COMPASS DEVOTIONAL

“WHY SHOULD I BE SLEEPING IN THE MORNING?” Danielle has a pattern where she wakes up very early. There are times when she wakes up when she hears us praying. This day, when Irewamiri saw the look on her face, she was prompted to ask whether Danielle would still love to sleep. Her response shook both of us: “Why should I be sleeping in the morning?” First, it takes understanding and maturity to be aware that there is a time for everything. Once a man knows the importance of times and seasons, it makes the journey of his life more meaningful. He knows where to be at a time and what to do. A “baby” is a time waster. He lacks awareness of times and seasons. He is sleeping when others are working. Such grows up to become a son who brings sorrow to the parents. As good as sleep is, there is a time when sleep should be taboo. Know the importance of the season you’re in and the wise son you will be. But what a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity! Proverbs 10:5 TPT Second, there is such a thing as taking the wings of the morning, and there is such a thing as the womb of the morning. If I take the wings of the morning… Psalms 139:9 NKJV Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. Psalms 110:3 NKJV To take the wings of the morning means that you take flight once the day starts. It means you are not joking with the day. You take advantage of the morning to fly. You do not dwell on the failure or success of yesterday. It is a new day, and you have to take it with seriousness. The womb of the morning says to us that every new day is an opportunity to birth a new thing. However, the determinant of a great day is in the morning. A man who wastes his morning has wasted his day. The life cycle of a man is divided into morning, afternoon, and night (M.A.N.). A man who lacks awareness and wastes his morning and wakes up in the afternoon is already running against time. That is why you see some men running with the urgency of a latecomer. They woke up very late in life. What are you doing with your morning season of the day and your life? Catch the flight of the morning. Invest in the womb of the morning. It will birth greatness for you. ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

HIS RULES ARE FOR MY GOOD We had the most fun in our neighbours' house- they had bicycles we could ride. They also had the television games and then the handheld Nintendo game. It was every child’s dream to own one. But there was a challenge: Their Dad had rules! We had such rules as you only play games at selected hours during the weekend. If you are caught with it on weekdays, you have signed up for trouble. Truth be told, we could not keep to his rules. We found our way around the rules. We would play the games while we took turns to watch out for their Dad’s return. If we spot him coming home before his usual time, we all “disappeared” to our various houses. How can you provide and surround us with so much excitement and still place rules and limitations on us? Why? We always felt he did not want us to enjoy the best of life. Today, we know better. This is also the game the devil plays. He wants you to feel like God does not have your best interest at heart. He tells you his commandments are just unnecessary restrictions. What was his first question? It was to question what God has commanded: “Did God really say?” When the woman responded, what did he tell her? “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”” Genesis 3 : 4 - 5 NLT For instance, the Lord says to live a pure life and abstain from sexual immorality, which includes fornication and adultery. The devil comes to tell you that it is just a way of denying you the fun of sexual exploration and satisfaction. He tells you, “God does not want you to have fun”. He thrives on deception. Meanwhile, God knows that once boundaries are removed, blessings can become a curse. Sex is good. God created it. It must, however, be within the confines of holy matrimony. Sex in marriage is a blessing. Sex outside of marriage is bondage. In the former, you bond! In the latter, you are bound. The rules of God are for your benefit. Settle that early. If you think you are smarter than God, you will sleep on the bed of regrets. Do not be deceived. Live as he has commanded, not as you please. ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

