PRAYER REQUEST

“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth” (Eph 6:2, 3)

There is a Christian sister I know. About 20 years ago she came to meet my husband and I to intervene in a ‘heart’ matter. She grew up without a father. Her mother got pregnant for a man who was her boyfriend at the time. The man just traveled outside the country when she discovered that she was pregnant for him. She wrote to him that she was pregnant. Thru letters they agreed that she should do an abortion. She told him that she did it. Later she discovered that the abortion failed and that she was still pregnant. The man refused to believe her story. Anyway, a baby girl was born.

She is now 47 years old. She is a born again child of God. She is a very successful professional woman. She has a very good job. Twenty years ago she came to us that we should convince her father to do a DNA test, so that they know the truth. He refused to talk to her and rejected her proposal. We tried to convince him to do it but he was adamant. We prayed with her and encouraged her to move on in life. Last week, she wrote him a passionate letter to agree to do the test. She sent him an envelope with copies of all her certificates and many pictures. She is praying that this time, his heart will be touched that he will agree to do the test and put this matter to rest. She said that she does not want any material property from him. She only wants the blessings and prayers of her father.

Please pray that God’s will be done in their lives. Pray that God will glorify His name in this situation. Pray that God will touch this man’s heart to do the right thing. Love cannot be forced. The truth is that only God can help them! If you grew up having a mother and a father, you may not know the pain of one who was rejected from birth. But this pain is real to her. God bless you and reward you as you intercede for them!

“Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left” (2Chr 18:18)

There is no way I can describe to you how it feels to worship the Lord, to stand in the glory, to wash His feet with my tears and to just breathe in the holy wind of heaven. My desire is for more of these holy moments of true worship, unrehearsed but hungry for. I know that the footsteps of the Lord lead to revival in the land. Oh, for the willingness to follow the Lord without asking too many questions… “I see the Lord, I see the Lord…Exalted high above the worship of the people of the earth…For my eyes have seen the King, The Lamb upon the throne who lives forever…” Oh, the power of total surrender, complete submission and love freely given… Oh, the power of the Cross that became many crowns… Oh, how I love Jesus for He first loved me…

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it Jehovah Shalom – The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites” (Jdg 6:23)

Our prophetic prayer meeting was very good. It was easier than other times. The anointing was flowing like oil. Praise the Lord! We have entered a season of peace. Jehovah Shalom shall reveal Himself to us in a new way. We are tired of troubles. Peace shall reign in our lives. What does it take to enter peace and prosperity? We know that there is no peace for the wicked (Is 48:22). The unbelievers do not know the way of peace (Rom 3:16, 17). We shall walk in the ways of holiness and we shall behold the glory of the Lord.  We shall not only dream of peace but we shall have it! In Jesus name, amen!

In Judges Chapter 6 we meet a servant of God called Gideon. His people suffered greatly under the oppressors. The country experiences lack at three levels: food, freedom and fruitfulness. In desperation, the people cried to God! God answered their prayer. Lesson no 1: God invented prayer! God answers prayers! God answers especially the desperate prayers of His children! We need to pray more not less!

Gideon raised an altar to Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace). God was pleased with that. That night God gives him work to do. Lesson no 2: when God gives you work to do, your reward is great!  God tells him to destroy his father’s idol dedicated to Baal. Gideon does not waste time. He destroys the idol that very night. The next day, his family and all the people were angry and could have killed him. But Jehovah Shalom was there to protect him and to promote him. This total and instant obedience to destroy idolatry pleased God! He promoted Gideon to be the new position as ‘the supreme court judge’ of Israel.

Lesson no 3: Obey God’s Word, totally and instantly and you shall have peace and prosperity. God hates idolatry! “Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips” (Ex 23:13)

An idol is anything that makes you laugh or cry. It can be material or spiritual. It is something that takes your time, your money, your strength and your emotions. It is what you love too much outside God. It is what entertains you. (For example: I heard that some pastors hire comedians in their churches. If you have attended any service like that and you have laughed with the comedian, you have shared in their idolatry. God cannot bless you with peace and prosperity).

