Pastor Taiwo Odukoya @ Sunday Service.
The Senior Pastor of the Fountain of Life Church, Taiwo Odukoya, has urged believers to be mindful of their motives when approaching God’s presence. He made this statement at the August 14th Sunday services while ministering.
According to Pastor Odukoya, believers’ attitudes towards prayers, as well as what they think of when they intend to go into God’s presence, are very important. He further noted that God minds their attitude much more than anything they do and would prefer a joyful heart in anything and everything they do or give to Him.
Using Peter and John, through whom God healed the lame man at the beautiful gate while they were going for prayers in the temple recorded in Acts 3:1–10 as an example, the clergy said that when a believer’s mindset is in line with God, the miraculous would happen even before the prayer is said, just as Peter and John had not even started praying, yet the miracle had started happening. “This can be attributed to the mindset they were coming to God’s presence with. They also knew the importance of going for prayers at the temple at that time,” he explained.
The pastor also emphasised the fact that the fear of God, compassion, forgiveness, and longsuffering are great attributes that are worth more than money, stating that if Peter and John had decided not to go for prayers that day, the lame man would have missed his blessing and both Peter and John would have missed the opportunity to be used by God for the miracle.
He said, “The time has come for us to change our attitudes toward prayer and stop taking prayers with levity. God is always very eager to bless us, but He also likes to see some level of commitment in us. Yes, there is nothing impossible with God, but He will never force the will of man. Man has to be willing to come into His presence in prayers.”
Speaking further, Pastor Taiwo stated that, “The period of going for prayers comes with a mindset, and it is what you anticipate as you go for prayers that you get. As an individual, you must have a set time when you meet with God in prayer. God likes routines backed up with faith when it comes to prayers. It is the routine of your life, which is based on the scripture, that will see you through life.”
While speaking from Luke 18:1, he stated that believers cannot afford not to pray. The same way air is important to physical life, he noted, is the same way prayer is important to believers’ spiritual lives. “Prayer is essentially fellowshipping with God, and the strength of any relationship comes through consistent fellowship,” he said.
Pastor Odukoya therefore urged his listeners from Acts 3:11 to never attribute God’s glory to themselves but to always praise and worship Him because this is a special offering to God.
LIVING A FRUITFUL LIFE
Pastor Esther Briggs @ Thursday Showers
It was an awesome service at the August 11 Thursday Showers as the Grace Levites led the congregation to the throne of God with praise and worship. The testimonies of Sister Ayomide, who recounted how God miraculously raised her collapsed business and delivered her from sudden death, also gave the reason for the joy overflowing in the worshippers’ hearts.
Sharing the message with the Showerians was Pastor Esther Briggs. In her short exhortation, Pastor Briggs told her listeners that every child of God has been placed on earth for a purpose, adding that the purpose is to bear fruit for Him. “If you don’t know why you are here or what life is all about, you are just wasting your time,” she said.
Speaking from John 15:1-10, the assistant pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, King’s Dome Parish, Egbeda, said that God expects His children to keep bearing fruit in and out of season, noting that this fruit is not the fruit of the womb or marriage but to be productive in His vineyard. When this happens, she explained, it would take away other distractions from believers. In her words, “We are called to minister, howbeit in different capacities, and God wants to prune you so that you can bear more fruit. He doesn’t want you to be the way you’ve always been. When we allow God to prune us, He will take away diseases that are distractions from us.”
Hammering it on evangelism, the clergy said that the easiest way to bring people to Christ is by inviting them into the fold. This, according to her, is the salvation of souls. “You can use your platform to preach the gospel. “You never know who you’re going to minister to by what you do with your platforms,” she hinted.
Citing 2 Corinthians 3:18, Matthew 7:20, and John 15:8 as scriptural references, she noted that the reasons God wants His children to bear fruit is because fruit bearing brings Him glory; bearing fruit shows that they are His disciples; He needs them to bear more fruit and wants the fruits to remain even when they’re gone. “You can’t say you’re born again for over ten years and your life still remains the same. You’ve not brought souls to the Kingdom.”
She further noted that bearing fruit is evidence of a believer’s salvation, adding that such a fruitful life lasts forever. “You are saved to serve Him and others and bear fruit. Be consistent in bearing fruit,” she said.
Also reading James 4:7-10, Galatians 5:22, Proverbs 11:30, and Mark 16:15, Pastor Esther Briggs noted the four kinds of fruits God wants His children to bear as the fruit of repentance, fruit of the Spirit, fruit of another soul, and the fruit of ministry. “God has uniquely shaped you and wants you to minister to people with your spiritual gift, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences.”
She continued, “Use your gifts. Don’t let them waste away. It’s dangerous if you don’t use them to bring souls to Him. God wants you to be successful and he also wants you to be fruitful. ”
She therefore urged them to strive to bring souls to God’s Kingdom by their lifestyles, relationships, and words, noting that there is no preaching in heaven. In her words, “You have no excuse not to preach the gospel. That’s the reason you’re here and not just to occupy space. How you live your life here would determine what the end of your life becomes at the end of the day.”