UNCONQUERED FLESH WILL ALWAYS PROTEST I watched a bit of wrestling matches as a teenager. When two wrestlers are in the ring, the goal is always to weaken and then defeat the opponent. Without weakening the opponent, you cannot defeat him. You would see the wrestlers pin the opponent down while the official counts to three with a tap. As long as the wrestler can still react within the count time, the match continues. Some will react the moment the count starts. At some point, you would think the match was already won, but just before the third count, the opponent reacts and refuses to give up. Until he is weakened and unable to respond, the match continues. The match is over when there is no response from the opponent. In the same way, there is a battle going on between the flesh and the spirit. The spirit wars against the flesh and the flesh wars against the spirit. “For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.” Galatians 5 : 17 AMPC The goal of the flesh is to ensure that you do not do the will of the Spirit. You must ensure it does not achieve that goal. How do you do this? Weaken the Flesh. Worship. Yield your body as a living sacrifice to the Lord. Let there be no doubt as to the one who owns that body. Is it the temple of the Lord or a den of robbers? Engage in Fasting. Fasting weakens the flesh. Once you notice that lust and its accomplices are rearing an ugly head. Engage in a fast. Weaken the flesh. Agree with the Spirit and the Word. Do what the word says, whether it feels comfortable or not. Follow the instructions and prompt of the Holy Spirit. That is how you make significant progress. Kingdom Actions. Take out kingdom actions. Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness. Win souls. Put God first. The flesh can never carry out divine instructions. The flesh wants to dominate your life. The flesh ensures you do not bear the fruit of the Spirit. The flesh is not your friend. Weaken it before it weakens you. Rule over it. ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

HOW TO BE CONSISTENT TILL THE END During my secondary school days, I had a resumption routine for new sessions. I would get three pens and a ruler. My notes were always extra neat. After writing every topic or subtopic, I would neatly underline it with a red pen. It was always a double line. I would write with all sense of caution, avoiding making any mistakes. By the fourth week, the ruler was already missing, and I began to use the freestyle to draw the red line. By the sixth week, the red one was already missing. Some weeks later, I had already skipped notes. I am sure you understand what I am describing! We start out with a lot of energy, but somewhere along the way, we begin to lose the steam and passion that we began with. It happens when we set goals. It happens in some marriages- the burning love is now struggling to glow. For some, it is in business- the passion they started with is lost. For some, it is about their journey of faith- the passion to study, pray and be a solid part of their local church suffers a setback. How do I stay consistent till the end? How do I ensure that I do not lose steam in between? “Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. 2 Thessalonians 1 : 11 MSG Keep your eyes on the end. Do not lose sight of why you began. Keep the vision before you always, so you can run with it. Pray that God will make you fit. Fitness is key to finishing well. If you lose fitness, you will drop off on the way. You will start panting under pressure. Fight to remain fit. Pray for Divine Energy. Ask the Lord to fill your good ideas with His own energy. Let God power that idea. You know it is not by power or by might but by the Spirit of the Lord. This year, you will finish well! Stay consistent. Fight to be fit. Do not lose steam. ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

RESTLESSNESS- A SIGN OF IMMATURITY As a university student, I was not rooted in any local church or fellowship for almost three years. I would go to a fellowship “as led by the Spirit of the Lord”. I thought I was really spiritual. I would be on my way to the fellowship I would normally attend, and then I would hear a voice saying, “Go to this one today”. I would go to a fellowship and would tell myself, “It was the Lord who led me”. For those three years, I was unstable, unpastored and unpredictable. That could not have been the Lord leading me those days. It was my flesh taking advantage of my immaturity. Beloved, one of the signs of immaturity is restlessness. Let us look at scriptures: God plants the solitary in families. To be planted means that I am rooted, watered and nurtured unto fruitfulness. Psalm 68:6 NKJV God sets the solitary in families; A tree that is planted lacks the ability to jump from one place to another or from one church to another. They flourish where they are planted. Psalm 92:12-14 NKJV The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. [13] Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. [14] They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing. If the Lord has led you to a local church, it is to settle there and not to taste and go! When a man keeps going from place to place under the guise of “this is where the Lord led me to today”, such a man will never grow, he will never be accountable, he will never be well-pastored. Such is a dangerous believer. If the Lord indeed is your shepherd, he will make you lie down in green pastures. That is the place of feeding and nourishing. Why are you jumping from place to place? The Spirit of the Lord is not a wandering Spirit. Stop using “God told me” as a cover for your immaturity. Which church are you in? Simple question. Who is your pastor? Simple Question. Stop sharing some carnal deep revelation. Grow up! ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