In Christ I declare: My body, soul and spirit belong to Jesus Christ my Lord. My laughter is sanctified. My weeping is sanctified! I love God with all my heart and with all my soul!

It is time to repent. May God have mercy! Jehovah Shalom must be honored! We speak peace over our lives, our marriages and over this land! Jesus is Lord!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“God saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His own arm brought salvation to Him; and His righteousness, it upheld Him” (Is 59:16)

The women’ fellowship was very good. I told the women that this month, during my birthday, I do not want any gift money can buy. I made an agreement with God to give me as a gift something from heaven. I want souls to be saved and believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I want people to serve God more than ever before. This is my ‘birthday gift’. Anything ‘more’ is less for me! All the sisters agreed that it is a good idea.

We then preached about the ministry of Intercession. What is that?  Intercession means praying for another as lead and empowered by the Holy Spirit. In Hebrew, the word means to strike against an enemy, to bombard another with petitions or to urge (demanding forcefully and persistently). In Latin it means ‘to come in-between’ which strangely may mean to obstruct the two parties to come together in a wrong way until they align in the correct way.  The scriptures where this word is used: Ruth 1:16; Jeremiah 7:16; 27:18; Job 21:15; Genesis 23:8; Isaiah 53:12 and 59:16; Jeremiah 36:25, Romans 8:26-34, 1Tim 2:1, 4, 5. Intercession is prayer on behalf of another. Its root is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is the Divine Intercessor. He touches the hearts of the intercessors to feel compassion for others and bring them before God in prayer. Intercession kills selfishness and increases agape love. God is not only ‘my God’ but ‘our God’. God loves not only individuals but families and nations.

I believe that there are ‘holy vacancies’ in the Spirit realm. God wants to ‘hire’ some of His Children as Intercessors. Too many of us pray only for our immediate families. God wants to enlarge our vision of Him. God ‘wondered’ why so few want to be intercessors. The Holy Spirit is calling… Come… The applicants must be willing to be used by God to pray for others at any time the Spirit calls them, day of night. They will pray in the Spirit until they know what to pray for in English. We made an altar call for the post of intercessors. The Holy Spirit is the One who calls, choses and prepares us for service. We shall be like Esther or Abigail who saved many thru their intercessions. We shall allow the Holy Spirit to place the burden of prayer on our hearts, on behalf of others. We shall feel other people’s pains. It is not something you can fake. The burden is real. The pain is real, even if for few minutes. From time to time, you shall feel a strong urge to pray for others. Drop everything you are doing, go to a quiet place and pray. You shall feel better after that. The push and the power to pray comes from the Holy Spirit. When the reward comes, it is very great. There is no recession in the Kingdom of God. Say yes to God and He will surprise you with an abundance of blessings. I see good coming out of this and I already rejoice!

This month, my husband and I, are celebrating 43 years of very happy and successful marriage. There are many things to say about this wonderful blessed journey. I thank God, from my heart, for giving me Pastor Richmond Leigh to be my husband. We have three adult children and six grandchildren. When we got married I was an atheist and he was a backslider. I came to Nigeria in 1980. It is here that the miracle of salvation and reconciliation happened to both of us. We became children of God. We worked as medical doctors in Nigeria for about 20 years. In March 2000 we started Father’s House Bible Church in Warri-Effurun Nigeria. We are now pastors, in full time ministry. God has also blessed us with many spiritual children who are all over the world. To God be all the glory!

