LET’S STOP BEING RELIGIOUS. I HEAR PEOPLE SAY, ‘I AM PRAYING FOR YOU EVERY DAY’; THERE IS NOBODY THAT I AM PRAYING FOR EVERY DAY
-Bishop David Oyedepo at 1st Service, Faith Tabernacle
*There is nobody I am praying for every day in my life. Everyday!
*There are too many people with too many needs, so let’s stop being religious, let’s come real.
*God who sees your prayer investment in secret, He will reward you openly.
*There is no point advertising it.
*We were cursed for preaching the gospel. Cursed. Raw curse sir: “We will soon see how empty they are”
*However, it has changed to “we know God has blessed you. Now, remember us.”
- Your own testimony will be “We have seen that God is with you”
We have said that the midst of the year is ordained a revival season in God’s agenda.
I am the Lord, I change not (Malachi 3:6).
Revive thy work o God in the midst of the year (Habakkuk 3:6). The prophet was declaring the mind of God. We saw the amazing things that followed, they are direct products of a revival:
He will level out all everlasting mountains on your path.
Clear off all perpetual hills. That is talking about breakthroughs in all areas of your life.
“And now He went forth for the salvation of His people”: every revival is validated by massive salvation of souls (Habakkuk 3:13)
Now while you are doing that, it may not appear as if anything is happening, but keep rejoicing as you do it (Habakkuk 3:17-18). Partner with Me in my quest to see souls saved, it may not look as if anything is happening, you may be a subject of mockery, that is the gateway to glory. Mockery is the pathway to glory. They spat on his face, they pressed a crown of thorn on his head but today He reigns forever and ever, given a name above every name (Philippians 2:9-10).
Those who don’t want the mockery, they don’t know that they want the glory. Every seed in the ground is first turned to a mockery before it comes forth as glory. You check your corn of maize, after 3 days that you have planted it, it is messed up. The heat and the moisture break it up, it becomes smelly. Inside that smell will rise the life and from that life will come multiplied returns of your seed sown.
Even Christ, He didn’t weigh much in the place where He came from. They saw Him as a run-away man. Nothing but a carpenter, who didn’t wait for ‘freedom’. But now He reigns in majesty. Now He reigns in majesty.
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, not minding the mockeries of men. The Lord will arise and make my feet like hinds’ feet and get me up upon my high places (Habakkuk 3:18-19).
That’s how it happens.
WHAT IS A REVIVAL?
- A revival can be defined as a move of the Spirit across the people of all age groups culminating in supernatural turnaround testimonies. All people. I will pour my Spirit upon all flesh: young and old; men and women; boys and girls (Joel 2:28). Upon all flesh.
In the Upper Room, there were 120 people there: 11 disciples or apostles and the others and the Holy Ghost fell upon every one of them, in fulfilment of Joel chapter 2 verses 28 to 29 (Acts 2:3).
In the house of Cornelius, all his kinsmen and near friends: all the nephews, the nieces, young and old were gathered together (Acts 10:24) and then by Acts chapter 10 verse 44, the Holy Ghost fell on all of them, they were all baptized in water with massive change of story. All flesh!
And it is clear today. We just heard a testimony of someone rescued from kidnappers, hearing the voice of God directly in the dungeon of the wicked. All flesh. Young girl, preparing to go to school in September, teenager, adolescent. All flesh. We are in the last days where all classes of people, age groups gain access to the move of the Spirit of God.
Again our access is genuine repentance. Acts 2:14-20
Just referencing Joel 2:28-29 - A revival is a move of God that unleashes the spirit of prayer and supplication upon God’s people resulting in mass salvation of souls and explosive Church growth.
There is the release of the spirit of prayer and supplication in every revival. That is what drives it. That is not the big, big grammar that is spoken, what drives a revival is an effectual prayer altar. When revival broke out in the Upper Room, there were in prayers daily in the Temple and from house to house. Daily!
In Acts chapter 3, in the hour of prayer, Peter and John were on their way to the Temple (Acts 3:1). Prayer was the live wire of that revival and it remains the live wire of every revival till now. So plug in. Plug in!!
What keeps the Prayer Altar burning is the results obtained from it. Again you can’t obtain results without genuine repentance. His ears are not heavy that He cannot hear, His hand is not short that He cannot save but our iniquity won’t let Him hear us (Isaiah 59:1). It takes repentance to flow in any revival, it takes genuine repentance. Church Gist. When you see people talking chaff, they are not in it; they are just a part of the move, they are not partakers of it. Nothing has changed.
“Did you see that man? He is a bad man.”
“You see that woman! Terrible. You see that boy, horrible!”
“I mean, he needs Church Service.”
