DISCOVERING

YOUR
PURPOSE IN THE PLAN OF GOD
A STEP TOWARDS ACHIEVING YOUR
DESTINY
DAVID A AJAYI
Copyright© 2017 David A Ajayi
All rights reserved.
 DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to the people who are desirous of discovering
their purpose in the divine plan of God. Without minding the cost, their
concern is that, they must accomplish this. They are men and women of
valour, who are able to do great exploits for God and at the same time,
affect their generations positively.
 Table of Contents
PREFACE
1. THE REASON FOR YOUR EXISTENCE
2. NOTABLE PEOPLE OF PURPOSE
3. SEEKING TO KNOW GOD’S PURPOSE
4. GOD’S PREPARATORY PROCESS
5. IN THE TIMES OF OPPOSITION
6. YOUR CHARACTER DETERMINES YOUR DESTINY
7. THE MARKS OF A PURPOSEFUL PERSON
8. YOU MUST DEVELOP THE SPIRIT OF STEWARDSHIP
9. PLAN YOUR PURPOSE
 PREFACE
God created all humankind for a purpose; that is, a goal or a destiny
to accomplish. It is therefore necessary that every person must discover and
achieve his/her purpose. Otherwise, the life of such person will be
meaningless, and it will like passing through this world without leaving an
indelible mark behind. The Scripture established the fact that God had a
purpose for everybody. For I know the plan I have for you “declares the
Lord,” plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope
and future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
God wants you to achieve a purpose in life; for this reason, he has put
a seed in you, which is what you need for great accomplishment. This seed
is so unique that it is not the same with that of any other person; you must
discover it. You cannot abandon it, or start to imitate any other person; you
must be yourself. Unfortunately, humankind has a great problem, because
some were not able to discover the seed. While those who discovered this
seed could not achieve their destiny due to ignorance of God’s support and
provision for the accomplishment. Rather, they focused on their personal
deficiencies, oppositions and other obstacles.
For example, getting this book across to you is an achievement of the
purpose that God has called me to fulfil. Despite my secular educational
attainment, I was not able to fulfil my divine assignment, because all I
could do was just to meet my immediate personal needs. When I allowed
God to have his way in my life, what he wanted to do became clear. When
the opportunity to write books began to manifest, I saw this as a way of
achieving my divine purpose.
The reason for considering writing books an achievement of my
divine purpose is that, it meets certain criteria that are essential to the
attainment of one’s goal in life. Whatever you may consider as your divine
purpose must also meet the followings:
· It must be for the glory of God.
· It must impart the lives of others positively
· It will surely give you satisfactory reward.
Hence, I want you to consider your reading this book as an encounter
that will impart your life positively, and will place you ahead of others in
achieving greatness. The situation is like that of Apostle Peter with John
when he approached the lame man at the gate called beautiful. Peter told the
man, “Look on us.” The lame man had the expectation that he would
receive something from the duo of Peter and John. However, Peter said;
‘Silver and gold have I none: but such as I have give I thee. In the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.’ (Acts 3:6) Immediately, the
man rose up on his feet and began to walk. It was a new beginning for the
forty years old man
I also have no silver and gold to give you, but what I have is this
book. When you read it, and apply the thoughts therein to your life, you will
have a beautiful story to tell. It is only then you will know that there is a
great truth in the Scripture, as it was said that: Happy is the man that findeth
wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it
is better than the merchandise of silver and gain thereof than fine gold.
(Proverbs 3:13-14)
Just believe that as you continue to read this book, you are stepping
into the right direction, and on the path of making your dreams to become
into realities.
Despite the many challenges, there are good examples of those who through
godly approach achieve their destiny. For these people, personal
deficiencies, oppositions and all manner of obstacles cannot stop them,
because when negative circumstances arose, they put their trust in God. You
may want to ask, what is the secret behind the success of these people? You
will find the answer to this question as you continue reading this book. It
has nine chapters that provide clues to the problem of discovering and
fulfilling your divine purpose, despite all oppositions and negative
circumstances.
 In the first chapter, the book will help you to discover your purpose,
and obtain God’s provision for its accomplishment. You will be able to
distinguish between your divine purpose and your personal selfish desires
that you may have been pursuing. In the subsequent chapters, you will see
the examples of men who achieved great things for God, and the secrets of
their success. Among other things, you will learn from their prayer lives,
devotion to the word of God, and their relationship with the Holy Spirit.
The book talked about God’s preparatory process for the achievement
of your purpose. It is a period when God will take you through the
wilderness experience. This period is not always comfortable, as you may
have to undergo series of trials. During this time, God will melt and remold
you, so that you will become fit for his plan. He will remove the ‘self ‘or
ego in you, and you will have divine strength instead. It is like passing
through the refiner’s furnace, until you become clean from all impurities
and come out shining.
The book also called your attention to the fact that when you face
opposition of any kind; God is always there with you. There is nobody who
will ever achieve anything worthwhile, without opposition from satan and
its agents. Satan’s duty is to steal, to kill and destroy people’s dreams and
destiny. God is greater than the battle of your life, with Christ on your side,
you are sure of victory.
Another critical success factor in reaching the peak of your destiny is
character. If you want to make remarkable success, you have to maintain
quality character. Your character occupies very prominent place in the
course of your desire to become great. Hence, the quality of your character
determines the height of your attainment; it is the foundation and the apex
of your destiny. Building a quality character must be an essential part of
your life.
Moreover, God has put certain virtues in you; they are to help you
during the period of challenges, as they are to give you strength that will
keep you going. Such virtues are; passion, perseverance and courage, others
include focus, wisdom and faith. These virtues are indispensable to the
attainment of your destiny, and to lack them may be a clog in the will of
your progress.
Another way of keeping yourself on course is to accept that you are a
steward of whatever your achievement may be. You must develop the spirit
of stewardship and accountability. By doing this, you are acknowledging
that God is the source of all that you may achieve. This will prevent you
from having the feelings that it is by your power you become what you are,
you will know that all glory belongs to God.
The book also took cognizance of the role of planning in the
pursuance of your purpose. Planning will help you to order your steps and
priorities in making quality decisions, and the effective use of resources. It
will make you to concentrate on the essential things, and help you to avoid
hindrances on your way to the top. Your plan must include one very
important thing, which is the ultimate. Your purpose must lead you to
eternity; your gaining the kingdom of God is the ultimate reward.
Are you confused about your mission on earth, or do you see yourself
as a failure? Do you have the feelings that your present achievement is not
giving you satisfaction? Is your problem that of too old or late to start
searching for your purpose? No matter what your circumstances may be
there is hope for you. Put the past behind you and look into the future; the
rest of your time on the earth can still be the best of your life. Trust that
God can turn your present hopeless situation into a testimony.
 1. THE REASON FOR YOUR EXISTENCE
One of life’s greatest questions in the heart of humankind is ‘‘Why am I
here?” This question borders on the purpose for the human existence. God did
not create anyone without a purpose; he has a plan for everyone on earth. It is
only those who discover their purpose in the plan of God, and achieve it are
truly successful. As an individual: your purpose is the bedrock, and the
organising principles of your life. It gives you direction and the impetus for
achieving your goal, and in effect, adds meaning and value to your life.
The moment you are able to discover the reason for your existence, you
have the guarantee for a brighter future. Even when you are poor and have no
money, you are better than someone who is rich but without a purpose. A
person without a purpose is like suffering from “purpose deficiency
syndrome”, just like “AIDS” which is a deadly disease. All the riches that
such person got may eventually come to nothing or become a liability.
If a person without a purpose swims in the midst of opportunities, he
she may fail. This is because he or she will see impossibilities, even
favourable circumstances. He or she will give a thousand excuses, or blam
others for his or her failure. No circumstances will ever favour a man or woma
without a purpose. Just like a ship or an aircraft without a rudder, no wind w
ever blow to its favour. A man or woman without a destination will arrive
nowhere, and God will not guide such a person. His or her life will be miserab
and hopeless, that may be the beginning of worry, frustration and failure.
Discovering and pursuing your purpose is never without its associated
challenges. However, when it is your divine purpose, you will be motivated to
persist, despite the challenges; this is because of the certainty of the reward
that will follow. To a person of purpose, challenges and difficulties are
opportunities and stepping-stones for attaining greater heights. A person that
has a purpose will see possibilities in every difficult circumstance. He or she
will make use of what others have rejected to achieve his or her purpose. Such
a person will see into the future, has a clear and persistent vision, perception,
and will be able to dream beyond his or her present circumstances.
Most people have an erroneous belief about what should be their
purpose. They consider this to mean acquisition of wealth, gain recognition,
being financially secured, having admirers around them, be a community
leader, or be a decision and opinion makers with noticeable accomplishments.
When you measure all these by the standard of God, they may in no way
match his purpose at all. It is therefore necessary for the individual to find out
what is truly God’s purpose for him or her.
Know your purpose
The answer to the question about the purpose of human’s existence lies
with God; therefore, to know this, you must begin with him. You should
realise that you have your being in him, and it is only in him you can find
meaning to your life. The reason is that, God knew you before you were born,
and had packaged what you will be in his mystery. It requires your total
relationship with the Almighty before you can discover and understand the
mystery through his revelation. The Scripture said: In His hand is the life of
every creature and breath of all mankind. Job 12:10 (NIV)
You are in the hand of God, he uniquely created you for a purpose, you
can only find fulfilment in him; looking elsewhere will amount to a labour in
vain. Remember that you are like clay in the potter’s hand, he formed his
products as he wishes The Scripture has this to say; I make known the end
from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come, I say: My
purpose will stand. (Isaiah 46:10) God is unique in his knowledge, your past,
present and future are in his care. His purpose for you is sure and he will carry
it out according to his plan. You should not accept anything that promises you
comfort; success and security apart from what comes from God.
Know who you are in Christ
Nobody can know God unless through Jesus Christ. In him, God has
chosen us, and predestined everyone according to the plan of him who works
out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. God has planned his
purpose long time ago; he is righteous and will do what he has promised. No
wonder, Apostle Paul remembered the believers in his prayer, that they may
have personal knowledge of Christ.
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my
prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious
father may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know
Him better. (Ephesians 1:16-18 NIV) When you know Jesus Christ better, you
will be able to discover your identity in him. You will be operating at the
spiritual realm, and nothing in the physical shall be able to stop you.
The example of Joshua and Caleb
When Moses sent the twelve men from the tribes of Israel to go and spy
the land of Canaan, there were divided reports among them despite the
favourable condition of the land. The spies returned from searching of the
land after forty days, and came to Moses and to Aaron and to all the
congregation of the children of Israel, and brought back word unto them, and
shew them the fruit of the land.
And they told him, and said . . . We came unto the land wither thou
sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey: and this is the fruit of it.
Nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land; and the cities are
walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The
Amalekites dwell in the land of the south, and the Hittites and the Jebusites
and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the
sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses,
and said, “let us go up at once and possess it: for we are well able to
overcome it”. But the men that went up with him said; “we be not able to go
up against the people: for they are stronger than we… and there we saw the
giants the son of Anak; and we were in our own sight like grasshoppers, and
so we were in their sight. (Numbers 13:27-33)

The report of the ten spies was an indication that they dwelt in the
physical realm. They saw the walled cities, the giants, and admitted that they
would not be able to possess the land. Instead of having the spirit of Jesus
Christ, they had that of grasshoppers. Truly according to their own word, they
failed to possess the land. Caleb and Joshua were in the spirit, they did not see
the giants as a threat. Sincerely, like the other ten spies, Joshua and Caleb saw
the giants, but their strength was in Jesus Christ. The Scripture says, Ye are of
God little children and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in
you than he that is in the world. (1.John 4:4)
Caleb and Joshua knew that Jesus Christ in them was greater than the
physical giants that they were to contend with; Caleb said, “Let us go up at
once and possess it, for we are well able”. Meaning that Jesus Christ is able
and with him, all things are possible. They discovered their identity in Jesus
Christ, and were able to achieve their God given assignment. There is much
strength at your disposal when you identify yourself with Christ, no giant
shall be able to prevent you from achieving your goal.
Accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ
The fact that you are a Christian by name does not mean that you have
accepted Christ as the Lord of your life. It is not a matter of choice; Jesus
Christ has non-negotiable terms for those who want to be his followers.
Although, these terms may not be agreeable to yours, if you want to be his
follower, you must be ready to accept them in glad obedience. To know if you
have accepted Christ as the Lord of your life, your response to these questions
will assist you.
· Does Christ come first in your life?
· Is it God’s will first or yours?
· Do you allow the word of God to come into play in your life?
This Scripture passage will help you in assessing where you stand; if
you have not make up your mind, now is the time. For Jesus Christ said:
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, and
anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
(Matthew 10:37-38 NIV) From this passage, you will realise that accepting
the Lordship of Jesus Christ involves giving up whatever you are, and
surrender to him totally. Your loyalty to Christ must be first in all things, His
will must be yours and his purpose be your purpose.
Do not walk in your own counsel
At times, the plan of God may look strange to you, just like it happened
to Jonah. To him, it was unbelievable that God had interest in any other nation
beside the people of Israel. God’s purpose this time was to evangelise a
gentile nation of Nineveh. The plan of God was to make the nation a people to
himself, and he assigned Jonah to do the work of evangelising the city.
The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai; Go to the great city
of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before
me. But Jonah ran away from the Lord, and headed for Tarshish. He went
down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for the port of Tarshish. After
paying the fare, he went abroad and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
(Jonah 1:1-3 NIV) Jonah knew that there was a specific purpose for him to
fulfill, but he did not want to obey God. He had a personal reason, and wanted
this to supersede God’s agenda. The attitude of Jonah revealed the following:
Jonah’s misplaced priorities
The people of Nineveh were enemies of the Israelites; because of this,
Jonah’s hatred against them was so strong. Jonah was angry again because he
knew that when he preached, the people of Nineveh would repent, and God
will show them mercy. All that Jonah wanted for the people of Nineveh was
God’s vengeance and not mercy. However, the people of Nineveh gathered
together, called on God in prayer, and they repented of their evil ways. The
Lord in response turned his anger away from them, this action of mercy
towards Nineveh, displeased Jonah.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he
prayed unto the Lord and said, I pray thee O Lord, was not this my saying,
when I was yet in my country? Therefore, I fled before unto Tarshish: for I
knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great
kindness, and repented thee of the evil. (Jonah 4:1-2)
His self-centredness
Instead of punishing Jonah for his disobedience, God caused a gourd to
grow and provide shadow for the prophet as a rest place. And the Lord God
prepared a gourd and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a
shadow over his head, to deliver him from the grief. So Jonah was
exceedingly glad for the gourd. But God prepared a worm when the morning
rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. And it came to pass,
when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind: and the sun
beat upon the head of Jonah that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and
said, it is better for me to die than to live. (Jonah 4:6-8) Jonah was displeased
when the gourd that gave him shelter died. This means that he was concerned
more about his personal comfort than obeying God. He felt very sorrowful for
the gourd, but had no concern for the whole nation of Nineveh.
Jonah had a wrong focus
 The Jews were known for their prejudice against other nations. Their
belief was that they were the only God’s chosen people, and they were just to
tolerate others, who were gentiles. This was the likely reason that made Jonah
refused to preach to the nation of Nineveh. He did not realise that there is no
room for ethnic favouritism in God’s plan, and did not understand that the
plan of God is to make all nations to be in Christ. There is neither Jew nor
Greek (Gentile), there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor
female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
The ignorance of Jonah made him to direct his energy to a wrong
purpose. The energy he would have used to preach repentance to the nation of
Nineveh was engaged in making a booth. When he would have called on the
elders of the city concerning his assignment from God, he built a tent for his
own comfort and safety.
God knows you
In this instance, let us examine the example of Prophet Jeremiah. Many
of the prophets in the Bible were associated with one secular occupation or
the other. However, Jeremiah was an exception, he found himself in God’s
calling early in his life. Despite his tender age, his obedience to God’s call
made him to be strong and courageous.
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah
unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah,
unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month. Then the word
of the Lord came unto me saying, before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee
and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained
thee a prophet unto the nations. (Jeremiah 1:3-5)
The reason for Jeremiah’s coming to the world was a divine
arrangement, even before his birth. He could not have been successful if he
engaged in any thing other than the assignment that God has called him to
do. God had called Jeremiah to preach repentance to the people of Judah. The
prophet was to confront the people with their sins. They were so engrossed in
lying, deceit, adultery and idolatry. Jeremiah was to prophesy the 70 years
exile and their eventual return when they must have repented their sins. To the
young Jeremiah, this task was an uneasy one; he felt very inadequate initially,
as he said, ‘‘Ah Sovereign Lord, ‘I said’ I do not know how to speak, I am only
a child.” (Jeremiah 1:6 NIV)
Jeremiah’s response revealed his self-consciousness, and the fact that he
relied on his senses and walked by sight. The kind of Jeremiah’s excuse is still
common among many people today.