I want to share a word with you. As many of you know, my husband is Itsekiri by tribe. One of the strangest things I have learned from him is that there is no particular word for ‘love’ in his native language. He remembers that as a little child, his family members did not say ‘I love you’ to each other in Itsekiri. This is because the word ‘love’ does not exist. The family love was expressed thru good deeds and friendship towards one another. I have an Itsekiri Bible and I looked for the word ‘love’. In particular I wanted to see how they translated John 3:16. The word (or the concept) ‘love’ in Itsekiri is translated as this: “ka fe ofo”. Literarily it means: “(I) like the way you speak”. It seems to me that for the Itsekiris love is connected with nice speech. My interpretation: If you speak well, you are lovable. If you do not speak well, you are not lovable. For me this is strange for in my language (Romanian) there are at least two words that mean pure love.

But all languages and tongues are not enough to describe the love of God!!! When I became a born again Christian I have discovered the greatest love of all. It is the Love of God for us, hopeless and lost sinners. It is the Love of Jesus Christ when He died on the Cross for me and you. Anybody who knows God loves God and others. Anybody who does not know the Living God is not able to love anyone. The Bible says that to be like Jesus, we must love not only with words but with sacrificial kind actions done for His sake.

I thank God for saving my soul, for helping me to know the true love of God! I thank God that my husband loves God with all his heart. I also thank God that my husband loves me with the love of God which is ‘shed abroad’ in his soul. He loves me not because of my nice words, but for the sake of Christ, our Lord! I thank God for our marriage, for our children and grandchildren!

I have a new desire to intercede for the Itsekiri people, especially for those who do not speak English. They need the revelation of agape love that only the Holy Spirit can give. I use them as a point of contact to reach all the other tribes who have a similar need. “Father, have mercy! Reveal Yourself to them! May Your glory cover the Itsekiris as the waters cover the sea! In Jesus name I pray, amen!”

Finally, I close with the Word of God: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16)

(In the picture, My husband and I, dressed in Itsekiri fashion. Don’t we look good?)

This is from our mid week service last night:
My husband, Pastor Richmond Leigh shared an old folklore story. There was a Nigerian village where the proud young men decided that they do not need old men anymore. They decided to kill their fathers. They all agreed to do so. Each young man went home and killed his own father. But there was one young man who refused to do so. He took his father and hid him in a little cottage in the forest. He went there daily to give him food and water. One day, the village had a serious problem. The young men try to solve it but they all failed. Then they remembered that the fathers solved a similar problem in the past. But all the fathers were dead, or so they thought. The man who saved his father asked him how was that problem solved. His father told him what to do. This young man came back with the brilliant answer, how to solve that problem. The other young men were surprised at his wisdom. He became their leader. Why? Because the wisdom of his father was given to him! Pastor Richmond Leigh said that the Bible is like that father in the hiding. Other men have ‘killed’ their Bible. But for them who read it and apply it, these shall become leaders of men and shall be blessed! In conclusion: if you want true success in life, read and study the Word of God! Pray to God! Praise God! Serve God! And it shall be well with you! Worship the Lord!

his is me, about 8 years old and my (late) father, Prof. Albai Ion. I just won a prize in school and was given flowers. The wind was strong and he holds my hair for the picture. I remember how caring he was, how safe I felt with him.We are in the old train station in the city of Orsova, Romania.

Eu cu tata meu, Prof. Albai Ion la gara veche din Orsova. Eram cam 8 ani. Mi-au dat un buchet de flori pentru ca am castigat premiul antai. Tata ami tine parul cu mana pentru ca vantul era tare. Ami aduc aminte ce bun tata el era (Romanian)

A young Christian sister has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Humanly speaking, this is terrible news. The doctors are planing for an emergency surgery. Dear brethren, please pray for a miraculous healing for nothing is impossible with God. Jesus is Lord! Thank you and God bless you all!

The mighty Angel Gabriel was sent by God to Zechariah with wonderful news. Face to face with the angel, the old priest became afraid. Listen to the gracious words coming from the angel, spoken in a human language he can understand:  “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Lk 1:13). The angel gives him a clear proof of God’s love, faithfulness, mercy and grace. But Zechariah doubts the promise of God. He is chastised immediately. For the next nine months he shall be dumb. He will not be able to encourage the worshippers waiting for him outside the temple. He will not be able to comfort his wife. Ministry comes to stand still.

