I’M A VERY POOR MONEY RAISER. IF YOU WANT ME TO RAISE MONEY, NOBODY WILL GIVE. IT’S NOT MY CALLING.
THEY SAID OUR CHURCH WON’T LAST UP TO 3 YEARS, WE ARE 44 YEARS TODAY!
IT TOOK 17 YEARS FOR GOD TO BRING US HERE FROM THE TIME HE SAID IT. WE ARRIVED HERE STEP BY STEP
I’M HERE FOR LONG AND I KNOW THAT LIKE I KNOW MY NAME.
PEOPLE THOUGHT THE MINISTRY WOULD END HERE BUT BECAUSE GOD LED US HERE, IT’S ALWAYS WELL.
I’VE NEVER PREACHED ANYTHING AGAINST ANY CHURCH IN MY LIFE.
I’VE NEVER TAKEN A SINGLE STEP IN MY LIFE AGAINST THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, NOT IN THOUGHTS OR ACTS.
HOW A CHURCH PREVENTED US FROM USING THEIR ABANDONED PROPERTY FOR A CRUSADE.
A MINISTRY SPOKE AGAINST US FOR SEVEN YEARS BUT I NEVER RESPONDED.
MY WIFE WAS DY1NG YET I WAS GOING ROUND 27 NATIONS PREACHING THE GOSPEL.
I LOVE GOD MORE THAN I LOVE MY WIFE, CHILDREN AND MYSELF.
NOT ALL FOUNDERS GENUINELY LOVE GOD.
– Bishop David Oyedepo on UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS OF FOLLOWING DIVINE DIRECTION (4A) at Covenant Day Of Favour Service || 28th September 2025 || Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland || First Sunday Service ||
One of the great lessons I have learnt as I penned down lessons I have learnt at 71 is that no one can bless himself. You can’t say “I bless myself”. No one can bless himself. This is the key to this arrogant generation. No one can bless himself. As great as Abraham was, after a raw demonstration of love, God sent Melchizedek his way to proclaim a blessing on him and God confirmed the blessing and Abraham became possessor of heaven and earth. Church Gist. We are still singing his song today. I am a product of proclaimed blessings from those sent on my path. God sends channels of blessings on our path to proclaim His blessings for Him to confirm. What is not declared, God cannot confirm.
For everyone that engaged in Operation Living Sacrifice, turnaround is the lot of the altar of sacrifice.
– Therefore, I decree your turnaround returns.
– You will be hearing turnaround news from now. Church Gist.
Psalm 126:1-6.
– In the name of Jesus, I decree your humbling return for your engagements.
I had blessings proclaimed on me on my birthday as I have always had by those placed on my path that are still alive and going great. Please place value on blessings. Blessings are not proclaimed to impress you but to impart you, learn to place great value on proclaimed blessings from anointed vessels. Church Gist. They are there to impart you into next levels of grace and glory.
Therefore, in the precious name of Jesus, I declare your open returns.
– I declare your humbling returns.
– No one will lack a testimony to tell.
Because obedience usually commits God’s integrity to perform, for those who have obeyed the voice of the Lord by engaging in this operation. Expect God’s integrity to speak in your favour. So shall it be.
Shiloh 2025 – Breaking New Grounds! You belong to a breaking new grounds family. The Lord said to me, “I have brought you into the apostolic phase of your ministry today for pacesetting.” It is not by power nor by might but an agenda of heaven for pacesetting. So we have seen things that have never happened before in this place several times. Church Gist. In the same vein, at Shiloh, you will come into that baptism where new and humbling things will start happening in your life because you belong to a pacesetting family and so you are a partaker of the DNA that makes it happen. That shall be your experience. No more shall you be stranded.
Jesus the great shepherd of the flock, appear to each one of us today. Let no one return without something to hold. Church Gist. In this Covenant Day of Favour, destroy every siege of misfortune. Let every cage of hardship be over. Thank you for it in Jesus name.
UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS OF FOLLOWING DIVINE DIRECTION
It is not enough to discover where God is leading. It is important to know we most keep taking steps in line with the leading of the Spirit to see the vision come to pass. It is not enough to know which direction God is leading, it is important to know the steps to take towards realizing that destination. What God says will always demand what man must do to make it happen. While every prophetic word is real, one must believe to see them come to pass. Church Gist. Luke 1:45. It is not the prayer, it is primarily the faith. Faith is the main thing to see prophecies fulfilled because only the hand of God can fulfill the plan of God. The hand of God is provoked by faith. Isaiah 53:1. Most times we just misapply these forces. If you engage the force of prayer and fasting to see prophecies fulfilled you are wasting time. The force of faith is the primary force required to see prophecies fulfilled. What we don’t receive and believe, God will never perform. John 1:12.
