Bishop David Oyedepo at 1st Service, Faith Tabernacle Canaanland
- It is not unscriptural to be challenged but it is anti-covenant to be defeated.
- Just don’t turn your back on God, He will turn His back on your enemies.
- Whatever won’t let you serve God freely: ENOUGH!
- Be specific in your prayer requests
BIBLICAL APPROACH TO PROFITABLE FASTING.
- Isaiah 59:1-2
It’s wisdom to clear such barriers: “I want you to hear me Jesus and I want your hand to save me. Therefore, forgive me all my sins that will make you turn your ears from my prayers.”
You know them (the barriers), mention them; consciously, deliberately turn from them (1 John 1:8-9, Provers 28:13).
Consciously clear the barriers by going to your Father who is more than willing to forgive and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
Don’t assume that those things are not there when they are there.
- You don’t have to confess to stealing when you are not stealing. No, that will be religious madness.
- But you know 1, 2, 3 things that are outside the will of God in your life and you want Him to hear you, then humble yourself. Ask for forgiveness and turn from it. That applies to everyone of us, for God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).
- There is no point crying for 3 weeks when you know He is not hearing.
- This time, God will hear you!
The prodigal son went and wasted his father’s resources but here was his father looking for him: That boy went wild, he joined various gangs, he became a very useless person, bastardised the name of the father (Luke 15:13).
A lady was a professional prostitute, caught HIV/AIDS. Good Father, He forgave her, healed her and changed her story. She looked for the trouble, she got the trouble, yet the Father said, “NO, it’s not over, you are still precious to me.” Anybody can return if you are humble enough.
All these games here and there nobody pays for it, you’ll pay for it.
- All I know is that it shall continue to be well with the righteous (Isaiah 3:10). The righteous is the one that trembles at His Word, “this is not right, Jesus help me out.”
- The barrier between you and the Prayer Answering God who is your Father must clear off finally today.
- As you genuinely confess, He will grant grace to forsake and you’ll be free for life.
David committed very gruesome sins, compound sins, all put together: adultery, murder. David repented and He (God) wiped it off as if it never exists (Psalm 66:18-19, Psalm 51).
- In the same vein, no matter how dark some issues have been in your life, as you genuinely repent, God will clear them out and you will have strong connectivity in prayers, in the name of Jesus Christ.
- We must engage in Kingdom Advancement prayers as a priority: seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33). That’s God’s jackpot for an effectual prayer life, impactful prayer life.
It lines up with God’s pattern of prayer – ‘thy kingdom come’ first (Matthew 6:10). When that becomes the dominating force of your prayer life, you have a most flourishing prayer life, a most impactful prayer life, a most profitable prayer life.
For instance, why don’t you tell Jesus, “Jesus, I desire minimum 5 souls to your Kingdom this year and grant me grace to deliver them in the 1st quarter.”
God’s response: Why not?
“Lord, let every soul you use me to lead to you, be established in the faith for life”
God: Why not?
- Why don’t you pray for your relations who are not saved yet, during this time? You want to miss them for eternity?
“Jesus: this my brother, my cousin, my nephew, maybe someone who lives with you but are not saved?” – that puts you at an advantage in prayers.
My prayer therefore is that we will toe the profitable path in our prayer life in the name of Jesus Christ.
There was a hungry prophet and a dying widow and the hungry prophet said, “make for me first” (1 Kings 17:13).
Very wicked statement, wicked demand – make for me first; the widow of Zarephath obeyed and that birthed a change of story to her life (1 Kings 17:15). She lived with abundance in the time of famine for responding first to the demand of heaven (1 Kings 17:16). It was God who sent Elijah to her and God said, “make for me first”: she consented and that marked the end of her ordeal.
- You can’t give God the first place and be ignored by God.
- You can’t be neglected by God. You secure favour with God when you give Him the first place.
Peter was frustrated having laboured all night without a catch (Luke 5:4). In his frustrated state, he gave Jesus his boat and he returned a living wonder (Luke 5:3,6). There was a net breaking, boat sinking dimension of breakthroughs (Luke 5:4). Peter is still living today, all the other fishermen are dead. Now we say, ‘Peter said, Peter said’, as if we met him; by giving Jesus the first place in spite of our frustration.
You want to be out? Obey God (Matthew 6:33)
That’s what He told in 1976, “all these things that others are dying to get shall be added to you for free”: miracle children, miracle marriage, breakthrough in business, breakthrough in career, sound health.
- Please define your Kingdom Advancement Goals for the Year and take it to Jesus in prayers; watch how He responds to other issues of your life for free.