There are great lessons here. We learn that God punishes doubt in His children. The more grace is given to you, the more is expected from you. This story is amazing to me. First of all, listen to this simple but wonderful sentence spoken by the Angel: “Your prayer is heard!” God invented prayer! God listens to our prayers! No matter how long it takes, God answers our prayers! Another thing that surprises me is that even when God punishes, He is still merciful. God could have stroke Zechariah dead, but He did not. Lastly, it amazes me that even in the presence of His servant’s doubt God’s promise was still fulfilled. Even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful! The long expected son called John was born in exactly nine months from this dramatic encounter.

This is my prayer today: “Let it be unto me according to Your Word!”  Child of God, may you repent of doubt and unbelief! The longer you know God, the less excuse you have to doubt God asking foolish questions. If your faith is weak, pray that it will be strengthen! There is no excuse to continue your Christian life with a handicapped faith! And for you who trust God and remain faithful to the original vision given to you, well done! Rejoice that you know the Living God! Worship this mighty, merciful, faithful, miracle working God! Praise the Lord!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

God has heard my prayer!

My testimony is sure! Faith 100%! Doubt 0%!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name,

Amen!

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His love endures forever” (Ps 136:1)
This testimony is given to the glory of God, to the shame of the devil and for the encouragement of others. This is what happened today: One of our daughters in Christ celebrated her birthday today in a ‘strange creative’ way. She knows that I cannot easily go out to buy things. This morning she woke up very early and went under the Ogunu bridge where the fishermen bring fresh fish. She said that the women who sell fish come and buy the best early in the morning. She went there before the women and bought the best fishes available. Guess for what? Is it to cook something for her guests on her birthday today? That could have been the normal answer. But that is not what happened. She went to buy fishes for my husband and I, as a gift! She came to the door jumping for joy with a cooler filled with fish and ice. She said that giving us the fish is her birthday gift. Jesus!!!!!! I see her like Isaac (Laughter) who planted during a time of famine and God blessed him a hundredfold (Gen 26:12).

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

““I call on the Lord in my distress, and He answers me. Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues… Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war” (Ps 120)

The prayer meeting was very good. We praised God expecting His coming. We left the meeting hall’s door opened throughout the worship time. We turned the chairs and we faced the opened door waiting for the entrance of the King of glory. By faith, He came! Our hearts were filled with gratitude for the gift of His (expected and yet unexpected) presence. The message was about the hindrances against our entering the season of peace (Shalom). In Judges 6 we saw that the revelation of Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is/brings peace) changed the weak Gideon into a true man of God. We need the same revelation. If we really know Jehovah Shalom we shall be transformed from nobodies into somebodies, from useless sinners into fruitful servants of God. We want to know Jehovah Shalom. What is then the hindrance to this destiny changing revelation? It is the evil spirits of lies and religious deception.

Read Psalm 120!!! It is probably written by King David. Here we discover a wonderful secret: how to live among liars and not become a liar; how to live among cheats and not end up cheating others. We see that it is possible, by the grace of God, to live among deceivers, not becoming bitter and still make progress. King David was in distress. The liars oppressed him with their wicked lies. He could not fight them directly. The people of God around him (his elder brothers, King Saul, Nabal and other Jews) were jealous and hated him. They slandered him. They became worse than the unbelievers from the pagan cities of Meshek and Kedar. For example: David wanted peace with King Saul but it was not possible. Saul refused to make peace with David, even unto death. This is a great lesson: there are some people in this world who love war, evil, trouble and confusion. They hate peace and prosperity. They hate Shalom! These people are not far from you. They live among your relatives, in-laws, friends and church members. They do not only lie to you but they block your progress with their lies. They hinder your desire to fulfill destiny.  They want to destroy your faith in God.