“I CAN NEVER FORGIVE HIM” Years back, before ministry started, I walked out of my room after some moments of prayer, and I had a word from the Lord for the first person I saw. I said to her: “The Lord said to say to you, “Your Life is just about to begin, but there is someone you are refusing to forgive.” She said to me, “I say yes to the fact that my life is about to begin, but forgive that person, I can never forgive him”. I asked her to speak to me, and she poured out her heart. She dated a young man with whom she ended up doing all sorts and for quite unimaginable things. After the worst happened, the boyfriend dumped her and called her a rag. Just a few days before I saw her, he called to tell her he was getting married. She felt used. She cursed him, his marriage and his unborn children. One of the things that will give the devil a perpetual grip on your life is an unforgiving spirit. If you realise that you keep struggling as a believer and you stay in the cycle of your past, you need to check if you are not keeping the property of the devil. An unforgiving spirit is a fertile ground for sickness to thrive. A bitter spirit cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit. If the devil succeeds in leaving the seed of an unforgiving attitude, he will return to check for the fruit that it will bear- bitterness, and if not careful, diseases can also sprout. The devil will always return to check if he has a stake in your life. Jesus said so: I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. John 14:30 NKJV The devil will always hang around anyone who has his package. Make sure that he has nothing in your life. One of the major hindrances to answered prayers is an unforgiving spirit. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Mark 11:25 – 26 NKJV Make sure you discard the devil’s baggage. An unforgiving attitude is not a load the human spirit can carry; it is too heavy- you will break down eventually. There is a lot of wisdom in these three words- Let it Go! ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

HOW TO CULTIVATE SPIRITUAL APPETITE The first thing Irewamiri said when I got in was, “Can you imagine what just happened?” I had travelled for about 48 hours. She was pregnant with Danielle. She said that for about 24 hours, she did all she could to get the baby to kick and turn as she would normally do, but nothing happened. She sang. She rubbed her stomach. She played music. She then mentioned that as I drove in, and she heard the sound of the car and then my voice, she began to kick again. We concluded that even a child in the womb knows the voice of the father, delights in it and responds to it. A child in the womb most likely knows when a regular voice has been missing for days. When the Word of God says, “Like newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby,” it means that a person who is in Christ must crave the Word of God like a baby loves to hear the voice of the Father. A child must find delight in the words of His father. There is a generation that does not joke with personal devotion. They called it quiet time. They transferred the maxim “No Bible, no breakfast” to us. What a generation. Their Scripture to back this up is in the Book of Job: “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.” Job 23:12 NKJV Their quiet time translated into family devotion. If you ever grew up in such homes where the bell is rung at 6 am and maybe 9 pm every night, or there was a signal for the family to gather, you are indeed blessed. The word is searched together as a family, and Bible stories come alive. Why must you love the Word of God? It is your daily bread. In the home of one of my childhood friends, bread was always available. It was never lacking at home. We used to even sneak there to eat bread (Matt.4:4) It is required for growth. You cannot grow without the Word of God. Sunday sermons are never enough. It is like an appetiser. Dig in daily. It is your course finder. It shapes your character (Joshua 1:8) It is your nutrient for a fruitful life. You begin to grow and bear the fruit of the Spirit. Such graces do not wither (Psalm 1:1-3). What should you do to the Word? Beloved, read the Bible consistently. I carried a New Testament Bible with me throughout my days in the National Youth Service orientation camp. It was a great companion. Get and read God’s book… Isaiah 34:16 MSG Commit the Word to memory. Some of the Bible verses I know to date are our childhood assignments from family devotion. It is called hiding it in your heart. Your word I have hidden in my heart… Psalms 119:11 NKJV Meditate on the word. You mutter the word to yourself. Bring it from your heart to your mouth to chew on it continually. Practice the Word. There is the blessing of doing. The person who obeys the Word has a better standing than the person who debates the Word. If you keep this pattern to heart and practise it, you will soon realise that most of what the world calls “emotional intelligence” is a life that has been shaped by the Word that is bearing the fruit of the Spirit. ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND PARTY PICTURES There are many times when I have attended functions and had to tell commercial photographers not to bother taking pictures. Despite all the caution, there will still be some who took my pictures without asking. They begin to look for me after the event to collect and pay for pictures that I did not give my nod to. At times, I end up paying out of pity, but there are times I insist that I did not request their for services. Beloved, God is only committed to what He has commissioned. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” Philippians 1:6 NLT Can you imagine getting to your building site and meeting a ton of cement? Then a man approaches you while you are thanking God for the miracle, saying, “I saw you are building here, so I brought you cement for today’s work. Can I get my money?” You will ask him who commissioned him. Beloved, when Adonijah wanted to make himself King, he had to do everything by himself. About that time, David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, “I will make myself king.” So, he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him. 1 Kings 1:5 NLT If you begin it with effort, you will sustain it with effort. If you begin it because it is commanded, you can ask for help from the commissioning officer. A bricklayer may be concerned that there is no more material on site, but the headache of how the material is gotten is that of the owner. On the contrary, when Solomon was selected by King David as his successor, they got things ready for him. “So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the king’s bodyguard took Solomon down to Gihon Spring, with Solomon riding on King David’s own mule.” 1 Kings 1:38 NLT Finally, did you notice that Adonijah got himself chariots, charioteers and 50 men, but Solomon rode on King David’s mule? Listen, one mule with the seal of the King means more than hired chariots. The chariots will look more glamorous, and if you are not careful, you can fall for the glamour of the chariots without realising that they do not have the glory of the King in them. Lord, I will patiently wait for what you alone can bring, even if it is a mule. I refuse to package chariots that do not have your approval. ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

