Category: Family forum

Peace and blessings be multiplied to you in Jesus name. Since the month began, we have been looking at: The Transformational Power of Praise. However, this teaching will be incomplete without outlining some of the enemies of quality and acceptable praise unto God.

The state of your heart in praise is what determines the response from God. When you praise Him with all your heart, your praise is acceptable. However, many people praise but their hearts are not really there. All your being must always be involved in your praise and adoration to God.

Fearful acts of God are done in praise that is why the enemy does his best to keep you far from praise. He brings many thoughts of prayer requests yet on answered, bad situations or events, even jobs yet undone. However, you must be smarter than the devil. Make him know that in spite of all of these things, God is still very faithful and he deserves your genuine praise and gratitude. It is only in praise that gates lift up their heads and mountains are levelled out. For you to experience the turnaround power in praise, you must get rid of these enemies of praise:

1. Murmuring and Complaining:

The Bible says, Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer (1 Corinthians 10:10). No matter how sincere your complaints are, you must always yield to this advice. Murmuring is a trap of the devil to get you off God’s provisions and help for you. It makes you stop seeing what God has done, so you could focus on what you think He has not yet done.

The truth is: Every time you murmur, you invite the destroyer and everything you complain about never increase. But when murmuring stops, accomplishment and triumphs begin. If you can actually sit to think, you will realise that God has done the important things for you; and for these, He deserves your praise. For those who truly are grateful, there is always something to thank God for.

2. A sorrowful heart:

Sorrow, just like complaints is an enemy of praise and whatever stops your praise is an enemy of your destiny. The Bible says: A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones (Proverbs 17:22). There are two major causes of a sorrowful heart, which is hopelessness and following after other gods.

When you become hopeless on any situation, you feel sorrowful. The devil cannot close your case until you give in to him. So, maintain your hope in God and that circumstance will be turned around for good. In the same vein, those who follow after other gods always gets sorrow in return (Proverbs 16:4). Other gods do not necessarily mean graven images, but it could also mean anything you place above God, such as your job, money, people, materials possession, etc. It is only God that blesses and adds no sorrow, so let your devotion be on Him alone.

3. Offences:

Offence is a negative reaction to unpleasant conditions. It could be against God or man. A man who is offended towards God says, “Why me?” “is God’s Word still true?” The truth is: the devil uses offences to put you off the path of God, so you don’t receive help from Him.

Many are stranded today because they are offended in God. When you are offended, your defense is broken and the serpent can bite. One way to get off offences is to be patient. Patience is needed to enjoy the fullness of God’s plan for your life. When you free yourself from anger against God, you have released yourself into a world of exploits and blessings.

The love of God’s Word delivers from offences. Always find solace in His Word, no matter the situation you are confronted with. if you have lost anything, He is the reason why you have not lost everything. So, be grateful.

4. Covetousness:

The worth of a man is not in his possession. Covetousness entails inordinate desire for what another person possesses. When we have a passionate desire for what others have, it is like telling God that you are not happy with what you have. Nothing is ever enough for the covetous, but contention is the only cure for it. The Bible says: But godliness with contention is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6). When you are content, you become praiseful because you realise that God is the source of all that you have and this brings you to outstanding liftings.

5. Clinging to the Past:

You cannot live a life of praise until you let go of the negative past. You cannot praise God with burdens in your heart. Looking at your negative past all the time will make things negative for you. Let go and give room for God to restore you (Isaiah 43:18-19). Let all the troubles of the past rest, as the only thing to remember in the past are testimonies of triumphs and exploits.

6. High-mindedness:

This is the condition where an individual sees everything as below his expectation. He sees himself as too much for where he is and hardly appreciates the acts of God in his life. This is a device of the enemy to turn one against God, by portraying Him as unfaithful and slow.

