5).

Beloved, you can grow your strength by consuming God’s word and waiting on Him in the place of prayer. Do not let the enemy cheat you by wearing you down at the edge of your breakthrough; hold on firmly to God’s promises. Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer, you will eventually receive your miracle if you persist in your prayers like the woman in Matthew 15:21-28.

Do you want a blessing like Jacob or justice like the widow in Luke 18:2-5? Don’t let go. Keep knocking and pushing until your answer comes.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Genesis 18:2-8, after Abraham set a meal before his divine visitors, he stood by them and watched them eat. Even though Abraham probably sensed that there was something divine and powerful about them, he did not begin to burden them with tales of his problems, such as his childlessness. Instead, he attended to their needs and waited on them in case they needed anything else. This is the kind of fellow that God goes all the way to provide for – someone who can truly wait on Him and is willing to attend to His needs first. God is looking for genuine worshippers who can patiently stay in His presence and fellowship with Him without being in a hurry to make demands (John 4:23-24). Are you that kind of worshipper?

In life, people wait for different things at different times, such as waiting in a doctor’s office for consultations and waiting in traffic for hours. However, despite the fact that many Christians do not mind waiting for hours for these things, they are quick to hurry out of God’s presence after spending just a few minutes.

In Psalm 100:4, the Bible says that you must come into God’s presence with thanksgiving and praises. In other words, no matter how pressing your needs are, you must not come to God complaining about them; instead, you should give Him thanks and praise first. You must realise that the One in whose presence you are is the King of all kings; you are at His mercy and not the other way around. You must find out the things He wants and attend to them first. What does God want? He loves praises (Psalm 22:3) and thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4). Also, He is looking for people who will intercede for others (Ezekiel 22:30), and He wants souls (John 15:16). When You give Him these things, He will bring laughter to your face.

Waiting on the Lord is the secret to getting instant answers and miracles. When you go to a restaurant, a good waiter doesn’t give you his favourite food; rather, he waits on you to know what you want, then, he delivers it courteously as fast as he can.

Beloved, have you tried to find out what God wants? When you go to Him in prayer, are you serving Him His delicacies or just dumping your requests on Him? God seeks waiters who will do what He wants, and when He finds them, He goes all the way to satisfy them.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS FOR CHILDREN

1. Thank God for the lives of all the children around you. Thank Him for giving their parents the grace to take care of them.

2. Father, I commit all the children around me into Your care. Please surround them with Your angels and shield them from all dangers.

3. Father, please help all the children around me encounter You so they can have an intimate relationship with You as Samuel did.

4. Father, please bless all the children around me with the spirit of excellence as You did for Daniel, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, please bless all the children around me with wisdom and the gift of discernment that is beyond their ages so they can make decisions that align with Your will.

6. Father, I commit the health of all the children around me into Your hands; please give them strength in their body, mind, and spirit. Please bless them with divine health, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, please surround all the children around me with good friends who will influence them to do great things that will bring glory to Your holy name.

8. Father, please give all the children around me the courage and strength to overcome all the challenges that come their way, in Jesus’ name.

9. Father, please help all the children around me to fulfil Your purpose for their lives, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, please let all the children around me carry Your presence and make them a blessing to everyone around them, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, please provide godly and healthy children to all the couples around me who are trusting You for the fruit of the womb. Let none be barren around me, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer points for the children in your family, community, local assembly, and across the world.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When Pharaoh said, “I won’t let the Israelites go,” he wasn’t talking about limiting them to a geographical location; he was talking about a different kind of bondage (Exodus 5:2). People who are in the kind of bondage that Pharaoh was referring to have no control over anything, not even their children (Exodus 1:1-22).

If a country’s government says that parents cannot raise their children in the way of the Lord, they should know that there is an evil agenda behind it. That is bondage, and they must not allow themselves to remain under it. Parents shouldn’t depend on any government to teach their children. Rather, they should take charge and teach them God’s values from His word. If a government insists that parents cannot teach their children what is right, they should move out of that place and go where they will not be under bondage.

Parents should check what their children are being taught in school and ensure they are not influenced to adopt a mindset that is against God’s will. They should also check the games they play and the cartoons they watch because, through them, something evil can be positioned to influence their mindsets. If you take charge of the children and youths around you, it will be difficult for them to be influenced by an evil agenda. If you are a parent, you must intentionally create time to teach your children God’s ways so that they will know Him for themselves as they grow. Let them spend more time with fellow believers, doing things that will make them grow up into godly adults.

When I moved to Redemption City with my family, my children were schooling far away, and they had to leave the house before 6am on school days so they wouldn’t be late for school. In order to have a relationship with them, we often ate our dinner in the car together as we drove back home from their school. As they grew older, I began to take them on evangelistic outreaches. Even when they were in the university, whenever I visited them, I ensured we spent quality time together. We would take walks and discuss the Scriptures; then, I’d guide them with God’s principles.

