INTERCESSORS CONGRESS 2026-DAY 1 | NOVEMBER 12

Upon our lives. Let's appreciate him this evening. Let's give him praise. I rise to our feet as a bless him this evening for this few minutes to witness this day. Father, we give you thanks. We give you the glory. We give you the honor. We give you the adoration. We thank you, God, for being alive today, for being held today. Father, we give you praise. We give you the glory. Father, we appreciate you for making us to see even another entire Congress this year. Father, we thank you. We give you praise. We give you the glory. We give you the honor. We give you the heart oration. Father, we exalt you. Father, we bless your name. Father, we give you praise. We give you the glory. We give you the honor. We give you the heart oration. We are not taking it lightly. We thank you for preserving our lives. We thank you for your protection. We thank you for your sustenance. Father, we bless you.

We give you praise. We give you the glory. We give you the honor. Father, who bless you. In Jesus' name we are praying. Psalm 1:24:12. Who was on our side. He did a robin of Lord who was on our, who was on our side. Now may he just say. I want us to thank God for His compassion, for His mercy upon our life in the past 12 months. He has been on our side even when men rose up against us. The Lord has been on our side even through various challenges. The Lord has been on our side. He has not given up, given us up to the hardest. I want us to thank Him, even just even. For his mercy, for his compassion, for His grace over our lives in the past 12 months. Father, we bless your name. We give you praise. We give you the glory. We give you the honor. We thank you for everything you've done for us in the past 12 months. Father, we appreciate you. We give you praise.

We give you the glory this evening. We worship. Adore you. We manify you. We exhort you. We, we lift on him on up. Thank you for the good health. Thank you for the healing. Thank you for the deliverance. Aba Father, we appreciate you. Aba Father, we give you praise. We give you the glory. Father, we exhort your name. In Jesus mighty name we are prayed. Still reading from Psalm 124 verse, he says, Our help is in the is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and half. Our help is in the name of the Lord who made the heaven and the heart. I want us to call for God's help even concerning this program from this day even to the end of this program. I want us to call for God's help, but the Lord will help us in the mighty name of Jesus. He will shoot for this power. He will amidst us. He will shoot for the. How about You have place. Your your will be done. Your purpose will be established

in the mighty name of Jesus. Father, we give you blessing to the glory in Jesus mighty name of freedom. Father Lord, we come in this congress your hand up. Father Lord, we have only your will be done in the mighty name of Jesus. We ask you. This day you go to the end of this program in the mighty name of Jesus. Never you give time of Atlanta in our lives, in our church, in our ministry, in the mighty name of Jesus. Father, we give you a present to give you glory. Hey Jesus, mighty day we pray. Amen. Amen. Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah.

Thank you for your help. Thank you Jesus

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If truly you have no other God but to make those that are just blessing, then just give him a way for me, Father, another one, no day apart from you. There's no one else. Without you. There's no one else. Lord, I will bless you. We honor you. Just magnify the God your own way in the mighty name of Jesus, this kind God or not that one, nothing at all at all. In the mighty name of Jesus, that is no one like you. I have no one else but your way as a judge. We have no one else but you. The military how was it was it back in Europe. Yeah.

OK We say another one, no day. There's no one, no God. We bless you, El Shaddah. We bless you. We bless you. I just magnify the Lord. Those who worship you made the magic for Jesus Christ. Oh God, our friend our God. Yeah.

Jesus might say we are afraid. In Jesus mighty name. Hallelujah Hallelujah. I want us to put our hands together even as a welcome and acknowledge the presence of the most important person here, and that person is the spirit of living God. He is the most important person here and he is the most important personality among us. He is the VIP, the one who can do all things, the one who asks as prayers. He does not bring us. God.

Alive, if you know that God is in the midst of us, I want us to jump to the gates of glory and make a jump for noise unto the Lord. Hallelujah. Yes No.