Far from it. There is a packaging, a spiritual packaging that entitles you to maximise any move of the Spirit. There is a spiritual packaging that entitles anyone to maximise any move of the Spirit.
-No one here shall be left behind. Not just to maximise the season of a revival but to be heaven ready. Heaven ready! No iota of doubt that you are making heaven. So important.
A revival is saying, “come on now, come awake. Come awake, you can’t tell the time the Master will come. Come awake.” That is the meaning.
-Somebody’s story is changing.
If that is you, let me hear your loudest Amen.
Every aspect of a revival requires a correct spiritual positioning to make the most of it.
-Your labour shall not be in vain.
It’s a demanding time like we said earlier. A spiritual revival puts a lot of responsibility on God’s people and it takes serving Him acceptably to be rewarded. Your labour shall not be in vain.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN I AM IN A REVIVAL?
Let’s come down personally, “How do I know?” or “How do we know, all of us when we are in a revival?”
- Revival is said to occur when praying Kingdom Advancement Prayers becomes a delight, you are not struggling with it.
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name (Matthew 6:9)
When Kingdom Advancement prayers become a delight to our souls. That is what empowers believers to pray without ceasing. There is always what to pray when one’s eye is opened to the blessings in praying Kingdom Advancement prayers.
Let me say this quickly: wherever a man’s treasure is, there his heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). No one can discover the treasure in Kingdom Advancement endeavours and not joyfully invest time in it. Every instruction of scriptures is loaded with amazing treasures.
Matthew 13:44
It’s a treasure: when it is found, you go all out for it.
Thy Words were found and I did eat it them: it has to be found. It became the joy and rejoicing of my heart (Jeremiah 15:16).
When you find it, you sell out for it. You want it, you can see the treasure in it.
You need to know how much they invest in exploring oil, oil fields.
Why? Their equipment show there is a treasure in here, so they put in everything they’ve got. So when once you hit it, you hit it. Then you just keep drawing and drawing and in no time you forget that you even invested anything. You just forget.
-May each one’s eyes be opened to see the treasures in the Word.
God’s Word is loaded with treasures beyond any treasure field on the earth. We see a celebration of that in Job chapter 28 verses 12 to 14. It is not found in the land of the living, the kind of treasure, you can’t compare with fine gold or rubies. Treasures in the Word. It is able to tame destruction and death. Treasures in the Word. It opens up destiny like a dream of the night.
You can’t discover the treasure and not invest your time in it. Your time is your greatest asset.
You can’t discover the treasure and not be joyful, excited to invest your time in it.
When by grace I discovered the treasure in Matthew 6:33, I have never needed encouragement. I sold out joyfully, excitedly, without apologies to nobody. Completely, totally. It caught me so hard that I had to write a covenant, “that look if we are going to get married, this is my lifestyle. I have signed up with God. And you want us to go together, you sign it here before the Lord.” We stood in a Church building, there was no Service, only two of us and God Himself.
I said, “I feel I should let you know what I signed up with God. If we are going to go on in this relationship, let me read this to you if it suits you, then sign.”
Nothing made meaning to me Sir. Nothing! Everything lost value. See how much value it has brought my way today.
Everything lost value.
Years ago, they said, “your blood pressure is high” and I said, “not mine.”
I went to sleep, I was dreaming of Crusade. What is blood pressure? Blood pressure, me, where? Sir, my blood pressure is still as a child today, a 30-year old person, that is what they said.
I sold out for it. You can’t discover the treasure and be hoarding your time and your energy. You discover a treasure and you dive into it.
When I discovered the treasure, the secret of prosperity Sir, I have never needed encouragement and I can’t be discouraged. I would rather die than steal. If God can’t do it, leave it undone. I have never considered borrowing as an option since I found it Sir. Not that they told me, I found it.
What they tell you, you may begin to weigh it and say ‘can it be correct?’ but when you find it, you find it.
Nobody doubts what he can see.
-May your eyes become finding eyes from today.
There is a treasure everywhere. When I found the secret of hitch-free marriage, I knew I found it. I knew, you couldn’t persuade me against it for life. I have never needed one day of prayer to keep our home returning. One day, talk less of going to the mountain to pray and fast; No. I pray and fast for people to be saved. I pray and fast for them to be established in the faith. I am not running after souls because I am a Pastor, I’ve been running before I became a Pastor. It is not, ‘they want the Church to grow’. Before I was ever called to ministry, when I discovered Matthew 6:33 and I know what it means, I have been running after it.
It is working! Can I tell you this, from 1976 till date, I have never borrowed and I have never lacked.
-The good news is this, somebody’s story must change here.