Parents, take charge of your children; don’t let the enemy win them over. God will hold you able for the children He has given you as He did with Eli (1 Samuel 2:27-31). Rise up to the responsibility of nurturing and training them in His ways.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Proverbs 22:29 says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Diligence means doing the right things to achieve a goal in an excellent, timely, and consistent manner. In Mark 10:46-52, Bartimaeus didn’t only cry once; he kept crying until Jesus answered him. Likewise, the woman with the issue of blood kept pressing forward until she finally got to Jesus (Luke 8:43-48). If you want to succeed at anything in life, you must be diligent and keep persevering despite obstacles.

I once gave a project to someone at the beginning of a year, and l intended to give him another one as soon as he was done. He was meant to complete the first project within three months; however, by September, he was still struggling to complete it, and there was no way I would have given him another one. God had opened a door of financial blessings to him, but he refused to be diligent.

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus told the parable of three servants who received talents from their master. Two of the servants were diligent, and they doubled what they received. When the master returned, he commended the two diligent servants and rewarded them handsomely. He said to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

In the same parable, you also see the direct consequences of laziness. The servant with one talent hid it and refused to trade with it. The consequence of not being diligent was not only the loss of his talent but also sorrow for the rest of his life. While the diligent servant who started with five ended up with eleven, the lazy servant ended up with sorrow. Jesus said, “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath” (Matthew 13:12). Anyone who has the virtue of diligence will have more, but those who lack this virtue will lose even what they have.

Beloved, diligence is powerful; it will position you for greatness and more abundance. Whatever you do according to God’s will, do it diligently with all your strength. Don’t delay, and don’t quit because of limitations or obstacles. I pray that God will reward your diligence with His abundance, in Jesus' name.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I don’t believe in impossibilities. This is why, when I ask someone to do something, and that fellow says it is impossible, l move on immediately and get someone else to do it.

When we were building Redemption City, some people said it was impossible to build a house within seven days, but we did it. They also said the house would collapse soon, but it has been standing for over 40 years. Then, they said, “It’s a bungalow. A storey building will take months to build.” However, we built a storey building in 18 days. They moved on to say that it would soon collapse, but it is still standing over 30 years later. In those cases, what we simply did was find a way to double time. Workers were working on the construction site day and night. That way, what should have taken two days to accomplish only took one. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we were successful – that is what I call divine engineering. No matter how impossible something looks, if you have the Holy Spirit and are determined to get that thing done, there will always be a way.

Several years ago, I was in a faraway country to minister during a Holy Ghost Service. The venue that was used for the service was a rented property, so for me to have a place to stay and pray before the service, they had to bring a motorhome. As I stepped out of the motorhome to go for my ministration, and while the protocol officers were still trying to clear the way for me, a woman who had been barren for many years ran into the motorhome and sat on the seat I had just gotten up from. The protocol officers ran after her and took her out of the motorhome immediately, but the woman was not bothered because she believed she had gotten her miracle. She had faith that God would give her a miracle child if she could just sit in the motorhome, and she became pregnant that month!

The woman with the issue of blood in Luke 8:43-48 was determined enough to disregard all the obstacles that could have prevented her from touching the hem of Jesus’ garment. Sometimes, you will face obstacles in life; however, you must know that with God, nothing is impossible. Trust Him, and don’t give up; He will make a way where there seems to be no way, and you will testify.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The author I referred to in yesterday’s teaching also said, “Life is an opportunity; seize it.” I agree with this saying. Indeed, life is an opportunity, and you must grab it with both hands.

I learnt a poem way back in 1957 which says,
“There is a tide in the affairs of men Which,
taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries.”

The above poem means that when people take an opportunity and make good use of it, they will attain higher heights; however, if they let it go, it might never be regained. Believe me, God is fair to all. He will, at one time or the other, present you with the opportunities you need to fulfil your destiny. The rest of your life will then depend on how you use the opportunities He has given you. Ecclesiastes 9:11 says that time and chance happen to ALL. Everyone will have their time and chance, but some will not seize it.

When some people are struggling, especially the elderly, it is likely that they misused their time and chance when they were younger. Many people don’t even recognise an opportunity when it comes. This is why you must always be spiritually alert. Imagine what would have become of me if l did not use the opportunity of being in The Redeemed Christian Church of God correctly, or if I had left the church at the slightest provocation. At that time, I wouldn’t have known it, but l would have walked away from my destiny.