Life is in phases, and until you learn to accept and appreciate where you are per time, you may never experience the next level you desire. There is nothing wrong in desiring bigger things, but the fulfilment of your dreams should be left in the hand of God. Believe God that where you are now is your best state and as you celebrate His faithfulness in your life, you will find yourself in the next phase He has prepared for you.

To be totally free from any of these enemies to praise, you need the help of the Holy Spirit. This help is only available to those who are born again by accepting Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of their lives. If you have not done this, or may have drawn back at some point, then you should say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are born again and now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

You are welcome to another segment of this wonderful teaching for the month. Everyone desires a breakthrough at one point or the other, but not everyone knows how to get it. No matter where you are today, there is always a need for improvement and you cannot get the turnarounds you desire by your own hands, you need to provoke such by a breakthrough power before it can occur.

One of the proven breakthrough tools to your desired miracle, turnaround or change is praise. From our previous teachings, you have understood that praise is not just singing or clapping of hands, it is showing respect, honour and gratefulness with the use of your whole heart, spirit and body, despite your circumstances.

Dr. David Oyedepo said: “Praise is a spiritual weapon that has the capacity to crush our toughest and roughest battles in life.” Living a life of praise is not only the most enjoyable way to live, but it is also one of the most powerful ways to change your life. From scriptures, we understand that every genuine ‘praiser’ of God experienced a life of triumph at all levels. Praise warfare has been known to rescue people from very dangerous and difficult situations.

One of the greatest misconceptions concerning praise is that it is something we do for God. However, we must know that God does not need our praise, but certainly, He deserves it. Praise is more beneficial to you, as it gives you victory over the devil. It touches everything and every part of your life. Likewise, a lack of praise affects you in a negative way; it turns the devil loose in your life and that does not give glory to God.

What are some of the Benefits of Praise?

Ø         Praise ushers us into the realm of wonders without end (Exodus 15:11)

A praiseful lifestyle brings you to the position where you will be wondered at, because no opposition or obstacle can withstand God’s presence. Praise gives you the ultimate benefit that God’s presence guarantees and you experience diverse miracles through praise. Friend, praise is your surest access to any kind of miracle you desire from God.

Ø         The more praiseful you are; the deeper access you have to revelations from God’s Word (Psalm 16:11/ Isaiah 30:29-30)

Praise and thanksgiving ushers you into the realms of unending revelations. Paul was a great ‘praiser’ (Philippians 4:4); even in difficult situations such as imprisonment, he still gave God praise (Acts 16:25-26) and He was also a man of great revelations (2 Peter 3:15-16; 2 Corinthians 12:7). Praise give you access to the help of the Holy Spirit, Who is the custodian of the secrets of God. When you give God adequate praise, He revels deeps things to you that gives you dominion in life.

Ø         The more praiseful you are, the more you flow in the supernatural (Exodus 15:11/ Acts 16:25-30)

High praises is an avenue for the flow of the supernatural. I have heard and seen the dead come back to life through praises, as well as diverse healings and manifestations experienced during praise. Judah had a breakthrough over their enemies through praise, and that guaranteed them rest roundabout (2 Chronicles 20:17-14). The wall of Jericho was levelled out through praise (Joshua 6:20). You too can engage in it for your supernatural victory over the battles of life.

Ø         The more praiseful you are, the more honourable your life becomes (Psalm 50: 23/ 1 Samuel 2:30)

Praise places your focus on God, thereby giving Him all the honour due to Him. Praise is giving honour to God and He said they that honour me I will honour (1 Samuel 2:30). Therefore, when you live a lifestyle of praise, you receive honour in return.

Ø         The more praiseful you are, the more fruitful you become (Joel 1: 11-12/ Psalm 67:5-7)

Praise and thanksgiving qualifies you for more of God’s blessings. Dr. David Oyedepo would always say: “When you thank God for His finger, you will see His hand and when you thank Him for His hand, you will see His outstretched arm.” Praise qualifies you for more from God. For instance, Hannah the mother of Samuel praised God for the gift of a son and he added five more to her (1 Samuel 2:21). Whatever you praise God for gets multiplied.

