04 I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN 04

HE DID NOT CALL HIM A GIANT

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." 1 Sam 17:36-37NIV

(1 Samuel Chapter 17)

While reading through our text chapter, did you notice that David never referred to Goliath as a giant? That was not because he did not see him the first time. 

Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers. As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. 1 Sam 17:21-24NIV

Note the charged atmosphere that he met and how everyone else fled from the fear-inspiring presence of the giant champion from Gath, but only one person stood immune of that atmosphere of fear and that was David. 

But, why?

He did not judge things from the public opinion.

They saw a giant, called him a giant and fled from the giant.

David saw an animal, called him an animal and confronted him like an animal.

We have our eyes, ears, nose and the sense of touch; they are not called sense organs for nothing. When your eyes catch something, they transfer the information to your brain, your brain analyzes what it has received and sends a processed report to the mind, that is what is referred to as heart in some circles. The kind of mind the person has determines the final report. If the mind is tilted to the world and controlled by the flesh and the views of this corrupt satanic system, its final report will be according to that order. The mouth will then declare what the mind has sent it. If the mind is controlled by the Holy Spirit because it has been renewed through the knowledge of the word of God and fellowship with Christ, the report will obviously be different.

What we are trying to say is that same old statement by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45NIV

The people the Lord addressed here came to His healing and deliverance service and declared that Jesus Christ was using satan’s power to cast out demons. They saw some formally demon possessed people walking home restored in their minds and bodies and when they opened their mouths to talk, “BOOM!”, they said He was using the power of satan.

It is not as much about what the eyes saw as it is about the definition or interpretation that the heart gave to what they saw. The subsequent labeling of what they are dealing with and their reaction towards it, is governed by what they processed in their hearts.

Ok, let us put it this way; it is not that the Israelites were afraid of Goliath or that David was courageous, it was about how they analyzed it in their hearts. 

Pause for a while and ask yourself some simple questions, “Why do I react to these things the way I do?

“Why am I always afraid?

” Why do I feel insecure?

“Why do I always feel that everyone hates me?

“Why do I always believe that I will not succeed?

“Why do I just believe that I will soon die?”

The Lord told His people somewhere,

"Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy, do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. Isa 8:12-13NIV

Do not call a giant everything the people who do not know your God call a giant and do not fear what they fear. In my opinion, that was why David did not refer to Goliath as a giant. In that same text chapter, he referred to the entire army of the Philistines as mere animals. When human beings die, they are referred to as corpses and animals at death are referred to as carcasses. 

Now, read this,

This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 1 Sam 17:46NIV

Whereas the rest of the armies of Israel saw an army from Philistine, David saw some animals running loose. 

He did not call Goliath a giant.

Do not think that this would be an easy thing. Far from that. Especially when you walk in among your own people like David did and everyone is screaming the same thing. They even attack anyone who does not agree with their popular opinion just like Eliab attacked David. You will need some kind of faith to continue to insist that Goliath was not a giant but an animal. Remember that you need to convince yourself first before you would be able to convince those who disagree with you.

You will need another kind of mind;

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. Rom 12:1-2NIV

That word, offer in this scripture is in the present continuous tense, which means to continue to offer your bodies to God every day and moment of your life. David lived his entire life in daily declaration that He belonged to Jehovah and he continued to testify to it in spite what he met around him.

Then, it goes on to say, “Do not switch to their general opinion”. 

Yes, you read me right; to conform means to switch over to their channel of general opinion. It goes on to say that instead of conforming to their standards and general opinion, let there be a transformation in your inner person, your mind. It says that it is the only way you would be able to know God’s perfect will. 

I know you will agree with me that you can only stand to defend what you know. 

How would one receive this kind of knowledge that will generate this dimension of faith?

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Rom 10:17NIV

You must surround yourself with channels that expose you to the word of God. You have to relate with and go to places that keep you in touch with God’s word. Besides reading your bible, you need to keep in touch with ministries like PNUR that keep reminding you about prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the way you develop this kind of faith.

Sister Amaka returned home from evening fellowship to meet her child stretched out on the floor, lifeless. Her then unbelieving husband kept shouting to all the neighbors who gathered in their living room, “Who among you have not heard me telling my wife to stop attending all these fellowship meetings with all these fake churches and pastors? But she would not listen. Now, while she was at one of those evil churches, our only child has died. Is it not clear now that the evil spirits from those churches have killed my child?”

Amaka reached down and took the lifeless body in her arms and went to the second floor of their house. Amaka and Amarachi, her prayer partner, locked the door behind them and began to pray. After about two hours, she walked down with the same child on her feet. 

They said that her child was dead.

Amaka saw it as an opportunity for her God to manifest His power.

Everyone said it was a hopeless situation but Amaka and Amarachi said God can change anything.

The King Saul and all the armies of Israel called him giant Goliath.

David did not call him a giant. He called him an animal. 

What do you call that thing before you?

Yes, what do you call that thing before you?

You can go into prayer now.

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

03 I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN

 

MY GOD AGAINST THEIR gods

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands." 1 Sam 17:45-47NIV

(Read 1 Samuel 17).

It does not matter who you are or where you live, every one of us has our own giant. We just must defeat this giant or we will be stuck in a place like King Saul and the rest of the armies of Israel. Another vital point is the way we see our enemy; whether they are spiritual, physical or circumstantial. It is important that we know our enemy and that is what we do when we study deliverance and spiritual warfare.

In this matter David was wrong in his assessment of Goliath; Goliath did not come against David or the armies of Israel relying on his spear, javelin or even his track record as a fighting champion. We have scripture to prove that.

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 1 Sam 17:41-43NIV

Take note of how the narrator presented the same battle implements that King Saul had warned David about. Also take note that even after Goliath had taken a careful but military assessment of his opponent, he saw that David was a harmless young man with no sophisticated weapon; now also take note that he still cursed David in the name of his god. 

This was not an ordinary word but the same kind of curse that Balak had invited Balaam to place on the Israelites in order to weaken them.

So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the River, in his native land. Balak said: "A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed." Num 22:4-6NIV

Those curse words were invoked to draw down the forces of nature to rise up against his enemy and weaken the enemy and then make his defeat easy. But who is the enemy in this case? A small boy with a stick and sling and just five pieces of stones. He despised him but still invoked the spiritual weapons of curses against him. What an irony? 

For Goliath, the battle was more of spiritual than physical. Goliath was not relying on the things King Saul and the rest of Israel feared. It is even safe to say that the fear the people of Israel experienced was demonic. They were under a demonic spell of fear and the bible said that for forty days they could do nothing but run from their enemy. Having being conquered by that spirit of fear, they joined their voices to magnify the power of their enemy. They kept repeating and magnifying it among themselves; just like they did to David, they would paralyze anyone who came to the camp who could have helped them. Yes, they will tell the person about the problem and still tell the new comer that it was a helpless situation. They would attack one another the way David’s brothers attacked him but no one dared to face the enemy.

It is unfortunate but this is the way some church members relate in their neighborhood; they are too scared to face the satanic powers in their territory but engage in persistent infighting. That is the way some families coexist; they are not ready to deal with their enemies from outside but they focus on fighting among themselves. Even if they dared to talk about their common enemies, they magnify them; they talk of the great powers of witches and wizards; they talk of how one powerful native doctor strikes his enemies with madness; they talk about the devil and his servants in a magnifying way. They keep viewing God with the lens of their enemy. It is not that their enemy is too strong but it has to do with the way they view him.

Who is the Holy Spirit talking to here?

Who is that servant of God who has yielded his voice as a loudspeaker for the devil?