People who are easily offended often miss their opportunities because opportunities sometimes come in unattractive packages. For Samuel, his opportunity came in the house of Eli and his wayward sons. If Samuel had gotten offended as a child and told his mother that he wanted to return home, he might have missed the opportunity to become the great prophet whose word never fell to the ground (1 Samuel 3:19). For David, his opportunity came when he obeyed his father’s instruction to take food to the battlefield for his brothers (1 Samuel 17:14-20). I pray that you will discern your opportunities and use them well, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

An author once said, “Life is a challenge; meet it.” I would even go further to say, “Rise above it.” Nowadays, however, many young people are seeking a ‘soft life’; there is nothing like a soft life. When I was in secondary school, my teacher taught me that every human being brought a pillow into this world, which must be used before we leave. If some people choose not to use the pillow when they are young, they will definitely use it when they are old. According to my teacher, that pillow represents hardship.

If young people choose to put aside pleasures and go through the hardship of discipline to study, work hard, and nurture the right relationships in their youth, they will enjoy their old age. However, if they choose to party and play around in their youth, when they are old, they will either be lonely or have no choice but to work hard to make ends meet. What my teacher called a pillow is what the Bible calls ‘the yoke’ in Lamentations 3:27:

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

Note that the Scripture above does not say ‘a yoke’, but ‘the yoke’. In other words, every individual has a yoke, and it is good for that person to bear it in his or her youth. People who don’t want to bear the yoke in their youth are lazy people.

Some people are born into royal families, but they may never have the opportunity to rule if they are lazy. Who, then, is qualified to rule? Anyone who wants to rule must be ready for hard work. Those who want to rule must be ready to bear the yoke in their youth. If you want to live a soft life in your youth, then you are not ready to rule. Ruling is hard work, and it is only the diligent that will bear rule, as Proverbs 12:24 tells us. There is no easy road to success; the fact that a fellow was born by a successful person does not mean that the person will succeed in life.

If you are a youth and you want to reign in life, shun laziness. You must also your creator in the days of your youth before the difficult days come (Ecclesiastes 12:1). You don’t own your life; take up your cross and follow Jesus so that it can be well with you all the days of your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is nothing like being a testifier and experiencing testimonies personally. When you read of mighty miracles in the Bible or hear testimonies of the great things God has done for His people, you might not fully understand His ‘Almightiness’. However, this will not be the case if you personally experience His supernatural intervention.

Before the spies came to Jericho in Joshua 2:1-23, Rahab had heard of the many mighty miracles of God. She hadn’t seen any of those miracles, but she believed them, and her faith eventually made her experience some of God’s miracles. When you hear a testimony or read about something that God did in the Scriptures, let it build faith in you. The faith built from the testimonies you hear can help you to also experience miracles, like the woman in Mark 5:25-34 who was reported to have heard about Jesus (Mark 5:27).

I struggled to believe in divine healing and health when I first became born again. In those days, I was always down with malaria, and I kept taking medications. One day, I saw an elderly man, whom I had always known to have a bent back, walking perfectly upright in church. I was eager to know what had happened to him, and while sharing his testimony he said that he had gone to evangelise as usual when someone started insulting him in the neighbourhood. The fellow told him that if his God is so powerful, He would have healed him from his condition. On hearing this, the man said that he got angry and stood straight. He said that even though his back was burning with pain, he stood straight because he couldn’t stand hearing someone talk about his God in that manner. On getting to his house, the pain disappeared completely. When I heard that testimony, my faith was stirred, and I knew that divine health was possible. I allowed Jesus to become my doctor, and by His grace, I have not had to take malaria medications ever since. l experienced a miracle because my faith increased when I heard someone else’ testimony.

Beloved, if you have heard a testimony from someone about a kind of miracle that you are believing God for, let it build faith in you. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34); if He has given someone a miracle, He is willing and able to do the same for you. I pray that you will experience a mighty miracle from God today, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A lady, who had consistently failed her driving test for 17 years, attended one of our Holy Ghost Services. During the service, the word of God came, “There is somebody here; you will never fail another exam.” The next time she took the driving test, she ed.

When God’s word comes, negative cycles of frustration and pain come to an end. After Joshua and the Israelites crossed Jordan, they were met by another obstacle: Jericho. The city had formidable walls, and the gates were shut.

Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
Joshua 6:1

When the word of God came, the walls fell down like a pack of cards before the Israelites. I decree today that the word you need to overcome great and ancient obstacles will come to you, in Jesus’ name.

The sick man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-9 had endured a terrible cycle of frustration, pain, and disappointment for 38 years. However, when the word of God (Jesus) came to him, he got his healing and was delivered from the long cycle of negative circumstances surrounding him. When the word of God came to him, everything turned around for good. In the name that is above every other name, the word that will turn your good dreams into realities and change whatever negative circumstances that exist in your life permanently will come to you. If you have been experiencing any form of bondage, God will destroy everything that has kept you in chains, in Jesus’ name.