God’s assurance for empowerment
God did not concern himself with the excuse of Jeremiah, because the
ultimate was that he must achieve a purpose. Hence, God responded to the
excuse of Jeremiah in this manner. But the Lord said to me, do not say I am
only a child. You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I
command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue
you, declares the Lord. Now I have put my words in your mouth, see, today I
appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy
and overthrow, to build and to plant. (Jeremiah 1:7-10 NIV) Moreover, God
put his words in the mouth of Jeremiah, this means having divine authority
and power. God also promised his presence and protection from all forms of
attack.
Jeremiah’s obedience and concern
Without hesitation, after Jeremiah was empowered, he moved into
action. God’s power and authority ignited all the qualities that were already in
him. Regardless of the attack, humiliation and the reproach he suffered,
Jeremiah courageously, with endurance and long-term commitment, preached
the word of God to the nation of Judah. He had compassion, and was very
sorrowful as he wept for the sinful condition of Judah; this condition made the
people to call him the weeping prophet.
Benefits of knowing your purpose
Knowing your purpose has many benefits; few of these are as follows.
It will give you direction: When you know your purpose, you will not be in
the dark; rather, you will know which direction to go. Otherwise, ignorance
will cause you to change directions for no genuine reason, thinking that such
changes will bring the needed fulfilment.
It helps you to set your priority: Knowing your purpose will enable you to
set your priorities. You will be able to harness your resources properly, for the
achievement of your goal. This will enhance efficiency and effectiveness in
the use of the limited resources at your disposal.
It keeps you focus: Focus means to look steadily at your purpose without
distraction. It also means staying on God’s assignment until you achieve a
result. By remaining focus, you will be able to say ‘no’ to other things that
call for your attention; it also means that you close your eyes to all side
attractions.
You will have great energy at work: When you become focus, you will be
able to put all your strength towards pursuing your purpose to conclusion. It is
like a lion that sights its prey; it pursues it with all its energy without
retreating. You will be happy at your work, because of the certainty of the
good success.
You will not be jealous of others: To be jealous means having the feeling of
envy, and bitterness about others. The success or the material possessions of
other people may cause you to become jealous, but when you are living for
your divine purpose, you will never do that. Instead, your life will be an
example of godliness with contentment; and you will always have satisfaction
with the reward of your labour.
It will put you on the right path: When you know your purpose, you will
have the revelation of the appropriate steps to a greater achievement. You will
be able to set your eyes on God for guidance and his provision. God has the
master plan of your life; he will give you every support to achieve what he
has destined to accomplish.
 2. NOTABLE PEOPLE OF PURPOSE
By reading through the scriptures, we have the names of people who
discovered and fulfilled their purpose in the plan of God. These people were
like the men of Issachar whom the Scripture described in this manner. And
of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the
times, to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were two
hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment. (1. Chronicles
12:32)
Men of Issachar had knowledge, ability and judgment; this provided
the needed help in making quality decisions. They understood the signs of
time, knowing what Israel should do and were capable of controlling their
household. The men were few in number; this is to confirm that people of
wisdom are very rare. The men of Issachar had great skill above all others;
they can give quality advice, and made intelligent contributions to the
affairs of the nation of Israel.
Likewise, these notable people of purpose knew what God wanted
them to do, and they took the appropriate steps to achieve their divine
assignment. The people are role models for anyone who want to achieve
success. Among the few people that will serve as examples are; Patriarch
Abraham, Prophet Elisha, Ruth, Esther; others are Apostle Paul and Gaius.
God called these people under different circumstances, and gave a unique
assignment to each person. One after the other the secrets of success of
these people will be the subject of discussion.
Abraham: Called to faith
The unusual movement of Abraham from Ur of Chaldeans to the land
of Canaan was because of the trust he had in God. The Lord said to
Abraham; Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and
go to the land I will show you. (Genesis 12:1 NIV) Ordinarily, to start life
afresh in an unknown location required preparation. There should be
freedom of choice of location, and having the assurance of what to do for a
living. This was not the case with Abraham, God called him to an unknown
destination, so that the Lord could establish faith through him.
 Then, Abraham left his home country in faith for the wilderness of
Canaan. He left behind his possessions, friends and his position in the
family. It was like leaving certainty for uncertainty, and preferred the desert
experience in obedience to God’s command. Ur of Chaldeans was a notable
centre of commerce during the time Abraham left there. It was a cradle of
civilization, and the capital city of a great empire. He left the prosperous
city, where nothing was lacking, and journeyed to the famine stricken
nation of Canaan. Abraham knew that his personal fulfilment in terms of
possessions, or position could not match what God had in stock for him.
As Abraham took the step of obedience towards God’s instruction by
leaving Ur of Chaldeans, the Lord declared his promise to him in this
manner. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make
your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless
you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will
be blessed through you. (Genesis12:2-3. NIV)
There is no how good your personal plan may be, that of God will
always be superior. Even then, Abraham did not know much about God,
however, he did not allow the fear of uncertainty to draw him back. He saw
in his spirit that God would truly make a nation out of him. On Abraham’s
arrival at Canaan land, God appeared to him again, and the earlier promise
was renewed. The Lord appeared to Abraham and said, To your offspring
will I give this land. So he built an altar there to the Lord, who appeared to
him. (Genesis 12:7NIV)
Since then, God did not break communication with Abraham because
of his obedience. With endurance and against all odds, Abraham trusted
God and he received all the promises. The scripture has this to say
concerning the faith of Abraham. Who against hope believed in hope, that
he might become father of many nations, according to that which was
spoken, so shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not
his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither
yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God,
through unbelief: but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.( Romans
4:18-20)
 Being a man of faith, Abraham was unmindful of the wealth and
position he left behind in Ur of Chaldeans. He was not ashamed of
following God, who had prepared a better future for him. Through faith, he
obtained God’s divine purpose for his life. Even when the promise suffered
delay, Abraham continued to follow God in faith. He believed God, and it
was accounted to him for righteousness.
Elisha: the servant of Elijah
The case of Prophet Elisha was another proof of the fact that life’s
achievement and God’s purpose may not be the same. Elisha was a wealthy
and successful farmer when God called him to be the servant of Prophet
Elijah. Elisha must have perceived in his spirit that a better deal was
awaiting him in the hand of God; he abandoned his farming business. He
killed his oxen and made a feast among his people, after which he followed
Elijah.
So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was
plowing with twelve yoke of oxen and he himself was driving the twelfth
pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left
his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by:
he said, “and then I will come with you”. “Go back” Elijah replied. What
have I done to you?” So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of
oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the
meat and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah
and became his attendance. (1. Kings 19:19-21NIV)
From the onset, Elisha demonstrated a high level of commitment, as a
servant, he carried the luggage of Elijah, prepared his meal and performed
other assignments. People described Elisha as the ‘one who poured water
on the hands of Elijah’. Elisha’s commitment helped him to obtain the
double portion of Elijah’s anointing. Four times Elisha would have missed
the opportunity of God’s purpose for his calling. However, he passed the
necessary tests on all the occasions.
And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven
by a whirl wind, that Elisha went with Elijah from Gilgal. And Elijah said
unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel,
And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, as thy soul liveth, I will not
leave thee. So they went down to Bethel . . . And Elijah said unto him, Tarry,
I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the
Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to
Jericho. . . . And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here, for the Lord
hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul
liveth, I will not leave thee. And they went on. (2. Kings 2:1-7)
On each of the four occasions, Elisha’s response was the same. When
Elijah saw Elisha’s determination and commitment, all the prophet could do
was to ask his servant what he wanted. And it came to pass, when they were
gone over, (River Jordan) that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do
for thee, before I am taken away from thee. And Elisha said I pray thee, let
a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a
hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall
be so unto thee, but if not, it shall not be so. (2. Kings 2:9-10)
With perseverance and long-suffering added to Elisha’s commitment,
he achieved his God appointed goal. And he took up also the mantle of
Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan:
smote the waters and said, where is the God of Elijah? And when he also
had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over
And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him,
they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet
him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. (2. Kings 2:13-15)
At this point, the sons of the prophets who mocked Elisha earlier saw
him and said; the spirit of Elijah has rested upon him. Records shown that
Elisha performed double the miracles of Elijah. He was successful in the
ministry, and had more honour than he could have had as a wealthy farmer.
Apostle Paul
Paul was very religious, and deep in the religion of Judaism. His
training under Gamaliel was the best available during his time. He was a
Pharisee, and well known for his activity against Christianity. Despite his
accomplishment, he warned the people in the Philippians’ church not to put
confidence in their personal achievement. Rather, they should consider
knowing Christ as the ultimate and put their trust in him. Many of the
Judaizers were not keen to accept the gospel message. Their reason was that
they viewed the religion of Judaism very superior to Christianity. However,
Paul told them that if anybody was to trust in his personal achievement, he
was at advantage. He then rolled out all that he had achieved.
Though I myseIf have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else
thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:
circumcised on the eight day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of
Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for
zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But
whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What
is more, I consider everything loss compared to the surpassing greatness of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things, I
consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:4-8 (NIV)
Apostle Paul in this passage referred to all his life achievements as
‘profit’. To him, this was not comparable to the eternal blessings that were
awaiting him in Jesus Christ. All these personal accomplishments were to
him a loss and rubbish, because the riches he had in Jesus Christ surpassed
them all. Until Apostle Paul’s conversion, there was just little effort to
preach the gospel to the Gentiles. He did this successfully, and people
called him the Apostle of the Gentiles. He wrote thirteen out of the twenty-
seven books of the New Testament.
None of the other Apostles could even match his records. When
Apostle Paul discovered the need to re-order his priorities, he did this by
devoting his time to preach the gospel without hesitation. This made it
possible for the Apostle to become what God wanted him to be.
Ruth: the Moabite girl
There was a great famine in the land of Palestine. Elimeleck, a
Bethlehemite, his wife and their sons, Mahlon and Chilion left Palestine for
the land of Moab. The two young men got married, but it was not so long
that tragedy befell the family of Elimeleck. Elimeleck was the first person
to die, and the death of his two sons followed. For this reason, the man and
his two sons left behind three saddened widows; they were, Naomi, Orpah
and Ruth.
Naomi’s return to Palestine
When Naomi received information that there was food in the land of
Palestine again, she decided to return home. The two daughters-in-law also
wanted to follow Naomi, even when she pleaded with them to stay behind.
However, Naomi appealed further to the two young widows to return to
their parents; this made Orpah to change her mind, and she went back. And
they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-
law: but Ruth clave unto her. (Ruth 1:14)
Ruth’s decision not to return
Ruth’s commitment to her marriage was so evident despite the fact
that her husband was no longer alive. She divinely took the decision that
eventually led to the achievement of her purpose in the plan of God. And
Ruth said, entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after
thee; for wither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge;
thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou diest, I will
die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought
but death part thee and me. (Ruth 1: 16-17)
Ruth hardworking and divine providence
Instead of being a busy body, Ruth engaged in what will give her and
the mother-in-law their daily bread. She never engaged in the business of
visiting people to solicit for the basic needs of life. She saw it as a time to
commit herself to diligent work. “Let me go and glean ears of corn”. Her
attitude was “whatever my hands can find let me do it with all my might”.
Moreover, there is no reproach in labour, but in laziness. Boaz in whose
field divine providence led Ruth to glean was a near of kin to Elimeleck.
When Boaz knew who Ruth was, he was very kind to her. (Ruth 2:8-10)
Ruth in turn reported the kind deeds of Boaz to her mother-in-law; while
Naomi in appreciation, prayed for the man. And Naomi said unto her
daughter-in-law, Blessed be the Lord, who hath not left his kindness to the
living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, the man is near of kin unto
us, one of our next kinsmen. (Ruth 2:20)
Boaz married Ruth
There after this report, Naomi began to prepare the ground for the
kinsman’s redemption of Ruth by Boaz. When the marriage arrangement
got to the knowledge of Boaz, he received it with joy. His reaction towards
Ruth was this: And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for
thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, in
as much as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. And now,
my daughter fear not: I will do to thee all that thou requested: for all the
city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. And now it is
true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I …
but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee as the Lord liveth: lie
down until the morning. (Ruth 3:10-13)
Eventually, Boaz married Ruth, because the other near of kin asked
him to do so. Boaz called on the elders and all the people to witness the
marriage. And Boaz said unto the elders and unto all the people Moreover,
Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to
raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance … and ye are my
witnesses this day. (Ruth 4:9-10) The product of the marriage between Boaz
and Ruth was Obed, who was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Eventually, Ruth became the great-grand mother of David, this occasion
made her to occupy a privileged position in the lineage of David and Jesus
Christ.
GAIUS: Called into the ministry of help
Gaius was the person to whom Apostle John wrote his third Epistle.
Gaius was never a preacher, or an evangelist, but a believer. His case was
not that of leaving his wealth or business for preaching the gospel. It was in
his wealth that he found his divine purpose. However, people took notice of
Gaius because of his hospitality towards the early gospel preachers.
His act of hospitality was very helpful during the early days of the
church. Gaius gave assistance to the evangelists who travelled to preach the
gospel. He made the provision for food and accommodation for the
preachers, so that they did not put the burden of their welfare upon the
gentiles whom they were to preach the gospel. For this reason, those non-
believers could not view the motive of the Apostles’ preaching from a
negative perspective. Gaius became a partner in the ministry, as he helped
those who preached the gospel. Hospitality as seen here was God’s purpose
for giving such wealth to Gaius, and he did not fail to discover and fulfil it.
To encourage Gaius to continue in this good work, Apostle John prayed for
him.
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in
good health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoice greatly when the
brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walked
in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in
truth. Beloved, thou doest faithfully, whatsoever thou doest to the brethren,
and to strangers which have borne witness of thy charity before the church:
whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shall
do well: because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of
the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow
helpers to the truth. (3. John 2-8) Hospitality made Gaius became a person
of reckoning in the preaching of the gospel. This act came to the knowledge
of Apostle John and he motivated Gaius further by praying for him.
Although, there are many wealthy people in the church today, but
they will never spend their money for the purpose of the gospel. They love
to occupy position of honour, and ready to spend their money only when
they are seeking recognition. Diotrephes was an example of such people. I
wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing
to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing,
gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to
welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them
out of the church. (3. John 9-10 NIV) If you do not have a call into any of
the five-fold ministry, you can find your purpose wherever you are,
irrespective of your work or profession by following the example of Gaius.
ESTHER
 Esther was an orphan and a slave girl who by God’s providence
became the wife of king Ahasuerus in place of Vashti. It was not long after
Esther became the queen, that Haman started his evil plan to kill all the
Jews in the Persia Empire. Haman’s reason for his action was that
Mordecai, one of the Jews and a gate attendant at the king’s palace, did not
bow, or gave him the due honour. (Esther 3:5-6) Haman was subtle in
perfecting his plan; he made a serious allegation against the Jews. He told
the king that there were certain people in his kingdom whose laws
contradict that of the royal statute. Haman appealed to the king to make a
decree, so that the Jews could be killed. (Esther 3:8-11)
As soon as the plot came to the knowledge of Mordecai, he alerted
Esther about the case and provided her with a copy of the decree. Without
hesitation, Esther on her part swung into action to safe the Jews. The initial
plan of God was to preserve a people unto himself. Esther was among those
that God used to fulfil this purpose, by preserving the Jews from extinct.
Queen Esther took the following steps to complete this great assignment.
She called three days fasting
Esther sent words back to Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Shushan,
to fast for three days and night without food or drink. The queen and the
maids who attended to her will do likewise; this was to ensure that Esther
could have favour from the king. (Esther 4:15-17) On the third day of the
fast, Esther approached the king, and she received favour by divine
providence. It was during this time, that Esther presented her request to
have feast with king and Haman; and the king was delighted to grant the
request of the queen.
Esther’s feast with king and Haman
When Haman heard that Queen Esther invited him to have feast with
her, he was very happy. He felt honoured as he said that the queen did not
allow any man to attend the banquet except the king and himself. On the
first day of the feast Haman’s joy had no bound; he even became power
drunk as he went ahead to perfect his deadly plot against the Jew’s.
 During the second day of the feast, the king and Haman were present
again. As the feast was going on, the king asked; “What is your petition
Queen Esther?” Then she responded by asking for the king’s favour that the
Jews and herself should be allowed to live. The king in annoyance enquired
further and Esther narrated the details of Haman’s plot. Esther requested
further that the king should make a counter decree to annul Haman’s plot, to
which the king consented. The circumstances of Esther been a slave girl
could not stop her from achieving her purpose. As God took her one-step
after the other, she had the power to fulfil her destiny.