Ø         The more praiseful you are, the more anointed you become (Psalm 89: 20-21/ Psalm 119:164)

Every ‘praiser’ of God is anointed with fresh oil for exploits and to subdue every enemy (Psalm 149:6-9). This is because praise guarantees your lifting and His anointing protects you against all the devises of the wicked. So, God always anoints the ‘praiser’ to match up with the lifting of his/her life.

Ø         The more praiseful you are, the greater the breakthroughs you command (Psalm 114:1-9/1 Samuel 30:6-9)

Praise does not only come when everything is going right in our lives; it is a driving force to greater breakthroughs. Praise directs our focus on God, thereby provoking unquestionable victories. Unlimited breakthroughs will be your portion in Jesus’ name!

You must however know that all these benefits only accrues to those who are born again. To the unbeliever, your praise is as noise to God. Hence, if you must praise God acceptably, you must first surrender your life to Him. You do this by accepting Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of your life. If you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, then say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are born again and now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Dear Reader, you are welcome to another segment of this teaching. I began last week by showing you a very cogent reason why you must continually praise God and what this praise entails. In this edition, I will be dwelling more on the efficacy of praise and how you can employ this viable missile in tackling the issues that confront you and your family.

Christians all over the world are very quick to ask anyone confronted with a challenge if they have prayed about it. People even contract prayers out and gather so many people to pray concerning issues that they feel is threatening to them. Not that this practice is wrong, but many people never really consider the effectiveness of praise to getting their desired answers from God.

Everybody knows about prayer, so much that even when their prayers are not answered, they don’t bother to find out why. They just keep on praying until they get tried. You can take a clue from Paul and Silas. They were bound with chains and had the threat of death on their lives. They prayed to God for deliverance but it still seemed farfetched, and then they switched on to praise. The Bible says: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed (Acts 16:25-26).

When you are confronted with situations stronger than you, stop struggling, rather switch to praise and celebration of God from the depth of your heart. God is always fearful in praises and He does wonders when you give Him quality praise from your heart (Exodus 15:11). So, that war in your home, body, office and finance are issues that praise-warfare can handle. As you begin to praise God today, He will take over your battles and grant you victory in Jesus’ name.

But How do you Engage in Praise?

1. Generate a heart of Joy.

One of the greatest assets to fulfilment in life is joy. When you are joyless, you are helpless. Joy is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. It is far deeper than happiness, because it comes from God and does not depend on happenings around.

The truth is: Without God you can do nothing and without joy, you cannot access God. Praise brings you into God’s presence and in His presence is fullness of joy. It takes joy to give acceptable praise to God. Joy is an expression of your gratitude to God for all He has done, is still doing and will do. So, when you praise God, it is not just the singing that registers to God, but a heart full of joy that provokes Him to manifest in the midst of your praise.

A life of joy focusses on the future; it is full of expectation for a bright and better tomorrow. Many people expect to experience great things, but not many people believe that great things will happen to them. The only way to prove that you believe is to be joyful because you need joy to arrive at the future you desire.

But what is the Source of Joy?

• The Holy Spirit: He is God’s great provision for a life of endless joy. He releases the force of joy which keeps you rejoicing in spite of circumstances or situations around you. It takes being filled with the Holy Spirit to flow in joy. For the Bible says: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17).

True joy is guaranteed only by the Holy Spirit. He is also called the Oil of Gladness (Psalm 45:7). The Holy Spirit gives you joy by helping you see the goodness of God, even in adverse situations.

• The Word: One of the great sources of joy is the Word of God. When you discover the right Word in any situation you are confronted with, it stirs joy on the inside. However, you must understand that your principal access to God’s Word is the Holy Spirit. He opens your eyes to the truth written about you in God’s Word and that keeps you rejoicing at all times. The Bible says: I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil (Psalm 119:162).