Who is that child of God who has become the propaganda channel of the devil?

Now, you have talked about the satan and his power so much that you no longer remember the power of your God.

Now, you have spoken so much evil about the Body of Christ that everyone around you have accepted your definition and now no one is moving forward in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The environment around you has become so charged with the negative current coming from your confession that no one remembers to put their trust in God.

I am sorry to say it but you may be under the influence of the demons projected into your space to render you impotent. 

That inability to pray maybe demonic.

That depression and hopelessness could be demonic.

Now, say with me, “I command every satanic atmosphere over my life to scatter in Jesus’ name!”. 

Shout, “the blood of Jesus Christ!” 7x before you proceed with reading this meditation.

Why could David move beyond the atmosphere of fear and defeat that he met in the camp?

Look at our main text again.

1. David knew that he belonged to a greater and stronger God

2. David knew that he was not fighting his own battle but God’s battle

3. David was not looking for a personal glory but the glory of his God

4. David was not relying on his power but he relied on God’s power to fight God’s battle

5. David knew that the God who did it yesterday is going to do it even now

6. David openly declared to the enemy that his size was different from the size of his God

7. David viewed the enemy through the lens of his God, hence the enemy looked smaller than others saw him

8. David ran to the battle line to give his God the opportunity to prove Himself

9. David’s confession was in line with his actions and his battle strategy.

10. David understood that it was God that was under a test, not David. His God could not have failed him because he never fails.

Beloved child of God, read this short prayer to yourself and personalize it.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Eph 1:18-19NIV

It is true that there are just a few days to go in this year but a miracle could still come your way.

Remain under the anointing in Jesus’ name.

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

THE CAT IN THE MONASTERY

 *The cat in the monastery* 

Some monks  that lived in a cave discovered that rodents were disturbing them. They tried different kinds of traps on the rats, but that was also distracting them because any day they don't set up the traps, the rats would destroy more things. So they decided to buy cats, and that also kept the rats away, and so the tradition of keeping cats in their monastery

That generation of monks passed on until the fourth generation. Soon, there came up a generation that did not know the reason the first monks brought in the cats but began to see the presence of cats as one of the principal requirements to set up a monastery. Even priests who lived in places where there were no rats still purchased cats. It soon became a subject for theological misunderstanding

Some world refer to books written by great teachers to support the presence of cats in the monastery. Others argued against it and also quoted great scholars as they condemned the practice. Time was wasted arguing about cats or no cats. Some monks broke away to set up their own monastery because the mother monastery accepted or rejected cats

Today, we have many such useless disagreements in the Body of Christ. One major one is the question of which version of the Holy Bible is the best. Even though some honest scholars have done their best to show us why modern day translations are making some changes in some translations, some believers still insist that devil had used some people to change some passages in the holy Bible. Yet, not to mention my humble self, great servants of God like Bonnke, Benny Hinn, and Kenneth Hagin, to mention a few have used the New International Version of the Bible In fact, NIV has remained my official version for anywhere I ever pastured and for my new converts. I can boldly recount many places where those I ministered to fell under the power of the Spirit as I read from NIV

There are those who still insist that William Shakespeare grammar is the only correct language that Jesus Christ and the early saints spoke. 

This is because they don't know how the CAT CAME IN TO THE MONASTERY

I've met many Roman Catholic faithful arguing for or against the cat in the monastery

Pentecostals and Charismatic faithful also argue against the cats in the monastery as they discussed Christmas or other Christian ceremonies. 

In all this, they don't consider the danger and confusion they are causing for new comers to the faith and the resources they are providing for the enemies of the Church

In the face of the encroaching rampage of Islam abd violent revival of idolatry across the world, some prominent Christian leaders started some arguments, CHRISTMAS IS NOT A CHRISTIAN CEREMONY. We all saw what played out, Roman Catholic and Anglican faithful rose, and began to call them names. The Roman Catholics and Evangelicals mocked the Pentecostals on social media in the open view of the enemies of the Church 

That argument was still on when a church leader was killed in Adamawa State for refusing to renounce Christ. As if to balance up a Roman Catholic seminarian was killed in Kaduna State for the same reason. Their killers did not ask them whether they believed in Christmas or not. They were killed because they believed in Jesus Christ. 

Those for and against this argument did not care to know that the enemies of the Church were nodding their heads.

There are many of such argument today that are based on irrelevant disputing about words that have no use to the souls of men

I would not bother myself if some people I respect have not gotten lost in this kind of thing and make posts on social media, which I consider unfortunate

Here is what the Holy Spirit said through Apostle Paul 

Romans 14:1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling over disputable matters.

Romans 14:3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.

I don't mean that we should not try to correct one another and where need be, outrightly rebuke, but before you take such a step, just ask yourself, what will I achieve by this? Is it possible that what I say about this could become a tool in  devil's hand to disturb the faith of someone?

I'm often tempted to post some things on social media, but when I remember that I have thousands following me, I just back down One time, I posted something I love about Donald Trump, President of the USA, and only discovered too late that an American lady who was following me for teaching and counselling was anti-Trump in her political ideology. Argument erupted between her and another follower that lasted for days, and I had to block her. But then it wasn't her fault; I was the one that messed things up

On another occasion, I made a  post concerning  a minister of the gospel whom I felt was in error. It also turned out that one of my online followers held that man highly and, in fact, a member of his church. The subject I posted on was not that serious to turn it to an issue. I apologized and deleted my post, not because I was wrong but because of what my post meant to somebody

There are some men I respect who would post a joke. For an American, that could be a joke, but for me, a typical African, I may misunderstand it to be news. So, I humbly ask us the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ not to lose sight of the battle before us as we do anything.

More importantly,  is to make distinction between substance and chaff as we argue some matters. IIn fact, you may be twisting the Bible as you try to argue for or against the cat in our monastery because those that brought in the cat were not looking at the Bible, but their environment

Christmas 

For those who celebrate it, Happy Christmas and remember to share your delicacies with me.  Those that won't celebrate it, but would rather organise gospel campaign or prayer retreats,  please remember me in your prayers. Let's keep our focus on the harvest of souls in a perishing world. 

Emma, your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com 

02 -I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN 2

 I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN 2

When People Doubt Your Capabilities

Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." 1 Sam 17:33NIV

That was King Saul expressing doubt on David’s ability to fight Goliath.

If we may ask, why do people express doubts about a person’s capabilities?

They may be sincerely concerned. That is what we see in the case of King Saul concerning the venture David wanted to undertake. This was a teenager who came to the battlefield to handover some meals to his elder brothers, and there was no proof that he had any prior training in military combat. To be candid, if David had failed in his bid and gotten killed, King Saul would have had a difficult time convincing his parents and the rest of the nation of Israel that he did not fail in his duty as a father.

To support the fact about his sincerity, the king even offered David his own amor and prayed for him before he stepped out. We are saying all these to support the fact that not all who express doubt on your capabilities hate you or have the intention to sabotage your progress. I often tell my children, if I express any doubt about your sincerity or ability to take care of yourself, it is because you have not convinced me you can handle things.

There are those who express doubt over your capabilities because they were blinded by jealousy. This is where the three brothers of David fall in.

When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." 1 Sam 17:28NIV

Unlike the king, he did not speak out of concern for David but weaponized his words to hurt him, “Look here David, do not think that because last time that Prophet Samuel anointed you as a future king over Isreal, that your status has changed from a good-for-nothing shepherd boy. You belong to the realms of animals and you have no business in a place like this. The most you can do is to sit around to watch real men fight in the army but I am not going to let you do that”.