Note that our adventure in Christ is not a destination, our destiny in Christ is an adventure and not a destination. Church Gist. He keeps showing up on what next to do and what way to go about it.
Proverbs 4:18. Your light will not shine less anymore. Next Sunday is our Covenant Day of Next Level, God will be unveiling the mystery of continuous and unending progress in our journey.
Only God knows tomorrow as clearly as today and following His leading guarantees our access to our great tomorrow. Isaiah 46:9-10. He declares the end from the beginning. Church Gist. Saying, “this is my plan, I’m committed to it if you follow through by allowing me to lead you. This is my plan”. Before the Church ministry ever started, God said, at the base of this ministry, He will build a Sanctuary that will build 50,000 people. Things that were not yet, He said it. He now leads you the way to it. What does it take to see Church growth? He said, ” I don’t know, ask me and He will tell you”. “Why is this Church not growing?” Then He said it. It’s not enough to know what God says, we must know things we must have to do to realize them. Church Gist. Please understand that Christianity is not a make belief faith, it’s a real life faith. You can pray till the end of time, if you’re not diligent, you cannot succeed. If you’re not disciplined, you cannot be distinguished. You know, most of these things people just take them for granted, they’re Kingdom lifelong principles. Church Gist. They’re as eternal as God. Until God stops being God, those instructions remain valid. So, it’s not enough to have divine direction, we must know what it takes to realize what God has purposed.
There are no ceilings on our destinies as believers but we only arrive there step by step. It took 17 years for God to bring us here from the time He said it. Church Gist. We arrived here step by step. Where this prophetic word came, we were 68 people in that meeting. Small boys and small girls. But step by step by step, we landed here. May we be sensed to His leading for life.
Let’s now look at some benefits of divine direction.
1. Divine direction allays all fears. When God leads, fear has no place. Psalm 23:1,4. Fear has no place when God is the one leading. So, wherever there’s fear, check it, you’re not correct yet. I remember the Sage ask me a question, T. L Osborn, he said, “David, how will people get here?” I said, “they’re already here”. Now, the building was still under construction, we were yet to dedicate. Church Gist. He came in and decided to come down here and he knelt down on this platform. So, he said to me, “David, how will people get here?” I said, “they’re already here”. When God leads, fear is out of place. You don’t talk of fear when God leads. No. So, one acid test as to whether God is the one leading or not is, is there fear? If there’s fear, check it, you haven’t gotten it right. I walked through this forest in the night before construction started and I just felt His presence so strong. Church Gist. The birds were just singing to me and I was enjoying it, though I don’t have any video recording or tape of it, so they were singing and I was enjoying the music. My God. When God leads, fear is out of the place. Wake up. Psalm 23:5. Your enemies are helpless when God is leading. When God is leading, your enemies are utterly helpless, they’re no use to bother about. He said to me, “just mind my opinion of you, leave people’s opinions to themselves”. Church Gist. When our ministry started, He said, “maximum 3 years, you won’t see them again”, they’ll say, “ministry growing like that, they don’t last”. Which growing? What growth did we have? After 3 years, they said, “5 years”. After 5 years, they said, “kpata kpata 7 years, they’ll be off the radar”. Now, we are 44 years old. Now, that’s their opinion, that’s not God’s opinion. You better wake up. Church Gist. Your destination is a function of your own expectation as drawn from the revelation of the Word. Not balloon expectations, expectations found from Scriptures. Amen.
Some angry bitter people, prophets in quote said that I won’t see 70, I’m now 71. They came late. 1982, I did my first series on Victory over Death. They came late. I have sound revelation by the Holy Spirit on the reality of longevity. ‘Did you pray about it? Never. Proverbs 23:18. Church Gist. Their expectations will not render your own expectation of no effect. I’m here for long. I mean, I know that like I know my name. Praise God. So, just settle down and take responsibility. It is your findings that define your destination. Church Gist. So, make more findings from the Word, you have created the world that you desire. Your story is changing. For everyone under the sound of my voice, no devil will cut short your life. No anger of men will terminate your life. No bitterness of people will shatter your destiny. Thank you Jesus.