THE STRANGE OPENINGS YOU MUST CLOSE The first time he came to see me after many years, there was so much going on. It was hard making the first appointment we had because their baby took ill and was in the hospital for days. When he recounted all that had happened, I had a witness to tell him to go and straighten himself up and make sure he closes the gap between himself and his wife. There was just too much going on for the enemy to take advantage of. He took to the counsel. He began a journey of detoxifying his life- strange habits had to go, sin must be dealt with, no room for infidelity at all and ensuring the bond of peace between himself and his wife became stronger. Miraculously, all the strange medical conditions began to disappear one after the other. Their child became so strong, smart and healthy. The financial drainpipe stopped. Their finances became better. Their lives improved greatly. The devil lost! First, the devil is always looking for openings and opportunities. He looks for an opportune time: “That silenced the devil’s harassment for the time being. So he retreated until an opportune time.” Luke 4 : 13 TPT Second, He looks for whom to devour and destroy: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5 : 8 NLT He crouches and waits at the door strategically seeking openings: “…the predator is crouching in wait outside the door of your heart. It desires to have you, yet you must be its master.” Genesis 4 : 7 TPT The devil takes advantage of openings. Make sure you give him no openings through sins, careless words or actions. Be careful! “Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].” Ephesians 4 : 27 AMPC Do a spiritual check. Have you created openings? Close it by the blood of Jesus. Close it by repentance. Close it by walking in the path of righteousness. Close it by reconciling quickly with your spouse. Close it and recover all that was stolen. ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

