SHARING YOUR PROBLEM WITH UNBELIEVERS WILL COMPLICATE IT. A DEAD MAN CAN’T HAVE AN ANSWER WHEN A LIVING ONE IS CONFUSED
I DON’T HAVE ANY CONFIDANTE THAT IS NOT A BELIEVER, I WILL NOT HAVE ONE TILL I GO TO HEAVEN
I PRAYED FOR GOD TO DISCONNECT ME FROM EVERY UNPROFITABLE ASSOCIATION AND LINK ME UP WITH ONLY THOSE WHO ARE GOING FORWARD
DO NOT LEAVE MISFORTUNE BEHIND FOR YOUR CHILDREN. THE QUALITY OF ANY MAN’S WALK WITH JESUS TODAY WILL IMPACT ON HIS GENERATION AFTER HIM
SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING IS WHAT DIFFERENTIATES ONE BELIEVER FROM ANOTHER
EVERY COMMANDMENT OF SCRIPTURES DELIVERS AT A COST
SERVING GOD ELONGATES YOUR DAYS.
BY GRACE I HAVE SAT BEFORE THE PRESIDENT OF A NATION AND THEY WERE APPEALING FOR US TO COME AND ESTABLISH COVENANT UNIVERSITY IN THEIR COUNTRY BEFORE THE GLARE OF NATIONAL TELEVISION.
I HAVE BEEN SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE THEY SAID ‘PLEASE COME AND HELP US TAKE OVER THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OF THIS PLACE”
THE LIFTING OF THE CHURCH IN THIS END TIME WILL HUMBLE NATIONS. WE WILL BE TEACHING THEM THE WAY TO GO.
THIS IS THE END TIME AGENDA OF GOD. THE MEN THAT MATTER THE MOST WILL EMERGE FROM THE CHURCH. THERE IS NO POLITICAL ARRANGEMENT THAT CAN CHANGE IT
EVERY ACT OF OBEDIENCE IS AT A COST. WE CAME HERE (CANAANLAND) AT THE COST OF LOSING THE MINISTRY.
– Bishop David Oyedepo on “UNDERSTANDING THE BREAKTHROUGH POWER OF KINGDOM STEWARDSHIP (Part 2)” at Week of Spiritual Emphasis Day 2 Service || Youth Chapel, Canaanland || 6th July, 2023
Because more labourers are needed, every true labourer is entitled to long life. Exodus 23:25-26. Church Gist. Serving God elongates your days.
– No one here will die young! The plague and scourge of untimely death is off your family lineage in the precious name of Jesus!
I’ve heard some things from God in my life I have never heard in my short years of walking with Jesus. Every time light begins to break forth, something is about to break out. Church Gist. In the precious name of Jesus, everyone will be off the by ways, the street corners and getting on the high ways of life during this revival season!
UNDERSTANDING THE BREAKTHROUGH POWER OF KINGDOM STEWARDSHIP PART 2. Proverbs 21:16. Spiritual understanding is what differentiates one believer from another. Matthew 13:23. So the level of individual spiritual understanding is what determines the outcome of any revelation. Spiritual understanding is vital. Colossians 1:9. Church Gist. Somebody asked, what does Kingdom Stewardship have to do with breakthrough? All you need is the spiritual understanding of it from his Word not that something is being written afresh. Job 36:11 – does that define breakthrough? No set back, no downward trend, no up today and down tomorrow, through a covenant demand. Exodus 23:25-26.
But it is interesting to note that every commandment of Scriptures delivers at a cost. We better come into terms with that. Proverbs 23:23. Every instruction, commandment, delivers at a cost. Luke 14:26-28. It’s always at a cost. Amos 6:1. Walking with Jesus is always at a cost. Now, obedience may be costly (I have said that over the years) but the end result is priceless. Church Gist. Psalm 112:1-3. Wake up! Don’t leave misfortune behind for your children. The quality of any man’s walk with Jesus today will impact on his generation after him. Wake up! Psalm 1:1-3. Because of money you just sit around anyone and they are pouring dirty things to you and you’re taking it, you’re asking them questions? A living man is asking a dead man question; what do you want?
Psalm 1:2 – Mi o raiye nkan mi mo
(I don’t have time for anything else)
Psalm 1:3 – as stupid as he appears he shall be like a tree planted by the Rivers of water.