God’s Word gives energy to your joy, thereby boosting your praise. That is why those who cling to God’s Word are never edgy or easily provoked; they are not controlled by circumstances around them, but only by what the Word says.

2. Praise with Faith.

Faith in God also triggers praise. It stirs your heart to begin to rejoice and praise God as one who has already received his/her expectations. Every man strong in faith is naturally strong in praise, because as far as he is concerned the case is settled with God.

However, joy is the evidence of faith. The magnitude of your faith is expressed through the strength of your joy. When you believe God’s Word, you will continue to celebrate it. From today, the joy of God will never depart from you and your household in Jesus name.

You must however know that you cannot praise acceptably without first surrendering your life to Christ. You do this by accepting Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of your life. If you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, then say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are born again and now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Dear Reader, Peace and blessings to you in the name of Jesus Christ! Congratulations and Happy New Year! It is an awesome privilege from God to be well and healthy in this brand new year. Be expectant, as God will be unveiling great and wondrous things to you in the course of the year.

You might be in the dark as to what this year holds for you and your family. Maybe last year wasn’t so favourable either; as all of your expectations were not met. But I have good news for you today, God is set to surprise you beyond your wildest imagination. He is set to turn your story around for good and to make you a living testimony among men. However, you must take the first step of giving Him the Praise He deserves.

You might be wondering, but why should I praise Him? I am not where I ought to be or I don’t have what I desire. But the Bible says: For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion (Ecclesiastes 9:4). So, as long as you are alive, there is hope for a better year and praise is a trigger to receiving our expectations from God. This is why to begin this glorious year; I will be teaching on: Transformational Power of Praise.

Why Praise?

Praise is a fundamental weapon in the hands of the believer. It is your cheapest weapon for gaining access to God’s presence which qualifies you for answers and interventions from Him. Unfortunately, people have so neglected the power of praise. But, I have personal proofs that praise works wonders. It is capable of turning impossible situations around.

The truth is: the greatest obstacle you are confronted with in life will not require more than genuine praise from the depth of your heart to clear off. The inhabitants of Judah were confronted by three great nations – Moab, Ammon and Mount Seir. It was very evident that their ability or number did not match up to the expertise of these nations; so, their loss in the battle was glaring. However, the Bible states: And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped (2 Chronicles 20:22-24).

The battle did not require more than praise to record great victory. Same goes for you. You can praise your way out of any situation of life; sickness, poverty, misfortune, etc. When you pray, God answers, but when you praise, He steps into your situation in glory, might, power and awesomeness.

Someone once testified:

I suffered from a disease condition named Avascular necrosis of the femoral head for 23 years. The left femoral head was flat, out of its socket and protruded at the hip.

Also, my left leg was shorter and thinner than the right, which resulted in pain at my hip for years. I participated in the Midst of the Year outreaches and engaged the altar of sacrifice. I also attended one of the Hosanna Services and during the service, I heard cracking bones but thought it was my imagination. When the Bishop instructed us to start praising God, I looked at my knees and said, ‘O Lord, if only these two knees will become equal.’ Notwithstanding, I danced very much during the praise session.

In the evening, I was with my daughters when I realized that the difference between the two legs, which was about 40mm, was no longer there. Also, that leg became fatter, the protruded left femur was reinserted into the socket and my knees were equal.

Now, I can walk with my left foot flat on the ground. The God of Bishop David Oyedepo has proved himself to be the only true God. I give Him all the glory! —Mrs. Omolara A.

What is Praise?

Praise is appreciating God for His person. If you can come to an understanding of who God is to you, then it will be easy to give Him quality praise. Praise does not focus on happenings but on the faithfulness of God. His faithfulness can be linked to His personality, which is that He is kind, patient, gentle, forgiving, merciful, etc. If indeed, God has been all of these and more to you, then praise will come easy for you.

Praise is giving honour and adoration to God. He deserves your worship, how you feel notwithstanding. Someone was once faced with a life-threatening situation where he required oxygen and had to pay for it. At the end of the ordeal, he realized he had been breathing freely for years, without being charged by God for it. For your breath, health, life, family, peace, etc., you owe God adoration.

