Guilty Conscience Hinders Prayers

I welcome you again to another PNUR Day of general fasting and prayers for the PNUR family all over the world. Don’t forget that prayer is the opportunity that God has given to you to say something about all the arguments going on in the spirit and physical concerning your life and destiny. To fail to pray at this time is to surrender yourself to the will and decisions of your enemies. It is suicide and I pray that you will not be guilty of such serious sin.

Today, we have a popular bible story but we will look at from a totally different perspective as the Lord will guide us 

Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God Luke 5:18-25NIV

It is important that you observe that it was not the faith of the sick man that the Lord saw but the faith of those who carried him to the venue of the healing service. In this we can learn that we can support the failing faith of our loved ones. We can support the faith of our spouse if it is failing; we can support the faith of our children or our parents. Let me add that we can support the faith of our religious leaders. One time even the Lord Jesus Christ asked for this kind of support from His disciples but they could not offer it but resorted to falling asleep.

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter Matt 26:40NIV

The next thing we can see here is that we may be very sincere in our efforts to assist someone but our efforts will not bear fruit unless we discover the root of the problem. The men that brought in the sick man had worked tirelessly carrying their friend from place to place in their search for healing; of course this involved time and money. We can see that even though they had faith that penetrated every wall of obstacles but until the root of the problem was discovered, the faith was fruitless. If you asked them before then, they will tell you that the problem was that their friend was paralyzed. All efforts was directed on how to make their friend walk again. I have seen this kind of thing many times and we cannot overemphasize the need that we should be able to hear from the Holy Spirit in our time of intense prayers. Many pray intensely but for the wrong thing or faced in the wrong direction

Thirdly, the Lord Jesus Christ was able to get the man healed because he could identify the man’s real problem. The man’s problem was guilty conscience. He had gotten into some kind of sin and I believe that he was sorry about this sin and have even prayed for forgiveness of this sin but his conscience kept condemning him. That state of mind was the obstacle to his healing. Whereas people gave medicine for paralysis, he was sick of a different ailment called guilty conscience. Whereas people prayed for healing of his body he wished his soul could be healed first

I want to believe that none among his friends could have thought of guilty conscience as a serious problem that could keep a godly man paralyzed for so long but I can boldly say out of years of experience in the deliverance ministry, that God fearing people are the main victims of this problem. 

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water Heb 10:22NIV

Take note that the sincere heart is the one asked to apply the blood of Jesus Christ for cleansing of his conscience. Take note also that the same scripture tells us to draw near to God in full assurance of faith while still applying the blood of Jesus Christ on our guilty consciences.

There are many who are still paralyzed and stagnated not because they did something wrong but because the devil convinced them that they have done wrong. In this state he or she is busy with asking for forgiveness instead of standing up to claim his kingdom inheritance. There are some whose sin have long been forgiven but the guilty conscience and the devil have taken a harmful grip on their soul to insist that God has not forgiven. The challenge however is that their faith will still pass through the same channel of their thoughts to take hold of God’s promises. Until this obstacle is taken away, no amount of prayer or anointing can effect a change. Since guilty conscience blocks the access, they are not able to have the required faith that can gain them the desired miracle. It is not that God has refused to heal them but rather that they are not able to receive the healing. It is not that God has refused to answer their prayers but rather that even at the source of the desired miracles, they are not able to appropriate the miracles to themselves.

I have seen some who could not just receive the in-filling of the Holy Spirit in a highly anointed service. I have often wondered why this brother or sister cannot just connect like every other person. It could be a healing service like the one the Lord Jesus Christ had here but this sister is just sitting down there. People got healed from the right to the left, front and back but she is not getting healed. It could be a breakthrough service and that is required is to accept a word from my mouth but they are not able to do so. They keep asking one question after another and no amount answers seems to help them because their struggle is deeper than eyes can see

You can now understand why the Lord Jesus Christ turned His attention to the man’s soul instead of the area everyone else was focused. Take note and see how this offends religious people. The spirit of religion is the principal beneficiary of the services of guilty conscience. In fact, religious people suffer more from guilty conscience. See how they immediately questioned His right to forgive the sinner. Note also that they did not say this out. They complained and grumbled at the same location that guilty conscience grips them; in their hearts.

We can only thank God that the Lord could hear our hearts and consciences. The same way he could hear the conscience of the sick man, he could hear the accusation of his silent accusers. Let us take note also that words said in our hearts are as effective as those said with our tongues. The Lord Jesus Christ heard them as if they spoke with their mouth. Today, if you find yourself where you can’t pray out loud, still pray all the same because the Lord will hear you.