I want that. In the presence of God. You're all highly welcome. You are highly welcome, my beloved sisters. You are highly welcome, beloved brothers, sons and mass, daddies and mommies, distinguished brothers and sisters, those here physically and those, you are all highly welcome. The promises to be great. We are all welcome to the year. Congress men are always to pray and not to wait. And what man there is not just for the male gender, it's for everyone. For you and I, we are made in the image of God. So where do we get from the image of God may be there. So go to But But Yeah That's the I suppose I had myself come on stage the upper administrator. Hallelujah Mr. On behalf of the president of the Ministry of that way and uh the DPC who will

be our minister in charge here to the map in and every member of the board in zone 2 who are well represented here that we are welcome to this here international uh Congress International International International Congress. Um, my prayer that, uh, will live here with a better testimony in the name of Jesus. Um, John 16:33 says, in this world you have tribulation. He said, be of good cheer. Why? Because I have, I've overcome, um. The message we'll be listening to is in that. Area I suppose I've not heard what Hearing the title of that message, I think it's in that area. The title of the message that will be delivered by our president, Reverend George Adegoye is titled How to Prevail Over the Storms of Life. How to Prevail Over the Storms of Life. Please welcome our Baba, even George Olawali Ariwe as he delivers his message. Hallelujah.

I want you to work on me. Welcoming, welcome.

And we And he arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, Peace. They still I'm being seized. And there was a great calm. And he said unto him, why are you so fearful? So, Mark's Gospel chapter 4, I'm reading from verse 35. To verse 41. The Bible said that the same day when the evening was come, that is evening. He that is Jesus sayeth unto them, let us pass over onto the other side. Please underline that. Uh, when they had sent away the multitude. They took him even as he was in the ship. And they were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full. And he, Jesus was in the hinder part of the ship asleep on a pillow. And they awake him and said unto him, Master, carries thou not that we perish. And he arose out of the wind and said unto the sea, peace. They still

And the wind ceased. And there was a great calm, and he said unto him, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? And they fear exceedingly and said one to another, what manner of man is this? That even the wind and the sea. Obey him. By the grace of God, I'll be speaking on. How to prevail Over the storms of life. How can I prevail over the storms of life? In this scenario here, there was a storm. And Jesus taught us and showed us how you can prevail. I mean, pastors have been talking about the word prevail for a while now. What it means to be stronger, to be superior, and to be greater than a force that is coming against you. That is what it means to prevail. To be stronger, to be, to have superior, and to have influence or dominion as it were over a force that is coming against you or that you have to contend with. So how do we do that? How can I prevail over such?

That's great. Other. One will give you glory and praise for this wonderful opportunity. We have to mingle our voices in praise and prayer. Let's pray give you glory and pray. Thank you for this wonderful privilege. Of the last 14 days of waiting on you. Thank you for the effect that it's not already in our lives. Thank you for the effect that is notable in our church, in our service. In our prayer life in so many other areas of our lives, Father, we pray. We share your word tonight. Let it still upon us that the this upon the apps. Let your word and your spirit indeed have a free course among us. Thank you for satisfying our man with good things and renewing our youth as the ego. Thank you for accomplishing the purpose of your putting this meeting together. Yes it will be ours. While the glory is yours. Thank you for anointing me to stand in this area of my office

and minister according to the ability that you give. Pray, Lord God, I will not do violence in any way to this opportunity. Or use it the way you have intended it to be used, and at the end of the day. We all be refreshed for the glory and honor of your name. Thank you, Father. In Jesus' name we pray. How to prevail. Against Or prevail over storms of life. There are so many words that you can find in the Bible that are used to describe God, just one word. For example, the word good is a word that is used to describe God. In Psalm 73:1, he said only good. I go to Israel So when my children 68 says that are good. And do it good. Psalm 145:9 says the Lord is good to all. And the gender masses are over all his works. Not only that, Another word that is used to describe God is that he's kind. You know, not just that is good. God is a kind God.

And his relationship to us is kind. At times you don't understand how his own kindness is, but he's kind. Another word that is used to describe God is that he love, love, for God so love. Love John 4:16, we have known and we have come to believe in the law that God has for us. Ephesians 2:4 says the love of God for us is great love. And in 1 John chapter 3 verse 1, it says, greater love has no man than this, that a man should lay down his life. No, it, it talks about the love of God. First John chapter 3. So we have known that we have, I mean, greater love that this a woman that imagine lay down his life for his friends. So God loves us. John 13:1, he said, I haven't loved the zunda in the world. He loved us to the end. Oh, these are words that are used to describe God's attitude towards us. Another word is what creates. Someone says once it's created the Lord, you need to be praised.