So I went to the mountain to pray for God to disconnect me from every company that has no value, disconnect me from every one going backward, link me up with only those who are going forward because that’s I saw. You want to bring forth your fruit in its season? You want all that you do to prosper? Then understand you need to disconnect from unprofitable association which you take comfort in, you take pleasure in it. Church Gist. “How are you now? Nigeria is very bad. Nothing is working. I know in your Church they don’t say that o but in reality, tell me now, is it working?” You went there Sir! Sharing your problem with unbelievers will complicate it. Matthew 7:6. You will leave and he will say, “And he is a Winner o. Won tan ra won ni (they are deceiving themselves). They don’t know what they are doing. A fi oju e ri (we will use his eyes to see something)” You went there!
I have not met one sinner in my life 44 years running, to express an issue to him. A dead man can’t have an answer when a living one is confused. Have you ever gone to the grave to ask your father who was very intelligent, he was giving you counsel before, has he ever answered you before? There is no knowledge or counsel in the grave. It is over. Church Gist. You don’t know what you are doing against yourself by just violating the laws of God. I don’t have any confidante that is not a believer, I will not have one till I go to heaven. I know it doesn’t work, it doesn’t add value.
The good news is that it is at a cost. There is no obedience that is free. Every act of obedience is at a cost. We came here at the cost of losing the ministry. Church Gist. I left Kaduna at a cost because there is no certainty of what will happen here except by faith.
UNDERSTANDING THE BREAKTHROUGH POWER OF KINGDOM STEWARDSHIP 2. Kingdom stewardship will place a cost on you and me. Church Gist. It is not a ‘free for all’ kind of platform. It is a platform for taking covenant responsibility to secure the future you desire. No one will fail.
By way of introduction, the end time church is ordained a breakthrough church. Psalm 87:1-7. This is the end time agenda of God. The men that matter the most will emerge from the church. There is no political agreement that can change it, men that matter the most. It is not about political offices, it is about impact. People that are generating solutions. The Almighty Himself is behind the agenda. So it is not about some big nations and some small nations. There is no policy of any land, and country that can scuttle it, the Almighty Himself shall establish her. When God is counting men that are fountains of life on the earth, they shall all be found in Zion. Church Gist. That gets me excited, are you excited? He that laughs last laughs best. Micah 4:1-2. People shall flow into it because that is the solution centre. The lifting of the Church will humble nations. We will be teaching them the way to go. I have sat before a president of a nation by grace appealing for us to come and establish Covenant University in their country before the glare of national television. I have been somewhere where they said ‘Come and help us take over the education system of this place”. Nations! That is how they will be coming to you in person from various fields. Come and help us. They called Joseph from the prison, not that Joseph went there. Are you in prison? End time wonders shall flow.
Jesus is coming back for a reigning Church, not a struggling Church. Psalm 110:1-3. There shall be such demonstrable power in the Church. You saw how Daniel ruled in the midst of his enemies, he was a captive. The king bowed down and worshipped him. This is from heaven, this can’t be an ordinary man. Daniel ruled and reigned in the midst of his enemies. Joseph was a prisoner when he ascended the throne. There is going to be an explosive unleashing of heaven’s wisdom that will make every child of God someone to look for. Revelation 5:9-10. Those are all end time verdicts, no devil can change it. No gang-up of anybody can change it. No acrimony of men can change it. An army is going to rise the kind that has never been seen nor will there be any like that after them. Church Gist. Joel 2:1-11. It is God’s agenda, it is not subject to manipulation, it is not subject to situations or political uproar, it is a divine agenda and all we are doing here is to see how you can plug in, how you can find your place in space within this glorious agenda. Kingdom advancement stewardship is a platform that secures your place in this awesome season. Malachi 3:17-18, 4:1-2. You will be growing up and going forth as fatted cows, that is you.
Now if you check from Malachi 3:17 to that Chapter 4 verse 2, the subject there is service. All the others are predicates, the subject is service. If you serve me, I will distinguish you. Church Gist. When they have lost direction you will have clean direction – he will follow you. You will be the one showing them the way to go. Now, that qualifies the relevance of Kingdom Advancement stewardship in finding your place in this end time agenda.
Now, supernatural breakthrough shall become a core identity of the end time Church before Jesus comes. That is, people can’t deny it, it will be too obvious even the blind will see it. Joel 2:23-27. God will be doing wondrous things with us that will eradicate every siege of shame and reproach on our lives. Church Gist. Supernatural breakthrough will become the new identity of the end time Church of which you and I are members.
– In the name of Jesus, every siege of breakdowns around your life and the works of your hand is declared over today!