In 2 Kings 4:1-7, the story of the widow of one of the sons of the prophets changed for good. When her husband died, he left his family in so much debt that his sons were going to become slaves. Thankfully, she didn’t keep her problems to herself; she cried out to God’s representative, Elisha, and her cry activated a word from heaven that changed her life. She got a miracle that not only brought her out of debt but also gave her and her children enough to live on for the rest of her life.

Beloved, you can get God to send His word to heal you and break you out of any bondage you might be experiencing if you cry to Him for help. If you stay quiet, nothing will change about the situation. However, if you cry to Him, He will send His word and deliver you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Prophecies can be conditional. For instance, Isaiah 1:12 says that you will eat the good of the land if you are willing and obedient. Also, Isaiah 3:10 says, “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him…” However, when it comes to decrees, God does not attach conditions. In Genesis 1:3, He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

There had been many prophecies concerning Abraham, including prophecies that he would be the father of many nations and that his children would be as many as the stars in the sky. However, in Genesis 18:14, God simply said, “In nine months’ time, Sarah will give birth to a son.” That is a clear example of turning a prophecy into a decree.

As a child of God, there is always something you need to do to turn prophecies into decrees. When you provoke a blessing from God, He is likely to turn the prophecies He has given you into decrees. To provoke God into doing this, you need to honour Him. Honouring God does not always have to do with material things. Abraham didn’t give his visitors any gifts; he simply honoured them by hosting them in his home. You can honour God by simply obeying His commands, such as His command to win souls (Matthew 28:19-20). You can also honour Him by serving in your local assembly and honouring him with your firstfruits (Proverbs 3:9).

Another way to honour God is by having faith in His word. In Luke 7:1-10, when the centurion sent the elder of the Jews to plead with Jesus to come and heal his sick servant, Jesus was ready to do so until the man sent his friends to say, “Lord, you don’t have to come to my house because I believe Your word is just as powerful as You are. Just speak a word, and my servant will be healed” (Luke 7:6-. Jesus was amazed at the man’s faith, and his servant was healed immediately. Giving God thanks is yet another way to honour Him. In Luke 17:12-19, ten lepers cried out to Jesus for mercy, and He asked them to show themselves to the priests. They received their healing on the way, but only one of them returned to glorify God. Jesus then decreed his wholeness because he returned to give thanks.

Beloved, as you follow these principles, I pray that every good prophecy you have received will become a decree, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Ezra 5-7, a Shunammite woman compelled Elisha to stop by her house for a meal as he ed through her city. She kept on entertaining the prophet at her home every time he ed by, and eventually, she and her husband built him a little room in their house so he could stay and rest during his travels. After a while, Elisha, moved by her generosity, summoned her and told her that she would soon be carrying a baby. She conceived and gave birth to a son according to the prophet’s decree, all because of her hospitality.

Sometimes, when the appointed time for your miracle comes, you will suddenly have a very strong urge to be really generous and hospitable. You will desire to be a blessing to people even more than before. Hebrews 13:2 says that you should be mindful to entertain strangers as you may be entertaining angels without knowing it. The reason for this is that God can send an angel to deliver your miracle, and that angel can come in the form of a human being. If you are hospitable to the angel, you will get the miracle.

In Genesis 18:1-14, Abraham saw three men ing in front of his tent, and he invited them to eat, wash their feet, and rest a little. After they had eaten, one of the men asked him about Sarah and told him that she would give birth to a son. Their barrenness of many years ended that day because Abraham suddenly felt the urge to be generous to complete strangers.

When you start feeling an urge to be more generous than you’ve ever been, please don’t resist it. God might be trying to push you to do something that will launch you into your miracle. It must have been difficult for the widow of Zarephath to give Elijah the last meal meant for her and her son. Ordinarily, a generous mother will say something like, “I can do without eating, but I cannot give you my son’s meal.” However, she felt the urge to be unusually generous, and she didn’t resist it. In return, she had enough food for herself and her son throughout the famine.

Beloved, when you feel a strong urge to give, do not resist it; you might just be launching yourself into your next level. May God reward your kindness and hospitality towards others with abundant testimonies far beyond the imaginations of your heart and all that you are asking Him for, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

If a boy who was sent on an urgent and important errand by his parents stops to play football on the way, how do you think his parents will feel when they discover his foolishness? This is similar to what many people do concerning God’s assignment for their lives. God has sent everyone on earth to fulfil a purpose. However, many people put God’s purpose aside and start doing whatever they like.

Before your birth, God prepared an assignment for you to fulfil on the earth. Everyone created by God has a purpose (Ephesians 2:10), and God has a general plan into which His specific purpose for your life fits.