When But I said no. A great man of God. There's only a great God. While every other man is just a man. You know, he's just a man, but when you identify and walk with God. Then you cannot stand that this greatness can be revealed through you, but it is not. In you that the greatness recite. John 15:5 says, without me you can do nothing. You know, I can relate all things to Christ. That's 10 things to me. Those are words that I used to describe. The word that is used to describe us that is features. He's patient. He's a very patient God. He's not just a God of strength, not just a kind God, not just a loving God, but he's also a patient God. However, one word that I want us to look at today that is used to describe and define God is the word beautiful. Or the God who is beautiful. Now, what does the word beautiful mean? Beautiful is the word that is used to describe when a being,

a place or a thing have qualities that delight the senses. The qualities of God are qualities that delight the senses. It's qualities are qualities that delight the senses. Why you get to know God the way God is. You know he's beautiful. Songwriter says you are beautiful beyond description. Too marvelous for words. So we want to look at that word. God is beautiful. God is a beautiful God. You see that word used again and again, at least in so many places to to refer to God. In the book of Zechariah chapter 9 verse 17. He says God is great in His goodness, so great in His beauty. Psalm 27:4 says one thing abide is that of the Lord, and now will I seek after and I dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Behold the beauty of the Lord. And to inquire in his temper. Isaiah 33:7 says, your eyes shall see the king in his beauty. And your eyes shall behold the land afar off.

So God is not just kind, it's not just love. It's not just great. It's not just um uh it's not just all those other qualities, not just patience, but it's also a beautiful God. I think the qualities that God possess are such that deny the senses, they are qualities that are highly enjoyable or exciting. The qualities of God are highly enjoyable. Or exciting like what we'll see. Now, not only is God beautiful. What has come to happen and you see this in scriptures as I refer to it, is that God has been known to share His beauty with us, his children. He has been known to beautify our lives. You know, most of us will agree with the fact that who we used to be is not who we are today. And if there is anything today, your association with God might be born again or fill with the Holy Spirit. I've introduced some beautiful things about your life.

Such a way that you have qualities that delight the senses. So God is not just beautiful. He's also been known to beautify the lives of his children. He's known to beautify the lives of his children. We are for him Christ is a new creature. All things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. I quite remember a friend of mine. Who misled me some years ago, you know, we grew up in Ofan together on the streets of Ofan. And when he saw me, he visited me for about 10 minutes. And he said, God is great. Uh, in a visit of 10 minutes, when God has been up 25 times. I I have one minute. When it's this year, I said, yes, it can't be so he said hello, welcome out. I mean, he was flabbergasted, marooned, shocked, wildered, taken aback. He couldn't believe, so I, I introduced him to my wife. I said, this is your wife, your mother. I said I said, Allah, welcome her. He said God is great

because he could see the beauty of the law. Because not only have I become born again, but I can see that God has shared with me, you know, that beauty in such a way that there are so many qualities about him that delight the senses. Before he left that day this man has been in, he has been in 50 holy. And he was not going to leave until I prayed for him. And I laid my hands on him. I mean, he is someone in those days who will never reckon with me, who never think any good thing can come out of me. But by my association with Christ through the new birth, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, the calling to the ministry, bring the will of God from that. He saw a lot of beautiful things, and that's what the Bible says. Psalm 19:17 says, Let the beauty of the Lord our God be seen upon us. So God is not just beautiful, but he's also been known to share his beautiful with us.

Isaiah chapter 4 verse 2 says, the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful. You know, when you read John 15, you read in verse 2, verse 4, verse 5, verse 6, it tells us that we are the branch. It says the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful. We are familiar with Isaiah 61:3 that says to a more appointment within the morning Isaiah, beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for morning, the garment of pray for the spirit of heaviness. The countries of righteous says the plateau of the Father that He may be glorified. Isaiah 52:1 says, Awake, awake, Scion, put on thy. Somebody beat you up. Oh Jerusalem. So not only God is beautiful, but by association with us, he has been known to beautify our lives. I mean, there are people here who have beautiful careers, beautiful marriages. You have beautiful children, you have beautiful health status. Take you to the hospital, do all kinds of tests.