DISOBEDIENT PRAYER WARRIOR? On my way back from obeying the instruction of the Lord to sow our car as a seed, the exhaust coming out of the public transport was discomforting - water was flowing from my eyes with a slight peppering sensation. I could hear those words, “Look at you. See how foolish you are. You gave away your only car. Look at you now”. My response was simple. I began to give thanks to the Lord for the grace to obey, even though it was pretty hard initially. First, obedience is more important than prayer. You cannot be a prayer warrior but a disobedient son or daughter. What did Prophet Samuel say to King Saul when he did not obey God completely, and he wanted to bribe God with a sacrifice? “But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15 : 22 NLT Second, it is dishonour and hypocrisy to keep on praying when the Lord has given you an instruction already. What if Israel stayed and kept praying even though God already told them to move forward? They would have stayed in prayer and would not have seen the Red Sea open, and worse still, Pharaoh would have carried them back to slavery. Those of us who did not know that they had instructions would then begin to ask questions like, “Where was God when Pharaoh attacked and killed the Israelites?” We have no idea that he already made a way of escape that was never taken. When you have gotten an instruction from the Word or heard from the Lord, stop praying. Obey the Lord. Would obedience always be easy? Not always! But is the reward sure? Yes! Hear the Psalmist: “Those who sow their tears as seeds will reap a harvest with joyful shouts of glee. They may weep as they go out carrying their seed to sow, but they will return with joyful laughter and shouting with gladness as they bring back armloads of blessing and a harvest overflowing!” Psalms 126 : 5 - 6 TPT Hold on a moment- Disobedient prayer warrior. How does that sound? ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

LIVE IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE BLESSING In the early years of ministry, I went to visit a dear family that I love dearly. Normally, when I visited as an undergraduate, it was certain that I would leave with some good money in my pocket. Do you know the way a broke student announces to his uncle or aunt the day he will be leaving? If he is leaving on Tuesday, he will start reminding them on Friday. It was always a subtle reminder that they should prepare some cash without saying a lot. It always works. This time around, I announced my departure the day of my arrival. I was to stay for 48 hours. I did not drop any subtle reminders. My uncle and aunt went to work very early, and once it was time to travel, I also returned to base. That evening, my aunt called and said, “Even if you are now a big man and you do not need anything, you should at least let me send something to my sister”. The truth was I needed something, but I made up my mind that it was time to grow up and live in the consciousness of the blessing of God’s call upon my life. The blessing is empowerment to prosper. Every child of God is blessed. When God called Abraham, he was just one person. But by the blessing of the Lord, he was increased. If you are God’s child, you are blessed. If you are called of the Lord, it is unto increase and never unto shame or disgrace. One of the things you must deal with is the mindset of a beggar. A blessed man is not always looking for opportunities to take, but rather he seeks opportunities to give. If you are blessed but do not live in the consciousness of it, you will slave with the blessing on your life. You will be like Jacob in the house of Laban, what took your father a few days to get done, you can struggle for it for 14 years. Isaac got Rebecca from the same place Jacob got Leah and Racheal. A man carrying the blessing was struggling for bread, brides, and the benefit of employment until he came to a breaking point and the sun rose over his life in Peniel. The sun that set at Bethel when he slept symbolically rose when he refused to sleep at Peniel. Everything changed afterwards. One of the most significant things about Jacob was when he met Pharaoh in famine. Jacob was no longer thinking of what he would get. Jacob’s mindset had changed. See this: So, Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from before Pharaoh. Genesis 47:10 NKJV Jacob was now the one blessing Pharaoh. When you live as a blessed student, you will still look for ways to bless your parents, even if it is to buy airtime on their phones periodically. You would not keep saying, “How much do they give me?” When uncles and aunts or relatives visit from overseas, you will not hang around them with all your needs on your face. You will welcome them with a gift, also without thinking of what they brought for you. You will keep seeking opportunities to be a blessing. When you are on a job, you know that no matter what you are paid, you are blessed already. You have no scarcity mindset. You know you transact with favour. You know the oil of gladness is upon your life. When God asks you to give, you do it with joy. You do not start calculating how you will survive. You know that God can take care of and meet your needs. Look at yourself and say, I am blessed. ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