The Pharisees were as much prisoners to guilty conscience as the sick man but they never saw their guilty consciences as a problem, so the Lord left them with their diseases. The man who saw it as a problem was healed. Who knows the many ailments and challenges that could have been healed if only they called it a problem? Let me invite you not to be like those religious people who are only focused on other people’s religion while ignoring their very needs. I encourage you not to focus on the soundness of my theology but to tune in to the atmosphere of the Holy Spirit and pray like you have a need.

Today, I invite you to accept the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ over your souls as we pray on. Just understand that satan is the accuser of the brethren and will continue to bring charges against every child of God. Whether you once committed the sin or not is not the issue. The Lord Jesus Christ knew that you won’t be able to pay for your sin, and that was why He laid down his life on the Cross of Calvary for your redemption. Once you confess that sin, believe God’s word for your forgiveness  

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9-10NIV

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Prov 28:13NIV

Once you confess those sins, believe God’s word, God has heard you and has forgiven you. But most times our conscience will not accept this.

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything 1 John 3:19-20NIV

Satan is also known as the accuser of the children of God and will raise charges against us before God. He will also send dreams that condemn us; he may send it to us or through those who claim to be super-saints and it is sad that some that preacher the gospel cannot hear anything besides judgment against our sins. We are encouraged to hold to what God has said about us because God is greater than our hearts, satan and the voices of our accusers.

In conclusion, as we pray today, hold up the power in the blood of Jesus Christ. Let the devil and your conscience know that you have made peace with God and that God has not committed your sentence to another but the Lord Jesus Christ who Himself has died for your sins to bring you closer to God

Bind every voice of the accuser and silence the powers of darkness that want to take advantage of your ignorance. 

Say this out loud - “Jesus Christ has paid my bills and I am free from all charges of past and present sin. Therefore I can now stand before God in confidence to pray”.

I recommend that you use the Prayer Collection of the Power and Authority of the Blood of Jesus Christ. 

Ask from my office if you don’t have it

You know I am praying for you

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

My first meeting with Prophet T B Joshua

The Lord began to stir me for the Christian ministry about 1991 and I was still worshiping at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Odoakpu, Onitsha. The Vicars I sat under included but not limited to, Rev. Cannon Emmanuel Meoba of blessed memory, Now Bishop Maxwell Anikwenwa, Rev. Cannon Ikeme, Rev, Cannon Francis Nwankwo now of blessed memory. I latter moved up to Inland Town Onitsha and started to worship with Emmanuel Anglican Church. Charles Amajuoyi was the instrument God used to bring me into the prayer and EFAC fold. The last Vicar I sat under was Rev. Cannon Emmanuel Ukpeke.

Some circumstances which I don’t want to discuss here led to my meeting with Brother Menkiti Ifechukwu Onyido, of Emmanuel Youth Center Onitsha whom the Lord used to stabilize me from the trauma associated to my crisis encounter in Emmanuel Anglican Church, Inland-Town, Onitsha. Please, note that I have since reconciled with every one of them and the last time I met Rev. Emmanuel Ukpeke, he prayed for me and properly released me into my assignment. I want to say that I did not mention any name here to express any grievances. 

It was through Brother Menks, as he was popularly known that I met Chief Chinyerego, a member of Council of Chiefs in Onitsha kingdom. He had about seven beautiful daughters and only one son. All the daughters were facing one problem or the other. One of them had been thrown out of her marriage and she returned from Lagos with her child. Another daughter returned from Lagos in those days. Chief Chinyereugo was not a Christian but was quite tolerant and in some cases gave financially to me. I led Obiora his only son to Christ but I don’t know if he is still standing. In the midst of carrying out family prayers and deliverance on some of them, one of them went prophetic and announced;

“Emma, my son, I want to send you to Lagos to deliver my people. Deliver my people from that evil Prophet Temi Tope Joshua/”.

That was the first time the name Temi Tope Joshua was mentioned to me. According to the spirit, God has anointed me to confront and conquer the “False Prophet”.

There was a problem however because I had not been to Lagos before then and I did not have the money to go. I travelled from Onitsha to Enugu to meet Rev. Dr. A. A Nwodika, known popularly as “Apostle Healing Has Begun.” He had only few years separated from Rev. Dr. Paul Nweke, now known as Paul Nwachukwu of Grace of God Mission. I shared with him what I considered a revelation from God and asked him to support me financially. He agreed with me that Prophet T B Joshua was a false prophet but insisted that he must hear from God before he commits his money to my venture. We agreed that I should return in a week’s time within which he would have heard from God. Not even a penny was given to me to support my journey back to Onitsha which was very little then. When I returned to Enugu after a week, in my zeal, Apostle Nwodika said he has not heard from God and so will not commit his money to it. I went to Obi Onuzor of Daniel’s Ministry in Enugu still. He operated his kind of deliverance ministry. He agreed with me that Prophet T J Joshua was a false prophet but will not commit his money to the assignment God had given to me to go and destroy him.