It comes out that you're healthy at your age, you know, uh, what, regardless of whatever may happen in your genealogy or in your, the people before you. So, all of us have to one extent or the other shared in this beauty. This is a 1454 he says he beautifies the meek with salvation. Salvation beautifies. I was telling some people recently that those days when I was. When I used to smoke That I never smoke regularly like everybody will smoke. I never smoke with my mouth. I smoke with my nose. I will hang the piece of cigarette in my nose. Can you, can you imagine that? He's somebody who used to have a cigarette in his nose now preaching the gospel, you know. He has beautified me. You know, he has made me somebody who has nobody. I was like a disaster going somewhere to explode. I mean, I still have the secret of the not seeing how I looked at it. I was looking at the calamity

about to unleash, and I have seen what God has made of my life, and I can say God has beautified my life. Isaiah 15:2 says out of Zion, the perfection of beauty. So the Zion, which is the church, is the perfection of beauty. What, what are you saying about the church? Ask me two things about the church. What is our family. Things we belong to so that we can become. What God wants us to become. Forming the Church of God, more tribes and tribes. Whenever I travel to various places. I know there are differences in culture, but there is something similar about every Christian. Whether they are Indians or Pakistani or Iraqi, whatever, there are certain things that is peculiar to children of God. Make your spirit, it gets up and down like it's like. Is it a part of yes. You know, so God is not just beautiful, but he has also been known to beautify us. Now, the reason why I went to this extent.

It's because This place here that we just read about, Mark chapter 4, that place was known and is still known as the Sea of Galilee. And uh the Sea of Galilee is a very beautiful place to behold. You know, for those who have ever gone to Israel on pilgrimage, you know, like many Christians want to go on pilgrimage to Israel. Uh, I always tell people, well, going to Israel on pilgrimage is good, especially if you have want to know some things about the Old Testament. But if you really want to know something about the New Testament, it will be better when you go to Europe here. That's where you have Philippi, Thessalonia, Ephesus, and all those other things that this is where Paul went to. So everybody who has gone to uh well uh what they call uh spiritual whatever people are always going from time to time. There are some churches that have hire an aircraft

and they go with their members with their TO be with them preaching and teaching on the trip. I always tell them that they should visit the Sea of Galilee. And this is because the Sea of Galilee is a very beautiful place in the Holy Land. And in that way, it's stimulates our lives as Christians. You know, when we become Christians, just like God shared His beauty with His creation, with the Sea, with the Sea of Galilee scenario. That the same way God shared this beauty with us. I'm going to lick up something here now. Not only is it so very beautiful, but is that it's surrounded by a range of hills and mountains, so the sea is here and surrounded a range of hills and mountains that tend to put. Beauty And in that way, it's similar to us too. Not only our lives are beautiful, but God has provided, made provision for uh, for us to be protected. Whether you know it or not. Zakarah 2:5 says,

you shall be, God will be a world of fire right about us and including in the midst of us. Psalm 34:7 says, the angel of the Lord can't around them by trusting Him. And It's not all. What are the dwelling place in Zion, the Lord shall be a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, and that shall be for a defense. So as beautiful as the Sea of Galilee is, there is this range of mountains around it that tend to protect it. In order to guarantee its beauty. And you and I as Christians, yes, when we came to know the Lord, God beautified us. He shared His beauty with us. And not just that, whether you know it or not, there's a hedge of protection about us. Wherever we go, whatever we do, there is this invisible hedge. I mean, the devil spoke about it in Dob 1:10. When he was talking about Job, he said, look, when he was having this discussion, I said, look,

there was no sacking for nothing. You bled skin and you have the hair, the protection all about it. So not only do we have beautiful lives, but there's a hedge of protection around us. So 1:25 2 says that the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so is the Lord also round about people. So I want you to understand something here. I'm striking a similarity. Between our beautiful lives that is protected, the divine presence and the beautiful place here known as the Sea of Galile that has a mountain of protection. Round about it. I said that. Let me move forward by saying this. That's not the beauty of the Sea of Galilee. That's like the mountains and the hills that surround to protect it. From time to time. Over those mountains, over those hills, there comes rogue winds, very powerful winds, and those winds come and cascade on the Sea of Galilee, causing a storm.