DO NOT BE A PRISONER OF EXPERIENCE As I was wrapping up my service year, my uncle desired that I relocate to the United States to pursue my Masters Degree while I also get to grow in Ministry. Great plans. I had to explain that I am called to serve the call of God in Eruwa. I did not know what was on my uncle’s mind until some years later. He said to me, “Son, we should never use our personal experience to judge the leading of the Lord. I did not want you to go through the things I went through”. I knew what he meant. Beloved, personal experience will remain what it is- personal experience. Some people have been misled because those who have gone ahead used their pain to knock them out of God’s plan and purpose. The fact that you had a bad experience marrying into a tribe does not mean that everyone who is from that tribe is evil and terrible. The fact that you went through a tough time trying to bring about a change does not mean that a person called to the same thing after ten years would have a similar experience. Paul planted. Apollos watered. Your portion of the assignment may be to lay a foundation. You may go through a hard time breaking through rocks. Do not discourage those who are called to erect the walls. Someone will enter rest because they continued in your labour. The Word of God is bigger than our experiences. Jesus can touch to heal or send a word. If two people healed by the Lord Jesus meet, would it not be strange if one of them says to the other, “If Jesus did not touch you, then it is not Jesus that healed you”? That would be weird. In the same way, do not impose your experiences on anyone. Experience is a teacher, but when it comes to the leading of God, the Word is the most objective. Do not let your pain make you impose your standard as the norm on everyone. Some parents want their children to live the dreams they did not live, forgetting that their seeds have their coding and journey from the Lord. They use their personal experience to push their seed out of God’s ordination and calling. You may not agree with people’s experience, but all you need to find out is if it is in line with the Word of the Lord. When Peter took the gospel to the house of Cornelius and the Gentiles. Some of the Jews kicked against it. Peter had to explain. After they listened to Peter, the scriptures said: When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.” Acts 11:18 NLT There are things you have to stop objecting to and begin to praise God for. Do not let your experience pitch you against a divine move. Pray to God: Lord, give me a heart that values your Word above my experiences. ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

WEIRD INSTRUCTIONS THAT PRODUCED WONDERS A dear teacher shared a story once: Some years ago, he was in the queue at his bank to withdraw from the Automated Teller Machine. The Holy Spirit told him to go to another bank to withdraw the money. It felt weird. First, the other bank would mean extra charges. Second, he would have to join another queue again. He obeyed the Holy Spirit. He went to the other bank's ATM. He joined the queue. When he was almost in front, the Holy Spirit told him to leave the queue and step into the bank to open an account. “Ah! Lord, I don’t need another account”. His head interjected. But he obeyed the Holy Spirit. He went into the bank. As he interacted with the Account Opening Officer, someone called him by his old nickname. He was surprised. It turned out to be an old friend he had not seen in many years. They exchanged pleasantries and contacts. Everything seemed ordinary. Some years later, the man he met in the bank was key and instrumental to the purchase of their ministry land and the expansion of the property. This is a transaction worth millions. It took him years to know why the Holy Spirit gave those weird instructions. Beloved, your head seems to have told you that the consequence of disobedience is always some real evil, not all the time. There are times when your disobedience is about the opportunities and relationships in the future that you actually lost. Some of us will not know how weighty our acts of disobedience are until we meet the Lord face to face. Some feel like “Maybe it was my head after all” because nothing evil happened after you disobeyed the prompt to stay in a location rather than travel. Do you know whether you extended an opportunity by another 10 years? Why do you think Eve was confident to hand over the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to Adam? Nothing happened after she ate it. Everything looked just like before. It seemed like God was just restraining them from some great pleasure. So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave it to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. Genesis 3:6-7 NKJV But what happened when Adam ate it? The domino effect of the consequences began to roll in one after the other- nakedness, fear, guilt, sorrow, pain, the curse, death, and other consequences. The fact that nothing happened that you can physically see when you disobeyed does not mean nothing actually happened. You are the one not seeing it. What has disobedience cost you? Do you know the opposite of obedience? Sacrifice. To obey is better than sacrifice. If you do not obey, there is something you are sacrificing, whether you know it or not. What have you or have you unknowingly sacrificed? Is it a generation mouth-watering deal? Is it a relationship that will save your child in 50 years? Is it a counsel that will reposition your ministry forever? Watch it! ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