David was a man full of praise and he became a man after God’s heart. When you praise God, you endear yourself to Him. God will always be mindful of you, attending speedily to your needs. This is why satan is always against your praising God; he knows every battle over your life can be won cheaply through praise and he does not want that to happen. Why not be smarter than the devil today, and show him that you know how to give God quality praise. You will see Him turn that concern to a testimony for you!

However, you must know that you cannot praise God acceptably without first surrendering your life to Him. You do this by accepting Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of your life. If you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, then say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are born again and now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Merry Christmas! You are most welcome to this week’s teaching. For the past three weeks now, I have been teaching on attaining family dominion. I have been able to make you understand that you are the builder of your home. I also told you that to have dominion, you must be in agreement with your spouse, build your marriage firmly on God by having a genuine relationship with Him and also depart from external influences.

This week, I will be examining two other vital keys that make for a dominion-filled home. I refer to them as the nuggets for Christians who desire to reap all the blessings of the marriage covenant. These keys are: LOVE and EXCITEMENT

Love is a potent force in the quest for family dominion. It is the magnetic force that brings about agreement. It is what empowers you to genuinely walk with God and bring sweetness to your home. Everything in the Kingdom of God works by love and so does your marriage and family life. Love is a vital force for sweet relationship. No wonder the late Mother Theresa, a Nobel peace prize winner, when asked, “What is the solution for world peace?” answered, “Let everyone go home and love their families.” Love is the solution to every marital crisis! The Word of God says, Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always, trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

The above scripture enumerates the characteristics of love. You can’t claim to love your spouse or family members when any of these is missing in your attitude towards them. The love responsibility is the master key to a dominating marital life. Love is the instrument a man uses to make his wife a glorious woman, without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. For the woman, love also makes submission very easy to practice.

Do you want a victorious home, void of quarrels or tension, then the key is love. Love your spouse as yourself; do to your spouse only what you can do to yourself. Love is the price you pay for a glorious home. It must be without hypocrisy and see good even while assessing a wrong action.

The opposite of love is selfishness. This is a plague that has destroyed many homes, and rendered many innocent children homeless in the society today. It is an abnormal affection for self and pursuit of selfish desires at the expense of your spouse or other members of your family.

Selfishness is one of the traps of the devil. So, if you desire a sweet home, you must not give room to it. Maintain a standard of self-control and discipline in your home, by running your home in accordance with the Word of God.

Another plague that prevents love from flourishing in most Christian homes is anger. It carries very costly consequences. It has ruined the destiny of most homes. It steals the seeds of love from homes, and replaces it with the seeds of discord, hatred and strife. Watch it! Stop it before it rubs you of a sweet home!

God’s remedy for anger is: Let every man be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to be angry (James 1:5). You should, therefore, encourage your family members to love one another so that you can escape every trap of the enemy and enjoy the blessings of God as a family.

Excitement

Joy and excitement are the spices of life. Unfortunately, however, they are the major things lacking in most homes today. Some couples even find it difficult to smile at one another. But the Word of God says, Rejoice, and again I say rejoice (Philippians 4:4). The home is not meant to be dull or silent as a result of cold wars between husband and wife or lack of love between family members. The home is meant to be a place of excitement.

Look at this testimony:

I have been married for over 12 years; but what I am enjoying now, I’ve never enjoyed since I got married. I thank God for His Word to me through you. You taught and laid emphasis on wives being submissive to their husbands in everything, just like the church submits to Christ. My understanding opened and I said, “Lord, from this day, I know that obedience is the key”. Thus, since that day. I have been enjoying what all my fasting, binding and loosing couldn’t deliver to me. I thank God that now it’s like I am wedded anew. Also, just yesterday morning, to confirm God’s faithfulness in my home, my husband gave me a cheque for one hundred thousand Naira, which I cashed this morning. I now enjoy peace, love and harmony. Adebayo, L

The Word of God say: If I make you sad, who is going to make me happy? You are the ones to do it, and how can you if I cause you pain?” (2 Corinthians 2:2TLB). God created the family in such a way that the joy and pain of each member affect the other family members. You are the one to create excitement in your home. Instead of being a problem to your family, why not create an atmosphere of excitement? Don’t give room to sadness in your home!