You and I have beautiful lives. We have divine protection on about us. Saman 05:40 says, not my anointed. Do my prophets no harm. So let you understand. He verse 11 as well, he says, yes, give saying yes charge on you. So keep you in all your ways, and they shall bear you up in your hands, lest at any time. Udashafuta cases too so you can see that as beautiful as this scenario is from time to time. There is always storms on the face of the Red Sea. And as Christians, one of the things that happened to us is that from time to time, despite having beautiful marriages, beautiful health, beautiful businesses, beautiful financial report, beautiful relationships, you know, beautiful spiritual situation, and despite divine protection and about us from time to time. One of our experiences in life is that we experience storms. Storms. Now, what does the word storm mean?

I want to give you two definitions. A sum can be defined as Can be defined as a violent attack on a fortified place. That is what a storm is. Remember, I'm speaking on how to prevail over the structure of land. A storm can be defined as a violent attack on a fortified place. Our lives are beautiful and fortified, fortified by divine protection, not about us. 33:27 says underneath us are the everlasting arms. You know, there is a cover above. There's a cover under. There is angel of protection and about us, but what is a storm, a violent attack. Only 45 days. The second definition of what storm can mean, storm can also mean a strong disturbance or upheaval of the normal condition of things or the state of things. A strong disturbance. Strong disturbance or upheaval of the normal condition of things

or the state of things. Strong disturbance, violent attack. And so in life, as children of God. That's why the beauty That we experience from relating to God and a little with Him. And despite the fortified protection run about us rogue winds. I'm going to tell you the sources. I've always been known to come and disturb our lives. Whether you do it or not. As I'm speaking, that is why we're talking about prevail. You don't have to prevail if there are no storms, if there are no challenges, if there are no issues. So prevail simply means to have superior strength or power or energy over and against something. And I want to target here storms of life. So, I'm going to say a few things about storms. I'm going to say about 7 different things about storms. Now, the reason why I'm saying this is so as to give you an idea. against the light. Mm For us to be able to handle such

because storms are something you're going to have to learn how to deal with. Christianity is not a flower bed of ease. There is no guarantee that with all the beauty in our lives and with all the fortification of God, storms will not still happen. I've been married for close to 40 years now, and I can tell you I've had my whole fair share of storms. I have children. I have 3 of them, and I can tell you I've had my own share of storm with each of them. I've been in ministry for so long since 1982, and I can tell you I've had my fair share of storms. I'm going on to 70 by the grace of God. I can tell you in my years on the earth, I've had my fair share of storms. So I'm going to say 7 things. About the stones of life. And I want you to take note of them because I'll be referring to them. As I go ahead in this uh So just look what. Storms of life are inevitable. No matter who you are.

No matter where you live. You know, when people talk about their problems, they think other people don't have problems. Some people, their problem is that they don't have children. Some people, their problem is the children they have. Some people, their problem is that they don't have a job. Some people, the problem they have is the job they have. So many times we always have this idea, oh, you don't know what I'm going through. Well, you know what I'm going through. So spans of life are inevitable. Inevitable simply means unavoidable. There's nothing to do. There's no medication. There's no formula. There is no principle. Prevent you from experiencing storms. So storms of life are inevitable. That is why you must learn the principle of how to prevail. Because storms will come. I told you, it was, as we speak, now some of us are having to deal with storms. We are having

to deal with one or the other. Someone called up this morning and said, Sam, I've just been diagnosed with this condition. Now that person saw him about 2-3 weeks ago. Nothing was wrong with him. Just So I like are inevitable means they are unavoidable. You can't be too careful for there not to be storms. You cannot. There's nothing you can do. There's no meditation. There's no spiritual. You know, so on my way to And inevitable. Jesus had his own fair share of stone. Paul had his own fair share of stone. David, Solomon, everybody in the Bible. Adam in the garden, had his own fair share of stone. Abraham had his own fair share. David had his own fair share. So it's inevitable. That is one of the things you need to do is learn how to deal with them, how to handle them, because they will surely show up. Number 2. is that storms can be sudden and unexpected. Sudden and unexpected.

When we say something is sudden, what do we mean? It means it can happen quickly without any warning. Storms can happen quickly without any warning. Have you ever been in an aircraft and a storm begins to brew? I mean, they will tell you, well, we are going to do this from the beginning, but when the thing strikes. It should be not something that you cannot prepare enough. You can only have the general insight as to how to handle them, but stones can be sudden. I mean, one of my sons in ministry. I visited him some years ago in Gambia. And he said, on a Saturday night, he and his wife came back to home and they cooked and they ate. And the man slept. Normally he would always wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning. For Sunday service. And he woke up and his wife was dead by him, by that very Sunday. I mean, suddenly, suddenly, I mean suddenly, the, the wife was dead.