 3. SEEKING TO KNOW GOD’S PURPOSE
Thirsting for God is the best approach in seeking to know his
purpose; you can do this from the angle of prayer, reading the word of God
and the help of the Holy Spirit. You can follow the approach of the Psalmist
in this regard, as he cried in this manner. O God, thou art my God; early
will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry
and thirsty land, where no water is. (Psalm 63:1) Intimacy with God is
about the time you spent in his presence in prayers and meditation in the
word. It also includes your being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
These will help you to know the will of God concerning everything about
your life. However, you must willingly subject yourself to his leading.
Thirsting for God in prayer
The first step in this direction is to engage in persistent prayer. When
you do this, God will reveal to you what he wants you to do next.
Remember that you can do nothing by your own power, so you need divine
help. The Scripture says, “The Son can do nothing by himself” (John 5:19b)
Failure to use the approach of prayer could make all you have achieved to
come to naught, because you have not gotten them according to the will of
God. In order to know the importance of prayer in this instance, examining
the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ will motivate you. And in the morning,
rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary
place, and he prayed. (Mark 1:35)
Jesus Christ remained fervent in prayer throughout his earthly
ministry. Our Lord’s ministry began with his baptism; as he came out of
river Jordan, heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit came upon him.
Thereafter, the Spirit led him into the wilderness for forty days and nights.
He returned in the power of God; it was after this that the blue print of His
earthly ministry became manifested. And there was delivered unto him the
book of Prophet Es-aias. And when he had opened the book, he found the
place where it was written ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he
hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal
the broken hearted. To preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of
sight to the blind. To set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the
acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:17-19)
This passage was about the mission of Jesus Christ’s ministry, it
contained all that he came to the world to accomplish. The time spent by
Jesus Christ in prayer made it possible for him to catch the revelation of
God for his assignment on earth. It was prayer that preceded all the key
decisions that Jesus Christ made concerning the work of his ministry. Even
when satan appeared at Gethsemane toward the end of his ministry, it was
prayer that gave him the final victory. The Scripture said: And he went a
little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, o my father, if it is
possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will but as thou
wilt. (Matthew 26:39)
This was Christ’s encounter with the power of darkness, he was
sorrowful because of the agony of the cross. For this reason, he uttered the
first part of his prayer under the influence of the flesh, which if God should
answer would have given satan victory. However, he immediately said
further “nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt”. This is to say that the
will of God must prevail in all circumstances of our lives. Going by the
example of our Lord Jesus Christ, you can see clearly the role of prayer in
discovering and fulfilling your purpose. Prayer involves travailing to bring
forth, that is, bringing into physical realm what God has divinely provided,
or promised to do in the spiritual. The Scripture says that Call unto me, and
I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou
knowest not. (Jeremiah 33:3)
Your purpose is like when somebody addresses a mail to you, nobody
has the authority to open it, except you. It is only when you call upon God
that he delivers your purpose into your hand; only then, you can know what
it contains. The ignorance of the believers in Ephesus made them to live as
beggars, even when they were so rich in Christ. This was the reason for
Apostle Paul’s prayer of revelation for the people. Cease not to give thanks
for you, making mention of you in my prayer that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is
the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. (Ephesians 1:16-18)
I advise you to pray the above prayer for yourself, by inserting your
name where necessary. Having a personal knowledge of God through divine
revelation will change your life for better. The word ‘hope’ in the passage is
not talking of a far distant future, God is talking of what he intends to do
now. He has said it, and through the help of the Holy Spirit, it will come to
pass; only be expectant in your prayer. The Scripture says; I will shew you
great and mighty things … Do not be afraid if your purpose seems big;
when God entrusts you with an assignment, the task involves is never as
great as the divine power behind it. Your prayer will bring the power of God
upon your life, and will place all the heavenly resources that you require at
your disposal.
Therefore, when you pray, your prayer must be in form of decree, and
not a petition. Do not beg for the resources; rather, claim them through the
authority you have in Christ. This is the expectation of the Scripture
concerning your prayer: For verily I say unto you. That whosoever shall say
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea: and
shall not doubt in his hearth, but shall believe that those things which he
saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. (Mark 11: 23)
Take for example, the case of an organisation that engages in the
manufacture of physical products. The production department will never
beg for stock of raw materials from the store; rather, someone who has
authority will issue a requisition. The store section will honour the
requisition instantly by releasing materials for production. The authority
that you carry is more than that; it becomes effective as you continue to
exercise your right by asking in faith.
The role of the word of God
This is the second step in seeking God for the revelation of your
purpose. You can achieve this when you become addicted to the word of
God. For example, you can fully understand the importance of a machine,
and make the best use of it, only when you acquaint yourself with it by
reading the manufacturer’s manual. Likewise, the word of God is the
manual of operations that guides your life. For you to make maximum
impact, you cannot ignore the word of God. There lies the plan of your life;
the word is the blue print of what God intends to do in the world, and in the
life of every individual.
God knew everything from the beginning to the end, and he had
already designed what you will be before you were born. Your purpose can
only be legitimate when it is in line with what God wanted you to be. The
word of God will open your heart to divine wisdom and understanding as
you devote your time to read the Scriptures. The more you search the
Scriptures, the more discoveries you will make concerning the treasures of
God for your life.
The word confers authority on you
The Word of God will give you good command over the affairs of
your life, because it carries power. The Scripture says that, Where the word
of a king is there is power; and who may say unto him, what does
thou? (Ecclesiastes 8:4) If the word of an earthly king could command such
authority, it means that the word of God in you is unquestionable.
Whenever or for whatever you engage the word of God, his power and
authority will follow by receiving what you have commanded. The word of
God empowers your prayer, and makes it effective and more of a decree
than a mere petition. For a clear understanding of the word of God, I here
explain it from two different ways, namely: logos and rhema.
Logos --This is the written word of God. “In the beginning was the word.’’
logos (John 1:1). Therefore, the Bible from Genesis to Revelation contains
the word ‘logos’ of God that he gave to us.
Rhema -- This also means the word of God, but it is different from logos; it
is a specific utterance of God. When you are reading the Bible, a certain
verse may suddenly strike your heart with power; this is ‘Rhema’ coming to
you to meet your need. This is how God speaks to your heart when he wants
to answer your prayers.
You can use ‘Rhema’ to stop the work of the devil against your life.
This is what Jesus Christ did when satan tempted him. In (Matthew 4:4) the
devil quoted the ‘logos’; Jesus Christ answered him with the ‘Rhema’.
When you apply yourself to the word, the dynamic of ‘Rhema’ of God
quickens your heart, and guides you to pray effectively.
The Effectiveness of the Word – The power of the word is absolute, and
remains so from generation to generation. By the word God created and
ruled the world
1. The word has creative power
The word has creative potentials; through the word, God created the
universe. When you allow the word to dwell in you, it will reveal God’s
purpose, and all the resources you need to fulfil it. The gospel of John also
confirmed the creative power of the word as the Scripture says: In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. The same was in the beginning with God, all things were made by
him, and without him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:1-2)
You are part of God’s creation; your duty is to discover your prime
reason for existence. Without the word you are nothing, any attempt to live
without the word will make you blind concerning God’s plan. When you
continue to meditate on the word, you are able to discover the gifts of God
in you. The word will nurture the gifts to the point of fruitfulness when you
continue to apply it.
2. God will always honour his word
When your purpose rests upon the word of God, you are sure of its
fulfilment. God is righteous, and he will never renounce his word. These are
few of the Scriptures that shown God’s commitment to his word.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it
without watering the earth and making it but and flourish, so that it yields
seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from
my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
For I know my thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of
peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jeremiah 29:11)
(I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still
to come, I say: My purpose will stand. (Isaiah 46:10 NIV)
The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely, as I have planned, so it will
be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.

(Isaiah 14:24)
My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
(Psalm 89:34)
The above passages confirmed the righteousness of God. He will
never change what he had planned to do concerning his creation. God is
very committed to his plan for your life; he has gone this far to ensure your
purposefulness on earth; therefore, search the word diligently.
3. You must believe and obey the word
To believe means to have faith that what God has promised according
to his word he will fulfil. The word of God will become real and active as
you confess it. You can only access the blessings of God when your
thoughts are according to his words. Your confession of the word will
determine the quality of your faith, as it expresses your believe. You can
only develop your faith through your relationship with God during the time
of prayer and meditation in the word. Obedience becomes easy when you
have strong faith in the word. Your obedience to the word makes the
relationship between you and God to become stronger.
The role of the Holy Spirit
The last item for consideration is the role of the Holy Spirit. It takes
the leading of the Holy Spirit to understand what is happening in the
spiritual realm. Anything you cannot obtain from the spiritual realm may
elude you in the physical. You can only win the battle of your life in the
spiritual realm in the first instance, before your victory can manifest in the
physical. It takes the leading of the Holy Spirit to access and take delivery
of what God has provided for you. But when the spirit of truth comes, he
will guide you into all truth, He will not speak his own; he will speak only
what he hears and will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:13 NIV)
 The Holy Spirit is the only person who can teach you the truth
relating to your life. The Holy Spirit can never tell you falsehood, as he will
not speak of himself. He will only tell you what God has revealed
concerning you. This truth cannot come to you from any other source, other
than the Holy Spirit. He will also show you things to come by giving you a
revelation about the future. God’s revelation will aid you to plan, and will
prevent you from walking in ignorance.
Children received guidance from their parents during the early part of
their lives. This will enable the children to understand the norms and values
of the society in which they are living and able to adapt accordingly.
Likewise, God will guide his own children to know and obey the leading of
the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will speak to your spirit; this represents the
presence of God in you. The Scripture established the presence of God
inside you through His spirit. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord,
searching all the inward parts of the belly. (Proverbs 20:27) God has put
his spirit in you, but you are not aware due to ignorance. This is why you
are not sensitive to his presence, even when he speaks to you. God never
intends that your physical senses should guide you; otherwise, you will
suffer limitations. Your senses can only guide you in the physical realm,
while his Spirit will speak to your spirit concerning spiritual things.
Nobody can understand the mystery of God by the natural senses.
You must always be in the spirit, because the natural man cannot discern the
things of God. For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of
man which is him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit
of God. (1. Corinthians 1:11) You must circumcise and sanctify your heart,
and be spiritually sensitive, only then you can understand the things of God.
The Holy Spirit in action
When you seek the face of God for guidance, the Holy Spirit will
move into action. The Scripture mentioned about certain prophets in the
church of Antioch. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the
Holy Spirit said; “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to
which I have called them.’’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed
their hands on them, and sent them off. (Acts 13:2-3) The Holy Spirit was in
control as he said; “Set aside for me Barnabas and Saul for me” this is for a
divine assignment. As they were seeking God’s face for guidance,
submitting and humbling themselves through prayer and fasting, the Holy
Spirit revealed to them what they were to do.
You must be spirit conscious
It is impossible for you to live your life successfully by ignoring the
leading of the Holy Spirit. Your carnally chosen purpose may not be in
agreement with God’s plan. Doing things according to his plan as the Holy
Spirit reveals to you is a sign of his presence and guidance. You should not
be ignorant of the fact that you are a spirit being because God created you
in his likeness. The Holy Spirit indwells your heart; this makes spiritual
things to be more real to you. When you are spirit conscious, you will be
operating in the supernatural power of God, and this will make your
purpose achievable.
The Holy Spirit is a person; he hears, speaks, leads, comforts, teaches,
reveals the truth, helps and intercedes. These are the kind of offences that
you may the commit against the Holy Spirit. When you ignore him, he can
be annoyed, lied to, forbids, resisted or grieved. Therefore, you must be
constantly aware of his presence in you. Have your spiritual hears ready to
hear from him, whenever he speaks to you. Regardless of your
understanding and knowledge, you must be willing to obey the leading of
the Holy Spirit. You should know that when you walk in disobedience to
him, you cannot have his presence with you again; then his divine support
will cease. The best thing to do is to seek the Holy Spirit continually,
acknowledge his presence and obey him as he speaks to you.
How you can receive guidance
The scripture says, God who at sundry times, and in divers manners
spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir for all things, by
whom also he made the worlds. (Hebrew 1:1-2) God made himself known
to us by speaking through Jesus Christ. When you know Christ, you will
have the presence and the guidance of God in your life. Jesus Christ himself
said that what the Father has belongs to him. It is only through Jesus Christ
you can have all things that the father has prepared for you. All things that
the father hath are mine, therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and
shall show it unto you. (John 16:15)
To have a revelation of the things of God concerning your life, this
must come through the power of the Holy Spirit working in you. It may
come in the following ways.
Inward witness
Inward witness is the small still voice that comes from God directly to
your heart. It serves as a means by which God can communicate with your
spirit. It is through this communication that God will reveal to you the
secrets of his heart concerning your mission on earth. The spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God. (Romans
8:16) As the Holy Spirit confers the right of sonship on you, you are
entitled to God’s guidance.
During Apostle Paul’s journey to Rome, he experienced the inward
witness about the trouble that was ahead on their way, but the captain of the
ship refused to listen to his advice, as he said, Men, I can see that our
voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and
to our own lives. (Acts 27:10) Apostle Paul said, “I can see”, this was
seeing through his spirit into the spiritual realm; this was only possible
because of his being spirit conscious. Likewise, as the Holy Spirit will
speak quietly inside your heart, learn to be sensitive and respond positively.
God can lead you through visions
You can see into the spiritual realm through visions. You will see
things with your spiritual eyes, rather than through your senses. Visions
may come in these two ways; all depend on how you train yourself
spiritually.
Trance: Visions can come when you are in trance. In this case, your
physical senses will be under suspension, but you will remain conscious.
You will know what is going on around you in the physical; however, God
has taken you into the spiritual realm. This was the case of Apostle Peter in
(Acts 10:9-13).
Open vision: God can also speak to you through an open vision. In such
case, you will have your eyes open, but your senses will be at alert. Jesus
Christ or an angel will appear, and talk to you physically. This was the case
of Zechariah; the father of John the Baptist as recorded in the book of (Luke
1:11-17)

Guidance through dreams: This is the most common way that God speaks
to us. Many people do not take the advantage of this, for lack of knowledge
about the importance of dreams. There are examples of people in the
Scriptures who through dreams received revelation concerning their lives.
Such people include; Jacob, Joseph and Daniel, they all made effective use
of their dreams to achieve good success.
Examples of Jacob and Joseph
Jacob dreamt on his way to Haran; he saw the angels descending from
and ascending to heaven on a ladder. There, God appeared to Jacob in the
dream; God renewed his promises to him, as it was with Abraham. Jacob
also received God’s promise for divine presence and protection. You can
read the narrative in the book of (Genesis 28:10-15)
On two occasions, Joseph dreamt, and during these periods, he had
revelations about his life from God. (Genesis 37:5-9) The fulfilment of
Joseph’s dreams eventually made him to become the second-in-command to
Pharaoh in Egypt. (Genesis 42:6) In the same way, your dream conveys
messages that are to guide you. God who worked in the lives of these
people remains the same today. You must allow the Holy Spirit to have his
way in your life.
 4. GOD’S PREPARATORY PROCESS
In the whole land declares the Lord, two-thirds will be struck down
and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the
fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call my
name and I will answer them, I will say; they are my people, and they will
say, The Lord is our God. (Zechariah 13:8-9. NIV)
When a person cannot discover his or her purpose in the plan of God,
he or she may become a failure. This is due to lack of knowledge of what
the Lord is doing concerning the life of the person. He or she may be
spiritually blind, and cannot see the divine plan of God concerning his or
her life. In the above Scripture, there are about two-thirds of the people in
this category. The remaining one-third are those who were able to find their
purpose in God. They are the few who knew what God intends to do on
earth, and could discover their role therein. However, they will pass through
the refiner’s furnace, like gold and silver. The testing is to purify them of
self-glory and self-centeredness.
Trial is not to destroy the people, but make their boasting to be in the
Lord, rather than in their success. God instructed Gideon to put his 32000
soldiers to test, out of which only 300 could scale through; they were only
few that were fit to go to war out of the many soldiers. The trial is to select
those who will be willing to sacrifice their personal ambitions for the
purpose of God.
Man in the Adamic nature, is corrupt and unprofitable unto God. We
need to put on the nature of Christ by dying with him, so that he will glorify
us with himself. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God
and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his glory. (Romans 8:17) To
share in his glory begins with you by passing the necessary tests. This
period of preparation will definitely cost you something: a price that you
have to pay. It is not always comfortable, because you may have to give up
your personal desires, so that God can have his way.