In Galatians 1:13-16, Paul said that God separated him unto Himself from his mother’s womb. By the end of his life, He said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” (2 Timothy 4:7). John the Baptist knew that God sent him ahead of Jesus to prepare a way for Him and announce His arrival to the Israelites (John 1:29-36). When Jesus came to him, he declared, “…Behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). Because he did his assignment very well, Jesus gave this testimonial about him: “…Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:..” (Matthew 11:11). What will God’s testimonial about you be? You have a particular assignment on earth, and you must not let anything prevent you from fulfilling it. Determine not to allow anything stop you from becoming who God has ordained you to be.

While it is commendable for someone to know God’s purpose, it is also necessary for that fellow to fulfil God’s purpose God’s way. For example, Moses was destined to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, but he first attempted to do it his own way, and it almost cost him his life. God had to put him through a refining process that eventually set him on the right path (Exodus 2:11-15).

Beloved, God has a special purpose for your life, and He also has the blueprint you must follow to fulfil it. This is why you cannot afford not to have an intimate relationship with Him. Your relationship with Him will determine whether you will keep in step with Him to fulfil His purpose for your life or not. I pray that nothing will distract you from fulfilling God’s purpose for your life, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Phrases like ‘God ed’, as seen in 1 Samuel 1:9-20, might look strange because God knows the end from the beginning and cannot forget anything. However, when the Bible uses that phrase, it doesn’t mean that God forgot anything, but at that moment, He decided to pay attention to something in particular. If God has made promises to you in the past, rest assured that He has not forgotten about them. They will surely come to at the appointed time.

In 1979, my Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, and a few of us attended a Kenneth Hagin campmeeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. The meeting ended on a Saturday, so we worshipped at a nearby church on Sunday. As it was our first visit, we were made to sit in the front row. During the sermon, the preacher suddenly got down from the altar, stood before Pa Akindayomi, and said, “Thus saith the Lord, ‘That which I promised you is about to come to .'” Pa Akindayomi didn’t understand English, so he asked me, “What did he say?” Because I didn’t want to miss the rest of the sermon, I said, “I’ll tell you when we get to the hotel, sir.” When we got to the hotel, he asked again. After I told him, he started crying. God had told him in 1952, “I am starting a church through you, and it will be known around the whole world.” At that time, the church was still only in South-West Nigeria. The old man was already preparing to go to heaven, so he thought that God had forgotten His promise. Today, God has taken RCCG to 197 nations in the world and still counting.

Has God promised you anything? Rest assured that He will fulfil it. However, His promises will only be fulfilled in His time. After many years of serving God faithfully, Zachariah and Elisabeth remained barren and must have thought that God had forgotten them. The God who does not forget visited them at His appointed time and gave them a son (Luke 1:5-25). God’s plan was to give them a great prophet who would be the forerunner of Jesus. When people thought it was too late for them to have a child, God said, “Now, it is time to attend to this matter.”

Beloved, men can forget their promises, but God can never forget His promises to you. Keep trusting Him, and He will fulfil His promises in your life at His appointed time.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In 1963, when the late Namdi Azikiwe (popularly called Zik) was Governor General of Nigeria, he visited Ondo town. At that time, I was a teacher at Ondo Boys’ High School. Because the governor was going to be ing by, the whole town lined the route. I was standing behind an elderly man who was also a teacher at the school. As Zik was driving by in an open car, somehow, he spotted this elderly teacher in the crowd. Immediately, he stopped the motorcade, came down from the car, and stood before the old man. I don’t know exactly what they said to each other, but the old man began to cry. Eventually, we discovered that the old man was a teacher at the secondary school Zik attended and was responsible for his expulsion from the school.

God can turn things around for you such that when your enemies come, you will say to them, “See what the Lord has done.” When the Lord turned the story of the Israelites around after they cried to Him, the Egyptians, who hated them, gave them everything they asked for.

And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. – Exodus 12:36

I can imagine some of the Israelites going to knock on the doors of the slave masters who had been beating them, demanding their favourite clothes and shoes. The slave masters didn’t have any choice but to grant their requests because God had stepped into the picture to turn things around for His people.

Bartimaeus was born blind, and for years, he had been sitting on a highway begging for alms. However, one day, as he sat as usual, Jesus came along. Bartimaeus knew that Jesus was the key to his turnaround, so he began to cry for help. As he shouted, people shouted at him to keep quiet. Thankfully, Bartimaeus didn’t obey them. Instead, he cried louder until Jesus attended to him. When Jesus called for him, those who told him to keep quiet were the same ones who said, “…Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee” (Mark 10:46-52).