He said the first thing that happened to him was that this must be a bad thing. Oh, you did it so long by the. He didn't know what to do. He says, so he just decided to keep going to church the way he has planned. So the wife was there in the bedroom, came to this room, prepared, and went to church and preached. You know what you do. People asking, say, why is mama? She's just a little bit indisposed today after the service. Ministers are going to follow me to home, but what happened? This One of my songs in Edmonton. This is one of the, in Alberta, one of the cities in Alberta. I mean, they went to church with the wife. The wife happened to be in combat when I was a lecturer, you know. When I was a lecturer, I had an exercise note and I was leading students and staff to Christ and I was writing their names and their days of commitment. By the time I left the job 13 years after

and led to Christ, over 5,032 students and staff. So this girl was one of them. I mean, she loved the church so much because she got born again in the church and so on, and she didn't want to leave the church. But when she was going. When he was leaving the lorry, he said to me, he said, Sir, I, I wish I can stay back here. He said, but I don't think I can stay and finish my education after she even stayed two extra years doing nothing. But just being in church, that is excellent to me people love church, you know, because it's their family and I didn't tell her where she was going. She came to me and said, I have to go now. I said. He, he wants you to know that wherever I am. What's As a call to the ministry, the layup. Name of that church or if I don't have a husband we call him if I I'm the one to start a call uh to receive a call and start a church or ministry who have that name.

Mhm. So she left and you know, and then they went and joined Redeemed. She got married to a person who was a lecturer of philosophy in University of Lagos. So they relocated to um maintain and then. I think I can go to that. This Redeem Christian Church of God, Rema Chapel Parish. You can Google it. So it was this woman who who happened to marry this man and prevailed on him and my redeemer so gracious because the name does not make sense. Redeemed Christian Church of God Rema Chapel parish. Probably they didn't even know what they are talking about. But so this girl was there and so many years ago, she, she called me and said, Sir, we started a church. We're in Edmond. You come and be a blessing. So I went there, so happy to see my convert after so many years, and we had a nice time and all, and all that. Finished the program and left. And about 5 or 6 months after

he goes back home and says something happened to you. He said, what happened? So we came back from church on Friday, did you? And we cooked with it. I mean we slept in the, in the sitting room, but she went inside and she slept. He said to wake up on Saturday, she was dead. So stamps. Can be sodden. I'm not seriously saying that you can lose money, you can lose health, you can lose the beach of your spiritual life. The church can lose its members. Family can lose their son. The Solomon lost his spirituality. He became a follower of the wrong things and so on and so forth. So the second thing about storms is that it can be sudden and unexpected. That's the second thing about storms. Number 3 thing about storms is that storms are usually violent and destructive. Storms are usually violent. And destructive. We know that it comes to steal, to kill, to destroy.

The aim of the storm is to cause damage. To cause havoc, to cause destruction. Whether it's a storm in your finances, in your career, in your family, that is the aim of the storm. And so we need to learn how to handle it. If the ball lies up fly without. And needs to learn how to shoot with our mission. We need to learn how to contain because at the end of storm, we know there are quite a number of things that we're going to be seeing today. But you need to understand that storms are how to destroy. To cause havoc, to wreck things. I mean that was what you had here in Nats versus 2 chapter 4 and later on when you look at Matthew 14, you see another storm. Which is very similar to the one in Mach 4. So that's the 3rd thing about storms. Storms are usually very violent and destructive. Number 4 thing about storms is that the sources of storms are diverse and varied. There are 4 sources.

From where storms come. Number one, storms can come. From us bringing it upon ourselves. We can create problems. We can create problems by looking for what is not lost. What Samson created his own store. David created storms. There are storms you create. Abraham even created some by pregnating the house girl. I mean, those are storms that are man-made. So some of the storms we go through in life are not late. So while you have capacity to create, have capacity to handle it. You gotta, you gotta, so be careful. Because, uh, like my father used to tell my mother in those days before the fight. You know, in fact, I would say one thing about it. Because this problem is about to start, you take a long time. So go and think and my mother will come out and say, I've thought about it. It's OK, no problem again, you know. Some of the sources of problems. So 4. Number 1, we can bring strong upon

