TheCable

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) on Thursday at its 66th annual convention held a special prayer session against the scourge of cancer.

Reports say 72 000 people die out of 102,000 cases of cancer recorded annually in Nigeria.

The prayer session described as “time for war” was led by the general overseer of the church, Enoch Adeboye, who read out the prayer points, the first three of which were for the congregation to have dominion and spiritual excellence.

The prayer against cancer was his own part of the session but he needed the congregation to join him because of the power in praying together.

“Father, in the body of Christ, no more cancer in Jesus name,” they prayed, Pastor Adeboye’s voice loud, urgent and firm.

Reminding the congregation, earlier, that they have to be for God and on His side for them to have complete dominion and deliverance, he had led them to pray as follows:

“Father, every Goliath in my way of dominion, die tonight.

“Father, everything in my life that is mocking my God, let them vanish tonight in Jesus name.

“Father, every force that will hinder my progress, let them be destroyed tonight.”

The deliverance service on the fourth day of the convention was meant to be a practical one – rather than sitting passively to listen to sermons. He had taken time at the beginning of the sermon, titled, ‘Name Above Names’, to explain the need for dominion and how to get it.

He said, “There are two types of people: the dominant and the dominated. Its either you have dominion or you are subdued. You have to make up your mind if you want to have dominion or live the rest of your life in subjection.

“Dominate is a very active word, which means force down and keep down by force.”

Explaining the importance of names, he stressed that the dominion could be achieved by association with the custodian of power and glory.

“The problem with Christians is that we don’t use what we have. We have the name of Jesus,” he said. “We have dominion by association.”

He gave examples of names and their importance:

The name Moses has to do with water: most of his miracles involved water and it was water that didn’t make him get to the Promised Land.

In the case of Elijah, he explained, he called down fire on Mount Carmel and people were saying the Lord is God, which is the meaning of his name. He was taken up in a chariot of fire.

God had to change the name of Abram to Abraham and that of his wife too for the promises of their lives to begin to manifest. Abraham’s new name operated in his life. He became Father of many nations in reality and also his wife’s name changed for better and brought her laughter.

In the name of Jesus Christ

He affirmed the importance of the name of Jesus, recalling that on the completion of His assignment, He was rewarded with a name above all other names – in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.

“A name that is above all other names in heaven and the earth as well as under the earth is the name of DOMINION,” he said.

He went deeper: “Embedded in the name of Jesus are many military names that indicate fighting and warfare.

• Jesus is the way. His name is the way and he creates the light.
• He is the light of men and the light shines.
• He is the resurrection and Life; He dominated death.
• He is the Lord of hosts in heaven, on earth and underneath the earth -He controls them all.”

He continued that anything Jesus can do, because we are associated with Him and we are permitted to use his name, we can also do. For example, with the use of His name, we can cast out demons.

He warned that whatever we allow shall be allowed in heaven and whatever we forbid shall be forbidden in Heaven.

Before the “prayer warfare,” he identified three areas for the congregation to focus on. They were the Goliaths, forces who don’t want us to ever have dominion; the mockers, people who always look down on us; the sorcerers and evil interjectors, who choose to turn themselves to mountains so as to disrupt helpers from helping you.

People, who needed to saved had to give their lives to Christ to have their prayers answered, and when the altar call was made, hundreds responded.

Much earlier at the beginning of the sermon, he announced that the number of babies born as at Thursday night was 65; 33 boys and 32 girls.

The cleanest hostels were those of Osun Province 1; Adamawa Province; and Oyo province 8.