What can you do? When in distress, pray to God!!! He shall answer you! God shall grant salvation and deliverance to you! Lies are seasonal but truth is eternal! You shall enter your promised prophetic season of peace, prosperity and joy. You shall know Shalom! You shall be changed from a nobody into a somebody for Jesus! You cannot destroy these wicked liars but God shall judge them! The very fiery arrows of lies they threw at you shall wound them. God is just in His judgment.  Vengeance belongs to God! The oppression of liars shall cease. The gate to freedom and holy success is now opened to you. Pass thru it! Choose today between your cheap entertaining friendship with hypocrites and fulfilling your destiny in Christ. There is no middle ground! The altar of Jehovah Shalom is calling you! As for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord!

HAPPY WITH CHURCH TONIGHT

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances (in everything); for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1Thess 5:16-18).

The women’ fellowship was very good. After one month of fasting and prayers, after giving our best to organize Esther’s Banquet, today we chose to have a day of thanksgiving. We praised God with songs, with our tambourines and with dances. The testimonies gave thanks to God, put the devil to shame and encouraged the other brethren. Sister G testified that God helped her during the delivery of her son. Sister M said that since she came to Father’s House her life has changed for the better. She has grown spiritually and God has provided for all her needs. Sister R said that since she has become a widow, God has provided more than she could have imagined. Sister H said that she prayed for a financial breakthrough and God answered her prayers. Sister Y said that she could not send money to her son who is schooling abroad but the boy’s landlady and other neighbors took care of him all this time. Sister N said that even during this economic recession, God is blessing the work of her hands. All the women gave thanks to God for His love, goodness, faithfulness, provision, presence and protection.

The sermon was titled “Giving thanks to God”. Gratitude is defined as a feeling of thankfulness or appreciation for gifts or favors received. To be grateful to God for salvation and all other benefits is a sign of true spirituality. If you want to know if a brother or a sister is truly born again, look for the sign of a grateful heart! To give thanks to God is a sign that you honor Him, you acknowledge His presence in your life and in the lives of others. Giving thanks to God in all circumstances is God’s Command. It must be obeyed. If you obey God’s commands, He will bless you the more. If you disobey, you grieve the Holy Spirit and problems shall come. You must rejoice always knowing that God is with you. Prayer is a choice and a life style! Chose to pray always! ‘Inform’ God about everything in your life, big or small. If you joyfully pray continually you shall have reasons to give thanks to God! Prayer produces more testimonies and more joy! Thanksgiving shall increase!

In these last days most people become religious hypocrites (2Tim 3:1-5). They go to church but they are also unloving and ungrateful. If you want to learn how to give thanks to God, most people will discourage you. This is the revelation of the Word of God. It should not surprise you. If you believe the Word of God you will not end bitter and disappointed. Jesus knew the hearts of sinful men but He was never bitter. You should separate yourself from any ‘friend’ who does not know how to say ‘thank you’ to God and man. Has anybody accused you for being ungrateful? Well, to be ungrateful is not to show gratitude or appreciation for what someone has done for you. An ungrateful person is proud, selfish, greedy, jealous and bitter. Such a man (woman) always blames God and others for the troubles in his life. He or she cannot appreciate or rejoice with other people’s success, efforts to improve or happiness in life. An ungrateful attitude does damage to relationships. His friends become discouraged and depressed; they feel unloved, unappreciated and insulted. Sooner or later they withdraw from the relationship and stop offer help in the future. With time, an ungrateful person becomes lonely and sad. We must repent from every form of ungratefulness to God and to people. God does not owe us anything. We are saved and blessed by grace alone. Do not be proud! Be humble and repent! In Jesus name! Amen!

Let’s pray: “Father God I ask for forgiveness for allowing bitter ungratefulness to dwell in my heart. I repent! I come back to You! Fill me afresh with the Holy Spirit! Help me to worship and serve you with a pure and grateful heart! In Jesus name, Amen!