2. Divine direction secures supernatural victory.
They followed what God instructed them to do around the Wall of Jericho. They went around that Massive City for 6 days, once per day. On the 7th day, they obeyed the instruction to shout. They shouted and the walls came down. Joshua 6:16. Supernatural victory by simply following what God instructed to do. David asked the Lord: “The Philistines are here, shall I go up? Will you deliver them to my hand?” The Lord said: “Go up! I’ll surely deliver them to your hands.” 2 Samuel 5:18-20. 1 Samuel 30:7. They came again and he asked the Lord again: “Shall I go up?” “You wait first until you hear the sound of the moving of the mulberry trees. Church Gist. After that, bestir yourself and I’ll deliver them to your hand.” Make enquiries to secure your victory in battle. Make enquiries from the Lord! “Which way Lord?” 1 John 5:4. “Lord, which way do I go to deal with this issue?” Don’t allow problems to generate into crisis, deal with them in time before it’s too late. “Which way Lord?” And be set to follow what He says to do. When the spirit of death came to snatch our daughter, I sat on my chair and I said: “Jesus, there must be a way out.” He said: “Yes, sure!” Then He showed one, two, three, four. Make enquiries! Don’t sleep with problems, problems don’t solve themselves. Deal with them, confront them. Deuteronomy 2:24. Contend with those issues, with the Truth and you’ll have the victory.
3. It’s always well with the Led.
Deuteronomy 5:32-33. It’s always well with the Led. Things always go in favour with the Led. And it’s so simple to understand because when God leads, barriers can’t stand on the way. Like we were told the other time, He goes before the Led to make the crooked paths straight. Church Gist. Isaiah 45:2. When God leads, it’s always well with the Led. Isaiah 45:1-3. Allow Jesus to lead you, it will always be well with you. People thought the Ministry would end here but because God led us here, it’s always well. It’s always well when God leads, it’s ever well.
-It shall remain well with you.
Don’t be led by the vogue, the ongoing, be led by God. Don’t be led by the people, they don’t know tomorrow; it’s God who knows tomorrow. Be led by God.
-It’s always well with the Led, it shall remain well with you. It shall remain well with your family in the name of Jesus. Romans 8:31. It shall continue to be well with you.
You know? This Church has enjoyed divine direction from inception. Church Gist. God has come in once and again to bring corrections to keep us on course and it’s always well. It’s always been well.
-It shall continue to be well with you in Jesus’ name.
Something interesting happened, I was before the Lord along with some of our workers, about 4 of us and then, the Lord visited me from that Psalm 34:5 that: “You have two eyes, can you make one to look up and one to look down?” He said: “Any time you’re looking unto man, never claim to be looking unto me because if you fix your eyes on Me, you’ll never be ashamed. That was on 6th September. Now, 17th September, Baba Adeboye was out in that Meeting. Church Gist. He said: “Look! Can I tell you something?” He was speaking as he was teaching – This Ministry will succeed whether you support it or not. He was not in that Place, he didn’t hear me say it, we never met before. When God leads, you’re up. The Lord said to me: “Don’t raise money, raise men.” I’m a very poor money raiser, you want me to raise money? Nobody will give. Nobody will give because it’s not a calling. I teach you what the Word says, you respond as you will. You do it willingly, you have a reward otherwise you’re marking time. Please be awake! When God leads, it’s always sweet. The Led never lack stories of triumph.
-The days of regrets are over in your life. May every step of yours be divinely guided from here. Church Gist. You will not misinvest your resources, you will not misinvest your energy, you will not displace yourself. Allow God to lead you. Praise God!
Today is our Covenant Day of Favour and favour is your portion in redemption because we are all born of favour. Ephesians 2:28. Church Gist. Grace means divine favour. We are born of divine favour to enjoy favour with both God and man. That means new birth should mark the end of misfortune.
-And every air of misfortune around everyone’s life today shall come to and end.
I once said it that 100 years of labour can never compare in value with one day of favour from God.
-May you encounter God’s favour package today.
Israel was languishing in Egypt for 400 years but one day came, favour bellowed on them and one day of favour overturned the 400 years of misfortune. They carried gold for luggage. Favour landed, everything became free for them. Church Gist. They were feeding fat for 40 years without having to plow or harrow or plant. They were having change of clothes without having a market to buy from. They enjoyed sound health. None of the sicknesses of Egypt was found among them for 40 years. 400 years of hardship overturned by one day of favour.
-Therefore, no matter what you may have gone through in your life, there’s an overturning in your favour today.
He was feeding them twice a day till they got to the Gate of Canaan. They were there 40 years feeding fat. The Journey did not allow them to even plant, there is no land to plant on. Church Gist. They couldn’t pass through any town or village, they were walking through the Forest and He was satisfying them, their legs were not swollen. They enjoyed perfect health. No feeble person among their tribes. One day of favour overturned the 400 years of misfortune.