You need to give your life to Jesus to give it all it takes for building a sweet home. Are you ready to give your life to Christ? You can’t however, love effectively without accepting the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. If you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, then say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Dear Reader, we started this teaching last week by examining how being in agreement with your spouse spiritually, physically and mentally brings dominion to your home. In today’s teaching, I shall examine another vital key to having access to God’s dominion plan for your family. This is titled: Relationship With God.

God has made available and set in motion all that is required for you to exercise dominion in your home. His Word says: For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God (Hebrews 3: 4).  He is the foundation for the family. It is the heritage of every believer to have a crisis-free family; God has no respecter of persons.  He loves his children equally, For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him (Romans 10:12). It is a man’s input that determines the difference in results.

Dominion does not just drop on people, you have your part to play to attain dominion. You need to take personal responsibility to walk in family dominion because every achievement of man is worked for. God and man are the senior and junior partners respectively. Hence man needs to know his part and play it out in the script of destiny. This is called Word practice.

¨   The place of Word-practice can never be over emphasised especially when one desires to enjoy God’s blessings.

¨   In working and walking with someone, it is good to know the person’s likes, dislikes and expectations.  This simply means being in relationship with God.

Material for Building

Relationship with God:

• The vibrancy of man’s relationship with God, determines that of his relationship with men, especially his family members.
• Difficulty in relating with family members is an indication of a non-existent relationship with God.

How Does Your Relationship with God Help You to Build a Crisis-Free Family?   

• Remember that your relationships mould your life and destiny. Therefore, whoever you company with is who you will be like.
• When God’s nature rubs off on you, you are injected with his kind of personality. God loves sacrificially and unconditionally; so, loving your family members in the same way becomes a way of life for you.
• An understanding of the fact that “All Things Are Yours” dawns on you.
• You imbibe his mentality. God thinks good of us hence your thoughts about your spouse, children, in-laws etc. will also be good.
• You receive His wisdom for discretion to handle and relate with everyone in your family.
• You become godlier. The godlier you become the godlier your family becomes and the farther away crisis.
• He supplies his unfailing help and grace, which man needs, to live crisis-free in his family life.

Ingredients of A Veritable Relationship with God

1. Communing:

Communing is the art of having intimate conversation, passing across information, feelings, thoughts, and emotions to another person, the Bible says: Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured (Proverbs 27:18).

You can’t claim to know someone, who you don’t commune with. Communication is the life wire of any relationship.

2. Communication With God Involves:

• Talking to him in prayer as a child would to his earthly father. You discuss issues with him and express your thoughts and desires to him.
• Listening to him through the study of the Word and meditation
• Receiving Rhema from within your heart, which instructs and inspires you.

3. Love and Respect (Luke 7: 7, 8)

• If you love and respect God, love and respect for and from your spouse would be easy to achieve.
• Love and respect for your husband/wife will become your second nature.
• A woman who loves God will receive a harvest of love from her husband.
• A woman who respects God will find it a natural thing to respect her husband.
• A man who respects God, will receive a harvest of respect from his wife.
• A man who loves God will find it a natural thing to love his wife.

In conclusion, God has set up and made his specifications known to man about having dominion, which includes a vibrant relationship with him. Therefore, anyone who complies will reap desirable results. However, you can’t, walk in agreement without accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. The grace to walk in agreement and dominion come from God and is readily available to His children. If you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, then say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Dear Reader, peace and blessings in the name of Jesus Christ. It is the last month of this great year and God usually reserves the best of everything for the last. This means, in this last month, your family shall experience the fulfilment of God’s choicest blessings on all your life endeavours in Jesus’ name.