“There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. We love Him, because He first loved us” (1Jn 4:18, 19; AMP)

Today people celebrate Valentine day. I do not judge you but let me tell you something good so that you celebrate it well! True love is a choice. It means to decide, to select freely after proper consideration. To choose it means to make a judgment about a matter, to come to a final conclusion and a course of action. This selection is made against the powers of doubt, fear, wavering, controversy, quarrels or intimidation. Just imagine this scenario: love stands before different doors; love thinks; love prays; then quietly but surely, love comes in front of one; she opens that door; passes thru it and shuts it behind. Love knows when to say ‘yes’ and when to say ‘no!’ Perfect mature fruitful love is never confused! Love knows the power of finality and never regrets its way, never looks back or wishes contrary emotions.

“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord” (2Kg 20:5)

Hezekiah was a good king. God sent the Prophet Isaiah to him with bad news. He will soon die! In desperation, the king turned his face to the wall and prayed. He forgot about everything else and remembered only God. He forgot the Queen, the princes, his money and his throne. He wept and pleaded with God to save him from death. The prophet Isaiah was going home. He was not far from the palace when God, in response to the prayer of Hezekiah, told him to go back. This time he was to bring the good news of healing. Isaiah told the king that on the third day he will go to the temple to worship the Lord! Hezekiah was happy hearing about the healing, but still in doubt. “Will I die or will I live?” -he asked himself. To help the king conquer his doubt, God does a second miracle. Miraculously, the shadow of the temple went back ten steps. The king believed and got healed!

“Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it “The Lord is Peace.” (It is still standing at Ophrah, which belongs to the clan of Abiezer)” (Jdg 6:24)

The prophetic prayer meeting was very good. The praise and worship was done in Spirit and in Truth. The Holy Spirit directed and anointed the songs to proclaim that ‘Yahweh is our miracle worker and destiny changer God’. The Holy Spirit made sure that we do not just ‘sing along’. The presence of God helped us to believe the words and our faith increased. ‘The Kingdom of God is righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost’! We rejoiced in the presence of God! Because of the economic recession many people, even the believers, are worried and depressed every day. But there is no recession or inflation in the Spirit realm. In the presence of God there is fullness of joy and eternal pleasures! This is the Word of God and it cannot be changed! Learn to declare God’s Word! Come what may, stand on it! Let Nigeria, Romania or America do what they want to do! Our Kingdom is not of this word. We live by faith in the Word of God. Our spirits say ‘Amen’! God is in charge! There is no fear! Therefore we must rejoice!

The word was taken from Judges 6. We have declared that prophetically ‘the war is over and we have entered a Season of Peace’. One of God’s names is Jehovah Shalom (Jdg 6:24). The word Shalom is one of the greatest words in Hebrew. It means peace but more than peace. It means the presence of God that gives His people peace, safety, happiness, good friends, health, prosperity, favor and rest. As we are going towards a closer revelation of Shalom we read the first verses in Judges 6. We applied these words to our situation here and now. The people of God were defeated by their enemies. This was not because the enemies were stronger but because they disobeyed God’s word. Therefore, God gave them into the hands of the Midianites so that thru punishment, they may humble themselves and repent. For them, as it is for us, it was a hopeless situation. The attacks of the enemies made Israel poor. This strange, painful and disgraceful poverty manifested as lack at three levels: food, freedom and fruitfulness. To eat three meals at home became a problem. Husbands and wives quarrel because of money to buy food. The people became cowards and hid in the caves. You cannot stand straight if you are afraid. They lost their freedom. They lost their fruitfulness. Many women complain that they cannot get pregnant. Their businesses did not ‘branch out’ to produce ‘fruits’. You feel that with all your prayers and your hard work, your life is stagnant and barren.