– In the precious name of Jesus, whatever hardship you may have experienced before in your life. Today, God’s favour will overturn it. Has God changed? Today is your day!
Now, everyday is God’s day. The day you believe is your day. “I’ve heard thee in the time accepted, in the day of salvation I have succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time and today is your day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2. Church Gist. What that means is that the day you believe is your day of turnaround. The day you believe is your day of what? The day you believe is your day of turnaround.
– I say you are born of favour. Come on, say “I believe it.”
Ephesians 2:8-9. So, favour found you and brought you into the kingdom to enjoy favour with God and man as your new lifestyle. Church Gist. Because whosoever is in Christ is a new creature. Old things, old struggles are gone and all things have become new.
– The days of misfortune are over in your life.
Because you’re in Christ, old things are passed away behold all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:8. Church Gist. 2 Corinthians 5:21. Psalm 5:12. Favour is supposed to be our clothing through new birth.
-Therefore, I release upon your life your redemptive right to favour. Receive it in the name of Jesus.
Now, here is it. We saw Joseph enjoying unchartered favour in the house of Portiphar, unusual favour in the prison and his testimony is “I fear God.” Genesis 42:18, “But I fear God.” So, we have been made His righteousness, to start doing the works of righteousness. Church Gist. “For the works of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness shall be quietness and assurance forever” Isaiah 32:17. We have been made righteous to start doing righteous works. Can I hear your Amen? No games, no gimmicks. You enjoy favour without struggle. Favour, favour!
Daniel had favour with God but he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king’s rich food. He was a faithful man and there was nothing amiss in his life so favour became his natural experience. Come on now, don’t block your way to favour! Church Gist. Don’t block your way to favour by playing smart. Don’t block your way to favour by playing smart. Make straight path for your feet and watch how God’s favour will begin to bellow on you. Make straight path for your feet. Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus.
– No matter what goes on in the earth, it shall be well with the righteous.
– It shall be well with you.
So, we don’t have to wait for favour anymore, we have to commit ourselves to what provokes favour. Commit yourself to what provokes favour because favour is entreated, favour is triggered, favour is provoked. Church Gist. He said “Even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour” Psalm 45:12. Proverbs 13:15.
Now, as we round up, these are some of the ways you provoke favour.
1. Be born again with proofs “bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance. Be born again not the psychedelic born again today oh. Be born again with proofs, having the fruits of the spirit come alive in you. Church Gist. Be born again with proofs, having the fruits of the spirit come alive in you. “Bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance.” Luke 3:38. Not anyhow lifestyle. Be born again with proofs, having the fruits of the spirit come alive in you. “Bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance.” Praise God. Very vital. We have to examine ourselves regularly to be sure we are on key. That you’re on key in the morning does not mean you’re on key in the evening. Church Gist. “Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith.” 2 Corinthians 13:5. “Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” You should know by yourself, “Am I in the faith or out of the faith?” Thank you Jesus.
– We shall make it together.
No one with a heart truly panting after God and the interest of His kingdom ever runs out of favour with God. You can’t favour His course and run out of favour with Him. Those who favour His course enjoy His favour naturally. “Thou shall arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her is come. For thy servants taketh pleasure in the stones of Zion, and favour the dust thereof.” Church Gist. Therefore, fearful favour will bellow on them. The kings of the earth shall fear your favour. Psalm 102:13-15. Those who favour His course never run out of favour. Those who are out promoting His Kingdom never lack promotions. Those who are committed to advancing His Kingdom, He advances them. Favour advances them. Church Gist. Favour keeps them ruling up. It’s a vital term for flowing in favour with God. Favour His course, and He will keep favouring you. Just keep favouring His course and He will keep favouring you.
You’ve never heard me preach a thing against any Church in my life. That’s His Body. I’ve never taken one step in my life against the Church of Christ. Not in thoughts or acts. You can’t favour His course and run out of favour. Church Gist. Some are inside the Church and they’re working against the Church. They’re inside the Church , their own Church and they’re working against the Church where they are. They’re in the service group and they’re working against the service group, they’re working against it day and night. They have their clique in the service group. They’re discussing “how can we destroy this thing?”
I had an encounter with one of the established Churches in those days. We were in a village to hold a crusade and then we needed to put a place for people to fellowship and then they have this abandoned property since 1954 and the village people who are muslims said, “why can’t you talk to this other Church if they can give part of the land?” Church Gist. So we spoke to them, they said, “no, no.” I said, “are we not doing the same thing?” He said, “no, we are not doing the same thing.” I started shedding tears. The man didn’t know – he is a pastor; he didn’t know that we are preaching the same Christ. I felt sorry for him.