It will be a great month for you, as the Bible states: Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness (Psalm 65:11). Thus, goodness, grace, favour and peace shall follow you this month and forever. In this last month of the year, I will be teaching you on: Dominion: God’s Master Plan for the Family.

When God formed the first family – Adam and Eve, the foremost blessings He placed on them is: …let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth (Genesis 1:26). This also applies to your family; you were created for dominion.

Dominion, among other things, connotes, sovereignty, control, supremacy, dominance, authority, etc. God wants you to have control over your marital life and family. It is not His will for you to be tormented, oppressed or harassed by the devil. The fights, quarrels and divorce people are confronted with in the world today, is not God’s intent for your home. His will is that you have control and authority over what buffets your home. One of the ways God has designed for this dominion to take place is through the key of agreement.

What is Agreement?

This is the state of being in accordance with your spouse and other family members over vital issues of life that relate to you or bind you together. This can include, spirituality, morality, etc. Agreement is the act of coming to mutual decisions or positions on issues. Therefore, to enjoy family dominion, couples must always be in agreement, as disagreement can shut the windows of heaven over you.

The Bibles states: Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 18:19). Any man who is alone can easily be overcome. Agreement gets your desires over your family done cheaply because there is always combined energy that brings about great victory. This is why the devil takes special delight in tampering with agreement in homes. He knowns that once disagreement has creeped in, dominion is at stake.

However, this agreement must be in three dimensions:

1. Agreement in the Spirit: When a couple is in agreement spiritually, they have in their hands one of the most potent and greatest forces. For instance, in the Bible, some people in agreement tried to build a tower that would reach up to God: And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do (Genesis 11:6). Nothing can be withheld from a family that is in spiritual agreement. It does not mean they will not be challenged, but they can never be defeated; because in their unity lies what it takes to overcome any challenge. Spiritual agreement includes; agreement in prayer, the Word, fellowship, service towards God, Kingdom advancement endeavours, giving, worship, etc.

For instance, if my husband tells me today, that God has sent him to Chad to start a ministry, there will be no need to argue or fight over it because there is a covenant between us to serve God wholeheartedly.

2. Bodily Agreement: This entails not being committed to any other person physically, but to your spouse. I often feel very sorry for people who commit adultery, all in the name of “enjoying themselves”. They not only destroy themselves, but the family God has given them. The Bible states: But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away (Proverbs 6:32-33). This will not be your portion in Jesus name.
3. Soul/mental Agreement: In the realm of the mind, you should share the same thoughts, imaginations about your home, life and future, dreams and aspirations. Just as it is in Genesis 11:6, a husband and wife can also be totally united, believing the same thing and sharing unity in faith.

If both parties will only purpose to be in total agreement on all issues concerning their home, it will be impossible for barrenness, financial difficulties and every other oppressions of the devil to have access to them. One of the vital ways agreement can be enhanced in the home is when the husband takes the responsibility of giving vision and direction to his wife as received from God. Note that, if your wife knows where you are headed per time, she will be willing to follow you. For the woman, if your husband know you will be submissive to his vision and direction, he will also be willing to carry you along. So, couples must learn to walk in their role, to command dominion in marriage.

However, you can’t, walk in agreement without accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. The grace to walk in agreement and dominion come from God and is readily available to His children. If you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, then say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Dear Reader, the marriage institute is currently facing one of its greatest attacks today, more than at any other period in history. The family needs the help of God to be sustained and protected from the calamities, troubles, woes that befalls it daily, more than ever before.

We have sought help from man, through counselling sessions, but this seems inadequate; we now require God intervention for a miracle. However, you must understand that God’s help is always available to us. He can reach you, no matter the present state of your family.

Although, it is your responsibility to build your home, but the ultimate builder is God (Hebrews 3:4). Whatever is built outside of Him, has no future.