I consider that our own present sufferings are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18) The Scripture
called it “Our present sufferings”, which means that it will not last; is just a
light affliction, that when we overcome, the reward will outweigh the
trouble. God will reveal to us his glory for our lives, so that we can know
the reasons for the sufferings, and see our need to endure to the end.
The desert experience
When God wants you to be an achiever, it becomes necessary to wean
you from those things that could divert your attention. This he does by
taking you to the desert, and say; “Let’s talk because achieving your
purpose is under threat”. The desert is a place of isolation, and there you
can easily obtain revelation from God. Apostle John said, On the Lord’s day,
I was in the spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet. (John
1:10a)
This took place when Apostle John was in isolation in the Island of
Patmos. The result of the Apostle’s experience is still affecting the church
and the world today. The desert experience will bring you no comfort now;
but in the future, it will offer you everything. During the time with God,
major changes will take place in your life, when you decide to give up
everything, and surrender yourself unto him.
The training of a newborn giraffe
When a female giraffe is to give birth to its calf, the front hooves and
head are to come out first. Then the entire body follows, by tumbling from
about ten feet to the ground, and land on its back. As it rolls over to have a
grip of the ground with its legs, the mother looked at the young giraffe; in
the twinkling of an eye, the unusual happened. The mother giraffe would
swing one of its legs outward and begin to kick the calf. Each time the calf
gets up, the mother continues the kicking.
This process continues until the calf learns to get up quickly. If the
calf got tired, the mother continues to kick it, in order to stimulate its effort
to get up quickly. Through this process, the young giraffe learns to get up
quickly to run for safety, whenever there is danger. It is a means of training
the calf for survival whenever trouble looms.
Training the eaglets to fly
 When the eaglets want to soar above other birds in the sky, the mother
eagle has a very tough way of preparing them. God made a comparison
between the desert experience and the training that the eagle gives to its
eaglets. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that
spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.
Deuteronomy 32:11.
This passage is about the flight training the mother eagle gives to her
young ones, when it is time to teach them to fly. The process begins as the
mother eagle stirs up the nest, to make it uncomfortable for the eaglets to
stay. This she did by removing all the soft materials that are inside the nest,
which provided comfort for the eaglets. When the mother eagle noticed that
they become agitating, and willing to abandon the nest because there is
nothing in it to make them comfortable, she will take them one after the
other for flight training.
The mother eagle will carry each eaglet on its back, and then leap
from the nest. As the mother eagle soars up and up thousands of feet above
the sea level, the eaglet is airborne. Without any warning, the mother eagle
suddenly made a dive, to release the eaglet into the air for a flight attempt.
In this process, the eaglet became terrified, and began to struggle for
survival, flapping its new wings in an effort to control its fate. In the course
of doing this, the eaglet became hopeless as it goes down and down,
thinking that the end has come. At this point, the mother eagle swooped to
break the fall, and the eaglet had the feeling of its mother’s back coming up
under its talons. There is then safety, as the eaglet fastened its talons into its
mother’s pinions. This process continues until the each eaglet masters how
to soar higher and higher into the sky.
The above principles are what God will continue to administer to
those he wants to take to the apex of their destiny. He will bring them up on
eagle’s wings to their place of fulfillment. Then, the word of God according
to the Scripture will become applicable to such people. But they that wait
upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as
eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not
faint. (Isaiah 40:31) To mount up with wings as eagles involves great test
and discomfort. In the desert, you will experience discomfort, but God as a
loving father will never forget his plan for you. If you observe, you will
notice that it is during the desert experience that the greatest development in
your life may take place. The test will make you surrender yourself, and
allow God to do as he pleases with you.
Joseph in the school of testing
Joseph was an example of one of those who passed through horrible
experiences, in order to get to the peak of his destiny. At about the age of
17years, he dreamt concerning the leadership role that he would play
among the nations of Israel. His brothers were not happy with him, when he
told them about his dreams, and they planned to kill him. So when Joseph
came to his brothers, they stripped him of his garment – the richly
ornamented robe he was wearing and threw him into the cistern. Now, the
cistern was empty; there is no water in it. (Genesis 37:23-24 NIV)
However, Judah said to his brothers, “What we will gain if we kill our
brother and cover his blood? Come let’s sell him to the Ishmaelite and not
lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.
His brothers agreed. So, when the Medianite merchants came by, his
brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for thirty shekels
of silver to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt. (Genesis 37:26-28 NIV)
Joseph’s test of sexual temptation
On getting to Egypt, the Ishmaelites sold Joseph again as a slave to
Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Joseph was faithful and committed
to his work, and God prospered him in all he did. Because of this, Potiphar
made Joseph the head of his household. Joseph was a handsome young
person, and well favoured; however, after some time, his master’s wife set
her eyes on him. On one particular day, Potiphar’s wife attempted to lure
Joseph into committing sexual sin with her, but the young man overcame
the test.
And it came to pass after these things, that the master’s wife cast her
eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto
his masters’ wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the
house, and hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none
greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me
but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness,
and sin against God? (Genesis 39:7-9) When Potiphar’s wife realised her
shame, she wanted to cover up. She lied against Joseph, and Potiphar
believed his wife’s lie and committed the slave boy into the prison. Potiphar
put Joseph in the same place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
Test of commitment to duty and love for fellow prisoners
As a young prisoner, Joseph could have seen his situation as hopeless;
rather, he was diligent in all the tasks assigned to him. Because of his
diligence, the head of the prison promoted him to be the administrator. So,
the warden put Joseph in charge of those held in the prison, and he was
made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention
to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and
gave success in whatever he did. (Genesis 39:22-23 NIV)
Solving others’ problems may be the solution to yours’, this was the
case of Joseph. He was concerned with the sorrows and troubles of fellow
prisoners by asking them the reasons for their sadness. So he asked
Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house.
‘Why are your faces so sad?’ We both had dreams, they answered, but there
is no one to interpret them. “Then Joseph said to them, do not
interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams. (Genesis 40:7-8
NIV) Despite his own difficulties, he used his gift to help Pharaoh’s officials
by interpreting their dreams.
The summery of Joseph’s case was that of a person pursuing a
divinely ordained career. His enrollment began when his brothers sold him
into slavery; this was an unusual and unpalatable situation. He graduated by
passing one test after the other, until he made it to the top in Pharaoh’s
palace. It is a great lesson for all.
My personal experience
Before I received the call into the gospel ministry, I was successful in
my career. I had good education and I was satisfied with my job in terms of
timely upward movement by way of promotion. I was fulfilled and very
proud of my achievement. When I heard the call, the questions on my lips
were; “How can I leave my job for the work of a Pastor? Would people not
say that something is wrong with me? I knew well that this would not fetch
me enough income to meet my personal needs. My belief was that my
career achievement was the purpose of God for me. The spirit of pride
dominated my life, even when it became clear that the anointing of God
was already upon me. I began to dictate terms to God concerning the work
of the ministry.
About eleven years after, an unpleasant situation developed in my
place of work, this led to my voluntary retirement. When I relocated from
Jos to Lagos, I was tempted to start looking for a secular job, instead of
going into the ministry. I attended several prayer meetings, and my only
request was about getting a job, even when it is to the detriment of my
calling. In most cases, as I sought the help of men of God, their responses
were such as these: “Sir, I can see the call of God upon you.” “Do you think
that God who called you cannot bless you in the ministry?” “Stop
disobeying God, go and answer the call”.
On one occasion, I went with my certificates to a vigil, when the
praying ended, the minister in charge invited me so that the ministers of
God can pray on my certificates. The belief was that there are evil marks on
them, and that the men of God will pray to cast out the demons. Instead of
praying for me, one of the ministers said, ‘‘I can see that you are a minister
of God”. They refused to pray on the certificates; rather, they prayed
concerning my calling into the ministry. After all these efforts, it became
clear that what seemed to be success and achievements to me were just
nothing. Then I decided that I should allow God to have his way in my life;
I surrendered all, so that his will can prevail.
The next step was to get myself prepared for the work of the ministry.
Knowing well that my secular education may not be adequate for the
assignment of my calling, I enrolled for theological studies at the seminary
to prepare myself for the work of the gospel ministry. Since I was in the
seminary, the work of the ministry has been progressing. With God at work
in my calling, I established a gospel preaching ministry, and a publishing
outfit. Part of what God has done in my new purpose is the book in your
hand now. I pray that the book will impart your life, and you will discover
and fulfill your God ordained purpose. Although, the journey was tough,
having passed through difficult situations, the glory is that of knowing the
purpose of my existence in the Lord. Since then, I have been living happily,
and have the peace of God in my heart. The only business I have before me
presently is to press forward so that I can attain the mark of preaching the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
Patiently enduring
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many
kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be
matured and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4 NIV) It is
obvious that test and trials are unavoidable when you are climbing the
ladder of your success. However, God as a good father will never leave
you; your trials will definitely lead to promotion and the fulfilment of your
divine purpose. This is why Apostle James said that we should consider it
pure joy whenever we face trails of many kinds. During the period of trial,
you must keep your spirit alive, and be in strong faith. You must not allow
any problem to overwhelm you; rather, you should remain strong in your
spirit. Put your trust in God; believe in his power, and be expectant of the
reward that will follow, when you come out victorious from the desert
experience.
The Scripture says that the testing of your faith develop perseverance.
When you persevere in your trials, one good result will lead to another. The
more you persevere, the more you will grow in the Lord, and you will
become stronger. Lack of perseverance is a common weakness that prevents
many people from fulfilling their destiny. Through perseverance, you will
obtain the power to persist, and remain steady in your course. Perseverance
will keep your eyes away from all opposing forces and distractions. It will
keep you going, you will be able to take your time in making quality
decisions, and painstakingly follow them to conclusion.
Your trial is for the right course
 When you take your articles of gold to the goldsmith for repairs, you
know definitely that it must pass through the furnace before it comes out
shining. The same thing happens when you go through trial; you should
accept this with joy. Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial
you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But
rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ, so that you may be
overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the
name of Christ, you are blessed, for the spirit of glory and of God rest on
you (1. Peter 4:12-14 TLB). This passage is about God’s comfort to
motivate you, and to activate your hope when you are pursuing your
purpose. The trial is not to destroy or to put you off; but through your
patience, fortitude and absolute trust in God, you will surely triumph.
The Sovereign God
Serving God does not guarantee you a trouble free life. Consider the
case of Apostle Paul, think of the shipwrecks, beating, stoning and the
imprisonments he suffered while pursuing God’s assignment. During Paul’s
imprisonment, he saw himself as a prisoner of Jesus Christ and not that of
the Roman Government. Paul was not in any case had bitterness against his
persecutors; he saw it as an opportunity to spread the gospel. The Scripture
says; Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
(2.Timothy 3:12) The Scripture is very true concerning those who live for
their God ordained purpose. God promised that he would give the land of
Canaan to Abraham and his seeds. Yet he made the children of Israel to
suffer in bondage for four hundred and thirty years. Is God through his
sovereign power not able to give them the land without first going to
bondage?
Joseph had beautiful dreams; yet he graduated from one school of
trial to the other, until God prepared him for the leadership position of his
dream. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find Him out. (Job 37:23a) No
one can understand God’s ways: when you ask him for strength, he takes
you to the wilderness for trial. When you ask him for wisdom, he gives you
problems that demand for solutions. When you want leadership position, he
makes you the servant of everyone. Truly, his ways are unsearchable. Who
can understand Him?
The necessity of the desert experience
If you will ever succeed in life, do not try to avoid the desert
experience. Rather, you should be steadfast, and press forward until you
achieve your purpose. When you fail to be steadfast, it means that you
cannot properly fit into the plan of God. The moment you are not willing to
endure the desert experience, you may be saying that, “God step aside, I can
do it alone”.
It must be God first, and ensure that you surrender your total
personality; including your ego. Then God will be able to make your plans
achievable. God wants you to learn submission and obedience during the
desert experience. Your submission and obedience must be like that of Jesus
Christ. Although he was Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.
(Hebrew 5:8) This passage is about the obedience of Jesus Christ, even
during his suffering unto death. Doing the will of God did not prevent him
from the trial; hence, he is capable of helping you to persevere in obedience
during your desert experience. The trial is necessary and compulsory, if you
will ever achieve God’s purpose. The Scripture says; “See I have refined
you, though not as silver, I have tested you in the furnace of affliction”. God
is doing this for a purpose, instead of complaining or running away from
him, you should trust him and turn to him in faith. Like Apostle Paul, you
should rejoice in your trial, because it is for your divine perfection.
The products of your desert experience
The period is the time you improve on your relationship with God. He
will speak to you one-on-one, as a good father will do to his child. The
Scripture must be fulfilled, as it has been stated earlier that; “Perseverance
must finish its work so that you may be matured, complete and not lacking
in anything. After the trial and testing, the followings are the likely
outcome:
1. It will prove your humility: The desert experience will make you to be
God dependent, instead of trusting in your personal ability. You will
willingly exchange his strength for yours. In that case, God will work
through you, and not you laboring to work for him. When you draw on
God’s strength, you will be able to do more with less personal effort. It
 does not mean that God opposes your personal achievements, but all he
wants is that you should not depend on them. Apostle Paul was a man of
great achievements, but hear what he said: I have been crucified with
Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the
body, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for
me. (Galatians 2:20 NIV) This is a perfect example of humility, for God
to be able to enlarge and bless you, it is necessary that you humble
yourself.
2. You will gain access to divine resources: Another benefit of the desert
experience is that, God will give you the clue to the resources he had
provided for the achievement of your purpose. When you look at the task
ahead, you may feel overwhelm because of your inadequacies. However,
while you are with God in the desert, he will give you supernatural
abilities, men, financial and other resources that you require to succeed.
For example, God’s purpose for Moses was to lead the children of Israel
out of Egypt. When God called Moses, he gave excuses why he cannot
carry out the assignment. However, he later submitted in obedience, and
God provided all that Moses required to accomplish the task. (Exodus
3:11-22 and 4:1-17)
3. You will have supernatural strength: Prophet Elijah was an example
of someone who had the desert experience. The Scripture says that, But
they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength… (Isaiah 40:31)
Because of the endowment of supernatural strength, he was able to
challenge King Ahab and the prophets of Baal. After the successful
encounter, he became wearied and even wanted to die, but God
empowered him further. 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.” Then he lay down under the tree and fell
asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said; ‘‘Get up and eat.” He
looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot
coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. The
angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said,
“Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and
 ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he travelled forty days and
nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. (1. Kings 19:4-8
NIV).
4. You will get your priorities right: When you are alone with God, you
are able to get your priorities right. As you come closer to him, he will
get you detached from non-essential things of life. A businessperson
once said, “I have lost millions in the recent financial crash, but the Lord
has used this to speak to me, and draw me closer to himself. I was more
dependent on my ability to make money, than I was on God. Although,
he did not engineer this economic collapse to teach me a lesson, he has
certainly used it to help me get my priorities right”. Have you been pre-
occupying yourself with self-centred desires, than be in God’s purpose?
It is dangerous when you allow things to dominate you. The Scripture
said, Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves
wealth is never satisfied with his income. (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV) When
God discovers that earthly possessions may dominate you, he will take
you to the desert in order to get your attention for a divine purpose. He is
never against your getting rich, but he is against your wealth dominating
you. What God is saying is, “My child, I am weaning you from
continuous attachment to the things of this world”.
 5. IN THE TIMES OF OPPOSITION
Opposition by Satan
To deny the existence of the devil in the struggle to achieve your
divine purpose is a great mistake. To also ascribe excessive power and fear
him for his evil work is also an error. As a child of God, you should avoid
these two extremes; the fact is that satan fell from grace and he is in the
world to carry out his evil works. The Scriptures gave the account of his fall
as follows.
How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the down.
You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne
above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly; on
the utmost heights of the sacred mountain, I will ascend above the tops of
the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High. (Isaiah 14:12-14 NIV)
In the book of Ezekiel 28:12-19, the phrases in the above passage
were used for the human king of Tyre, which at best described satan.
Looking at the way prophet Ezekiel described the king, you will know that
it cannot apply to a human being. This king was said to be in the Garden of
Eden (v. 13), was anointed as a guardian cherub, having access to the holy
mountain of God (v. 14), but because of his violence, he was driven out
from there (v.16.) He was so proud because of his beauty and splendour.
However, the condemnation came against satan because he was the
one that motivated the king of Tyre to sin. One thing you should realise is
that satan did not fall alone, about one third of the angels in heaven fell with
him. This was the reason that made it possible for satan to organise his
kingdom into hierarchies of principalities and powers. Satan came to the
Garden of Eden; there he deceived Eve which led to the fall of Adam. This
caused satan to gain dominion over the earth, and he became the god of this
world, and since then, he began his work of opposition in the lives of the
children of God.