Calling David names like wicked and conceited was only the expression of the hatred he had for him. His intention was to dampen whatever confidence he had left in him. It was targeted at sabotaging David.

Just like David did, once you find yourself in this kind of company, walk away. Do not try to convince them. There is nothing you could do to change their mind because they already decided never to agree with you or support you.

There are those who doubt your capabilities because they are ignorant of what God has put in you or working out in your life.

The Lord Jesus Christ had such an experience;

Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Mark 6:1-3NIV

 They knew Him as a child and that familiarity was the cause of their doubt. Further reading in the bible showed that at another time, they welcomed Him. Even His immediate family expressed such doubt but all that changed towards the end of His earthly ministry.

The worst of all these doubting is when you doubt your own capabilities. Yes, there are many people who are stagnant today because they are not able to see what deposits they have existing in their person. We said earlier in this meditation that the first persuasion you need to persuade is yourself.

David faced every level of external doubting we have mentioned in this meditation but he remained internally motivated. When the King expressed his concern for David’s safety, this was David’s response,

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you." 1 Sam 17:36-37NIV

He walked away from his offensive brothers, he walked away from the other soldiers who kept talking about the problem and the reward courageous men would receive if they solved the problem and finally, he boldly proclaimed his conviction before the king. It was the confidence he expressed before the king and the proven testimonies (or should we say, credentials?), that convinced the king.

Even though he turned down the king’s amor on the grounds that he was not used to them, we can see that the king would have given him anything else if he asked for it. Yes, when we complain that people do not support our projects, perhaps it is because we failed to convince them that we know what we are going for.

Having said all that and having stressed the internal confidence and faith that David expressed, we also need to make it plane that confidence should not be vague and faith should be built on something or someone. David was not just a courageous person but his courage was based on his relationship with God and the several instances that his God had proven faithful. If you read through our text chapter, you will observe the several points he referred to his God before King Saul and in his confrontation with Goliath. His faith and confidence were built on his God.

So, my reader, on what have you been basing your confidence? Can you boldly say that your relationship with God is solid and you are sure that this God will stand where you stand?

 This year is coming to end and we are stepping into a brand-new year. Perhaps, you should take a sobber reflection and reevaluate your past walk with God. However, if you are sure that your walk with God has been on the positive side, I encourage you to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

 The remaining days in this year could be your miracle season.

You can still end the year in jubilation.

I would love to hear what you think about this message.

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN

 I CAN TAKE THIS FIGHT; I CAN WIN!

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you." 1 Sam 17:36-37NIV

(Please read 1 Samuel Chapter 17)

David said to king Saul, I can take this fight and I will win. His brothers considered his claim as an empty boasting but it happened that day in their presence.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. 1 Sam 17:50-51NIV

There are just few days before the end of this year and I want to send you this word of encouragement. I want to tell you that you can still end this year as an overcomer. I know that some of my readers will doubt this prophetic word and that is because of what life has been for them.

Maybe I should remind you that fear and doubt are elements of self-sabotage. It is possible that the first person who you should try and convince is yourself. Once you are able to convince yourself it will be easy to convince those who doubt your capabilities.

Times and circumstances have taught me that it is not the lack of resources and power that has obstructed the success of most people but their mindset. In their mind and belief system, they do not see how this could be. Let us put it in another way; those who are successful in life do not necessarily have more resources and favorable positions than those who are not successful.

Our main text was curled from the response David gave to King Saul when the king advised him against confronting Goliath. The challenge before all Israel at the time was a giant called Goliath. Goliath was a national embarrassment on the battle field. King Saul even offered his daughter as a reward to anyone who would erase that condition from the nation.

Where all the known warriors of Israel retreated in fear, David accepted to fight Goliath. Here is the advice that the king Saul offered to David, and it was borne out of a genuine concern for David’s life.

Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." 1 Sam 17:33NIV

According to the king, David could come another day but this particular challenge is beyond what you can handle, David. This kind of sincere advice has kept someone who is reading this message in a position he should have moved beyond. This kind of advice is the reason some people are not married at the age of 50. This kind of advice is the reason someone has not written a book yet. This kind of advice was the reason a deacon of a living church committed abortion six times because he felt he did not have money to raise children. There are many sincere counsels we hear everyday and read on the social media platforms but they are not correct. If you follow them, you will not fulfill the purpose of God for your life.

When I was working on my first book, a bible school instructor advised that I was too unknown as a minister of the gospel to write a book. In his opinion no one will read my book. Anyway, he was among those who read the book when it was published.

Fortunately, David did not heed the advice and it is a common knowledge that he eventually succeeded in defeating Goliath in keeping with his own confession.

If we make a comparison between King Saul and David, we will see that the advantage tilted in the favor of the former. King Saul was anointed a king before David and it is interesting that the same prophet anointed them. King Saul was more experienced as a warrior and he had thousands of soldiers under his command. With regards to their spiritual affiliation, they served the same God under the same prophet and they depended on the same Book of the Law.

On his side, David was a young man who was struggling under rejection in the family he came from. He was the youngest of eight male children and there is every indication that he was born out of wedlock. Unlike Saul who a favored only son of a rich man,

David was not even valued by his father. How can we say that? On the day the prophet Samuel came to anoint a king for all in Israel in his family, even after his seven elder brothers failed the test, it took the prophet to remind his father he had one sone left.

We celebrate it that David killed a lion and a bear, but have you wondered what kind of father would ask his young son to return to a place where he kept encountering vicious wild animals. David was not valued.

In spite of all these negative situations around his life;

1. He kept his devotion to God very strong. He relied on God for every new challenge.

2. He did not retain the records of the past rejections, betrayals and the things he lost. He kept his positive past experiences as a motivation for his everyday life, that is why he kept the records of only the good things

3. He saw every new challenge as another opportunity to express more confidence in God. He went out against the giant in the same way he went out against the lion and bear.

4. He believed that God will be with him wherever he found himself

5. He did not allow the opinion of others to dampen his faith in himself and God

6. He never permitted anger, bitterness and hatred to control or dictate his actions. He moved away from the position he could hear his offensive brothers.

7. He remained consistent with the way God was training him. That was why he rejected the armor of the king and used his sling.

8. His faith was in an advance mode; he ran towards the giant

9. He remembered to give credit and thanks to God for every success

10. He did not permit pride to overshadow his mind because of the victories that God has given to him. Even though he had killed lions and bears, he was still willing to carry food to his brothers.

I don’t know the challenges that are before you as we are coming to the end of this year.

Borrow lessons from David with the same confidence.

I am praying for you

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com 

HOW DID I FIND MYSELF IN THIS MESS?

 

ONLY FOR SERIOUS CHRISTIANS

HOW DID I FIND MYSELF IN THIS MESS?

Someone sent the following message to me seeking for help; “Pastor Emma, I don’t know what to do about this my condition. I do not like doing this thing but I have tried everything I know to stop it but I see myself going back to it. It is affecting my marriage and finances adversely. I have tried fasting and confessing the word of God; it may stop for a while but I see myself going back to it again”.

There are many people who are facing similar situations in their life but what th

ey fail to confess is how this thing first started in their life.

Pay careful attention to what I want to say next.

Some years ago, some men reportedly died because they drank some inorganic alcoholic beverage. We will need to make some explanation here. Ethanol is the chemical name of an alcoholic beverage that is commonly known as kai-kai, Ogogoro or by whatever name it is called on the streets on your country. It is organically sourced from the palm tree nectar known as palm-wine. After boiling under high temperature the palm wine is brewed into ethanol (Kai-Kai or Ogogoro). It is an alcoholic drink and so intoxicates when taken in excess. There are other natural sources of the same beverage. As an organic beverage, its side effect is minimal because after some time its effect fades off. It is the cheapest alcoholic beverage in Nigeria hence there is a high demand for it by the street community.