Zephaniah 3:17-20. So you don’t know what you are missing when you disregard the place of Kingdom Advancement endeavours. You’re missing out of a colourful future, an enviable future, without knowing. Church Gist. But that is over now because as your eyes get opened, you won’t need anybody to coerce you. It will be your innermost delight to connect.
Kingdom Advancement prayer stewardship: is prayer a form of stewardship? Yes. That is engaging in kingdom advancement prayers as a form of service because it is. Luke 2:37. So engagement of the altar of prayer is a covenant platform of stewardship. That’s why it said, God who sees you in secret will reward you openly. Matthew 6:6, 18. Church Gist. Kingdom Advancement prayer is recognized as stewardship in Scriptures. Matthew 6:9-10; Matthew 24:14. “Lord send labourers to your field to carry this Gospel to all nations – tribes, ethnic groups,” – then shall the end come. 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4. “Thy will be done” means save the lost or (come down this way) save all that are appointed unto eternal life that are heading the other direction. Acts 13:48; Matthew 6:33.
It’s clear from Scriptures because God is not just interested in getting people saved he wants them to come to the knowledge of the truth as made available in Church. That is why the end time Church is ordained a Church of explosive growth. We have been having Church growth but it said, nations shall flow. Church Gist. Micah 4:1. We are entering into the season of a flow – influx. Why? He wants them not only to be saved but to come to the knowledge of the truth. Every Church building will become too small this end time. Churches will be running 7 services on Sunday this end time! That’s the agenda as laid out in Micah 4:1-2; Isaiah 2:2-3.
Now let’s see the place of prayer in seeing that established.
– Effectual fervent prayer of believers is gateway to next level breakthroughs in Church growth. Every growing Church is a praying Church and every growing Church must remain a praying Church to keep growing. So prayer for Church growth is a life long task, a continuous demand. Isaiah 66:7-8. Church Gist. You don’t give birth without a travail. Every praying Church is ordained a growing Church and every growing Church must remain a praying Church to keep growing. You can’t transfer the travail of yesterday’s birth to today’s pregnancy. No! The travail for each birth is unique and on its own. Ezekiel 36:37; Acts 6:4, 7. Elijah prayed that kind of prayer and a whole nation turned to the Lord in one day. Church Gist. You remember the episode on Mount Carmel? Everybody bowed in one day; discarded Baal and turned after the God of Israel. 1 Kings 18:37-39. James 5:16-17 (AMPC).
Now listen: the heart of man is the missing link in the prayers of most believers today. The mouth is full of words, great presentations – “O Lord my God, I just want to let you know I love you. You’re wonderful, glorious (mimicks)” Wo shan ki ni – They are just showering accolades on him. The heart is not engaged. The heart is where God looks to determine his response to our prayers as in the case of Hannah. Church Gist. 1 Samuel 1:13. And Hannah testified, his name shall be called Samuel because I have asked him from the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:20. So God heard what she said with her heart. Too many things spoken with our mouth is not coming from the heart. God didn’t hear. If it’s not coming from the heart God cannot hear. It must come from the heart before God will hear because the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Church Gist. God looks at our heart to determine his response to our prayers. 2 Chronicles 16:9; 1 Samuel 16:7. Why? It is with the heart that we believe and without faith, prayer never flies. Romans 10:10.
Mark 11:23-24. There is the missing link of the heart in our prayer. Many are not just absent minded, they are absent hearted. If you stop them in the course of their prayer and ask them “What are you praying about?” they won’t know. They have the prayer bulletins but they just chant them. Church Gist. Who are you deceiving? You can know when heaven has heard you. Prayer is not a happenstance. You are supposed to know when your prayer goes through. Let’s stop playing religion.
This is why the heart must be prepared with faith before prayers can ascend to God for answers. Proverbs 16:1. The heart must be prepared to pray, don’t just jump to pray. Lawyers don’t just jump to court, they prepare. Prepare your heart to take delivery of the issues you are presenting. Jotham became great because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. 2 Chronicles 27:6. Furthermore, we must engage the heart in communicating our desires or our prayer is going nowhere. Isaiah 29:13. Their heart is not involved, only their mouth is talking. Jeremiah 29:13. Church Gist. Your speaking of grammar doesn’t fly, it is not part of the protocols for answers. It is not part of it. The heart of man is deep and desperately wicked. Who can know it? You can be praying for someone to be healed and he is thinking of which hospital to go to. The heart is far from it. He didn’t believe one thing you said. After prayer, Okay, what about money? Absent mindedness can be frustrating but absent heartedness can be devastating. Nothing will go.