Beloved, how hungry are you for a divine turnaround? If you really want one, you will yearn to get Jesus’ attention, just as Bartimaeus did. Don’t stop crying out to Him in faith; He is faithful and loving, and He will surely turn things around for your good.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As I conclude my discussion about divine visitation today, let me mention that another divine visitor you can receive is a minister of God. In 1 Samuel 1:9-20, Hannah was in Shiloh praying ionately, and God sent His prophet to her. The prophet simply issued a decree, and her womb was opened. In 1 Samuel 16:11-13, God sent another prophet to visit David and anoint him as king. Also, in 1 Kings 19:15-21, when the time came for Elisha to begin to fulfil his purpose, God sent a prophet, Elijah, to throw his mantle on him.

Whenever God sends one of His ministers to you, believe what God has sent him or her to say to you. When Elisha decreed God’s word during the severe famine in Samaria that food would become very surplus and cheap overnight, a top government official doubted it. He couldn’t believe how such a terrible famine, during which women ate their children to survive, would disappear overnight. However, Elisha wasn’t speaking his own words; He was speaking God’s word, and it came to (2 Kings 7:1-16).

When God sends His word through His ministers, anything is possible. The unbelief of the officer described in the paragraph above prevented him from partaking in the overnight miracle. He saw the miracle, but he didn’t partake of it because he spoke against God’s word (2 Kings 7:17). I pray that you will receive every word that God sends to you through His ministers in faith, in Jesus’ name.

In 2 Chronicles 20:1-30, we see how three countries ed themselves together against Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. The situation was terrible, but instead of giving in to fear, Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast and asked his people to him. As they prayed and sought God’s face together, His word came through Jahaziel, one of the Levites. God told them to relax because they wouldn’t need to fight the battle. He asked them to stand still and see His salvation (2 Chronicles 20:14-17). Humanly speaking, it was foolish to stand still when enemies were closing in on all sides. However, Jehoshaphat and the people believed God’s word and the prophets He spoke through.

Beloved, God’s word will sometimes defy human explanation and challenge human reasoning. However, God will always be God. If a genuine minister of God gives you a message from God, believe him or her and act accordingly. Believe God’s prophets, and you will surely prosper and be established (2 Chronicles 20:20).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I started discussing about divine visitation yesterday, and I said that people can have a divine encounter with God through His word. Today, in continuing my discussion, I will point out another way by which believers can receive divine visitation.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 1:13-14 that angels are ministering spirits that are sent by God to minister to people. Sometimes, when God wants to visit His children, He sends His angels as divine visitors. For example, in Judges 13:1-25, when God wanted to tell Manoah that he and his wife would give birth to Samson, He sent an angel. Likewise, in Luke 1:8-20, when God wanted to tell Zechariah that he would have a child, He also sent an angel as His messenger. You may ask, “How will I even recognise an angel if one comes to me?”

Occasionally, the angel that God will send to you could be a human being. For example, in 2 Kings 5:1-14, the angel that God sent to Naaman when it was time for his divine visitation was a maid. It was the girl who said to his wife, “I know where my master can get his healing.” There are many stories of human beings that God used to bring certain people to the fullness of their purpose. May God send such destiny helpers to you speedily, in Jesus’ name.

Beloved, you must be hospitable to everyone you meet. This is because you do not know if the angel that God is sending to you will come in human form. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Imagine if Naaman’s wife had maltreated their maid, he would have probably died a leper. Some people have sent their angels away with their terrible behaviours; do not be like them. Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:10:

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Beloved, you must do good to everybody, regardless of their tribe, religion, social or financial status, or age, because you never can tell if they are angels that God is sending to you. Your kindness can open doors of abundant blessings to you. I pray that you will show kindness to the angels God sends your way so that you do not miss your divine visitation, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Genesis 18:1-14, Abraham got a divine visitation that turned his story around for good. For many years before that time, God had made promises to him, but he was still waiting for them to be fulfilled. His wife, Sarah, had even given up hope completely. However, after the divine visitation, laughter followed. For the next few days, I will discuss more about divine visitation.

There is something special about the visitation that Abraham experienced. The Bible says that the LORD visited him, and he lifted up his eyes and saw three men. I believe that one of them was God Himself because when you read carefully, you will find out that the Bible referred to the One speaking among them as ‘LORD’ (Genesis 18:13). This means that your divine visitor can be God Himself. For example, in 2 Chronicles 1:6-12, it was God Himself that appeared to Solomon.

You may say, “How can I expect God Himself to pay me a visit?” In John 1:1, the Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Your divine visitor can be the Word. In Psalm 107:20, the Bible says that God sent His word, and it healed them and delivered them from their destruction. In 1 Kings 17:2, the Bible says that the word of God came to Elijah. Also, in 1 Kings 18:1, the word of God came again to Elijah with an instruction, “No more hiding.” I pray that God’s word will pay you a visit today, in Jesus’ name.