There is, however, a problem associated with its production; if the demand shoots high above the supply, the sellers of Kai-Kai run out of stock. Besides, there are industries that also require ethanol for their production. The result is that the natural sources of ethanol are not able to meet with the market demand.

To meet up with the market demand, scientists have developed the totally inorganic or chemical version of the same product. It is sourced from the alkane family in the petrochemical field. After breaking down petrochemical elements of the industrial ethane family, they have ethanol that is also alcohol with the same chemical structure in the alkane family. It has the same composition as Kai-Kai but it is a chemical.

So, we have two chemical substances with the same chemical composition; one is naturally sourced, hence it is organic and so can easily be absorbed into the body system with little or no side effect. We also have another substance with the same chemical composition that is purely a petrochemical product, which is not compatible with the human body system. When it goes into the human body, it can never be absorbed, rather its agents destroy the cells and organs in the human body. This other inorganic version is easy to source in the refinery through petroleum and it is far cheaper. Industries and beverage makers have generally resorted to this inorganic version to meet with the rising demand for their products. They dilute them with water and anytime you see 11% or 9% on the label of an alcoholic beverage, it means that it contained 11 or 9 per cent of inorganic alcohol and any knowledgeable scientist will tell you that it is still on a high percentage of harmful alcohol. They use it not only to satisfy the demand for alcoholic beverage but as a preservative for their products and beverages.

Back to where we started; somehow someone introduced this inorganic version to street vendors of Kai-Kai and the consumers drank it in the same manner they used to drink the organic version and it resulted in the death of more than 100 persons in different locations in Rivers State alone.

Let us bring this home now; there is a natural anger. Even the Lord Jesus Christ was angry at one point. We are told in the bible that we cannot keep ourself from getting angry, rather we are told to quickly take back control of our mind so that the natural anger does not lead us into sin.

"In your anger do not sin" Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Eph 4:26-27NIV

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1:19-20NIV

Now, we are told that even as the children of God, we could get angry and it is a natural thing. But the bible goes further to say that if we permit this natural anger to linger in our heart, the devil could take advantage of it and release the demon of anger into our life. Here is the difference between the two kinds of anger; in one case it will fade off naturally and you will forget about it. In the second kind which is the demonic kind, a spirit of anger is now resident in you. It will come to a point when the person who is angry cannot say specifically why it is so. Once this demon has gained access, it will open door to other kinds of demons. What started as a simple anger, will lead to malice, hatred, bitterness, murder or even suicide.

In the state of natural anger, the person can be talked out of it, but it is different from the demonic anger.

King Saul became angry about the song the women sang about David and himself. He became envious and sought means to kill David. More than thrice, he was talked out of it and he promised that he will never go after David again but he was never able to keep his word because it was not within his power to do so. This is because he was besides himself; he was under the influence of a demon.

Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. 1 Sam 16:14NIV

The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice. 1 Sam 18:10-11NIV

What started with a natural anger over an offence has turned King Saul into a terrorist, murderer and customer to sorcerers and eventually led to his death. We are warned that if we do not keep our heart clean, even after deliverance, demons could regain entry and then invite more wicked demons.

Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first." Luke 11:26NIV

This final worst state is where many people realize that something is wrong with their entire life. I want my reader to know that this is not only with regard to anger. It applies to urge for sex, pornography, gambling, hard drugs, alcohol consumption and every other ungodly practices. It is within your power to start but it might not be within your power to stop it. Some very complex demonic problems started when the victim tried to play around.

Now, read the following line carefully;

Some street vendors of Kai-Kai take some steps to retain their customers and so they consult witchdoctors and occult altars. They are given things to add to their beverages or to plant in their business places. Through these demonic channels, they cast a spell on those who visit their stalls and the person will come under a demonic spell that keeps driving him to go and buy from them. In the deliverance ministry, we have met prostitutes who confessed to have used this method on men. Male prostitutes who prey on rich women also employ this ungodly method to keep their victims under their control. It is not only in the area of sex or alcohol consumption; they employ this method for whatever area they wish.

What started as a mere bad habit, now becomes a serious deliverance matter.

Let me conclude by saying that if you are currently in this inorganic level, what you need is the casting out of demons. No amount of counselling will deliver the victim. It is not a mater to change their thinking or read books or to sit under the teaching of the sound word of God. Some people you are advising to quit alcohol are under bondage to the demons of addiction. They would want to stop but they cannot. Some men who squander their earnings on street women while their families are suffering are under the influence of demons. Some who into masturbation or pornography are under the control of demons. What they need is deliverance.

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Rom 7:18-20NIV

I will love to get your reaction.

Emma your brother pnurnigeria2gmail.com

10 FACORS THAT COULD DRAIN THE ANOINTING FROM THE ANOINTED

 10 factors that could drain the anointing from the anointed.

Lesson from the whistling kettle

There is this kettle that whistles when the water in it begins to boil; the sound of the whistling can go very far and grows louder and louder as the water boils more and more. Incidentally, when the water begins to go cold there is no sound. To a degree, this is what happens when believers begin to lose the presence of the Holy Spirit. The bible says that we could grieve the Holy Spirit and it also says that we could quench the Holy Spirit. It does not mean that the Holy Spirit has left us but by our attitude and lifestyles, He is no longer able to use us as He intends to. That is the point one anointed person begins to live like there was no oil in his life.

When one gets filled with and connects with the power of the Holy Spirit, we hear much “noise” of loud prayers, zeal for evangelism and enthusiasm for God’s business, but in most cases, even the person concerned may not know when the heat begins to evaporate because there is no sound. It would take a very careful person to know that his life was not as it used to be. Unfortunately, some people in that condition become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and pride, they will not listen even when those that love them are complaining. Like king Saul, they begin to use fleshly means to fake like they are still anointed.

The day King Saul first had an encounter with the Holy Spirit we read this account of him;

When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying. When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, "What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" 1 Sam 10:10-11NIV

Take note of how it was described; the Spirit of God came upon him with power, and he joined in their prophesying. I want to say that this act of prophesying was loud and that was what attracted those who had known him before then. The change in his life was very visible and that was what led to the comment, Is Saul also among the prophets?

It was not long when Saul began to have issues with the prophet that God used to raise him and he saw the prophet as an intruder or an obstacle to his own purpose. This unfortunate behavior made God to direct this same prophet to anoint someone else in his place. Blinded by his pride, Saul continued to act as king but God had already replaced him with someone else.

The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." …. So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him 1 Sam 16:1, 13-14NIV

I want you to note the brief account of what happened and when the Spirit of the Lord left Saul and was replaced with an unclean spirit. Nature abhors vacuum, so another spirit must occupy the space and that was an unclean spirit. That event affected Saul permanently and the subsequent accounts were all that followed that event.

I want to use the last chapter of this short meditation to send some very important warning and guidance to my reader who may already be soaked in the anointing by reading this book.

We will still use the life of king Saul as our subject.

Take note of these ten factors that got Saul the favor of God and of course, when he lost them, God was through with him. (All scripture passages are from 1st Samuel).

1. Emptiness – 9:2-4. Saul was the only known son of a very rich man, he was handsome and taller than most men of his time but he was so humble that he could go for small errands. He emptied himself of every honor that he possessed and went in search of his father’s donkeys and that was how he came in contact with God’s favor.