Remember what counts with God is not just doing the will of God but doing the will of God from the heart. Ephesians 6:6-7. Doing the will of God from the heart. Not doing your will, the will of God. Psalm 27:8. I think with this missing link back in place, you are set for a most adventurous prayer life. Church Gist. You will begin to experience new energies in prayer. You are not saying it to be part of the crowd and follow the religion of prayer. You are determined
No prayer qualifies therefore for answers without engaging one’s heart in preparation. That is locating the will of God on the prayer subject, receiving and believing it and communicating the same from the heart. It is critical to secure answers to prayers. The multitudes drawn by prayer to the Kingdom can only be sustained by prayer. Galatians 4:19. Colossians 4:12. Prayer does not stop in bringing them to Church prayer continues in seeing them established in the faith and made perfect in all the will of God. Fresh revelation which is a plus for Church Growth also answers to prayer. Brethren pray for us. Church Gist. 2 Thessalonians 3:1. It takes prayer to keep the altar burning with fresh revelation. Ephesians 6:19. We owe the altar prayers for utterance to be given to those who stand to minister so they can flow freely and deliver God’s agenda for the people. As we engage our hearts in praying kingdom advancement prayer, God continues to decorate us openly in all areas of our life. Thereby attracting more people into the Kingdom. We saw that picture in Zechariah 8:20-23. How the prayer life of God’s people began to turn things around in the environment. Strong prayer impact, turning things around in the environment, changing your story dramatically before the eyes of men and attracting men into the kingdom.
Prayer does not only change things, prayer changes people. Luke 9:29. Heavens came down through the prayer altar. Church Gist. Many will encounter transfiguration as you keep engaging wholeheartedly in praying kingdom advancement prayers.
We have scriptural examples of prayer made stars. Abraham was an intercessor, he was a breakthrough personality. Jesus died to plug us into the blessings of Abraham. “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” He was a die-hard intercessor. Church Gist. Paul, an addicted intercessor, was a most distinguished Apostle in the scriptures, we all know that. We are not wasting our time serving the Lord, we are investing into destiny. God is not looking for who to enslave but who to enthrone. It is your turn for enthronement.
That is the mystery of the breakthrough power that accompanies kingdom advancement stewardship and particularly we have been dealing tonight with Kingdom advancement prayers. Church Gist. Don’t toy with it, don’t play with it. It is a platform ordained for you and my dramatic change of story. It is a necessity in securing God’s end time agenda for the church.
I will close with this, God does not answer noise in prayers. Our noise doesn’t count in prayers. If you meet Bartimaeus in heaven ask him. He almost lost his voice shouting. Jesus said calm down, what do you want? Noise does not count in prayer. What counts in prayer is faith. God does not respond to posture in prayers. You kneel by night you sleep, God said stand by night. We grew up in church and when they say quiet prayer, it means have a nap. Psalm 134:1-2. There is a place to kneel but it is not a law. There is no plus to posture in prayer. We had an experience here with David, a man that prayed three times a day. The Bible said in 2 Samuel 7:18. He sat before the Lord. There is no plus to posture. You are free to kneel, you are free to sit, you are free to stand. 1 Timothy 2:8. Posture is of no consequence. That I stand to pray does not make me superior, that you sit to pray does not make you inferior. That you kneel to pray does not make you superior. So engage the liberty of the Spirit to be sure your fervency is maintained. Church Gist. You don’t need to close your eyes but if opening your eyes is distracting your attention, close it. You are looking around whether some brethren came or not in the course of prayer. Is that the way to get an answer? Can you tell the judge to excuse you to answer your phone as a lawyer? Whatever will tamper with your fervency, deal with it. God does not answer fasting, He answers the prayers you pray while you fast. “Then shalt thou call…” Any fasting that won’t lead to a call is normal dieting to keep fit, it has no spiritual value. Isaiah 58:9. God answers prayers in a fast, He doesn’t answer fasting. So don’t mistake your fasting for prayer, they don’t add. Fasting is essentially for our spiritual empowerment. You break every yoke and the anointing is erupted. Church Gist. Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit from a fasting episode. Fasting is for our spiritual empowerment. Secondly, it is for the outbreak of revelation that deals with issues of our lives where we need a way out. Jeremiah 33:3. Fasting does not guarantee answers to prayers you have not prayed. God doesn’t answer many words in prayers, don’t try to teach God something. He knows it all. Matthew 6:7. Christ was praying the same prayer with the same tempo. He went back saying the same thing. Matthew 26:41-44. So it doesn’t need many words, you don’t have to convince God. God’s Word is there and clean on all issues. It is your new day.
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