Some people have prayed, and God has heard them; however, He is waiting for them to study their Bibles so they can receive the Word He has sent to them to meet their needs and solve their problems.

When God sends His word, healing and deliverance follows, and everything that previously looked impossible will suddenly become possible. Are you aware that God has already sent His word to you and that His word says He has supplied all your needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19)?

Beloved, you do not have to wait for the next big revival or miracle service to have a divine encounter. God has sent His word to you already, and you can experience His divine touch just by engaging with the pages of your Bible. God’s word carries His power; engage with it regularly, and you will not miss your time of divine visitation, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Jeremiah 1:5, God said to Jeremiah, “…Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee…” You did not come to the world by accident; hence, God will not let the events of your life unfold by accident. As long as you are a child of God, everything that happens to you, whether you consider them good or bad, will work together for your good, as we see in Romans 8:28.

When you really consider all that God did to bring you close to Himself, you will know that He is great. Believe me, the mere fact that you are still alive today means that God has not finished with you yet. Before you were born, He saw all that you would go through in order to fulfil your destiny. Therefore, be at rest because God is in control. His thoughts towards you are of good and not of evil to bring you to an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).

Not long after I ed the Redeemed Christian Church of God, God made it clear to me that I was fulfilling His purpose for my life. He told me very clearly that although I was an academic, I was to follow a spiritual leader who didn’t have formal education. At one time, the same person who invited me to the church advised me to leave. After I organised the first Christ the Redeemer’s Congress which was a huge success, he told me, “Now, we have found your ministry. You can organise it, and I will finance it; we don’t need this church.” However, I just smiled and refused his offer. There were people who made my life very difficult because I decided to stay in the church. There were several opportunities to leave, but God was merciful, and He showed me that I was properly positioned for everything to work together for my good.

Beloved, all things will work together for your good when you love God and stay in His purpose. However, you can’t disobey Him and expect that things will turn out for your good. You can’t leave the place God has asked you to stay, or stay where God has asked you to leave, and enjoy what God has prepared for you. If you are living in sin, turn to God today and repent. No matter how terrible your past is, once you turn to Him, He will make everything work together for your good.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God’s ways are perfect, and this includes His timing (2 Samuel 22:31). In Genesis 12:1-3, He promised Abraham, “Through your seed shall all the earth be blessed.” At that time, Abraham had no child, and 25 years later, nothing had happened. However, one day, Abraham was sitting in front of his tent, and his appointed time came. In Acts 2:1, the Bible says, “…when the day of Pentecost was fully come…” God didn’t act one minute too soon or too late.

Beloved, there is an appointed time for your miracle. When that day comes, nothing special might seem to be happening, but your miracle will not you by. You might just be going about your normal business like Abraham, who was just sitting in front of his tent. Moses’ appointed time met him at the backside of a desert while going about his shepherding duties (Exodus 3:1), and Peter’s time came while he was waiting in the upper room (Acts 2). For Saul of Tarsus, his appointed time came as he was travelling to cause havoc (Acts 9).

I received a prophecy in 1961 that I would be travelling abroad regularly. At that time, travelling abroad was a really big deal in my village, and I had not even been to Lagos State, where the international airport is located. However, when it was time for that prophecy to start manifesting, it was beyond my wildest imagination. Also, when I became the General Overseer of RCCG, I left my wife and children in Ilorin to live in a one-room apartment at Mushin (a relatively poor suburb in Lagos). I wanted to bring my family over to live with me, but I couldn’t do that due to the size of my apartment. I went to God in prayers and explained the challenges I was facing. I told Him to help me get decent accommodation. God’s response to me was shocking. He said, “Son, I have decided to build you a city.” I was asking Him for a boys’ quarters, but He was talking about a city. Today, Redemption City is the manifestation of that prophecy. These prophecies and more looked impossible when I first received them, but God has fulfilled them in my life according to His timing.

Beloved, if God has made promises to you, don’t be discouraged if you are yet to see them come to . God is not a liar; if He makes a promise, He will surely fulfil it (Numbers 23:19). Wait for His appointed time.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people believe that God only calls individuals into pulpit ministries – this is untrue. If God only calls people to serve Him on the pulpit, then it means that He is leaving other important areas of life to the devil. Every believer has a calling in one area of life or the other. In the Bible, we see God calling people into government. Joseph was called into leadership, and his obedience preserved the lives of his people (Genesis 45:7). Daniel was also called to shine God’s light in the government of idolatrous Babylon, and he obeyed. He served under several kings and fulfilled his calling to reveal the power and presence of God through his roles in the government (Daniel 6:25-28). Also, Nehemiah wasn’t called into the office of a priest; he was called to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and he did this joyfully (Nehemiah 2:1-5). Esther stayed at her duty post in the government house before God called her into the influential position of the queen in the palace (Esther 2:16-17). Her submission to God saved the lives of the Jews when Haman, their enemy, plotted to destroy them (Esther 7).