ourselves. But those terms can come from Satan. Satan was the one who brought the storms on Job. No, Job also had a part in it because of his fear and his insecurity. When you feel very insecure that you lose your wife, you lose your husband, then it may happen because the things you fear may come upon you. That's a way we like storms where we are not confident of the things we have. You begin to think probably this will happen, probably that will happen, probably this will happen, probably that will happen. So storms can be the ones who break upon ourselves, and they can also come from Satan attacking us. Number 3, storms can come from others. Oh that's that what they do can create storms for you. Joseph's initial storm was created by the hatred of his brothers. Others. Daniel found himself in some administrative storm. Because the people he was working with didn't like him. You know,

so other people can be sources of storm. You know, when a member of your family begins to live in the way they shouldn't live, there could be an open door for them into your life. So others can be the source. Others can be the source, you know, one sinner destroyed, you remember the story of Jonah. There was this storm and the boat was going to capsize and who created it? Remember the queue, the storm stopped. So what else? What else have been done? Some of us by associating with the wrong persons. You create a situation where terms can happen by marrying the wrong person. You have a beautiful life, great spiritual coupling all over, but you now venture into the devil's territory by marrying the devil's daughter or the devil's son. Then you bring your life into misery. That was not the initial intention of God. But when you look for things that are not lost in enemy's territory,

then you, the devil become your father-in-law, and that will create more problems for you. Those that are from So that's in our lives. That's why you need to examine your life from time to time. There are certain people should no longer be there. Their projects

And we need to So storms can come from associating with the wrong persons. Because if you walk with the white, you'll be wise. If you walk with the foolish, it will have its own effect on you. Bible says in Proverbs 13:20. If you're wise, you're wise for yourself. If you refuse instructions, you're going to behave. So sums can be from other people. Now, I'm saying all of this to you because when I begin to talk about how to deal with stories, you will need to see what your position is and what you need to do. We're talking about how to prevail. You see, the story you're going through now is not more powerful than the resources you have. Let me say it again. There is no storm that you're going through that is not but the mind. Who have gone through it before. There are people who are in the same stor and there are people who are going to still come into the same stor. I remember years ago

Pastor Walihi and Pastor Duruke, they got married, but there was no child. It was a challenging period. And I was there with them, you know, through that experience. I know they must have shared their story with you. You know, every month is a disappointment when the woman sees her regular period. And that's a disappointment. The heart is broken. And you know, as people are serving God, ministers in the church where they belong to, that was a storm. That was a storm. Then I say it's not the end of storms. I can tell you that after then they have had other storms, but what I'm saying is this, and this is what you need to understand. If you're going to prevail, it's a normal thing that you should not for you to say I'm not gonna be part of it. For those of you who are vested, you know what it is. You don't, you need to leave. You see,

if you now want to get ready by the time the storm comes, it may be too late. That is why it's so important for you to listen to me very closely and whatever that's going to be. For you to do what you're supposed to do. So storms are from 4 different sources. They could be from us, they could be from Satan, they could be from others. And then the last source of storm, they could be. Blow up the stone. God caused a storm. And I'm gonna tell you the reason why such a thing happened. God can put you in a situation where he wants to achieve certain things in your life. He wants to make you pass through the fire so that he can remove the drops of silver. As I'm speaking now, some of us cannot see that we are responsible for what we are experiencing. No, not other people. It's not in our father, it's not in our background. It's not in anything you have done anything you have committed.

It's not in other people, but then why? It can be from God. There are certain things God will accept. That will come our way. I have been in that situation where You know, God will make you pass through some experience. I was telling people, I said, why the brothers of Joseph hated it. But God was in it. Because you see, Joseph had a vision, but he was lazy. And a vision cannot come to pass just because you have it. Vision and commitment is what makes you visional. Joseph had a vision. He had seen the vision. Beautiful two different ways, but he was very lazy. He was laid back. He was like a. Working hard. So why did Rods first of all put him in a pit? You know, they had to go out and they call him there. Who do you think caused that? It was God. God had to work in their hearts. Remember Proverbs 21:1, the heart of kings and the hand of the Lord, and he torn in the way he pleases,