2. Keep in touch with other believers who walk under the anointing grace 10:10. He was anointed as the next king when he met Prophet Samuel but the prophet told him that what God had put in him will get activated when he came in contact with the company of the prophets. Joining prayer and fellowship meetings with others is vital for the activation of the anointing but when one begins to isolate, it could hinder some things, too.

3. Smallness – 9:21 15:17. God picked him up when he looked down on himself but dumped him at the point where he began to pursue vain glory for himself. I have met some believers who think too highly of them self and they are praying that God would use them.

4. Confession of God’s faithfulness 10:14. Even though God encountered him in the house of Samuel, he refused to confess what God was doing with him. He even hid as if the prophet was in error. To a great extent, that was the beginning of his fall. There are some who know that they are under God’s call but they still live their lives like any other person.

5. Submission to divine authority 11:7. The next sign that Saul will not go far was at the point where he mobilized the fighting men; he put his name before the name of his prophet who had ruled Israel for over forty years before he came to power. Some upcoming ministers do not know how to respect those who have served God before they stepped in. once God starts using them, they begin to lift them self and then God will replace them and the anointing will stop to flow.

6. Dependence on God for every decision 13:2-3. God chose and ordained him but it was not long before he stopped depending totally on God.

7. Giving all the glory to God 15:12. Even while there were serious issues that he did not follow God’s instructions completely, he was already building monuments of himself. This is different from David and other servants of God who first built an altar to God.

8. Total obedience to divine instruction 13:8-9. Of course, if the above issues were in his life, there was no way Saul could have walked in total obedience to God. Like the whistling kettle, he began to lose his heat.

9. Humility when you are wrong 15:20-21. God knows that we are mortals and prone to make costly mistakes but He also expects us to acknowledge our mistakes and seek forgiveness. That was exactly what Saul failed to do.

10. Brokenness 15:27. David committed more sins than Saul but the difference was that David always acknowledged his sins. Saul excused his sin. David found it easy to weep in repentance but Saul began to seek other sources of power instead of repenting before God. That is the reason some servants of God who once operated under the anointing, now fake miracles and visit mystic shops to buy occult oil in order to deceive people.

03 - ANOINTING BREAKS THE YOKE

It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. Isa. 10:27 NKJV

In talking about the anointing that breaks the yoke, the conventional picture in our mind is of someone who is carrying an iron yoke on his neck or a heavy burden on his shoulder. I want to let you know that those kinds of yokes are not as tough as the bondage that is programmed into the very organic existence of the victims of satanic curses and bondage.

Have you been faced with the challenge of loosening a rusted nut with a spanner. In some cases, the nut has been abandoned in an old machine or engine for years and it has rusted so badly. Every time one applies the spanner to it, rather than loosen the nut out of the hole, the spanner wounds the head of the nut. No amount of effort can change the situation. Some ignorant people will begin to strike the nut with hammer and I can assure you that they will cause more damage to the nut, the hole and even the hammer without a meaningful result.

This is the way some go about their issues in life; they think they need to make more efforts and meet more people and travel to greener pastures. Unfortunately, I have seen the case of people who travelled from Africa to the USA or Europe but their life only got worse. I know a young man who sold everything he had and moved over to Dubai; today is paralyzed because his neighbor committed a crime of drug peddling and the government of that country injected his friend and all the young men in that room with harmful drugs. Videos of a man who is roaming the streets of Lagos as mad is viral on Facebook but this man holds many degrees from prominent universities in the USA. Beloved, it is not a matter of geographical movement.

In talking about the rusted nuts; wait till an experienced person comes around; he will instruct them to apply some engine oil on the nut and allow the oil to soak into the hole. The next time they place the spanner on the nut there will be a firm grip and as they turn the nut, it begins to loosen. With very little effort compared to before, they are able to loosen the nut and bring it safely out of the hole.

The nut did not become smaller, the hole did not become bigger; the iron composition of the nut and the hole did not become softer and the spanner did not become stronger. It was the presence of the oil that made all the difference.

This is what the anointing does in our lives; life without the anointing can be quite stressful; ministry without the anointing can be tougher than should be. A servant of God slumped and died because he preached for 3 consecutive days for twenty minutes for each day. It was not the stress of preaching that killed him; he was doing it without the anointing. Just like the oil lubricated the machine and the nuts, that is how the anointing of the Holy Spirit lubricates our lives. He does not reduce the quantity of work but the flow of the anointing comes in between us and our labors, just like the engine oil came between the nut and the hole, and makes a difficult work easy.

Living under curses is like laboring to loosen a rusted nut without lubrication; a person under a curse will struggle even in a very simple enterprise and he will make so much mistakes that could erode his profit. Generational negative patterns are like that; you know that you should be in the east but forces that you cannot see are dragging you back to the west. You know you should be promoted to a particular high office but for reasons you cannot explain, you are not there. In most cases, as you intensify efforts to reach your goal, circumstances around you make it seem like you are doing something wrong.

You cannot continue to fight alone. You need lubrication! You need the enabling lubrication from the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

There are those who struggle under the burden of depression, not because of anything but a demonic emotional state rests on their life. They cannot find peace and it is consequently affecting those around them. People are avoiding them because they are always complaining. It is not by their choice but something has wrapped its ugly nature around their soul.

and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isa. 61:3 NIV

They are grieving or mourning in Zion, even though we are told that upon Mount Zion there shall be deliverance but their Zion has become a place of mourning. (Obadiah. Verse 17)

Take note that there is the negative anointing of mourning which is demonic and there is the anointing oil of joy or gladness which comes from the Holy Spirit. There are those wrapped in garments or spirits of despair; they are not able to move forward in life, not because they do not have the capacity but the spirit of give-up, discouragement and hopelessness rests on them. These fall into the category of people who the Lord Jesus Christ has invited to come to Him for rest of mind.

Today we have a promise that the anointing from the oil of joy will destroy every yoke in your life in Jesus’ name.

Some people currently functioning as heads of families or organization are wondering why it is like a curse. They are at the top but the situation around them make them wish they were at the bottom. There is a battle attached to every elevation and if you want to function well in that office, you need the anointing. Before Saul became the first king of Israel, God made a special arrangement for him to receive the requisite anointing; God instructed Samuel to anointing him.

Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance? 1 Sam. 10:1 NIV

David was anointed thrice as he progressed in life to rule over Israel.

There is the anointing of protection and there is the anointing of enthronement. There is the warrior anointing and there is the anointing of consecration.

There is the anointing for healing and twice in the New Testament it was mentioned in relation to the healing of the saints.

You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; fine oils have been poured upon me. Ps. 92:10 NIV

They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. Mark 6:13 NIV

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:14 NIV

Let me briefly explain to you what the anointing does in your life; when the anointing rests on you, it soaks into every fabric of your soul and spiritual identity. It soaks into the bindings and yoke spoken and programmed into your person, physically and spiritually. It soaks into your past and into your present. The anointing runs in between your muscles and your mind. It soaks into the organs of your body; your heart, your lungs, your kidneys, your joints and marrows.

Ezekiel prophesied about the anointing in this way,

Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Ezek. 47:9 NIV

Salt water represents a cursed life but the anointing can reverse the curses and turn them into blessing; wherever the river of the anointing flows, everything there will live.

The anointing will break the yoke of lack and penury; there will be large numbers of fish.

When the anointing rests on your life, dead organs will begin to come to life.

I want to ask you to buy yourself a bottle of olive oil and use it for your prayers. You can call any of the PNUR Admins to pray the anointing over your oil. At the end of the  prayer, pour the oil over yourself and connect to the anointing flowing from today’s prayer.