The devil and his schemes
 No one can achieve any worthwhile success without being opposed
by satan. If there is no opposition, that achievement may not be in the plan
of God for you, because there is no easy road to greatness. In chapter two, I
mentioned the names of people who were successful in their divine
purpose. At one time or the other, these people faced oppositions, but
because God was with them they became victorious.
In this case, consideration will be given to only two men as examples
of those who suffered opposition when doing the work of God; they were
Nehemiah and Zerubbabel. These men were those whom God used to build
the wall and the Temple of Jerusalem, yet they suffered much in the hands
of the enemies during the course of their work. Here is the account of the
terrible plot of the enemies against them.
Opposition against Nehemiah
Despite the good intentions of Nehemiah to rebuild the broken wall of
Jerusalem, the enemies opposed him. It all began when the news about the
state of reproach of Jerusalem got to Nehemiah through Hanani, who
returned from Judah; this was the report: And they said unto me; the
remnants that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great
affliction and reproach, the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the
gates thereof are burned with fire. (Nehemiah 1:3) Nehemiah was deeply
grieved about the condition of Jerusalem; he broke down in tears to show
his concern for the city of God. He fasted and prayed for the forgiveness of
the sin of the people, and sought God’s face for the rebuilding of the wall of
Jerusalem.
Nehemiah obtained the king’s permission
When Nehemiah took up the cup of wine to serve the king, he
(Nehemiah) looked sad, the king asked him: “why is thy countenance sad?
Nehemiah’s response was that: “the place of my father’s sepulcher lieth
waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire”. When the king asked
Nehemiah what he wanted, he requested the king to send him to Jerusalem,
in order to rebuild the wall. The king granted Nehemiah’s request by issuing
a letter to the governor of the province. However, the king’s approval did
not go down well with Samballat and Tobias. The Scripture says that “It
grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of
the children of Israel”. This story is in the book of Nehemiah 2:1-10.
Opposition began
There was serious opposition from the enemies of God, who
attempted to resist Nehemiah. Such people will continue to appear in the
lives of those who are desirous of achieving their divine purpose today. But
when Samballat, Tobias, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod
heard that the repairs to Jerusalem wall had gone ahead and that the gaps
were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come
and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to
our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. (Nehemiah
4:7-9 NIV)
Nehemiah was not discouraged by the plot of the enemies, he prayed,
and introduced the idea of: ‘everyone with his sword in one hand and
working tool in the other.’ All his attention was on fulfilling the divine
purpose of God, and never allowed the actions of the enemies to distract
him. This was Nehemiah’s approach to the whole matter. From that day on,
half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with
spears, shield, bows and armour: The officers posted themselves behind the
people of Judah, who were building the wall. Those who carried materials
did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of
the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who
sounded the trumpet stayed with me. (Nehemiah 4:16-18 NIV)
The enemies devised another scheme.
The enemies again invited Nehemiah to a location that was about
twenty miles away from Jerusalem, where they probably planned to kill
him. However, he knew their plot and refused to answer them. Samballat
and Geshem sent me this message; come, let us come together in one of the
villages, on the plain of Ono. But they were scheming to harm me. So, I sent
messengers to them with this reply; I am carrying on a great project and
cannot go down any way should work stop while I leave it and go down to
you. Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them
the same answer. (Nehemiah 6:2-4 NIV)
The triumph of Nehemiah
The opposition did not stop at this point, enemies employed further
schemes, but they all failed. Despite the attacks, Nehemiah, with
determination continued the work to completion. So the wall was completed
on the twenty-fifth of Ehil, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard
about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-
confidence, because they realised that this work had been done with the
help of our God. (Nehemiah 6:15-16 NIV) This is how it will be for
everyone who put his or her trust in the Lord; even when the enemies are
opposing you.
Opposition against Zerubbabel
In the course of rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple under Zerubbabel,
there was serious opposition again. This came from those who never
wanted Jerusalem to regain her once lost glory. They used threats and
deceits to discourage and weaken the people from achieving their God’s
ordained purpose.
This was how the plot against Zerubbabel began: When the enemies of
Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the
Lord, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the
families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your
God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of
Assyria, who brought us here. (Ezra 4:1-2 NIV) The claims of these
enemies were not true, even though they worshipped God, at the same time
they did sacrificed to idols. They consider God just like another “idol” that
they could add to their collection of gods.
The enemies opposed the work of the temple
The enemies employed all means to oppose the Jews in building the
Temple, and they wrote letters to the king, seeking permission to stop the
work. The enemies hired counsellors to work against the people of Judah
and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of
Persia. (Ezra 4:5 NIV) Under king Artexerxes, the enemies accused the
Jews of building a rebellious city, troublesome to the king and his
provinces; which has been a place of rebellious from ancient times. The
detail of the letter is in the Book of Ezra 4:11-17. The king also agreed with
the accusers of the Jews, and in his reply, he gave instruction that the Jews
should stop the work of the temple. You can see the king’s reply in Book of
Ezra 4:18-22. As soon as the copy of the letter from king Arterxerxes was
read to Rehum and Shimshai, the secretary and their associates, they went
immediately to stop the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to
stop (Ezra 4:23 NIV)
In continuation of the opposition, during the reign of king Darius,
Tettenai and Shether-Bzenai with their associates wrote another letter of
accusation against the rebuilding of the temple. The letter was addressed to
King Darius.
To King Darius
Cordial greetings.
The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the
temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones . . .
We questioned the elders and asked them, ‘Who authorized you to rebuild
this temple and restore the structure? . . . This was the answer they gave us.
We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding
the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel
built and finished. But because our fathers angered the God of heaven, he
handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean king of Babylon, who
destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. However, in the
first year of Cyrus, king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild
this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold
and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken
from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then
King Cyrus gave them to a man named Shessbazzar, who he had appointed
governor and he told him; “take these articles and go and deposit them in
the temple in Jerusalem, And rebuild the house of God on its site. . . .Now if
it pleased the king . . . Then let the king send his decision in this matter.
(Ezra 5:7-17 NIV)
 The reply from king Darius was that of triumph for the people of
Judah. A search was made into the archives in the treasure of Babylon and
it was found that king Cyrus had issued a decree to rebuild the temple in
Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:1-11). This is the content of the decree made by King
Cyrus in the first year of his reign.
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifice, and let its
foundation be laid . . . The cost to be paid by royal treasury . . . Now then,
Tettenai, the governor of Trans-Euphrates and Shethar-Bozenai and you
fellow officials of that province, stay away from there . . . Moreover, I
hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the
construction of this house of God; the expenses of these men are to be paid
out of the royal treasury, from the revenue of Trans-Euphrates, so that the
work will not stop… Furthermore, I decree that if any one change this
edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he to be made a pile of
rubble. May God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any
king or people who lift a hand to change this decree or to destroy this
temple in Jerusalem, I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with
diligence. (Ezra 6:3-12 NIV)
In all the cases that were mentioned, you can see how God fought the
cause of his own people; he was with them in the course of pursuing their
divine purpose. The case of Zerubbabel was very spectacular; all that the
enemy took away from the temple were restored. In addition to that, God
provided the resources that the people required to complete the work of the
temple from the treasury of the enemies. I am telling you with all
confidence that if you do not allow unbelief to hold you down, God is in
your battle, you will surely triumph.
Jesus Christ’s had obtained victory over satan
Jesus Christ came to this world to deliver the children of God from
the kingdom of darkness; this is a wonderful purpose. Certainly, satan knew
this plan; he came to stand against its fulfilment. Satan’s opposition came
by tempting Jesus Christ on returning from the wilderness after the forty
days and nights of fasting. The scripture told us that; When Jesus Christ had
fasted for forty days and forty nights, he became hungry and satan came to
tempt him. The account of the temptation was recorded in the Scriptures.
(Matthew. 4:1-11) At every stage of the temptation, Jesus Christ triumphed;
this was the beginning of serious trouble for satan. This was because Jesus
Christ did not allow satan to have his way in destroying the plan of God.
After putting satan at bay, Jesus Christ entered the temple to declare his
reason for coming to the world. When he said:
The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives, and receiving of sight to the blind, to
set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the
Lord. (Luke 4:18-19) This was the purpose statement of the earthly ministry
of Jesus Christ. Throughout, he faced oppositions, even when all he did
were in accord with the purpose of his coming to the world. At the end of
his ministry, he was falsely accused, tried, crucified and died, but God
resurrected him. The resurrection of Jesus Christ brought eternal defeat
upon satan and his kingdom.
The victory and authority of Christ is yours
Jesus Christ knew that opposition will come, for this reason, when he
sent forth the disciples, he warned them of the troubles ahead. Jesus Christ
gave the disciples the blue print of their assignment in this manner. And as
ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick,
cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received,
freely give. (Matthew. 10:7-8)
This assignment involved dismantling the kingdom of darkness, and
setting the captives at liberty. Jesus Christ knew that satan will definitely
counter attack, he warned the disciples; But beware of men; for they will
deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their
synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my
sake, for a testimony against them and the gentiles”. (Matthew 10:17-18)
To assure you that there is no opposition that can stop the plan of
God; Jesus Christ has won victory for you as he declared. Behold, the hour
cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own,
and shall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the father is with
me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In
the world, ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer: I have overcome
the world. (John 16:32-33)
As a child of God, you should expect opposition from the agents of
satan, while pursuing the purpose of your life. It happened to Christ, yours
cannot be an exemption. However, when you maintain your relationship
with Christ, you will have his peace and comfort during the time of
opposition. As the disciples became courageous because of the word of
Jesus Christ to them, you too will have similar experience. Just have faith in
Jesus Christ; he has won the ultimate victory for you. In fulfilment of Jesus
Christ’s assurance for victory, the Scriptures have these to say. And having
spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it”. (Colossians 2:15)
The Scripture declared further: And what is the exceeding greatness
of his power to us ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty
power which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and
set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all
principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is
named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come”.
(Ephesians 1:19-21)
Jesus Christ has won the victory for you; if you believe, the exceeding
greatness of God’s power is for you. You are sitting with Christ at a place
far above the power of satan and his agents. The victory is for you now, and
not when you get to heaven; you should begin to walk as a conqueror
immediately. Jesus Christ did not stop there; He transferred the authority to
you so that you can also have control over oppositions that may come your
way. And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up
serpent; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall
lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (Mark 16:17-18)
As long as you believe in the resurrected Christ, these signs are for
you. You do not have to be a pastor or a prophet before you qualify to have
the signs. Your continuous believing will empower you to operate in the
authority whenever the need arises. Jesus Christ said to the seventy when he
sent them out the to preach the gospel; Behold I give unto you power to
tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and
nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19) What entitles you to this
authority is your acting in faith. Once you do this, you will be able to lay
claim on what rightly belongs to you. There will be no reason for you to
struggle with demonic power again; with Christ’s authority, whenever
opposition arises, all you have to do is to claim your victory.
Identifying the enemies
It is necessary that you know your enemies otherwise; you may not be
able to identify the appropriate weapons to use. When you know your
enemies the battle becomes easier, as your fighting will not be like someone
beating the air. This made Apostle Paul to say confidently that: For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12) Your fight also is against well
organised forces of darkness; led by satan, and the angels who fell with
him; they formed the allies.
Principalities: The principalities are made up of the following regiments;
they form strong network in the heavenly places.
Powers and authorities: These are demons to which satan has given
authority to hinder the purpose of God in the lives of believers.
Rulers of darkness: These are the spirits that satan assigned to rule and
manipulate the affairs of this world with the power of darkness.
Spiritual wickedness: The wicked spirits lived in heavenly spheres and
join forces with other demonic powers to hinder the kingdom of God in the
lives of believers.
Jesus Christ told us further about the identity of satan, when the Lord
described him as a thief. Jesus Christ said: The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy. John 10:10a (Amp) Satan’s duty is to steal, kill and
destroy the purpose and destiny of the children of God. He tried this in the
lives of Joseph, Daniel and other three Hebrews, but he failed. These people
did not allow satan to catch them through the weakness of the flesh. Satan
will want to use your weak point as an opportunity to launch an attack
against you. His attack may take the form of strongholds in your life; these
strongholds include private stronghold, family stronghold and territorial
stronghold. The contents of private stronghold are those below, to give you
an idea of what strongholds look like.
Personal warfare: This includes the warfare you fight against the agents of
satan. They are your sinful habits that you battle with secretly in your life,
which you are not able to overcome them.
The uncontrollable lusts of the flesh: These are the lustful passions and
desires that you fall into occasionally. This makes you to feel unworthy
when you ask God for something. These sins will come up to tell you that
you do not deserve what you asked for.
Satanic traps: Satan sets its traps around the person everywhere he or she
turns to. They include sexual impurities, fear, doubt, pride, rebellion,
disobedience, self-centeredness, and all forms of ungodliness. With all
these, your mind became corrupt, and you are not able to use your spiritual
authority over satan.
Put on the whole armour of God
However, you must remember that God is the source of your strength,
as well as the skills and resources to fight the battle. You should not be
ignorant of the fact that God has offered you his strength. For this reason,
the Scripture admonished you further by saying: Finally, be strong in the
Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can
stand against the devil’s schemes. (Ephesians 6 10-11)
The purpose of this amour is two-folds. Firstly, it keeps you from the
deception of satan’s schemes. The word ‘schemes’ means the strategies,
cunning, wiles and devices which satan used to take his victims captive
Secondly, you use the armour to stand your ground against satan’s attack.
You must always be on guard, ready to give satan a reprisal anytime, and
remain standing firmly. The weapons in the whole armour according to
Apostle Paul could be seen in this passage of the Bible.
 Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the
breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with
readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take
up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows
of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit,
which is the word of God. And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all
kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be at alert and always keep
on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:14-18)
You can see that the armour of God contains different kinds of
weapons which are appropriate for the battles of your life. All you need to
do is to identify these weapons, know how to operate them, and the
appropriate time of their usage. The weapons will assist you in fighting all
oppositions. Like Nehemiah’s men, they held their weapons in one hand,
and with the other they worked; do likewise, and you will come out
victorious.
 6. YOUR CHARACTER DETERMINES YOUR DESTINY
Character plays a very important role in the achievement of your
destiny. It is very fundamental, because it affects the most central parts of
your life. More than any other critical factor for achievement, your
character determines your level of success or failure. Your character affects
how you think, it controls the way you perceive things around you, and how
you react and behave. It is the product of your thought and the outward
manifestation of your real person: the inner man. Jesus Christ said, A good
man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an
evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. (Matthew 12:35)
The good man refers to a person of good character, while the evil man
is the reverse. They both speak from the treasure that best described their
individual’s inner man. Therefore, your good character will help you to
develop the concepts and principles that will guide your world, beliefs and
sense of value. By the choice of the right character, you can ascend to the
highest levels of your career, and destiny. Also by the choice of bad
character, you can descend to the lowest level of failure and mediocrity. In
effect, you are the master, the architect and the maker of what becomes of
your purpose.
Your character develops under difficult circumstances, during the
time when you are under pressure and have to take moral decisions. If you
have been pretending about your true character, how you react in time of
difficulties will eventually reveal the kind of a person you are. There are
examples of people who had the experience of the test on their character in
the Bible; they include Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, Job, Gehazi, Judas
Iscariot and many others.
What is character?
Character in the limited sense often means: being faithful, righteous,
honesty and having integrity. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines
character as ‘‘strong personal qualities such as ability to deal with difficult
or dangerous situations” Difficult or dangerous situations in this sense may
be referring to the challenges of life, in which strong personal qualities are
required in order to achieve success.
 From another source, character is the total quality of a person’s
behavior that leads to the fulfillment of his or her ambition. Furthermore, it
is the manifestation of what you are in the secret; that is, what you do when
you are alone, with your conscience at work. In this instance, what you do
in the secret will be a reflection of your true character.
In addition to the character of faithfulness, righteousness, honesty and
integrity, or other moral qualities, there are still more to this narrow
definition of character. Therefore, character includes these other strong
personal qualities, like passion, determination, commitment, diligence,
courage, self-control and perseverance. These qualities are subject of
discussion in the next chapter. When you examine the successful people in
the earlier chapters, the secret of their success is in the quality of their
character.
The moral aspect of character
The greatest problem of the human race is that of moral bankruptcy.
This is the product of man’s lustful desires and the attempt to satisfy them.
Sinful appetites will shatter your destiny if you give in to it. To be morally
pure is to put under control all the craving for the satisfaction of the
demands of the flesh. To build a strong character, you must imbibe the
culture of self-discipline. This is the ability to do what is right, even when
you are under pressure, instead of doing the contrary. You must be able to
have victory over the flesh by setting a high standard of good morals to
follow and obey them. Subsequently, examination of the components of
character will be explained one after the other.
What is integrity?