God also calls people into business. Lydia of Thyatira was a seller of purple, an expensive cloth worn by kings and queens. Only very rich people could afford her wares, and God positioned her there so that she could use her resources to advance the kingdom (Acts 16:14).

God calls people to serve in different areas of life. Do you know the area He has called you into? People who live or move outside their places of calling will struggle because they have set themselves against God’s purpose for their lives. In 2 Chronicles 26:16-21, the Bible tells us about King Uzziah, who decided to operate in another office that God did not call him into. As Israel’s king, he enjoyed God’s grace and favour until he decided to operate in the office of a priest. He went into the temple to burn incense and didn’t return the same way; he came out leprous and was isolated. Whenever people operate in places God has not called them into, they become isolated from His grace and provision.

Beloved, if God has called you to serve Him in any area of life, focus on your calling in that area. Do not compare yourself to other people who are flourishing in other areas. Obey God wholeheartedly in your calling, and you will experience His abundant grace and provision.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A person’s lifetime is the period between the fellow’s birth and death. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says that there are seasons for everything and a time for every purpose under heaven. Everyone is assigned to a purpose here on earth, and after a while, regardless of whether they fulfil their purpose or not, they die. Once you leave the earth, another generation will come on the scene and play their own part according to God’s design (Ecclesiastes 1:4). The question is, during this period when you are playing your own part, will you make a mark in the sands of time? Will you fulfil your destiny or just pursue mundane things?

David followed after God so much that He called him “…a man after mine own heart…” (Acts 13:22). Little wonder he lived such an impactful life and is still regarded as Israel’s greatest king up until today. Another fellow, Methuselah, was only known for his day of birth and death. He was the oldest man recorded in the Bible, and apart from the fact that he had sons and daughters, nothing else was written about him (Genesis 5:25-27). Enoch, on the other hand, walked with God, and this made his lifetime count (Genesis 5:24). When a fellow walks with God and does His will like Enoch and David did, the person’s lifetime will count. The impact of that fellow will be felt long after he or she has crossed over to eternity.

God seeks a generation of people who will fear, love, and follow Him wholeheartedly. David called this generation ‘the generation that seeks God’s face’ (Psalm 24:6). When I was younger, people had shops with small peepholes that could only accommodate a person’s hand. If someone wanted to buy something, the shop owner would stretch his or her hands through the peephole to collect the person’s money and the goods out, after which the fellow would leave. However, if the fellow insists on seeing the shop owner, the shop owner would open the door so they can meet face to face.

Beloved, God wants you to seek His face and not just the blessings in His hands. If you want your life to matter, don’t focus on the things you can get from Him; seek His face so you can have access to Him. Don’t only ask God for material things; ask Him to show you His face so that when the world looks at you, they will see His glory (Exodus 34:28-35).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When God really wants to bless someone, He will go to any length to bless the fellow. In Job 1:8, God asked the devil if he had considered Job. You would think that God just wanted to boast about Job, but by the time you get to the end of Job’s story, you will realise that God was looking for an avenue to bless him with double the things he had already, as we see in Job 42:10: ” …the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.” God wanted to bless Job, but He also wanted him to through a process that would prove that he was deserving of the blessing.

In Genesis 32:24-29, the Bible tells us that Jacob was left alone to wrestle with a Man until the break of the day. When the Man (who was actually a representation of God) could not defeat him, He touched his leg and dislocated it. Jacob kept wrestling, and the Man had to beg him to let him go. However, Jacob said that he would not do so until he received a blessing, which he eventually got. Clearly, it was an arrangement made by God, as Jacob could ordinarily not have overpowered the man. When God wants to bless you, He can do certain things that seem strange and might not make sense to you or anyone around you. I pray for you today that God will intentionally determine to bless you in this season, in Jesus’ name.

When God wanted to bless me, He led me to a small church in a little corner of Ebute Metta in Lagos, Nigeria. At that time, I was the most educated person in the church, the church auditorium was uncomfortable, and really, I had every reason not to stay. My spiritual father did not go to school, but I was a PhD holder! It looked as if it was only the church that was benefitting from my presence there, but in truth, I was the one who was to benefit by staying where God asked me to stay so that I could fulfil my destiny.

When God wants to bless you, the ingredients He will put together to prepare that blessing may not look like it, but if you cooperate with Him, at the end of the day, you will enjoy His blessings in abundance. If you are willing to submit to His process, He will use every opportunity to decorate your life with His blessings.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.