TO BE CONTINUED 

Remember that I am praying for you.

02 - ANOINTING BREAKS THE YOKE

 

ANOINTING BREAKS THE YOKE 2.

We stated earlier in this meditation that the anointing breaks, or in a more specific sense, destroys yokes and liberates from every satanic bondage in whatever guise. I want to invite you to be open to the power of the anointing in your life as we journey along because the anointing flowing through this meditation can shatter any kind of yoke or burden in your life.

The Lord Jesus Christ invited those who needed rest from bondage to come to Him; that is to avail them self of the flow of the anointing. (Matt.11:28) He was the anointed and the anointing; the Church is His body; hence the Church represents the anointing and the anointed. The Church is not the building or the different denominations we identify with. The Church is made of people like you and me; we are the anointed of God and we represent the anointing. If you have given your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, gotten baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you need to understand that a level of the anointing is resting on you. You can now go further to invite the Holy Spirit to fill you. For the sake of some people who are controversial about this third level, let us read,

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:14-17NIV

There are four things mentioned here;

They accepted the word of God.

They were baptized in the water into the name of Jesus Christ.

The apostles laid hands and prayed for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

The good news is that they were filled with the Holy spirit.

There are believers who erroneously believe that it is only those in the pulpit ministry that need the anointing; that is the apostles, the prophets, evangelists, the teachers and the pastors. So, they believe that our present meditation on the subject of the anointing does not really concern them. There are others who believe that when we talk about coming under the flow of the anointing, we are referring to those who need healing and deliverance. These are very wrong and unbiblical positions to assume.

The first official statement about the anointing for service was for artisans; jewelers, carpenters, tailors, woodcutters and their like.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts — to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: Ex 31:1-6NIV

Take note that it was God who chose Bezalel and Oholiab; it was God who gave them the ability, skills and the requisite knowledge to make artistic designs. God chose them and gave them the gifts and then to cement these together they needed the anointing, so He filled them with His Spirit; He gave them the anointing. Read further and see that every member of that workforce also received the anointing for their side of the job and these men were not into the pulpit ministry.

We are trying to establish that, no matter what your enterprise is, you need the anointing. You need the anointing as a doctor or a nurse. You need the anointing as a lawyer and an engineer. You need the anointing as a university lecturer, banker, transporter or a sports coach. You need the anointing as a trader or driver. The anointing is for everyone. Our world would be a better place to live in if we all operated under the anointing. Our families and homes will be full of more joy if every member was under the influence of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The unfortunate thing is that most people only begin to seek the anointing in the face of imminent trouble. God called and empowered Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and by divine instruction he appointed some leaders and elders from among the people. A time came when it became difficult to manage these people but unfortunately Moses thought that these people needed more food, water and meat to be happy. He cried to out to God and you need to read for yourself His reply to Moses,

The Lord said to Moses: "Bring me seventy of Israel's elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone. Num 11:16-17NIV

The Lord said, “Moses I understand that you are anointed but that is not enough to have stability. I also understand the talents and experience among your leaders, but it is not enough to have stability in your team. The people and leaders under you need to carry the same anointing that is flowing from you. Only then will they flow along and cause you less stress. If they must be able to help you in carrying the burden in your assignment, they too need the anointing in your life to flow into their life.”

Glory to God!

Is it not true that many parents today make the same mistake like Moses did? They think that a very expensive school is what their children need. Some CEOs think that their employees will be loyal if they are well educated and well paid. Even some pastors erroneously believe that what their members need to be loyal is food and material things. That is not correct. The spirit in a person governs the person’s behavior.

As a father that is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, once in a while, gather all your children and lay hands on them in prayer and call on the Holy Spirit in your life to rest on them. As a mother that is a believer, once in a while, call your daughter and speak the anointing in your life into her life. Do that deliberately; do it intentionally. As a head of an organization, once in a while, gather your staff in a season of prayer and call down the Holy Spirit in your life into their life. You can solicit the support of your pastor in this direction. As the senior pastor or head of a religious organization, do not major on leadership training only; organize an impartation service and call for the anointing of the Holy Spirit on your life to rest on your workers. The Lord said to Moses, this is one of the ways to evolve synergy among your people and diminish the stress of leadership.

The only problem here is if you are not a prayerful person or the spirit in you is a demon of drunkenness and gambling; or the spirit of nagging at your husband or quarreling about everything. Then, you need to repent before the Lord and invite the Holy Spirit into your life. This is one reason you need to have a pastor or mentor who understands spiritual things and principles. Once in a while, solicit prayer from a man of God you respect or submit to, and ask him to specifically speak the anointing into your life. Invite him to your home and ask him to speak the anointing into your family. If he lives faraway, call him on phone and make the specific request that he should speak the anointing into your life.

Some genuine believers who God elevated to high positions in their life and career, often disconnect themselves from the anointing that elevated them and they only begin to seek the anointing again if a problem arises. It is sad that not everyone remembers to run back under the anointing flow in their time of need. Queen Esther did not remember to run under the anointing flow. She rather kept her problem secret. She did not want anyone to know the true state of her marriage. She had not had any contact with her husband for a whole month. The people outside knew she was the queen but a wizard called Haman had stolen her husband from her. It took the provocation of Mordecai to awaken her. (Esther. Chapter 4-6). Like most women believe, Esther thought that what her husband wanted was sex with many other women, not knowing that witchcraft was at play in her home. Hear me, daughter of Zion, there are women out there who employ the power of witchcraft to draw men away from their lawful wives and destroy their families. Only through the instrumentality of violent prayers under the anointing can such men be rescued.

Thank God that we have a promise today that the anointing breaks every yoke.

Just like I am provoking you now, Esther was provoked into prayer by her mentor and that was when she went to do the prayer for three days and nights to soak herself in the anointing. After the fast, she did not resort to cosmetics as before, she stepped into the presence of her husband and the anointing flowing from her season of prayer shattered the yoke of witchcraft spell from her husband. That was how she recovered her marriage.

Amen!

The anointing does not rest on us to show up and while away time,

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. Acts 10:38NIV

I don’t know how some fellows who claim that they are anointed could stay in a place without moving. This scripture says that God anointed the Lord with Holy Spirit and power and the next thing, He went about… He became mobile! He started to move out in the direction of people’s need. He did good things and He began to heal the sick and cast out demons. He became dynamic.

Somewhere else He said,

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Act. 1:8

Take note of the command that they will be in action and in a progressive motion; Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. The anointing that is stagnant is questionable. The anointing that is idle is doubtable. We should doubt the anointing that is not provoked in the face of human needs. The anointing that only raises controversy about theology and doctrines, cannot be the same anointing of the Holy Spirit that I carry.

Yes, before this time, they were raising questions about times and seasons and divine timetable for the activities of heaven on the earth, but He told them,

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Act. 1:7-8

Why do some people seem to have more proof of the anointing in their life? They are the ones that take action. They are the ones that dared to lay hands on the sick. They are the ones that got involved in something. They are the ones that dared to preach. The doctor that laid his hand to pray for his patient will most likely have more testimonies of the power of the anointing than the one who does not. The teacher that prays with the pupils under her care will more likely have testimonies than the one who does not. You will have more proof of the anointing when you act.

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:4-8NIV

We are not told that it was God who called or sent them. They preached wherever they went and the Lord confirmed His word on them. Stop waiting for a thunder blast from heaven or a visit from angels before you can act; just start acting from wherever you are now.