I am sharing this to portray the hypocrisy of many people who claim they are working for God and teaching the truth. If you believe in a thing and God has raised another brother to solve a problem you recognize but could not solve, why would it be hard for you to support the vision? I was later to learn that all these men were driven by jealousy and the devil had captured their minds like mine because of their heart of hatred. Anywhere you go among Evangelicals and Pentecostals, you hear how Prophet T B Joshua was using the power of satan to destroy many souls. For a season I fell for this negative spirit. 

In 1996 I moved over to Owerri and in 2005 to Port Harcourt, still convinced that T B Joshua was a false prophet. Brother Aham Ukagwu, who was one of PNUR partners once asked me why people said that T B Joshua was a false prophet in spite of the miracles that accompanied his ministry. I told him what the spirit I had met in a girl I was carrying out deliverance on told me. I added some things haters of T B Joshua had said and of course helped to build the false news. I crowned it up with the general assertion, we should not focus on the gifts and miracles but on their works. It is shameful to say that at that time I have not even seen a picture of T B Joshua. How could I have judged the works or fruits of a man I have never met?

I remember that Brother Aham Ukagwu asked me, “How could he be an illiterate and yet he can read the bible?” Like many people who have decided to shut their minds, I told him that T B Joshua had a little ear piece planted in his ears, so he was only repeating what someone was relaying to him. I don’t know if I convinced Aham Ukagwu but from that time my mind began to drive me to go to Lagos to see T B Joshua personally. Not because of any personal need; I came up from the power ministry and have never operated outside the power ministry. So I can’t understand why all the many great men of God in Lagos could not dislodge an “Ifa Priest” (according to them) who was wasting lives of God’s people. 

Recent accounts have proven that T B Joshua was not an illiterate; he actually went to school but haters had spread that lie and the devil and his demons amplified it. I am reminded of the story after Christ rose from the dead spread by the religious leaders of that time. Matt28:11-15

It is unfortunate to observe how low that hatred and jealousy can make a man descend. All over the place pastors and preachers abandoned their primary assignment to attack T B Joshua. Prostitutes and servants of the Mammy Water spirits made videos and magazines accusing him of rape and witchcraft and our Christian leaders helped to spread them. In one account here in Port Harcourt, a rich businessman who belonged to one of the prominent Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria, wanted to go to T B Joshua but his Senior Pastor asked him to submit to death rather than allow the servant of the devil to minister to him. The man obeyed him and eventually died. Some of us will have many things to explain in heaven.     

In 2009 I told my wife that I wanted to go and meet Prophet T B Joshua and I wanted to see why a servant of satan could be so powerful that Pastor E A Adeboye, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor W F Kumuyi, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, (just to mention a few men of God in Lagos) could only grumble and pine away under his “negative influence”.

My wife Joy is very good at backing my ventures. We fasted and prayed for some days and I left for Lagos. I camped at Redeemers Camp the Headquarters of Redeemed Christian Church Of God. This was a long distance to Ikot Egbe where Synagogue Church of All Nations is located. So on the day I went I actually arrived late to even have a seat in the overflow crowd outside. My first shock was the way the walls of the church building were decorated with scripture passages that can on their own lead a seeker to Christ. 

I sat down in a corner outside because I did not know what and how to start so I can enter the main auditorium. I later learned that people started lining up by 1am to be admitted into the auditorium. A young lady walked up to me and said, “It appears this is your first time here, sir?”. To which I nodded. She said, “Follow me. I have a seat inside for you.” 

I just followed her and she laid me inside and gave me a seat where I can have a good view of the man T B Joshua. That was the day the former President of Ghana, John Atta Mills came to give his thanksgiving to God for his assistance to win the presidential election. They sat him in a prominent place, handed him a copy of the bible and sang for him, “You must make the word of God the standard for your life”

Besides the humble appearance of T B Joshua I have never seen, before then and after, when a President was dealt with in such a straight forward and honest manner. Most Pentecostals will surrender the entire service to him for that day. John Atta Mills was allowed to make a brief statement and that was all.

It came to the time for T B Joshua to preach, I saw power. Remember I told you that I came up from the power ministry, so before a man like me will be moved by power manifestations, there should be something extra. I must confess that the anointing made me pompous and my wife will complain that I must let others be themselves. This is the principal reason I can’t endure lifeless preaching. It hurts me more if I observe that the minister is acting it. But with T B Joshua, I saw real and raw power. I observed that the miracles are not the arranged kind. The cases coming up will be allowed to trace their history. One case of cancerous feet, I actually saw pictures of what the man was like before he got healed. Then the Holy Spirit in me bore very firm witness that what I was seeing was Him in action.

Prophet T B Joshua asked first timers to come around and meet with him on Thursday morning by 10am. I went back but not before I called my wife to change her prayer topics because I think we had something wrong in our hearts.