- The good news is, no more struggling for survival for you. You will never need to struggle for survival anymore in your life.
- We must define our goals and objectives in prayers
Esther commanded her maidens to stand with her in a fast, to secure favour that will overturn the evil plan of Haman against the Jews and God granted her favour (Esther 4:15-16, 5:1). It was a defined goal that brought that favour down (Esther 5:2).
Ezra: they were on a mission in that fast, it’s not what will happen will happen (Ezra 8:21-23).
“show us the way to go, that the enemy will not assault us.” God heard them and showed them the way to go.
Jehoshaphat and the whole of Judah: We can’t have victory without you (2 Chronicles 20:12), then God came down in response to their specific demand (2 Chronicles 20:17)
- God does not respond to ambiguities but to specifics.
Bartimaeus cried, he almost cut his throat (Mark 10:47, 51).
Jesus: what exactly do you want? Have mercy is not prayer. What exactly do you want? (Mark 10:52).
Define your goal for each moment in prayers (James 4:2)
I don’t know why Jesus said, “hitherto, you have not asked anything of Me…”
That means, I’ve not heard what you saying, you are just saying “Oh God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; God of Joshua, God of Esther, God of Deborah.“
God: You’ve just been calling me by different names, I don’t know what you are saying.
Prayer: You are Jehovah Shammah, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Rohim, Jehovah Elohim, Jehovah Shikenu
He (God) said: Thank You, what exactly do you want?
Praying Individual: God, can I dance for you to see? Oh my God, I dance to you
God: You have not because you asked not (James 4:2). Not because you danced not. Not because you fast not but because you asked not.
Let’s be specific and it will become a very interesting thing because you would be ticking it one by one as it is happening.
One day I stood at the Covenant Hour of Prayer and I said, “Jesus, give me a thousand souls this week.” I’ve never seen it in my life and I’ve never imagined that I would pray that prayer, but I prayed it anyway. The week opened on Monday; small by small, by small, the first 1,000 souls of my life since I met Jesus was won to Christ that week by making specific demands.
“Oh God, give me souls” – That’s okay. 1 is a soul. If it is ‘souls’ you said, souls begin from 2 because 2 is plural. Give me a soul this week, that means 1.
You can’t believe the unusual speed that came: I would go out for 3 hours and we would have 300 souls. Unusual grace in response to specific prayers.
I don’t want anybody to go through this week without defining how many souls are you bringing to Jesus this year? When do you want it?
Do you know why we were able to try those things? God was specific
- Planting 5,000 Churches. God said to me, “He is planting 5,000.” When we got 1,000, we were not saying, “Oh, we have never seen this before.” He said, ‘5,000’
- He came and said another terrible one, He said, “I am going to plant 10,000.” I kept saying, God said, “He would plant for Himself.” I will never say that under any pressure. God said so, when it was October, I said, ‘before 15th of November, we are out.”
One of the men who has the idea of the data where we are, his heart cut.
I wasn’t saying that on experience or capacity, I was saying that on God’s ability. Because we were going to do Shiloh and we can’t be doing this (Church planting) till the end of the month. Shiloh is coming and you are the One who commanded Shiloh and this one can’t climb on it and He did it. 10,400 Churches.
We need well defined targets to maximise the blessedness of fasting.
- The remaining 2 weeks will be most wonderful in your own life.
- Prepare to engage your heart in prayer because God does not look like man looks (1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 16:1). The heart must be prepared to reach and then the answer will come down.
What’s my business about Church Growth?
I said at the Workers Meeting yesterday, “In the growth of the Church lies the glory of the engaging saints and the nobles shall be of themselves…” (Jeremiah 30:21).
Engaging your heart in seeking for the growth, establishment, enlargement of the Church, entitles you to your change of story (Jeremiah 29:13).
- We must come reminding God of His Word which is His will (1 John 5:14-15; Isaiah 43:26).
- We should come engaging in praying in the Spirit. It is the highest realm of prayer. At times, you don’t know what to pray, you don’t know where the battle is coming from.
“for we know not WHAT to pray…”, not how (Romans 8:26-27). Praying in the Spirit, praying in tongues is the highest realm of prayers, you are on a confidential link with your heavenly Father. The enemy is shut out of what you are talking about, He (Holy Spirit) knows what is going on behind the scene, you don’t know, I don’t know. So He takes over from the realm of the spirit (1 Corinthians 14:14). All the giants of faith in post-Pentecostal Christianity were all men and women, given to extensive prayers in the spirit.