“I WAS DOING MY ASSIGNMENT” I knew when my girls came in from school. They would come into my office and greet me before they went on to do any other thing that they needed to do. But I heard their voice when they arrived, but did not see my girls come in to greet me. About an hour later, Danielle walked to my office. As she greeted me, I asked her where they both had been while I expected they were coming to greet me. She replied, “But we were busy doing our assignments.” When she said that, I looked at her and said, “Greeting Daddy should come first and not doing assignments.” When I made that statement, the Holy Spirit brought it alive in me. I was preparing a teaching on intimacy with God. I knew what the spirit of the Lord was pointing out to me- Intimacy with God was a priority. Spending time with God is more important than doing things for God. It is possible to get lost in doing things for God that we forget about spending time with God. I can be a great preacher who no longer spends time with the Lord. It is possible to get lost doing things for God while we are meant to do things with him. When Jesus called the twelve, it was a call first to himself and not to an assignment. And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. Mark 3:13 KJV. It is first a call unto him. Anyone who will go for him must go from him. Your coordinates must begin from God’s presence and not your own desire. Look at this: And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, Mark 3:14 KJV Look at the words used, “that they should be with him.” Being with him is a must (a priority). The word “should” is used. But going to preach or on an assignment is a probability. The word used is “might”. If you have lost contact with fellowship and intimacy, anything else you do will just be a struggle. Intimacy precedes assignment. Greet Daddy first! It must be about him first. ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal

ARE YOU TRACKABLE? In the era just before mobile phones became popular, my mum travelled to see my sister at the university. She returned with great joy, and I heard as she shared with my Dad: Upon arrival at the school, they went to look for her in her hostel. When they announced her name over the Public Address system, another student came out who was not her daughter. The Hostel Warden said she should be in the academic area, most likely the library. They proceeded to the library. She described my sister to the attendant, who said, “I think I know her. She came in some minutes ago. I know where she sits to read.” He returned with her a few minutes later. Mum returned home so proud of her daughter. Friends, one of the ways that you earn trust in life is by living a life of accountability. Dear husband, can your wife say for sure where her husband is at any time? Do you know that when you come back home late, and you are questioned, you do not have to get angry? The response to that question is not “cover-up anger.” She is asking because she is worried about you. But if you keep that pattern, she will soon start asking because trust is being eroded. If you refuse to change and she keeps quiet, you did not win at last. Perish that thought! You are already losing your wife and your marriage. There are young ones who complain that their parents do not trust them. Have you forgotten that trust is earned? How will they trust you when you bolt your door behind you like a strong room right under their roof? They have to wait for about three minutes before you get to the door. Do you know they have questions already? Now you really think they will trust you when you say you are going to a place? Why? You have not earned it. Trust is earned. If you are in a church family, you will also need to earn that trust. You cannot be trusted with responsibilities when you appear and disappear at will. Even your ministry head cannot speak about where you are. People who lose their place and lost trust always begin with “hiding things.” That was how Samson began his decline: And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. Judges 14:6 NKJV From that singular action, his decline began. It was easier to return to the same place. After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. Judges 14:8 NKJV He did not stop there. He is now comfortable eating honey from the dead carcass and also shares it: He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion. Judges 14:9 NKJV Embrace the culture of full disclosure. Do not say half-truths. Do not get lost in strategic rationalising. There are times I would buy Irewamiri a gift, and she would ask, “Darling, where did you get the funds for this?” I have to say it all. One of the ways to survive the devil’s antics is to build a strong sense of accountability. Sin does not always start as sin. It begins with breaking the codes of consecration. You will do things that are not sinful but are also not expected of you. If you cannot be confident to mention it, do not start it at all. It will help you. ©️ temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa - > Thank you for receiving God’s Word. Be among the first to receive daily updates here👇🏽👇🏽 > https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5RiAB4CrfZCPGdWs0b > - > Discover powerful, practical teachings from Pastor temilOluwa Ola that will transform your walk with God. 👇🏽👇🏽 > https://t.me/ngccglobal