On that Thursday morning, T B Joshua announced that God had told him to give some people a handshake. There could not have been less than two thousand people in that main auditorium. He further announced that everyone should not expect him to shake them but it was for some special people. I was not the only one he shook but to my surprise he passed my position three times and shook me those three times

I came out of the church hall, called Joy and announced, “Prophet T B Joshua is not a false prophet. I have every divine confirmation now”

After that time I visited the place once in a while, once with Joy and at another time with Peace my daughter. Though I never had opportunity to meet him one on one, he is the only minister I have met that tamed my ego.

 Those who argue that he had no one who claimed to have converted him. If not for the bible, we would not know who converted Paul. Till date we can’t say who converted Appolos yet we accept him as a genuine man of God. 

Some are concerned how his church just exploded overnight. The church in the house of Cornelius grew to more than 200 spirit-filled members in one day. There is no history of the human vessel that preached to Cornelius. We cannot call what Peter did evangelism

Some argue that he came up from idol worshiping background. I am amazed that Redeemed Christian Church of God leaders can make such accusation. Papa Josiah Akindayomi, the founding Pastor of RCCG was not only an idol worshiper, he was an “Ifa Priest”. He was a polygamist. He was a member of Cherubim and Seraphim. He was part of anything genuine believers hates about White-Garment Churches. In fact, The Apostolic Church sued him for using the phrase, Apostolic Church of Africa in his tracts because they were so sure that Papa Akindayomi who was also an illiterate was from the devil. They burned the tracts publicly which they considered devil’s scheme to draw people to hellfire. These events hurt Papa Akindayomi until the later days of his life when God asked him to make peace with The Apostolic Church leaders if he wanted to make heaven. All these are written in his biography, “Like Seed in the Ground”, published by RCCG.

If Akindayomi could repent and be accepted by RCCG as genuine, why does it seem impossible to Pastor E A Adeboye that Prophet T B Joshua could also repent?

Some complain about his use of Good Morning water or Anointed Water. Till date RCCG still sell Handkerchiefs and Hand-bands they claim are anointed. They sell stickers and calendars too. If they can prove handkerchiefs from the bible, can they prove the rest? Can they prove pulpits worth five million naira from the bible? Can they prove ten million Naira screens in the church auditorium from the bible?

If they claim that God told them to do it, how is it that the same God cannot talk to T B Joshua? Must God pass through them to speak to every one of us?

 Some complain of his too many miracles. I don’t have to respond to this because it is simply jealousy expressing itself. I know that no minister really like the “Mortuary Church Style” we power with air conditioners. I could not stay ten minutes in one of such churches. Perhaps that is why most of them cannot have services beyond two hours, whereas Synagogue Church of All Nations will be begging people to leave after they have stayed close to ten hours of one single service. 

We need real power; the kind of power T B Joshua manifested. We should stop deceiving ourselves that we are okay with bible stories of the miracles of Jesus Christ, even when we cannot see them in real life. T B Joshua showed us what it was like in the days the Lord Jesus Christ was here on earth

I humbly apologize to T B Joshua and SCOAN Family for publishing this testimony late. I did not see it as necessary because T B Joshua did not waste time addressing his critics

I want to say to Prophet T B Joshua, I pray to meet you in the Heaven of the Jesus Christ who loved and cared for the poor; the Jesus Christ who never wasted time arguing about the power of God but manifested the power of the kingdom of God for even His critics to see and behold in bewilderment.

I pray that I will finish well like you. I don’t want to hang around here and mess up the few good works I have done as some do today

Sleep on Soldier!

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Pastor Emma N J Nwosu is the International President of Prayer Network for Universal Revival (PNUR) www.pnurnigeria.org

He lives in Port Harcourt City, Nigeria with Joy his wife of over twenty years and four God-loving children. His first daughter Peace Emmanuel is already in active ministry – emmanuelspeace.pnurnigeria.org.

He is popularly recognized as a Revivalist and catalyst of prayer across many Christian denominations having travelled to many countries to strengthen the Church and the leaders.

His first son Kassey Emmanuel is actively assisting him and Joy at his Headquarters, Door of Hope Christian Center, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Pastor Emma is author of more than thirty books with focus on Prayer, Revival, Deliverance and Spiritual Warfare. He has earned himself the status of an authority in that field. You can read his titles on www.bookshop.pnurnigeria.org

He also heads School for Deliverance and Spiritual Warfare – Deliverance School Online.  www.sdsw.pnurnigeria.org

You can connect with him on Facebook and Youtube as @Emma N J Nwosu

You can also reach Pastor Emma via

 emmanwosu@pnurnigeria.org

 pnurnigeria@gmail.com,

 +2348035724526 WhatsApp