The Scripture explained integrity in this way. The integrity of the
upright shall guide him. (Proverbs 3a) Your integrity is the code of moral
behaviour that will guide you into the path of divine blessing. Integrity
involves walking uprightly, and despises all the gains of oppression. God
will always direct the person of integrity on a path that is straight, rather
than ‘in and out’ or ‘up and down’ without peace of mind. God shall direct
such a person on the path of true success and blessing. In the time of
trouble, God had a place of safety for those that are righteous, who speak
the truth and reject unjust gain.
The first thing to notice in the life of a person of good character is his
or her integrity. To possess a strong character trait, it involves integrating
quality values, virtues, thoughts and actions into your life. You must
practice this with consistency to the extent that people will see it in your
daily living. There are examples of people of good character in the
Scriptures that anyone can follow as role models; these we shall see one
after the other
Job’s steadfastness in his integrity
Job was an example of a man who had many afflictions, but he did
not compromise his integrity because of these. He was a prosperous man;
he had thousands of sheep, camels and other livestock. However, as way of
testing his integrity, God allowed satan to destroy all that Job had, including
his children. In addition, various diseases came upon Job himself: this made
him to groan and suffered terribly. When Job’s wife looked at the helpless
condition of her husband, she advised him to curse (deny) God and die, so
that he may not continue to suffer pain. His wife said to him, ‘‘are you still
holding unto your integrity”, curse God and die. (Job 2:9) Unlike Adam,
Job did not agree to his wife’s suggestion to curse God, but he responded by
rebuking the woman.
On the other hand, Job’s friends advised him, but he turned them
down because their words contradicted God’s testimony in his life. God has
said concerning Job in the Scripture. There was a man in the land of Uz,
whose name was Job; and the man was perfect, and upright, and the one
that feared God, and eschewed evil. (Job 1:1) Despite the long time of his
suffering, he held on to God’s testimony about his integrity. His reply to his
friends was, As long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my
nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will never utter
deceit . . . till I die, I will not deny my integrity. (Job 27:3-6)
It is a disaster for anyone to compromise the quality of his or her
character. Even though Job lost all he had because of satan’s attack on him,
he recovered all in double fold. God instructed Job to forgive his friends
and pray for them; and he did so in obedience. God made him prosperous
again, and gave him double for all he had before. And his brothers and
sisters and everyone who know him before came and ate with him in his
house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had
brought upon him, each one gave him a piece of silver and gold ring. (Job
42:10-11) You can see how the integrity of Job guided him to the path of
God’s blessing and to a place of safety.
Daniel and his three friends
The case of Daniel and his three friends were that of committed and
uncompromising devotion to God against all odds. Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael and Azariah were among the Jews who were in captivity in
Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar instructed his men to change the names of the
three Hebrews to reflect those of certain gods in Babylon, but this did not
affect the quality of their character and committed devotion to
God. Nebuchadnezzar was a blood-sucking king, who would kill anyone
that refused his order. At Babylon, these men faced series of difficult
circumstances that brought them in confrontation with Nebuchadnezzar.
These men knew the consequences of their action; however, they stood their
ground for God.
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials to bring in
some of the Israelites from the royal family and nobility, young men without
any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning,
well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in king’s palace.
He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The
king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table.
They were to be trained for three years, and after that, they were to enter
the king’s service. Among these men were some from Judah: namely Daniel,
Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. (Daniel 1:3-6 NIV)
Ordinarily, the king’s proposal offered great opportunity to these
young men. It was very attractive to be recipients of king’s luxuries and
favour. Nevertheless, Daniel and his friends knew that the food and drinks
on the king’s table were those sacrificed to idols, and were forbidden by
God. Their disobedience to the king’s order may lead to death; this was a
very difficult situation for these Hebrews. How can these men maintain
their faithfulness and committed devotion to God? How could they protect
themselves from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar and his idolatry practices?
The way out of this problem was in the Scripture, which their parents
mighty have taught them when they were in Israel. How can a young man
keep his way pure? By living according to the word. (Psalm 119:9
NIV) Remembering the word of God, they considered that the means of
achieving their divine purpose must justify the end. Therefore, their
response to the king’s proposal was this: But Daniel purposed in his heart
that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with
the wine which he drank: therefore, he requested the prince of the eunuchs
that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favour
and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. (Daniel 1:8-9) The other
three Hebrews also followed the example of Daniel in their resolve.
Eventually, the prince of the eunuchs consented to the proposal of Daniel
and his friends. At the end of the ten-day period, they looked fatter in the
flesh than the others.
During the reign of King Darius, Daniel had another encounter with
the Babylonian authority. Darius signed a foolish decree that made it an
offence to pray to God to ask for anything, but to direct all petitions to the
king. The decree would last for just thirty days; anyone acting contrary to
the decree shall be casted into the lion’s den. Despite the fact that Daniel
knew about this decree, he went into his house, with his window opened
and prayed to God three times daily. Certain of the king’s men caught
Daniel praying, and the report got to the king about the purported
disobedience to the decree. Because of this action, the King gave order to
the people who brought the case against Daniel, to throw him into the lion’s
den; but God delivered him miraculously.
The faithful devotion of Daniel and his friends earned them
promotion. The Scripture confirmed that Daniel was excellent in character,
in wisdom, in relationship and in his duties. The faithful devotion of these
men brought honour unto God. Concerning the three Hebrews, after
Nebuchadnezzar fiery furnace could not consume them, he made a decree
in this manner. Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation and
language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be
made a dunghill; because there is no other God that can deliver after this
sort. Then the King promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the
province of Babylon. (Daniel 3:29-30 NIV)
Furthermore, after the wonderful deliverance of Daniel from the
lion’s den, Darius also decreed as follows. I make a decree, That in every
dominion of my Kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:
for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his Kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end. He
delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and
in the earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the
lions. (Dan.6:26-27)
The question now is, “Can there still be people like Daniel and the
three Hebrews in this polluted and corrupt world of our present
generation?” Those who will maintain their integrity in all difficult
circumstances, you too can decide and be one of them.
Character Bankruptcy
Character bankruptcy means to be destitute of good morals. This may
occur when a person suffer continuous or gradual decline in quality
behavior; there are examples of such people in the Scriptures. They include;
Gehazi, Achan, the children of Eli and Judas Iscariot, they are men whose
purpose were aborted because of their negative character. However, three
among these people will be enough for examples; the lessons from their
character will teach you why you should desist from any form of negative
behaviours.
Gehazi
Gehazi was a notable son of the prophet who served under Elisha. In
the course of his training, instead of becoming a prophet he ended up as a
leper. Trouble fell on him at the time Naaman the captain of the Syrian
army came to Prophet Elisha for healing from leprosy. After Naaman’s
healing, Elisha did not receive the gifts that the Syrian captain brought.
However, when Naaman departed from the presence of Elisha, the spirit of
covetousness entered into Gehazi. He ran after Naaman to collect some of
the gifts pretending as if Elisha had sent him. This was the word of Ghazi to
Naaman: But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God said, behold, my
master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that
which he brought; but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him and take
somewhat of him. (2.Kings 5:21)
Gehazi ran after Naaman, lied that his master has just received two
young men of the ‘sons of prophets’, that his master needed a talent of
silver and two garments for the young men. Naaman gave Gehazi two
talents of silver, in two bags and two garments. When Elisha confronted
Gehazi about this action, he denied. His master told him that this is not the
time to receive money, garments, oxen, vineyards, olive yard and sheep.
The reward of Gehazi’s greed was that the leprosy of Naaman came upon
him as pronounced by Prophet Elisha.
The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy
seed forever, and he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. (2.
Kings 5:27) Gehazi would have possibly be another great prophet in Israel
after Elisha, but he destroyed the plan of God for his life because of
covetousness. He brought leprosy upon himself and his children forever.
Achan
The Scripture also narrated the case of Achan, the man who because
of his covetousness brought trouble upon the people of Israel. He did this
by disobeying God’s instruction concerning accursed thing during the
destruction of Jericho. This is Scriptures narrative of the event. But the
children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing; for Achan the
son of Carmi of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah took of the
accursed thing, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children
of Israel. (Joshua 7:1)
Achan’s character bankruptcy brought the wrath of God over the
people of Israel, and this caused them to suffer defeat in the hands of their
enemies. God’s instruction to Joshua was that he should consecrate all the
items of gold, silver, vessels of brass and iron unto the Lord, and that all
should be in the sanctuary. God told the children of Israel to keep away
from the accursed thing, so that they also do not become accursed. Achan
was the person who acted in disobedience to this command. He stole certain
things from the spoils that God instructed Joshua to burn with fire as a
sacrifice offering. For this reason, God was no longer with the people of
Israel.
Therefore, the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies,
but turned their backs before their enemies because they were accursed;
neither will I be with you anymore, except ye destroy the accursed from
among you. (Joshua 7:12) In order to sanctify the people and regain God’s
favour, Joshua began a search to find out who must have taken the accursed
thing. He called the people of Israel tribe by tribe, clan by clan, and family
by family; when it was the turn of Achan, Joshua enquired this way.
And Joshua said unto Achan, my son, give, I pray thee glory to the
Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him; and tell me now what
thou hast done, hide it not for me. And Achan answered Joshua and said
indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and thus and thus have
I done; When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonian garment, and
two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight
then I coveted them, and took them, and behold, they are hid in the earth in
the midst of my tent, and the silver under it . . . and they took them out of
the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the
children of Israel and laid them out before the Lord. (Joshua7:19-23)
After this discovery, Joshua declared Achan as the one who troubled
Israel, and said that the Lord would trouble him also. Joshua gave order to
certain men among the children of Israel to take Achan and the members of
his household out of the camp, and they were stoned to death. The people of
Israel burnt their bodies and all that belonged to them with fire, and the
anger of the Lord turned away from the Jews.
Judas Iscariot
God’s purpose for Judas Iscariot was to be one of the twelve apostles
of the lamb. He was one of the disciples of Jesus Christ during the earthly
ministry of our Lord. During his time, Jesus Christ new the character of
Judas very. That was the reason Jesus Christ did not wandered much when
he mentioned Judas as the one who will betray him. He was the one who
actually betrayed Jesus Christ because of thirty pieces of silver. And while
he yet spake, lo, Judas one of the twelve came and with him a great
multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and elders of the
people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying whomsoever I
shall kiss, that same is he, hold him fast. And forthwith, he came to Jesus
and said, ‘‘hail master and kissed him” (Matthew 26:47-49)
The chief priests and the elders accused Jesus Christ, and raised false
witnesses against him. When they had concluded their plan to kill Jesus
Christ, the elders of Israel brought him before Pontius Pilate. Then Judas,
which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented
himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and
elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And
they said; what is that to us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces
of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself. (Matthew
27:3-5) Judas lost his life and position because of covetousness; Mathias,
who was not even one of the twelve disciples replaced him.
Apostle Peter in consultation with the other ten appointed another
person to replace Judas Iscariot. And in those days, Peter stood up in the
midst of the disciples and said; men and brethren, this scripture must be
needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David
spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus …
For it is written in the book of Psalms, let his habitation be desolate and let
no man dwell therein, and his bishopric let another take. (Acts 1:15-
20) Because of the character bankruptcy of Judas, the divine purpose for his
life was terminated. His position of apostleship became that of another.
In view of the above examples: What are the garments you have
coveted? What are the pieces of silver in form of bribe, cheating and
stealing you engaged in? A little lie told, examination malpractices,
falsification of records, in order to collect benefits that never belong to you.
All these may be what have been standing against the achievement of your
destiny. Not many people can stand up publicly among those in leadership
positions: who hold monies and properties in trust for others can do like
Prophet Samuel; as he stood up before the people of Israel and
said: Behold, here I am, witness against me before the Lord and before his
anointed, whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Or whom
have I defraud? Whom have I oppressed or whose hand have I received any
bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? And I will restore it. And they said, thou
hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither has thou taken ought any
man’s hand. (1.Samuel 12:3-4)
This is a clean bill of integrity; you need one, so that you can achieve
your destiny. A speaker in one of the seminars I once attended said; “If your
character is intact, your destiny is intact. If you lost money, you have lost
nothing. If you lost your health, you have lost something. But if you lost
your character, you have lost everything.” Watch out, never allow your
character to limit or destroy the purpose of God for your life.
 7. THE MARKS OF A PURPOSEFUL PERSON
These marks are the other characteristics that a person should have, in
order to reach his or her destiny. They are qualities that will propel, and
give you all the ingredients that are necessary to accomplish greatness in
life. In the earlier chapter, character was defined as the total quality of a
person’s behaviour; there, the moral aspect of character was discussed. To
talk of total quality of a person’s behaviour, you need these marks to make
up for your character.
These marks are certain values and virtues that are indispensable for
your success. To lack them would cause a lot of difficulties in making
positive impact in whatever you may want to do. Few among the values and
virtues for consideration in this book are as follows;
Passion Wisdom
Perseverance Faith
Courage Relationship
Diligence Focus
You may be familiar with these qualities, and even have some of them
inside in you; God has put them there, and has a way of stirring them up
when the need arises. The qualities are noticeable in people during the
period of their trials and temptations. How you apply them during your
difficult situations will determine how far you can go in achieving success.
One after the other, these values and virtues will be discussed.
Passion
Passion is to your purpose as ignition key is to a car. Without the key,
you cannot ignite your car, and as a result, you may remain in a stagnant
position. Therefore, passion is the key that will ignite you into action;
hence, to ignore your passion will amount to a great blunder. It is good to
have interests and beliefs in a particular course of action, but without
passion, the course will remain dormant. Your purpose will be like a lifeless
body and can only come alive when you add passion to your interests and
beliefs about it.
 People with passion are always very resilient. No contrary
circumstances can stop them from doing what they want to do. Many
people, because of physical disabilities, or lack of financial and other
necessary supports have given up; this is never so with the people who are
passionate. Those with passion will always find and achieve their purpose
in any circumstances of life. They are very confident, and never give
excuses; such people continually demonstrate the spirit of overcomers.
Passion will put you on your toes for action, because it is so powerful
and motivating; and will also help you to achieve what seems impossible.
When passion is added to your belief, it becomes a conviction. Your
conviction will motivate you to persist in the course of pursuing your
purpose; it is a driven-force that empowers you to fulfil all your
expectations. To give an acceptable worship to God is human’s prime
purpose, this requires passion as well. The psalmist said in the book of
Psalms; “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up”. Psalm 69:9. The
psalmist developed a serious passion within himself to seek the good of the
house of God. His desire to be in the presence of God all the time was made
possible by his passion. Likewise, you should devote your passion to that
which is the purpose of God for your life. This will help you in the
allocation of your resources in an effective and efficient manner. Devoting
your passion to your purpose is an evidence of living according to God’s
divine plan.
Perseverance
No matter how great is your calling, without perseverance, you
cannot make much progress. Perseverance is a price that you must pay to
get to the pick of your career. The Scripture confirms this by saying:
Blessed is the man who perseveres. (James 1:12a NIV) To persevere means
to consistently endure hardship. It is the ability to continue pursuing your
divine purpose in spite of difficulties and discouragement. It is the ability to
face defeat again and again without giving up, and continue believing that
victory is sure. It is impossible for anyone to achieve any worthwhile
success without difficulties and trials.
 Perseverance comes when you tried something and failed, and you get
up one more time than you have failed. When you fall down, it does not
mean that God has finished with you, your success may be nearer when you
think it is still far away. The positive side of failure is to learn from your
mistakes and move forward. In this case, it takes endurance to overcome
every obstacle; you will have to fight doggedly, without giving up. Never
take too much precaution by trying to avoid failure or making mistakes.
You are far better than someone who refuses to attempt doing something,
because of the fear of failure. Many of the world’s most successful people
were ex-losers who persevered in their course, until success came their way.
Remember Jacob’s all-night wrestling with an angel yielded result, because
of his perseverance and persistence struggle.
And Jacob was left alone: and there wrestled a man with him until the
breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him …
and he said unto him, what is thy name? And he said Jacob. And he said,
thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel; for as a prince hast thou
power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. (Genesis 32:24-28) This
was the story of Jacob’s wrestling and prevailing with an angel. While he
continued the wrestling, he took hold of the angel tenaciously. The success
of Jacob’s struggle was made possible, because he stood his ground. He was
never discouraged, even when it lasted for a long time. Jacob put all his
strength and determination into the fight till down. The angel’s appeal to let
him go did not cause Jacob to give up.
Jacob was highly determined to achieve his purpose; so, he
persevered. Therefore, those who will prevail in the world and achieve their
divine purpose must first prevail with God. They must be earnest and
persevere in the pursuance of their godly ambition. Since you also know
your purpose in the plan of God, never deviate from pursuing it. How ever
rough the road to your destiny may be, and whatever may be the
difficulties, continue to press forward; don’t be tempted to quit.