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." … Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Mark 16:17-20NIV

The Lord gave the promise and the disciples went out in obedience preaching everywhere, and consequently the Lord confirmed His word.

The anointing is resting on you now, but you may not know it experientially until you act.

(To be continued).

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

ANOINTING BREAKS THE YOKE

ANOINTING BREAKS THE YOKE - 01

The Lord Jesus is referred to as the Christ, implying that He is the anointed and He expressed and lived the title of the anointed,

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt 11:28-30NIV

The anointing is a bondage breaker and yoke destroyer. The anointing comes to set the people free. This agrees with this scripture,

It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. Isa 10:27 NKJV

The anointing stands for 3 things for the Church;

It stands for the authority of the name of Jesus Christ. His name is anointed and exalted above every other name and at the mention of this name every other name or dimension of authority must bow. (Phil.2:9-11)

The anointing represents the mandate that is given to the Church to represent Jesus Christ on this earth. That is the Church is empowered and positioned by a divine fiat to act on the behalf of Jesus Christ. The Church can speak and do things in His behalf and this is the right of every individual member of the Church. It is also a collective responsibility on the Church leadership on earth. This is what is known as the authority of the believers.

Thirdly, the anointing represents the presence of the Holy Spirit on the individual members of the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is often represented as oil and it is the oil of lubrication for the renewal of the Body of Christ in the area of healing, revival, transformation and unbinding rusted organs in the body of every child of God. (Rom. 8:11). The same way that lubricating oil can release rusted nuts in engines and machines, the anointing power of the holy Spirit can generate healing and renewal in the organic body.

The anointing has the power to lift the burden of depression, demonic oppression and the rust of curses that create difficulties on the part of those who would come to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ said that we will have to come…(Matt. 11:28). If we feel and recognize our need for deliverance and release from demons, sin and evil habits that are destroying our lives, He asks us to come. We are supposed to approach and open ourselves up for the oil or the anointing to flow into our lives.

For the anointing to flow into our lives, there are three very important spiritual factors every child of God needs and none of them is less important than the rest.

Prayer

The word of God

The anointing for the miraculous

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. Luke 5:16-17NIV

The Lord read and studied the word of God as we all should. It was recorded that at about the age of 12 that He stayed back in the temple just to interact with those who taught Him the word of God. It was from what He was taught and read on His own that He taught others. (Luke. 2:46-47). There should be a deliberate effort on our side to study the word of God in the bible.

We can receive God’s word by reading the bible and other inspired books on our own. Listening to video and audio messages and sitting under sound teachers of the word of God are other sources of the word of God. Through the word of God, we can develop our faith to an effective dimension (Rom.10:17). It is important that every child of God should have a good knowledge of the basic truths of God’s word. The word of God is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. (John. 1:1-2). There is power in God’s word.

However, quality time spent in secret prayers is the hidden generator of the miracles that accompanied the earthly ministry of the Lord. Take note of the clause, “But Jesus often withdrew..” (Luke. 5:16). It was His habit. It was in the place of prayer that He received the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for the great things and deliverances that His ministry was known for. If the miracles will continue to flow, then He must continue to find time to withdraw to a lonely place for the purpose of prayers.

Take note also, “Lonely places..”. This proves that no matter what city or whose home He found Himself, He still managed to search out a lonely place for the purpose of His private prayer.

Maybe this will answer the question for some people, “When I was coming up as a young believer, I used to witness the manifestation of God’s power and the miraculous in my life and ministry, but now I do not see them anymore. Why is it so?”

I can tell you by my personal experience that as a young believer, my heart was set on one thing; God and the pursuit of His presence. As I grew older, I started getting distracted by my pursuit of some men and women who I believed knew more about God or with whom I hoped to receive some favor to help me in life. It was not long before I began to spend lesser time in prayer and fasting. I soon began to worry about my life instead of living in a daily surrender to the Holy Spirit. When this happened, the regular refilling of the power of the Holy Spirit began to diminish and so also was the manifestation of His power.

In some cases, we begin to replace the time we spend in prayer and God’s word with religious activities and sacraments. It is very clear from the bible that no religious sacrament will take the place of the power of God and this power will not be generated just because you have fulfilled any religious sacrament or obligation. This is very evident from the earthly life of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Matt 3:16-4:2 NIV

Take note that He was baptized in water, but that did not take the place of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. He was filled with the Holy Spirit but the infilling of the Holy Spirit did not automatically imply the available power for effective Christian life and ministry. The beautiful thing is that once the Holy Spirit took hold of Him (as should be the case for every one of us), He led Jesus Christ to the place of prayer in the wilderness. The place of prayer is the place of another dimension of empowerment to prepare Him for the exploit that would later accompany His ministry. The devil, as should be expected, joined Him there in the wilderness just to tempt and possibly derail His purpose. The devil knows how important prayer is in your life and he will do everything to discourage you from visiting there often.

It was after He had spent time in the place of fasting and prayers that we read,

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, Luke 4:14NIV

Luke 5:16 says that it was not a onetime thing, rather He often withdrew to lonely places to pray. For many believers, they are still flaunting that one and first time they fasted as the ground for their expectation of God’s power. Some even boast that they enjoy the power of God without following the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is where lazy Christians have a serious problem because lazy people cannot pray more than the brief sacramental prayers of meal time, bed time and opening prayers for fellowship meetings. The result is that they cannot connect to the kind of power that can cause a major shift in the spirit. So, they look for cheap and easy sources of power; they go to mystic shops to buy items like anointing oil to make people to fall on the ground, salve to drop in their eyes so they can see in the spirit or they follow the usual pattern of Simon the sorcerer where they give an anointed person money so he could give them some of the ability to perform miracles (Act. 8:18-19). If he has some money, he could arrange and pay some people to fake miracles; some charlatans step up in his programs and claim that they got miracles while he prayed for them. All these because he was too lazy to get up from his bed early in the morning or late at night to stand up in the place of private prayer. On the last count, he will begin to argue that there are no more miracles today because they do not happen in his church or ministry. Anyone who has lived all his life at the creek will also argue that planes do not reach the ground.

There are those who have risen lately to say that all we need to do is to teach the people the word of God, and they add that if the people know the word of God, that would be OK for them. Our main text said that the Lord was teaching them the word of God but that was not all of it; it further said that the power of God was present. (Luke 5:17).

It is important that you take a special note of the reason for the presence of the power of God; the power of God was present to heal the sick. Initially there was no one in that meeting that expressed the need for the available healing anointing but it was not long when they noticed the movement in the roof and some desperate fellows laid their friend right in front of the Lord. Thank God that the power was available and the teachings of the Lord was not empty of power. The sick man got healed immediately.

Glory to God.

The Apostle Paul said about his ministry;

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. 1 Cor 2:1-5NIV

Take note of. “A demonstration of the Spirit’s power”; it was evident and visible to those who were in his meetings. If the anointing is there, it is there; if it is not there, then it is not there. If you have any doubt about how he acquired this kind of power, read the place the Lord introduced Paul to another servant of God.

The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. Acts 9:11NIV

“He is praying!”

I have seen some men who claim to be students of the teachings of Paul but they are not people of prayer; they are just talkers. Paul was a man of prayer. Peter was a man of prayer and you will never find any person who functioned under genuine anointing power who does not spend quality time in prayer.

In Acts chapters 9 and 10, we saw that Paul and Peter, both received revelation for the next level of their calling and ministry while they were in their different places of prayer.

Prayer generates the power of the anointing on the believer.

Prayer generates power of the anointing on the word of God.