You can’t favour His cause and run out of favour. So stop playing jamboree games in Church. Do you want favour from God? Favour His cause. A ministry came at us for 7 years, I never made a comment because hatred is part of the Apostolic calling. Church Gist. Hatred is part of it. They hate me, they will hate you. “And woe unto you when all men will speak well of you.” Some must speak evil of you. So it’s just normal.
I said to this man when he eventually met with me; I said, “you know, preachers celebrate differences but leaders celebrate common goals. Church Gist. There is nowhere I will reply you forever no matter what you say. I will be undoing what you are called to do. That you don’t understand it should not cancel my own understanding.”
– You are going places!
So when you see anything going off, you are there to lift it. If you see crisis brewing in one unit, you are there to lift it. Church Gist. You are not there to fuel it. You are working towards the advancement of the Kingdom.
– You are going places!
– You can’t honour His cause and lack honour from Him; your life will never lack honour!
– Your long awaited days of favour are here!
Matthew 6:33…you won’t ask for it, they shall be added. That’s favour! Church Gist. So welcome to your days of favour!
3. To provoke divine favour, stay in love with God. Stay in love with God and you will keep flowing in favour. 1 Chronicles 28:4. You love Him, He will like you. He loves everybody but when you love Him, He likes you. He likes you to make you what He ordains you to be. He likes you. Church Gist. He (David) said, “He liked me to make me king.” God liked me, why? I love Him. And the word ‘like’ means favoured me. You can’t be in love and not enjoy favour. 1 Corinthians 2:9.
Every true lover is ordained a pacesetter, a pathfinder and a trailblazer. Please, don’t just be in love, stay in love. Stay in love with Jesus; you will never run out of favour. But God’s love is not theoretical, God’s love is practical. John 14:21. Church Gist. There’s what to do to prove that we love Him. 1 John 3:17-18, 1 Chronicles 29:3, John 3:16…God so loved, He gave. If I so love, I will give to promote His cause (and) to promote His Kingdom.
God’s love is not theoretical, God’s love is practical. You can’t be in love and not know because there are things you are doing to prove the sincerity of your love. 2 Corinthians 8:8…so there are many fake lovers; their love has no proof. Church Gist. Their love for God has no proof. They are just there to use God. “Let me do this so that God can do something for me.” There is no genuine love. So the slightest thing, he falls apart.
God told me, “go around the nations.” I went through 27 nations when my wife’s health was under a heavy siege. She was dying, I was going. Am I pretending? No! I’m simply obeying and demonstrating my love for God. Are we not all here today? Stop this theoretical love. It doesn’t fly with God. Church Gist. Settle down to prove the sincerity of your love. Not all founders are in love with God. Not all parishioners are in love with God. Not all pastors are in love with God. If you are in love, it will show and you know because there’s what you are doing to prove that you are in love.
You must have heard me say, “I love God more than I love my wife and she knows. I love God more than our children and they know and I love God more than I love me.” So don’t say I am a wicked man. I love God more than I love me. Whatever He tells me to say, no matter who you are, I will say it to you. No matter who you are, no matter what you carry, I will say it to you. You can’t kill a dead man. He’s already dead. Church Gist. Have you ever seen people go to the graveyard with gun? They say, “what’s happening?” He says, “I want to kill somebody.” He’s already dead. When you are in love, you are truly in love, many waters can’t quench it; the ocean can’t drown it. Please, settle in to prove the sincerity of your love. Genuine lovers never run out of favour.
– You will never run out of favour again!
This is very important; instead of saying point 1, point 2 and point 3, understand the meaning.
4. Walking in obedience to God’s instructions unleashes divine favour upon believers. Deuteronomy 28:1-2. Obedience of faith to the instructions of scriptures triggers divine favour. Abraham obeyed God and He just lavished generational blessings on him. Church Gist. Genesis 12:3. Obedience to the commandment of God in Scriptures triggers His favour on our lives – delightsome obedience, not coerced obedience, not pressurized obedience. Delightsome obedience! Psalm 112:1-3. One thing – delightsome obedience triggers favour that covers our generation after us.
Expect therefore to begin to flow in favour from henceforth as you take a strong stand in the outlined covenant guidelines you just heard.
– It’s your turn!
#BishopDavidOyedepo
#LFCWorldwide
#CovenantDayOfFavour
#FaithTabernacleCanaanland
#2025NewEraYear
#28thSeptember2025
#SupersonicSunday
#ChurchGist