Courage
To have courage is to be mentally or morally strong; having no fear or
doubt in your mind. This is an impetus in the course of pursuing your
destiny. Courage will give you the force and the energy that you require to
move forward. It is a major tool with which you can deal with the
challenges of life. After the death of Moses, God chose Joshua to lead the
people of Israel to the promise land, and the Lord commanded him in this
way. Be strong and of good courage, for unto this people shalt thou divide
for an inheritance the land which I swear unto their fathers to give them.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee . . .
Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid,
neither thou be dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee. (Joshua 1:6-9)
Joshua needed courage to accomplish the work that was assigned to
him. God knew the weight of the task and that courage is required for
Joshua to succeed. God repeatedly warned Joshua about having courage.
“Be strong and of Good courage” “Only be strong and very courageous”
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage”. It was a
great challenge for Joshua to lead about two million people to the promise
land. God knew that the task was much and it is never for a coward; hence
he promised Joshua of his continuous presence. The assurance of God’s
presence must have motivated Joshua into action, without hesitation, he
called out the people of Israel to do that which God commanded them. Then
Joshua commanded the officers of the people saying, pass through the host
and command the people saying, prepare you victuals; for within three days
ye shall pass over to this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the
Lord your God giveth you to possess it. (Joshua 1:10-11)
With courage, Joshua took action that led to the realisation of his
purpose. When you lost courage, and allow fear and doubt to take its place,
failure is imminent; worry and anxiety will also follow. It was courage that
helped Joshua to neutralise the spirit of fear in him; this was why God told
him continuously to be of good courage. Like Joshua, let God be the source
of your courage. The Scripture confirmed this in the book of Psalms. The
Lord is the strength of my life, of who shall I be afraid … though a host
(challenges of life) should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear,
though war should rise against me, (oppositions) this will I be confident.
(Psalms 27:1-3 NIV) This should be your approach if you really want to
achieve greatness in life. Be a person of courage, starve your fear and doubt
to death by putting your trust in God.
Diligence
To have diligence means to work hard; even when it is not convenient
for you. It means that you should continue working while others may be
sleeping or spending their time in pleasures. A diligent person will make
good use of everything he or she has, in order to prosper. The Scripture has
this to say about the diligent person. Seest thou a man diligent in his
business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
(Proverbs 22:29) Your purpose is like a portion of land that God has
allocated to you to till. You must clear the portion, till it, plant seeds in it
and nurture them to fruitfulness. It is only then you can have good harvest,
and the means of providing for your family. When you are diligent in your
work, you have the opportunity to interact with people that matters. The
Scripture said further that: The hands of the diligent shall bear rule.
(Proverbs 12:24) If you are diligent in your work, it places you in a position
to rule over others, because through you God will sustain them. Your work
will make people to desire, expect and accept you; when you are diligent at
it, you can never suffer reproach. You will receive good reward for your
labour.
There is this story of a diligent woman in the Bible. This is the
summary of what the Scripture says about her; you can read it up in the
Book of Proverbs 31:10-29. She was described as a virtuous woman. In
whom her husband can put his trust, because she will do him good and not
evil. Her diligent devotion to work was unequalled, as she went in search of
the best material for her products, and worked willingly with her hands.
From a far distance, she brought food for the care of her family.
Like a merchant, she bought a field and planted a vineyard. She
worked with all her strength to the extent that her candle did never go out at
night. She laid her hands on the spindle, and held the distaff and made
clothes for her household during the cold. Her husband is known among
other men, because of the quality of the clothes he put on. She extended her
hospitality to the poor and the needy. It was said that she was excellent
above all other women. This is a worthy example, not even for women
alone, but for men also. If you want to achieve your purpose, you must be
diligent in your business, and never give room for laziness.
In contrast, is the lazy fellow; the Scripture has this to say about such
a person. I walked by the field of a certain lazy fellow and saw that it was
overgrown with thorns and covered with weeds; and its walls were broken
down. Then I looked, I learned this lesson; A little extra sleep, a little more
slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest means that poverty will break in
upon you suddenly like a robber and violently like a bandit. (Proverbs 24:
30-34 TLB) The lazy person will always have thousands of excuses why he
or she has failed. His or her excuses may include this: “There is a lion on
the way, a lion in the street.” (Proverbs 26:13) To be diligent or lazy at
work is a matter of choice; take a decision now and pursue your divine
purpose diligently.
Wisdom
Wisdom is simply defined by the Oxford Advanced Learners’
Dictionary as the ability to make sensible decisions, and give good advice
because of the great experience and knowledge that you have.
Wisdom comes from God
Wisdom is God-given. It is obtained through continuous relationship
with God in his word and in your prayer. God demonstrated his power to
give wisdom when he wanted Moses to build the tabernacle in the
wilderness. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, see I have called by
name Bazaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah. And I
have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, to
device cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass . . .
(Exodus 31:1-8)
This passage was about the civil engineering design of the tabernacle.
God did not tell Moses to send these men to the university to study Civil
Engineering, so that they can build the tabernacle. However, God gave the
men the wisdom that is required to fulfil that which he assigned to them.
When you are faithfully and sincerely disposed to God’s given assignment,
he will give you the wisdom that you require to fulfil it. The value of God’s
wisdom cannot be quantified, because it can safe you a lot of resources that
you cannot quantify in money terms. The Scripture says this about the
inestimable value of wisdom. For the merchandise of it is better than the
merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more
precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be
compared unto her. (Proverbs 3:14-15)
God’s wisdom will help you to achieve your divine purpose, so that
what you gain with the application of it is far better than any worldly
achievement. Your joy is at the fullest when you are operating under the
wisdom of God. Getting wisdom is very essential; you must get it if you
really want to make tangible impact in your generation. The Scripture refers
to wisdom as the principal thing - the basic thing, upon which all other
achievements will rest upon. Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get
wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7) There is
no amount of inheritance that can be bequeathed to a foolish person: he or
she will remain poor. But the person with wisdom will do things in a
prudent manner; he or she will act with discretion. Getting wisdom will
give you strength to make exploits that will qualify you to stand before
kings.
Faith in God
Faith means trusting God absolutely, and be convinced that what he
has promised to do, he will accomplish it. Your purpose in the plan of God
is covenantal, achieving it is not negotiable. God will never repudiate his
promise, he has never failed. Hence, God’s unfailing power should be the
anchor of your faith. When you know what God has promised to do, begin
to act like you have received it; this is what it means to operate in the realm
of faith. Faith is not in the abstract, it is something you can hold on to. Now
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen. (Hebrew 11:1)
To have faith is to live in expectation with confidence and certainty
that what you asked according to God’s plan, you have receive them. And
you continue to behave as if it has been delivered to your hands. Therefore,
one can say that the level of your faith determines the attainment of your
purpose. You must believe the impossible, and be ready to act in faith in
spite of all contradictions.
Source of faith
Faith comes from God; he gives it through the power of the Holy
Spirit. In order to have faith, you must have good relationship with God.
Hence the level of your faith is always in direct proportion to your
relationship to Jesus Christ, and your willingness to have absolute trust in
him and his word. You will grow in faith through the word of God; as you
become steadfast. Your faith will open the door to new resources that you
require to achieve your purpose.
The benefits of faith
Your faith is the key to receive God’s blessing. It empowers you to
continue the pursuance of your purpose in the face of adversity. Whatever
your divine task involves, just believe that nothing can stop you. In the
pursuance of it, never be self-conscious, otherwise you will only see your
short comings, doubts and why your purpose may not be achievable. It is
your faith that will make you to act as if you have received what you asked
in your prayers, even before you can see it happening.
Your faith and obedience work side by side; they are mutually
dependent. Obedience means when you act in faith despite all
contradictions; by following the example of Abraham. And being not weak
in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an
hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He staggered not
at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able
to perform. (Romans 4:19-21)
Right relationship
Having relationship with people who will affect your life positively
can help you in the achievement of your purpose. The Scripture says
that, He that walketh with the wise men shall be wise; but a companion of
fools shall be destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20) You can know a person by the
company he or she keeps. The person who will be wise must keep the
company of wise people. He or she that will be successful should establish
relationship with those who have achieved success; it is only from them you
can receive good and quality advice.
The companion of fools will always be a fool; they have no God in
their thought, and shall all perish together. Therefore, the kind of friends
you keep are very important, do not hang around morally bankrupt people.
One of the grievous sins committed by King Jehoshaphat was that he joined
himself with the wicked King Ahaziah in doing business. And after this did
Jehoshaphat King of Judah join himself with Ahaziah King of Israel, who
did very wickedly. And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to
Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-gaber. Then Eliezer the son of
Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because
thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. And
the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
(2.Chronicles. 20:35-37)
God has given you a legitimate purpose to pursue, do not spend your
time with those who will not help you to achieve it. Some friends want you
to remain crawling; these kinds of people can never help you to climb the
ladder of your success. Do not seek the counsel of those who have failed
neither; they will tell you thousand reasons your purpose may not be
achievable. If you find yourself in any wrong association, either by mistake
or by accident, you should quit without hesitation.
There was the story of a lion that became a sheep by association. One
day he discovered his true identity, and decided to leave the farm house for
the jungle. The lion is to be a king and rule in the jungle, and never a
domestic animal. You have to move with people of high morality, whom
you can share in their valuable experiences. They will help you to turn your
limitations to advantages that can help increase your chance of making
success. Without counsel, purposes are disappointed; but in the multitude of
counsellors they are established. (Proverbs 15:22) Relationship provides
you the opportunity to meet with people of same ideologies, which explain
your place in the world. You should acknowledge that you need good
people who can help you during your crisis period.
Focus
To have focus means to give attention, and put all effort to one
particular direction or situation, rather than another. It involves paying total
attention to something in which you have a special interest. It means over
coming all distractions to the pursuance of your destiny. Paul said that his
purpose was to know Christ. (Philippians 3:10) And for this reason he put
all things behind him, so that he can reach forth unto those things which are
before him. (Philippians 3:14) This is the work of the power of focus; you
will become efficient and effective, and will help you to achieve the most
important thing at the right time.
However, to lack focus may bring a kind of problem on the way to
your success. The servant in the book of (1.king 20: 39-40) was so busy
doing nonessential things that he did not know when the person who was
kept in his custody ran away. And as the king passed by, he cried unto the
king; and he said, thy servant went out into the midst of the battle, and
brought a man unto me, and said, keep this man, if by any means he be
missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of
silver. And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the
king of Israel said unto him, so shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided
it. (1.King20:39-40) You have seen that to lack focus can be a
disaster.
No matter how important the tasks before you may be, you should
make a priority list. It is your productivity that matters, not just engaging in
too many less important activities that will not add much value to your life.
When you have focus, you will commit yourself to the right course by
following the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus saith unto them; my meat is to
do the will of him that send me and to finish his work. (John 4:34)
When you become focus, you will have these benefits to yourself.
· You will become forceful, because you will devote your energy and
resources to the most essential thing.
· You will be able to achieve your purpose, and excel above others around
you.
· When you have focus, you will see clearer and better into the future,
rather than dwelling in your past failures.
· You will be able to overcome confusion, frustration and distraction.
· People who are focus are great accomplishers.
Without over flogging the issue, you see the essence of these values
and virtues as they contribute to total quality of your character and how
they can help you to achieve your purpose. In case you feel inadequate in
any area, you should do something to put yourself on track.
 8. YOU MUST DEVELOP THE SPIRIT OF STEWARDSHIP
To develop a stewardship spirit becomes real when you see the
achievement of your purpose as a means of serving God and impart others
positively. You should not see it from the point of gratifying your personal
desires. God is never against your prosperity, but your wrong attitude about
it; that is, the temptation of trusting in your wealth as if it is by your power
you became rich. When God created the heavens and the earth, he gave
dominion over his creation to Adam. However, this did not in any case
confer ownership of it upon Adam; he was just a steward, or a caretaker. So
it is with your purpose: God designed it, and gave you the resources to fulfil
it for his glory; hence, you should see yourself as holding whatever you
have on trust for him.
Who is a steward?
A steward is someone who is put in charge of another person’s
property. The person may be a manager of a household, but he or she is
never the owner. The person remains in the position of a steward as long as
he or she does the will of the owner. The Scripture makes it clear who a
good steward should be. And the Lord said, who then is that faithful and
wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his house hold, to give
them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his
lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of truth I say unto you, that he
will make him ruler over all that he hath. (Luke 12:42-44)

A faithful steward will become ruler of his or her master’s household

as long as he or she is never found wanting. Likewise, you must be faithful
in the course of your stewardship, so that God will continue to bless you. To
achieve this you must acknowledge that all things belong to God.
God is the owner of all things
All that we have as Christians, ultimately come from God. He is the
source of everything namely; our lives, gifts, material possession, time and
many other blessings you can mention. There is this song that says;
We give thee but thine own,
Whatever the gift may be,
All that we have is thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from thee.
All that you may have given to the Lord, be it your offerings, tithes or
donation towards evangelical work, were done out of what you hold in trust
for God. Do not be proud, or take any glory for doing this. The Scripture
established God’s ownership of all things.
· The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and they that
dwell therein … Psalm 24:1-2.
· He created the land and called it earth. Genesis 1:10.
· He gathered the waters and called these seas. Genesis 1:10
· He commanded the waters to bring forth living creatures and fowl that
they may fly above the earth. Genesis 1:20-21
· God created the day and the night which he measured by means of time;
and God called the light day and the darkness night. Genesis1:5
· God also gave us guidelines about how we should use our time. Genesis.
3:23; Exodus. 20:8-10; Acts 20:7.
· God is the source of our financial resources. Haggai 2:8
· The gift of life is from God. Genesis 1:27
God had his reasons for the work of creation. If anyone brings into
the plan of God, anything that is contrary to his purpose, that will amount to
rebellion. God wants the kind of people who will be responsible to him by
walking in his plan.
God’s purpose of creation
God created man; he loved us, and made us sons through Jesus Christ.
He chose us from the foundation of the world, that we should remain
blameless; so that God may have people who will obey his commandment.
Man was created and has freewill, so that by his own choice becomes what
God wants humankind to be. By humankind’s own choice, he or she can
serve God willingly. He gave material things to man for his care, in
recognition of daily basic needs. The physical environment is for man’s
comfort; he is expected to make use of the basic things and the environment
rightly. That is, to the glory of God and the benefit of others It is evident
here that every one is accountable to God.
Accept the Lordship of Christ
You must acknowledge that you have come from God. The first step
towards this is to praise God for everything he gave you, because it is by his
grace you have them, and not by your own power. But thou shalt remember
the Lord thy God; for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, there he
may establish his covenant which he swear unto thy fathers as it is in this
day (Deuteronomy 8:18)
Acknowledgement should not be a half-hearted affair; it must be
without holding anything back, or ascribe the achievement of such things to
your personal effort. Your attitude in this regard will determine whether you
allow God to be in control of all that you are. How you use your
possessions is a clear indication of whether it is you or God that is in
control; it is advisable that you follow the example of the
Macedonians. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own
selves to the Lord and into us by the will of God. (2.Corinthians 8:5)
When you are able to give yourself to God in the first instance, it
becomes easier to surrender all that you have. Apostle Paul commended the
charitable gifts of the Macedonian churches towards the work of the gospel
by their care for the saints. Despite the low and distress conditions of the
people in these churches, they contributed to the relief of the needy at
Jerusalem. It was the time when the Christians in Macedonia suffered
persecution. This was never used as an excuse to withhold their gifts; they
gave liberally as if they were rich. They have a willing spirit, and readiness
of heart for good works. The people of Macedonia must have acted in truth
to this song;
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily I live.
If you have being singing this song, be honest with it now than
before. The way you use your time, money, body and other gifts must be
guided by this song.
Avoid selfishness or self-centredness
Accepting God’s ownership and inordinate accumulation of wealth
are contradicting. There is no doubt; God can genuinely bless you
abundantly. You should not allow the wealth to be in control of your life.
Selfishness begins when you develop the attitude of saying “my money”,
“my house”, “my oil”, or “my corn”. This was exactly the behaviour of the
rich fool as it was told in the Scriptures.
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, the ground of a certain
rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought within himself, saying,
what shall I do? because I have no room where to bestow my fruits. And he
said, this will I do, I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I
will bestow all my fruit and my goods. And I will say to my soul; Soul, thou
hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be
merry. But God said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be
required of thee, then whose shall those things be, which thou hast
provided? So is he that layeth up treasures for himself, and is not rich
toward God. (Luke 12:17-21)
The man was an example of having his life’s purpose contrary to that
of God. You can see his attitude of self-centredness; he has no consideration
for God and others in his purpose. The Scripture further confirmed that
accumulation of material possessions is vanity. Surely every man walketh in
a vain shew; surely they are disquieted in vain; he heapeth up riches, and
knoweth not who shall gather them. (Psalm 39:6) It is foolishness and
madness when you gather riches more than you need, and never provide for
the poor around you. Such riches are not in the will of God; rather, it is to
the owner’s peril.