You can’t tell where the war is coming from but your Father is the Lord of Hosts, so He knows where the war is coming from. As you pray in the spirit, you are hitting it directly.
That’s why everybody must baptized in the Holy Ghost: it makes your prayer life most effectual.
- The good news is, this season, you will remember for many years to come.
As you engage according to these simple principles of scriptures, you will see wonders.
Enough is Enough Service
“…It is enough, stay now thine hand…” – 2 Samuel 24:16
- Whatever has been out, destroying any aspect of your life, frustrating every aspect of your life, God is saying the same thing this morning, “IT IS ENOUGH.”
- The decree of Heaven against every assault of the wicked is, “IT IS ENOUGH.”
- Everything tampering with your family life, your children, business, career, health, God is saying this morning, “IT IS ENOUGH.”
When we repent of our sins, God repents of the judgement that was allotted to us.
Let’s put to work what we’ve heard: “Jesus, I don’t want anything to block my access in prayers. I don’t want anything to be a barrier between You and me. Jesus, forgive me. Everything that could make you turn your eyes away from my prayers, withdraw your hand from my salvation, Help me Jesus. Jesus, forgive me, I repent of my sins. I plead for your forgiveness and mercy. Every profane attitude, careless words, careless acts, careless movements, careless relationship. Jesus forgive me. Receive me back home Jesus. Rewrite my story today. Plead the Blood of Jesus for your purging. Jesus, purge me today by your Blood of every filthiness of the flesh, perfecting holiness in the fear of God“ (Hebrews 9:14).
- You have His forgiveness this morning.
*For everything out to destroy you, God is saying this morning, “IT IS ENOUGH.”
*Enough of the assaults on your health.
*Enough of the assaults on your marriage.
*Enough of the assaults on your marital destiny. - Enough of the assaults on your spiritual life.
- Enough of the assaults on your business and career.
- Enough of the assaults on your children.
- Enough of the assaults on your parents.
- Enough is Enough in the name of Jesus.
Our choice to serve God commits Him to our rescue from the oppressions of the devil. When you are out to serve Him, He is out to rescue you (Exodus 4:22-23).
- Whatever won’t let you serve God freely: ENOUGH!
- Whatever makes anybody ask you, “where is your God?” Enough is Enough!
- Anything the enemy has done to devalue your redemption, ‘Enough is Enough’ (Matthew 13:25-28).
Serving God is not a gift or a calling, it’s a choice (Joshua 24:15, Matthew 6:24). Our covenant commitment to serve God in season and out of season is gateway to our all-round rest in life (2 Chronicles 15:12, 15).
- There is a war-free zone of life (2 Chronicles 15:19). I see you enter that realm this year. The war free zone of life: you are entering that this year by your covenant of selfless, tireless stewardship, serving God in season and out of season.
- Job was out of season and the wife said, “curse God and die. Is this how God should treat those who are serving Him?” (Job 2:9-10). Did his change come or not (Job 13:15, Job 14:14).
- His (God’s) Word decorates destiny (Habakkuk 3:17-19).
- Serving God in season and out of season is what decorates destiny. You will never be stranded again in your life.
It is not unscriptural to be challenged but it is unscriptural to be defeated.
It is not unscriptural to be challenged but it is anti-covenant to be defeated.
Just don’t turn your back on God, He will turn His back on your enemies.
Refuse to turn your back on God when you are challenged and God will turn His hand against your enemy.
In season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). Serving God in season and out of season is what decorates destiny.
- You will never suffer any assault of the wicked anymore in your life.
When I pray, God hears: so when I say, ‘Enough is Enough’, He hears me but for it not to come back, you must engage on a covenant platform, doing what you should do to keep your enemies at bay: serving God is what does that.
To maximise the blessedness of our promised land, we have 2 simple commandments:
- Love the Lord
- Serve Him
Deuteronomy 11:22 - You will not suffer anymore ups and downs in your life!
- It’s our 40th year in Ministry: you’ve entered into your Promised Land as an individual. You have entered your promised land as a family and we have entered into our Promised Land as a Commission.
- What we have never read of before in life will be taking place in this Church this year.
Therefore with a genuine commitment to love God and to serve Him with all our heart, we have committed Him to issue a decree of ‘Enough is Enough’ to all concerns:
- This must mark the end of the enemy’s assault on your life and destiny.
- Every item on your list (‘Enough is Enough’) today returns as a testimony withy you.
- He said, “you shall decree a thing and it shall be done unto you” (Job 22:28)
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