TheCable

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), on Thursday at the ongoing Holy Ghost Congress of the church affirmed that God answers prayers and still performs miracles. He is noted have been used by God to perform several miracles including healing and freeing people from bondage, much of which he did the previous day.

‎Many people testified to that during the Thursday programme. They included a woman who had used a handkerchief blessed by the pastor to revive her dead mother; and barren couples who gladly displayed their babies after God’s intervention in their cases.

Even as the Congress progresses, more babies are being born at the church’s medical facility at the Redemption Camp. As at‎ Thursday evening, 28 babies – 16 girls and 12 boys – had been born.

Pastor Adeboye, who ministered on the subject, ‘Victorious Prayers’ quoted several Bible passages and ‎shared testimonies to show that with the right relationship with God and consistent prayers there is always the guarantee that God will answer one’s prayers, no matter how long it takes.

“If we accept and obey God, He will respond to our prayers provided we don’t pray amiss,” he said, advising that we do not ask God for ridiculous things.

He talked about two different letters he had received from a woman and her mother-in-law. The woman had asked for prayers to kill her troublesome in-law; while the in-law wanted the woman dead for disrespecting her all the time.

“Of course, God will not answer that kind of prayer, and on my part, it wasn’t the kind of prayers I do,” he said.

Still assuring the millions of people at the church’s auditorium that God answers prayers, he gave reasons why he was sure their prayers would be answered that night.

One of the guests, apostle Stanley Hoffwick from Amsterdam, had enthused about the size of‎ the congregation, saying: “I have preached in many countries to several people, some in their thousands, but what I am seeing here (at The Arena) is “beyond my imagination.”

That was the congregation, whose prayers Pastor Adeboye promised would be answered because:

• God loves His people
• No request is too big for Him if one does not “pray amiss”
• God is never too late and prayers can’t be too old.

This point was illustrated with a testimony, as he did for some others.

He said: “After completing my PhD research, I didn’t have money to bind it so I prayed over it. Then I remembered I still had part of my research grant with the university. So, I went to my head of department asking to draw out of it to bind my thesis. He refused to release it to me, and when I insisted, he sent me out of his office. With no other funds available, I wondered how to get the money I needed. I still prayed.

“A little past midnight, someone came knocking on the door. He said he could not sleep, and had come to return the money I had loaned him five years earlier. Although I had forgotten this money, God had not. He paid me.

“After binding the thesis, I was scared, wondering if my HOD would accept it and give me a good score.

“The following Sunday, I paid my tithe, and on Monday, when I submitted my thesis to him, he was impressed and offered to personally take it to the external examiner. He also waited on the examiner until he finished his job in three days instead of six months.

“After this, my PhD grant was paid, and it became useful pocket money for me.  You cannot tell the extent God will go to satisfy those who are totally obedient and pray consistently over their problems.”

• God is not just a good God, He is merciful and compassionate.
• He urges us to pray without ceasing because he eventually answers.
• God knows if He answers your prayers you will sing him a new song.

After an altar call to which hundreds of people responded, he read out some prayer points for the congregation to pray with for 10 minutes, six of which was dedicated to praising God. Then he rounded up the night with his blessings.

‎Thursday’s programme was indeed a loaded one which also featured Prophet SK Abiara, founder of Christ Apostolic Church, Agbala Itura; Pastor Tudor Bismarck, founder of Jabula New Life Ministries and Pastor of New Life Covenant Church in Harare, Zimbabwe; Bishop Mike Okonkwo, presiding bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); and Mensah Otabil from Ghana.

Prophet Abiara

Dressed in a predominantly white flowing dress‎ and exuding calmness, he gave a talk on “the family.” Citing two letters he had received from a woman who was contemplating divorce because she had stumbled on her husband kissing his secretary in the office; and a man who wanted to throw his wife out their house because of her disrespect for his mother, Abiara noted that families are under massive attack from the devil.

He recommended prayers when problems emerge in relationships, advising also that marriages follow Biblical principles.

Bishop Mike Okonkwo 

Strong and sturdy, with a near-permanent smile, he spoke on ‘David Generation’, highlighting the current threat to youths of this generation by emerging lifestyles.

Advising that we seek to know God’s purpose for our lives, he stressed that “it is still fashionable to serve God.”.

Tudor Bismarck

Full of energy and agile, he had a flag of Zimbabwe tied around his left wrist. Speaking on the theme, ‘The church is marching on’, he highlighted the various definitions of the church and ‎stated that the church is irrepressible in its march forward.

His position was corroborated in goodwill message by evangelist Havaley from the UK, who says he has been witnessing for over 70 years. He said even in Ukraine, the President has declared 2018, “the year of the Bible”.

Mensah Otabil

The great Bible teacher, who is the founder of International Central Gospel Church headquartered in Accra, Ghana, always thrills congregations with the depth of his teaching. He spoke on ‘Victorious Life’, explaining the importance of God’s grace in the lives of people.

He explained that grace and faith work together, saying: “God gives the grace and we have to receive it by faith. Grace gives us access to what God has.”

According to him, the challenge of many Christians is not that God hasn’t made grace available, but the lack of faith to receive it. God’s promises are provisions of grace which have to be received by faith, he said.

Otabil, who is highly regarded by pastor Adeboye, challenged the notion that grace reduces God’s standards.

He cited the example of the Old Testament law which states that “thou shall not commit adultery,” pointing out that it is less stringent than the standards of Jesus, the champion of the era of grace, who warned that adultery is not just the act, but also includes looking at a married woman lustfully.

He identified the hindrances to the operation of grace as including pride and insensitivity.

Like the previous day, there were prayers and talk sessions in the morning and afternoon. The talks centered on prevention & management of stress; affordable diet for good health; exploring new business opportunities in information technology and opportunities for home ownership.