We will only doubt what we are yet to find. Whatever you have found, you have found. You can’t doubt what you find. Your days of doubt are over finally.
- A revival is also said to occur when one is consumed with undying passion to see souls saved.
You are just actively in partnership with Jesus to see souls saved, then you are in a revival. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and He is talking to all of us, that you should go forth and bring forth fruits so that your fruits will abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you to you (John 15:16). It opens you up to favour. Amen.
You find that, you plug into it, you are in a revival.
Romans 1:16 – you are never ashamed.
Jesus loves you: ‘gbenu e soun’ (Keep quiet). Thank you.
Jesus loves you: “You are mad”. Thank you.
Jesus loves you: “You don’t have a job to do”. Thank you,
You just keep going. you are in a revival. You are in a revival, unashamed of the gospel of Christ! You are in a revival. - A revival is also said to occur when praying for the needs of others to be met becomes a way of life.
You see people been afflicted; you don’t laugh them to scorn. Members of the Church challenged, you stand in the place of prayer with them, without having to tell them.
All this, “I am praying for you. I am praying for you”: they are all just, you know, social greetings. Those who are praying for you hardly say it Sir. Church Gist. They are just engrossed to see the change, it is when they see the change they go to God and thank God for hearing their prayers concerning you. Can I hear your Amen!
I hear people saying, “I am praying for you” every day. There is nobody I am praying for every day in my life. Everyday! There are too many people with too many needs, so let’s stop being religious, let’s come real. Church Gist. God who sees your investment in secret, He will reward you openly. There is no point advertising it (Matthew 6:6). There is no point.
You can’t take on the needs of others and not have your needs met. Whatever good any man does, the same he shall receive from the Lord (Ephesians 6:8).
When you take on the needs of someone that is afflicted for him to be free, you are only committing God to your own freedom.
Yes, He sets him free in response to your prayers but then you have committed Him to set you free also.
Whatever good thing any man does, the same he shall receive from the Lord. I don’t want anyone to miss out of this revival please and don’t let us see as it’s those one of these programmes that we do. It is targeted at you, to change your story forever and I see God changing that already.
Do good to all men especially them of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). The Bible says we should be bearers of other people’ burden so we have a job in our hands (Galatians 6:2). He that watereth, himself shall be watered also.
WHAT IS A REVIVAL FOR ME?
- Every revival is ordained to advance the Church of Christ. Every true revival advances the Church of Christ.
When the revival boke out in the Upper Room, the Church grew from fearful, timid 120 people to 3,120 people (Acts 2:41). Then from there, 5,000 added (Acts 4:4). From there, lots of men and women were added to the Church (Acts 5:14). From there, the number of disciples multiplied greatly (Acts 6:7).
Every move of the Spirit is ordained to advance the Church of Christ on the earth. So this Church is going places. We have not seen anything yet. There shall be an outburst of the power of God in this house.
-May you be a partaker of the blessings thereof in the name of Jesus Christ. - In a revival, believers are rescued from the dungeon of satan.
I mean everlasting mountains, generational curses just broken off in the lives of people, that’s what a revival does. It turns our concerns around like a dream of the night (Psalm 126).
-God is changing your story dramatically in this season.
Acts 26:18
The power of satan that has held many hostage are broken off in a revival.
-Every mark of the wicked on your life will not survive this day.
-This season will mark the end of every of your struggle with the powers of darkness. - The life of every engaging believer is transformed in a revival. Massive transformation.
“We will go with you for we have seen that God is with you” – They just saw the changes and they can’t resist it (Zechariah 8:23).
-Many will knock on your door and tell you, “we will go to Church with you.”
Zechariah 8:23
It will be clear that God is with you. You are on God’s side and so God is with you and the things are just turning around you.
So the happenings in your life will humble them – “we used to mock you but now we can see that this thing works.”
I had a very humbling experience some years ago, some of my elder people came to me and said, “look, we are the brothers of Joseph that hated him, but after God had blessed Joseph, he remembered them. Remember us.” Live Sir. 2 men.
“We are the brothers of Joseph that hated him. Now we know God has blessed you. Now, remember us.” There is no point going through the story.
We were cursed for preaching the gospel. Cursed. Raw curse sir and the spokesman was the one that pronounced the curse.
“We will soon see how empty they are”, were some of the words.
- “We have seen that God is with you”, that will be your testimony.
Keep following, refuse to look back, it will be clear as God turns every issue of mockery to glory. He said, “for your shame, you shall have double” (Isaiah 61:7).
God will decorate your life in the name of Jesus Christ.
Give God thanks for the privilege to be alive and well in this awesome revival season and thank Him for showing you the way to connect.
In Jesus precious name we have prayed.
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