Marriage is a miracle! However, as it is with all miracles, you need to seek light from God’s Word and diligently obey every instruction He gives, to get a miracle from Him. Daily, we see men and women seeking after soothsayers and seers, to know whom to marry. Some highly placed and educated young men and ladies creep stealthily into the dingy abodes of herbalists to know the cause of their marital delays.

It is not a common thing to see couples running after palm readers, fortune-tellers and astrologers, just to find out what the future holds for their marriages, and how they can be guided into glorious homes. But, for the redeemed, God doesn’t leave us to guess and grope through life. That is why He said, Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not (Jeremiah 33:3).

A man is made up of his thoughts. What you think of your marriage and family makes it what it is. You can’t think obstacles in your marriage and have miracles. You can’t think of marriage as a necessary evil, and experience a glorious marriage, because sweet marriages and homes are basically provoked by your thoughts.

Glorious marriages are no chances, they are choices. You can choose what happens to your marriage and family by the way you think. You have the mind of Christ, the miracle mind, and miracle minds don’t think obstacles in marriage or consider obstacles in the home. So, do not carry obstacle thoughts when looking for a life partner. Do not think impossibilities when you are looking up to God for miracle babies. The two don’t go together.

Do you know that most couples cannot build matrimonial homes, because of obstacle thoughts? Many don’t even eat good food because they don’t know where tomorrow’s meal will come from. Some couples think of nothing good about their family, but obstacles. Hence they wallow in abject failure and frustration without knowing that a man’s thoughts today make him what he would be tomorrow.

Nobody builds a tower without an adequate preparation and a strong foundation. You must first desire a tower before you can build one. Do not enter into a marriage covenant without an expectation. If you expect the best, it will be yours (Proverbs 23: 18).

Someone once came to me for counseling. She had been having a very tough time in marriage. As she spoke, I discovered that the root cause of her problems was her wrong perspective about marriage. She had expected grief and calamity, so when the storms rose against her marriage, she began to cry, saying, “They told me it will be like this.” Below is a testimony that will further help your perspective in your marriage.

“I used to worship in a place where the pastors believe that ‘misunderstanding brings about understanding’ One day, the lady pastor asked me if I had ever had any serious quarrel with my wife (then my fiancée), and I said, ‘No’.  She said we had not started, that until we quarreled and fought, we would not know if we truly loved each other.

We started having problems in our home after our marriage.  But when I came here, I heard the Bishop say, ‘ I have not had the first argument with my wife.’ I told my wife that if what the man of God was saying was the truth, then we’ve been in the wrong place, where we had been fed with the wrong food spiritually.  So, we decided to start worshipping here.

We told ourselves, ‘what this man of god has seen that is making his marriage sweet, we also must discover it.’  and then i was in wofbi full-time programme.  After each lecture, i would go back home and teach my wife the same thing, and today, to the glory of god, we don’t have misunderstandings anymore!” –Ibiang, a.i.

God has promised to grant your expectations, whether good or bad. So, let your expectations be based on God’s Word, for it is higher than any evil experience or information you may have had or heard about marriage (Proverbs 10:24).

If you are already married, there is still a chance to change all negative expectations. As a couple, discuss your positive expectations and I guarantee that things will work out more smoothly in your home.

Unmarried ladies and young men, what do you expect in marriage? Your expectations shall not be cut off (Proverbs 23:18). Before we got married, my husband and I made discoveries from God’s Word that made us expect a hitch-free marriage. Our testimony today: Those expectations have not been cut off.

I believe you have been mightily blessed by this teaching. So, as I pray for your family, believe God for a unique touch in your home. You will have a testimony!

In the Name of Jesus, I ask for the hand of God to rest heavily on your home. Because marriage is a miracle, I declare that from today, you begin to enjoy God’s goodness and honour in your marriage!

To have a miracle marriage, you need to first of all receive the Miracle Worker into your life.  You can do so by confessing your sins and saying this prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).