Faithfulness is required
 One of the greatest demands of stewardship is faithfulness. God
requires this from all who are caretakers of his creations. Moreover it is
required in stewards that a man be found faithful. (1.Corinthians 4:2) The
steward is expected to do the will of his master in the usage of what was put
in his care. A faithful servant should put his master’s interest above his
own; he must be trustworthy, and have the testimony of good conscience. It
is a great trust for a man to entrust riches into the hands of another, the
steward must live up to expectation. Jesus Christ is our model of
faithfulness; he gave his life for our sake.
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, He was rich, yet for
your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
(2.Corinthians 8:9) Jesus Christ left his position of honour and glory;
humbled himself, and come to this world for your sake. He suffered for no
sins of his, but was crucified all because of your transgressions. God also
expect you to be faithful in that which he gave to you.
To establish the necessity of faithfulness, Jesus Christ gave the
parable of the talents in the Book of Matthew 25:14-30. Jesus Christ said
that, there was a man who was travelling to a far country, he called his
servants and gave them talents. He gave to each person according to his
ability; to one person he gave five talents, to another he gave two, and to the
last he gave one.
The servant who received five traded and gain additional five talents,
and the other with two gained another two. The servant with one talent dug
the ground and buried his master’s money therein. After a long time, their
master returned, and it was a time to give account of the individual’s
stewardship. The person with five gave account for ten talents; the other
with two also brought four talents to his master. The third servant with one
talent who buried his came, and returned it to his master without any gain.
His master called this servant a wicked and slothful person. The talent was
taken from him and was given to another.
Avoid greed and covetousness
Covetous behaviour begins with inordinate acquisition of material
possessions. In this case, the means of getting wealth to a covetous person
does not matter. It is the end that justifies the means. Such people will
employ every crooked means to become rich; this is why the scripture
says, For the love of money is the roots of all evil, which while some
coveted after, erred from faith, and pierce themselves through with many
sorrow. (1.Timothy 6:10) God is not saying that getting money is evil, you
need it acquire basic things of life. It is the love for money, or considering it
to be more important than anything else that is evil. Whether you are rich or
not, you must maintain proper attitude towards whatever you have; as a
Christian, you should demonstrate an example of godly contentment in all
circumstances.
You should obtain wealth honestly
How you get your wealth is of interest to God; he abhors getting
wealth through dishonest means. You should obtain material possessions
through God’s blessing on the work of your hands; you should not cheat on
others by stealing to increase your wealth. The Scripture says that; Let him
that stole steal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his hands
the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that
needeth (Ephesians 4:28)
This is a caution against obtaining possessions fraudulently, or by
covetousness. Let those who engage in this wrong practice stop it. Rather,
they should work with their hands by engaging in lawful duty, as stealing is
an effect of idleness. If for any reason you find yourself in a situation like
this, you can follow the example of Zacchaeus, when he met Jesus Christ.
He confessed his act of covetousness, and also made restitution. In the
Scriptures, the law of right and property stated that; If a man shall teal an
ox, or a sheep, and kill it or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox and
four sheep for a sheep. (Exodus 22:1)
Zacchaeus was a tax collector and was very rich; he earned
commission on the tax he collected, but he might have overcharged the tax
payers in order to enrich himself. This was the general practice among the
publicans of his day, this made the people hated publicans and called them
sinners. When Jesus Christ was in Matthew’s house, the Pharisees said to
the disciples; “why eateth your master with publicans and sinners”. (Mt.
9:11) The same was said of Zacchaeus, because of his covetous practice as
a tax collector.
And when they saw it, they all murmured saying, that he was gone to
be guest of with a man that is a sinner. (Luke 19:7) When Jesus Christ
visited Zacchaeus, the publican did one spectacular thing concerning the
riches he obtained dishonestly. And Zacchaeus stood and said unto the
Lord; behold Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have
taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
(Luke 19:8) You should live your life modestly, do not be greedy; rather,
practice godly contentment.
Accountability in stewardship
It is not enough to say in words that you acknowledge God’s
ownership of your possessions; you should show this by your action in the
following ways;
1. Thank God for what you have: Your giving thanks should be a true
sign of accountability. It is an acknowledgement of God’s ownership of
what you have. Some people, because their high expectations seemed
unmet, they were never thankful to God, even for the little they had.
Such people may be selfish, and stingy in the use of material
possessions. You should see God as a gracious giver, who deserved to be
appreciated for his blessings in your life.
2. You must be a gracious giver: You must develop the attitude of giving;
this is not only when you have surplus. Dorcas was a widow in the Bible,
and she gave generously to others out of the little she had. Now there
was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha which by interpretation is
called Dorcas, this woman was full of good works and alms deed which
she did. And it came to pass in those days that she was sick, and died …
And the disciples had heard that Peter was there (in Joppa) they sent
unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.
Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought
him into the upper chamber; and all the widows stood by him weeping,
and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was
with them. (Acts 9:36-39) You should learn how to share what you have
 with others. It is only then your material possessions could meet the
criteria of your divine purpose.
3. Have attitude of humility: Stewardship demands complete humility.
Many people engage in accumulating wealth for their future needs; it is a
pride of heart, a good steward should not be anxious of tomorrow. Do
not allow your heart to be lifted up because of your wealth. Beware that
thou forget not your God, in not keeping his commandments and his
judgments and his statutes, which I command thee this day. Lest when
thou hast eaten and art full and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt
therein. And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply and thy silver and
gold is multiplied and all that thou hast multiplied. Then thine heart be
lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought forth out of the
land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. (Deuteronomy 8:11-14) You
must develop a character of humility in the use of your possessions
4. Be prudent and reasonable: Prudence in stewardship begins with a
good management of material possessions. Since you hold all that you
have in trust for God, you should use them in a manner that is pleasing to
the owner. You should maintain a balance between what you spend on
yourself and what you give to God and others. In your management of
possessions, you should avoid wastage. Many people spent money on
things that they do not need just to show off, this results into wastage,
while others are in serious lack of basic things of life. This kind of
behaviour is capable of making those believers that are weak in faith to
stumble. You should give without expecting a reward; do not just give to
people because they too may do the same to you in return. Follow the
example of the Good Samaritan in your giving; you should give without
prejudice to as many as are in need. You should also give according to
the blessings you have received from God.
As a good steward, you should follow the word of Apostle Paul. This
was his word to the churches in Galatia. Upon the first day of the week, let
everyone of you lay by him store, as God hath prospered him . . .
(1.Corinthians 16:2) You must give in proportion to the blessings you have
received from God, so he will continue to bless you. Many who are rich,
irrespective of their wealth looked at people’s face before they give. God
did not look at your situation to measure his blessing in your life. He
blessed you according to his will; you should develop a giving attitude and
you should do it liberally.
 9. PLAN YOUR PURPOSE
Plan is the process of interactive decisions that lead to the development of
the means of achieving your purpose. It is the blue print of what you intend
to do, and how to achieve it. Your plan may contain a chain of activities that
you have to perform before you can achieve your purpose. Planning is a
revelation today about the realities of the future, and it involves the
followings.
· You must have the picture of your purpose in mind.
· You must decide how you want to achieve it.
· Know what you require to achieve your purpose.
· You must work according to your plan.
· You must evaluate and measure the result.
· You must show commitment to your plan.
Planning makes for purposeful and orderly activities. It will help you
to direct all efforts towards achieving result; nothing will distract you
because you will remain focus on the main activities. It will motivate you to
go after your purpose to the end, as you will have the necessary drive for its
achievement. Planning will enable you to have control and be able to
monitor the performance, and review the result for further action.
Planning will forewarn you about possible short coming, and you will
be able to think of immediate corrective action. You should follow these
steps in the course of working on your plan.
· Identify your purpose.
· Break it into sub-tasks.
· Arrange it into order of chain of performance.
· Set interim deadlines for each task.
· Set a final deadline.
· Monitor all activities to completion.
 God believes in planning; the Scripture make this very clear as it says
that: Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding is
established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all
precious and pleasant riches. (Proverbs 24:3-4) By wise planning, you are
able to put your thoughts, dreams and ideas on paper. This will help you to
organise it into action steps. God took cognisance of planning when he
wanted to prepare the people of Israel for worship; he instructed Moses to
build a Tabernacle. God gave Moses the plan of the Tabernacle and
imparted the craft men with wisdom to do the work. Moses followed this
plan, and he completed the Tabernacle successfully and the work was
acceptable unto God. You can read this account in the book of (Exodus
30:1-6, 31:1-5).
When God motivated Nehemiah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem,
this was done through careful planning. Nehemiah received information
about the deplorable condition of the Jerusalem from Hanani, who
returned from the city. His first step was that of identifying his purpose;
that is, the rebuilding of the walls and the gate of Jerusalem. Initially, the
problem made Nehemiah distressed, but this did not caused him to
wallow in self-pity and grief, he followed this action plan.
· He prayed unto God.
· He asked for the king’s permission.
· He travelled to Jerusalem to see the ruins.
· He made a survey of what he wanted to do
· He motivated people for the work.
· He prepared for oppositions.
· He set the people to work with determination they finished the work.
You can see how Nehemiah planned, and took action that led to
the building of the walls of Jerusalem. He began with a prayer of faith;
he followed what seemed to be the picture of the task as God laid it in
his mind, he followed this and was successful.
Your plan will help in putting the past behind you.
Your plan is the blue print of what you intend to achieve in the
future, and not the history of your past. You must learn to put the past
behind you, so that you can break new ground. The case of Apostles
Paul is a good example in this instance.
Apostle Paul
Paul was a persecutor of the people of the Christian faith. He obtained
permission to travel to Damascus with the intent to capture the Christians
there, and bring them to Jerusalem for trials and possibly commit them to
prison. This is what the Scriptures say about him. As for Saul, (later Paul)
he made havoc of the church, entering every house and haling men and
woman committed them to prison. (Acts 8:3) However, after his conversion,
he put the past behind himself, and became a preacher of the same gospel
for which he earlier persecuted the people of this same faith. The people
were so amazed at the new development, and they reacted in this
manner. And straightway, he preached Christ in the Synagogues, that he is
the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is this not he
that destroyed them which called this name (Jesus Christ) in Jerusalem, and
came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief
priest? (Acts 9:20-21)
Paul’s past wrongful deeds were enough to make him an unworthy
person; however, his personal comment about it was in this manner . . .
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things which are before. (Philippians 3:13b)
Instead, Paul became focused, and he pressed forward to ensure that he
achieve the new assignment of preaching the gospel he once destroyed.
There will be no room for procrastination.
When you plan your purpose, you will commit yourself to the
timely execution of it, rather than procrastinating. In my book titled
‘Words of Inspiration for a Successful life,’ I said in it that
“procrastination is a form of self-sabotage that can make your task
seems insurmountable.” It begins when you push what you are suppose
to do now into the future, giving excuses, or blaming others as the
reasons for not doing it.
 You should see your purpose as a project that contains a chain of
activities that you have to perform in logical order, and at the appropriate
time. To procrastinate at any stage is like following an exit route on the road
to your success. You will discover that when you are off the track,
everything will come to a halt. Instead of procrastinating, plan your work,
break the task into small units, and put away all counter-productive
behaviours; then, you will be able to achieve the best maximum result.
The Ultimate Purpose

In the course of preparing your plan, never forget the ultimate

purpose. You must ensure that your achievement on earth leads you to
eternity; it is only then you have fulfilled your purpose according to the
plan of God. The Scripture says that: For what shall profit a man, if he shall
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in
exchange for his own soul? (Mark 8:36-37) Any achievement that will not
allow you to gain the kingdom of God is never his plan for you. A good
example of the individual’s ultimate purpose follows that of the seventy
disciples; when Jesus Christ sent them out to preach the gospel. They went
and came with the report of the assignment, quite excited and happy,
because of their success. This was the contents of the assignment that Jesus
Christ gave to the disciples.
This is another example to learn from. After these things the Lord
appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face
into every city and place whither he himself would come. . . . And into
whatever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set
before you. And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them: The
kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. (Luke 10: 1-9) This was the
disciples report and Jesus Christ’s response. And the seventy returned
again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through
thy name . . . Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are
subject unto you: but rather rejoice, because your names are written in
heaven. (Luke 10:17-20)
 Preaching the gospel was the disciples’ divine purpose, they were
happy to have come back with such result of success. However, Jesus
Christ told them of the most important achievement: that their names
were written in the book of life. Likewise, you should have it behind
your mind that your most important achievement is having the assurance
of entering the kingdom of heaven. This will make your purpose meets
the will of God, because his plan is to give a beautiful end.
Do not trust in possessions
And when he (Jesus Christ) was gone forth into the way, there came
one running and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good master, what shall I
do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him; why callest thou
me good? There is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the
commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not
bear false witness, defraud not, honour thy father and mother. And he
answered and said unto him, master all these have I observed from my
youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him and said unto him, one thing
thou lackest, go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor,
and thou shall have treasure in heaven; and come, take up thy cross and
follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved; for he
had great possessions. (Mark 10:17-22)
You can see how the rich man made his earthly possessions so
important to him than the kingdom of God. When he was told to sell all he
had and give the money to the poor so that he can have treasure in heaven,
he went away sorrowfully. He was sad and grieved because he had great
earthly possessions. Do not allow your wealth to be a barrier between you
and God. This could happen when you are proud of your riches, thinking
that you got them through your self-effort. You must be ready to part with
your wealth any time God requires you to do so. It was said earlier that
discovering your purpose in the plan of God will cost you something. This
could be part of the costs.
Apostle Paul had made much gain in his life, but he considered them
as nothing because of Christ. This gain may probably be his position as a
Pharisee, the wealth and power; he saw all these as unprofitable. But what
things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. (Philippians
3:7) Paul considered everything he achieved as worthless, when he
compared them with what he would gain in Christ. The end of it is that,
whatever may be your achievement in this world, you must put everything
behind you, and press forward until you obtain the ultimate prize of
reigning with Jesus Christ.
About The Book
God created all humankind for a purpose; that is, a goal or a destiny
to accomplish. It is therefore necessary that every person must discover and
achieve his/her purpose. Otherwise, the life of such person will be
meaningless, and it is like passing through this world without leaving an
indelible mark behind. The Scripture established the fact that God had a
purpose for everybody. For I know the plan I have for you “declares the
Lord,” plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope
and future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
The problem with many people is that of not knowing the reason God
actually created them into this world. Yet, only few of those who discover
their purpose became aware of God’s provision for the accomplishment.
Many have failed to attain their destiny for fear of impossibilities or
oppositions.
In order to proffer solution to this problem, the author has carefully put this
book together to serve as a search light. The book will help each person
who cares to discover his or her reason for existence, and what to do to
achieve it. As you read this book, your eyes of understanding will open and
you will know that:
· God has a peculiar purpose for you to discover and achieve.
· The task may be challenging; you will learn from the experience of those
who made exploits for God in similar situations.
· God’s provisions are there for you, and are more than enough to achieve
this great divine task.
· There is no great accomplishment without oppositions; however, God is
there to see you through.
· The quality of your character determines the attainment of your destiny,
and why you should not engage in any form of moral bankruptcy
· You are a steward of whatever you may have achieved in this world, and
you should use it with the mind that God owns everything, and that you
are accountable unto him.
· Any purpose that will not allow you to reign with Jesus Christ in eternity
is never the will of God for you.
It is not good to pass through this world without leaving a legacy
behind; you must discover and fulfil your purpose, according to the divine
plan of God. I can assure you that this book will greatly bless your soul.
Books on amazon.com by David A Ajayi
Power and authority of the word that remove mountains
Nevertheless at thy word.
Discovering your purpose in the plan of God.
 About the author
David A Ajayi is a Chartered Accountant by profession and had a
degree of Masters in Managerial Psychology from the University of
Ibadan.
When he received God’s call into the Gospel Ministry, he attended
Christ Apostolic Church Theological Seminary where he obtained a
Diploma (with distinction) in Theology. He also had a Bachelor of
Theology in Biblical/Pastoral Studies from LIFE Theological Seminary,
Ikorodu, Lagos State.
David A Ajayi is an anointed preacher and a teacher of the word of
God. He is the Senior Pastor of Gospel Flame Evangelical Ministry
(Gethsemane Chapel) He is a Marriage Counsellor and a Public Speaker
who present papers at seminars. He is happily married to Deaconess R A
Ajayi and God blessed the marriage with children.