In desperation, the people of God cried to Him for help. Prayer is always the key! God answered them and send them a prophet. Lesson: you need to pray prophetically, according to the season and the revelation God gives to you! Then the answer will come! When you suffer and you pray to God, the first thing God will send is not money. It is a prophetic word! Your ears will hear an express word like coming ‘from heaven’. You have this impression that God is ‘speaking to me… This sermon is for me…’ Once you can say this, the door of your deliverance has started to open. Your breakthrough is near! Your testimony is not far! The rusty ‘padlock’ of poverty is already breaking. The yoke of depression is lifting up! The Word of God is not History! It is Life and Spirit! It is to be believed and applied now! Believe God and His prophets and you shall prosper! Child of God, I see that your future is bright! God’s plans for you are good and not evil to give you hope and a future. The war is over and peace shall reign in your circumstances! Give thanks to Jehovah Shalom! Worship Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace (Shalom)! It is well!

PRAISE REPORT
“He brought me to the banqueting hall, and his banner over me was love” (SS 2:4)

This is our testimony: The women in our church fasted and prayed daily for the month of January. We interceded for our husbands, children, the church and the nation. Then we invited our husbands to the “Esther’s Banquet” to celebrate the grace of God upon our lives and marriages and the defeat of the enemies. We did not hire a professional caterer. The women cooked all the food. Everything was brought willingly by the women. The single sisters who trust God for marriage dressed all the same and served at the tables. We all dressed beautifully (My Nigerian dress called buba and my blue beads necklace was hand made by one of my daughters in Christ. Don’t I look good?). All was done to the glory of God and to honor our husbands!

“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life” (Col 3:1-3; TM)

My children,

One of the greatest discoveries I have made is to know myself! Next to knowing God, I discovered who I am. I now have an identity that is found in Christ alone. Before I became saved I only knew that there is a ‘me’. I knew I had a name, parents and a sister; I was a medical doctor; I had a husband and three children; I had wonderful dreams of success in this world… But all these ‘external additions’ were not able to explain to me who I really was. I defined myself thru the opinion of others. For example, as a child, I saw myself thru the eyes of my parents. Both of them were my teachers. They were very proud of me and I tried to make them proud in return. I pushed myself very hard to always be first in the class. It was my way of paying them back for their love. After I got married I saw myself thru the eyes of my husband. If he said that I was beautiful that day I was ‘floating in the air’ with happiness. I was ready to quarrel with anyone who saw me ugly. But when my husband was too busy to compliment me, I felt foolish and ugly. After I had children, if they said: ‘Mummy, you are a good mummy…’ I felt proud that I am a good mother. I was ready to ‘compete’ with other mothers for the title ‘the best mother in the world’. But when any of my children emotionally rejected me and loved ‘another mother’ more than me, I will weep, blame myself and feel so sad. It was the same with all my relationships, with family and friends. I depended totally on their words. I gave them too much power over my soul and they used it or misused it.

This situation could have gone on forever if not for the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. By the grace of God I became born again in 1986. Since then my greatest passion is to know God and to become like His Son Jesus Christ. Thank God for my husband because he too is a child of God. We encourage each other in this holy race. Like I said, one of the greatest discoveries I have made is to know myself! I study the Word of God and I apply it daily to myself and to my circumstances. I see myself now thru the eyes of God. No opinion matters except that of my Lord. I know that I am a sinner saved by grace. No man or devil can condemned me because by faith, I died with Jesus and rose with Jesus. Whatever negative things you may say about ‘me’, you are talking about a dead woman buried long ago and who feels nothing.

I no longer define myself thru my outward appearance. I do not see myself as a fat, short, ugly, wrinkled and old menopausal woman. That is not me at all! It can never be me! I see myself as a child of God, fearfully and wonderfully made. My body is nothing less than the temple of the Holy Spirit! I believe that! He changes me from inside out! I am holy because God my Father is holy. Even if I am a hundred and twenty years old like Moses, my youth can never become ‘old’ for it is ‘renewed like the eagles’. Because holiness is beautiful I am beautiful! As a wife I am precious in the eyes of God. The Holy Spirit will help my husband to see me as precious. As a mother, I am totally fulfilled. I am not a mother in ‘Warri’ but I am ‘a mother in Zion’ (Jdg 5:7). My children, natural and spiritual, are covenant children, special, unique, gifted and wonderful. If the devil likes it or not, they shall serve the Lord who brought them to me!