Prayer generates the power of the anointing for the manifestation of the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Without the anointing power, the word of God would be mere letters and somewhere the Lord said that letters without the anointing is poisonous.

The presence of the anointing will break every kind of yoke.

(To be continued).

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

02 - DEPRESSION: CAUSES AND THEIR HIDDEN DANGEROUS IMPLICATIONS 2

DEPRESSION: CAUSES AND THEIR HIDDEN DANGEROUS IMPLICATIONS 2

(PNUR Global Day of Fasting and Prayers  06/11/2025)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matt 11:28-29NIV

Glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. I am glad to announce to you that God has a wonderful package for you today as we seek Him in !prayers. No matter what your needs are, remember that prayer is the opportunity that God has given to you to say something about your life. 

We started talking about depression the other day and the Lord has laid it in my heart that He wants us to dwell on it a bit longer. We all come to the point where we feel depressed and it does not matter how spiritually developed you are. You just need to know how to recognize depression and resolve it. 

Even David came to a point when he began to question the turbulence in his soul.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon — from Mount Mizar. Ps 42:5-6NIV

A depressed person is downcast and disturbed in his soul; he is suffering inside in such a way that the onlooker might not see. His mind is charged up as the circumstances around him and the devil is giving him a false signal. So, he is not able to recognize all the wonderful good things around him and his entire attention is on some problems that may not even be in existence, but a mirage. That is why most people are surprised when they hear that the person they see every day has done something unthinkable. The beautiful thing we can take from the life of David is that he knew to take his problem to God in prayer. If you are reading this piece now because you are seeking the answer to the problem of depression, let me assure you that Jesus Christ is still the answer to all the problems of the world today. His invitation is still open and all you need to do now is to run into His open arms. In our main text He asks us to come to Him with all our problems and He promised to help us with them.

The Little Boy and The Vulture

The Little Boy and the Vulture" most commonly refers to a Pulitzer Prize-winning 1993 photograph by Kevin Carter, depicting a starving boy collapsed while a vulture lurks nearby in Sudan. Kevin Carter, a photo-journalist took his own life in the year 1994 due to depression but you would be shocked when you learn the reason for his suicide. There was a severe famine in Sudan and the United Nations Organization was making every effort to draw the attention of donors to the life-threatening situation. Kevin Carter travelled to the region in 1993 as a photo journalist and captured a photo image with his professional camera. It was a starving boy who appeared to be close to the point of death resulting from the famine. Beside the boy was a vulture and the heading on the news report said that the vulture was waiting for the boy to die so it could feed on him. New York times published the photo and truly it got the desired global attention and Kevin Carter won an award because of the photo. In the course of a live radio discussion, one of the call-in contributors said that there were two vultures on that day waiting to feed on the child. One was the bird and the other was the photo man who did nothing to save the child. Many other voices joined together to condemn Kevin Carter and they claimed that he was a heartless person who preyed on the child’s difficult condition to win a global award because, according to their understanding, instead of helping the child, he took a photograph. As simple as this story seems but it got Kevin Carter depressed which resulted in his committing suicide. Unfortunately, there are still many voices supporting this false narrative.

Now, here are some proven facts; even the initial report referred to the child as a girl, he was a boy. The child did not die. The child was actually at the UNO food center location and he did survive the famine. His name was Kong Nyong. This false accusation made Kevin Carter to commit suicide at the point of his greatest success in his entire career. What they said was not true but Kevin Carter kept juggling this false narrative in his mind until he believed the lie and killed himself.

We took time to analyze this to show us that it is not always true that people suffer and die from depression because of difficult times. The truth is that some of them are in the best season of their life. As we proceed, I want you to check yourself.

We have a lot of bible accounts to support this.

Amnon was the son of the most powerful man on earth in his time, King David, who raped his stepsister, Tamar. Before he carried out this art, here is the way different versions of the bible described his state of mind.

2 Sam 13:2

And Amnon was so troubled that he fell sick for his [half] sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it impossible for him to do anything to her. AMP

Amnon became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her. NIV

Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her. NLT

None of these translations said that he was poor or afraid. In summary, he became depressed because he felt like having sex with the girl. He wrongly believed that he was in love. When he eventually succeeded, this is what the bible said,

But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her. Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, "Get up and get out!" 2 Sam 13:14-15NIV

It has been established that greatest number of depressed people have the urge to kill themselves or take actions that will hurt them. 

Moses was at the highest point of his ministry when he suffered depression.

Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. He asked the Lord, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?  Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, 'Give us meat to eat!'  I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now — if I have found favor in your eyes — and do not let me face my own ruin."  Num 11:10-15NIV

Here again, Moses was depressed because of the grumbling of the people and then he began to quarrel against God and pray for his own death. That is the point some leave the church and resort to sport gambling on Sundays.

Elijah had depression after he won an epic battle against his enemies on Mount Carmel and turned an entire nation back to God. Depressed Elijah also prayed for death.

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." 1 Kings 19:3-4NIV

This is the point that pastors quit the ministry. A man who came to my office narrated how he quit his good paying job and lived to regret every action. It was depression.

In none of these instances did God answer the prayer of these servants of God. That is because their prayer was turned in the wrong direction. This may be the reason most so-called radical prayers do not receive any response from God. If you read further, you will discover that their depressed state of mind misinterpreted the situation they were into. What God offered them was a direction on how to resolve their problem. 

I want to believe that if Kevin Carter sought counsel from a matured servant of God, he would have lived longer to see his own vindication. Here is another benefit of being a spirit-led child of God. At moments like this the Holy Spirit will begin to drop some words in to your spirit to remind you of what the word of God said about your situation. Satan and his demons will also try to tell you how desperate your condition was but it is at the same time the Holy Spirit urges you to get up and visit your pastor or call another spirit-filled child of God.

In the volume one of this meditation, we mentioned the different possible causes of depression but I am of the opinion that most victims of depression are under demonic oppression.  Witches and wizards also cast spells on people and most of them begin to feel the stranglehold of darkness enveloping their soul. The demon of depression comes over its victim like a thick cloud and the result is that they are not able to reason freely. That is why most of them take decisions that harm their person.  We said that depressed people could harm people around them but the truth is that it is only in the secondary sense. They can harm people who are trying to keep them from harming them self. The man that killed his children, saw them as the reason he had to keep on living, or as a way to get revenge at someone else.

Let me make the following suggestions for victims of depression.

1. Recognize it as a spiritual battle. No matter what your medical report says, see it as the devil trying to oppress you.

2. Recognize that with the help of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, you will come out victorious.

3. Go into simple prayers like, “I thank you, Jesus Christ”. say it repeatedly. “I cover myself with the blood of Jesus Christ!” etc

4. If you can, pick up your bible and read the promises of God. Otherwise, repeat Psalm 23 as many times as possible. 

5. Try to share the pressure you are facing with someone. Talk to someone but prayerfully seek out someone who is not going to complicate your case with a wrong advice.

6. Consult a doctor if there is a medical connection to what you are facing, but preferably a doctor that is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

7. Do some personal warfare prayers. You can download, “Powerful Prayers by the Authority in the Blood of Jesus Christ”. It has helped many people

8. Seek out a servant of God who has some understanding in deliverance and spiritual warfare and go for deliverance. You can ask an available child of God to pray for you and command the demon of depression to get out of your life.

9. Where it is possible, do not fail to attend church fellowship. Heb. 10:25

10. Do not let your confidence in God shake. Psalm 46:10

We will be saying more on this subject in the course of our prayers today.

Remember to join the fast today.

Remember to invite other people to join us.

Remember to choose time and location for your personal prayers.

We are praying for you.

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com