After I discovered myself in Christ, I developed a relationship with myself. I love myself so that I can love others. I forgive myself as the Lord has forgiving me! I encourage myself thru the Word of God! I prophesy on myself, what I should be according to the Bible. I pray for myself, that my dreams come true! I delight myself in the Lord. Therefore my heart’s desire shall manifest! It is just a matter of time… I truly enjoy my company. I am surprised at the wonderful things God has done in my life. He has made me spiritually strong. He gives me peace and joy. He puts His Words in my mouth to encourage others. My hearts sings… And His work in me continues… With unashamed face I behold Him who saved my soul! Today, I give thanks to God for my life, for what I have become, eternally safe in the Beloved! It is well with my soul….Glory to God!

“Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion” (Is 8:18)

This is a message for parents. It is from my heart as a mother… I have observed that these days it is ‘fashionable’ for young people to be lazy, rude, stubborn, unteachable and rebellious. It seems to me that many parents have ‘gone on strike’. They have abandoned their blessed work as parents. There are many people who behave badly. The truth is that being a parent is not an easy work. To be a mother or a father is a gift from God. It is a great privilege and much labor of love is involved. I am a mother, grandmother, medical doctor and pastor. From my experience and the experience of others, I want to share something with you as I feel a burden of prayer for families.

There is a medical psychological condition in children called Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). It is defined as a pattern of angry stubbornness and quarrelsome mood in a child, with a strong tendency to actively disobey his parents, teachers or other adults. The child with this condition is oversensitive and has low self-esteem. He blames others for his mistakes. He is rude when he is angry. He easily throws temper tantrums.  He talks back and argues with his parents. He is vindictive. He desires and plans trouble to frustrate his parents. It is not unusual for children to defy authority from time to time. But when this behavior lasts longer than six months and it is excessive, that child has a problem. The whole family and his school suffer because of him. Dear parents do not ignore the problem for without help, it will only become worse!

According to medical research, this mental condition starts when the child is about 8 years old. About 5% of all children suffer with ODD. Most of the time there is no blood test, X-ray or scan that can detect this problem. There is no medication to be given to cure this condition. The diagnosis is done by observing the child, the way he behaves with his parents or other adults. The Bible says: “Train the child in the way he should go…” (PV 22:6). It is the work of the parents to train the child by talking to him, by rewarding good behavior and by punishing the wrong doing. Talk to him and listen to him. It is not easy for anyone. It is a matter of control. Who is in charge: the parents or the child? It takes patience and long-suffering love to change the heart of a child. The earlier the parents detect that the child has a problem, the better. As believers in Christ, we have the great advantage of prayer and the wisdom of the Word of God. No matter how stubborn your child is, love him or her to the end. Until your last breath pray for your child. If your child is stubborn in bad things, you be stubborn in good things.

This is my testimony: I married very young, before I became saved. Therefore, I made many mistakes trying to be a good wife and mother. Looking back, I should have done many things differently. But God overrules and corrects our mistakes. Thank God for His grace! Our adult children and our grandchildren make us proud. But the road was not easy. There were many agonizing prayers and tears along the way…

Today I pray for the parents of difficult children. I feel for you… No matter how rich and successful you become, if your children misbehave, it is very painful. Go to Jesus! In Christ alone there is hope for the hopeless. Your stubborn children shall change! They shall be signs and wonders that your God is the Living God! The devil is a liar! Your children are covenant children. They will become saved and they shall serve the Living God. Believe in miracles and all is well! “I plead the Blood of Jesus over your foolish, stubborn and wayward child! I command every evil spirit of ODD to leave that child and go away in the name of Jesus! Every occult covenant that was done against your lives, your children’ lives and their destiny, I break it in the name of Jesus! Holy Spirit, please take control! Encourage the parents who are tired! Strengthen the weak! Heal the sick! Deliver the oppressed! For Your glory alone, In Jesus name, amen!”