like the cross of a river. And they see they had to go and bring him out of that pit and they sold him to his, to slavery for the education. They sold him to slavery. He now became a houseboy. As a houseboy, you must wake up before everybody. He was not allowed to walk, fetch water, cook, clean, dry, you know, and that was not enough. I said I'm gonna graduate to the next school and they put him in the prison. Prison is, you know, prisoners is with hard labor. The offense that he said Joseph committed, which did not commit to any, that offense was actually death, but for some reason it was committed. He was given a hard punishment. They put him in prison, but when he got there, you see the finger of God. You know, when you go through certain things, sometimes you can still see the finger of God. So one way or the other, what is in this deal. And God makes you go through some things

so that he can use you to help other people who are going to go through it. You know, the Bible says though he was a son of Hebrews 5:8, he learned obedience by the thing that he suffered. Verse 9 says when he became perfect, he became an author. OK And some things went through in life. God allowed me to go through them so that today I'm able to support those who go through such experiences, you know, some people go through some allegacy ministry. One of my sons, so he said, I've never seen anything like that before. I said, I've seen it now. This is why you're that you're not. Say you have to pass. I have done, uh, you will see it. I said that. I said, Welcome to the club. Welcome to the club, the club of people that got tests. I will talk about that in a few minutes. So some can be from those sources. And so you need to learn. If it's not man-made, you, you make it, which

is it's probably Satan. If it's not Satan-made, it's probably other people created it for you. But one way or the other, you can see that storm is inevitable. Number 5, another thing is that, have I given you this storms are unpredictable. Unpredictable You can't tell. Where and how it should be. How it will go. You can't predict storms. You can't predict this, how far it will go. I've always been interested in Weather Channels, you know. I always watch Weather Channel and I see them predict. Many times about storms, you know, tornadoes, and so on, and I get impressed, but you see, at the end, every sincere person who predicts will always tell you that it didn't go as expected. So storms are not predictable. You may think it's gonna go. Yeah So you might think it will never come to you. It's not gonna affect me. You could be the one in the center of it all.

So they are not predictable. You can't predict it with so great an accuracy. I've seen this. There was a son of mine. We'll send him as a ministry, as a minister to go and help one ministry like that. They were looking for a minister to step in to fit in. And we sent him to this ministry and he was in charge of the church and the church blew and blew in his hand. It was so big after a while and he was having a funeral day, you know, man of God, you know, that's part of other they took the church from the generation. The church was. Still revived. He was still appreciated. Oh, our pastor, our pastor, our pastor. So one day on Sunday after preaching, he sat down. Then the men's fellowship president just came from the back and he walked to the pulpit and he said, hello, please, my name is so and so. I can ask the coup. He said, I'm the president of the men's of this church.

I want to declare that from today we have sacked the pastor of this church, and we, the men have taken up. I'm telling you. I mean, it was so shocking, you know, when everything started, you know, the boy thought they were joking. He said, ah, how can you? But he saw that other men came to the state and stood with the president. So we're together. You know, and, you know, you know, the man I've not heard from, you know, when you don't hear from some people, you know they are doing well. If I don't hear from Paswali, I know he's doing well. Whenever I hear from you, I know there is fire on the mountain. When I say good morning or good afternoon, uh, any updates? That's what I always say. Uh, he said. So I heard from him. He just called. I said, hope nothing. Ah, he said, sir. He said, sir, and then he told me what happened. He said, but I know that way. I said, don't play with it though.

Don't play with it though. I'm telling you, because you see when storms occur, you can't predict. You can't predict how far it will go. You cannot tell what it will destroy. You cannot tell how and to what extent it will destroy. So it's always good to learn how to deal with it. As quick as possible. So I'm telling you certain things about storms, storms of life, storms of life. Now, having said that, let me move on to number 6. Is that number 6 now? Number 6 is that another thing about storms that we need to know is that songs are diverse and varied. There are spiritual storms. Ministerial stuff. Physical storms. Emotional storms, financial storms, relational storms, storms of various types, physical storms. I remember I will never forget August 20th, 2003. On the 19th of August,

I was traveling to Switzerland. I was on the way to the airport when God said to me, I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit said, you're on your own. I said, what? I'm on my own? I said I don't want to be on my own when I'm 39,000 ft above sea level. So right now that I'm still on terra farmer, I don't want to be on my own. So I told the driver, Tom, let's go back home. He said, What about the people with this season? I said, Are they your people? What's your problem? Take me back. God said, I'm on my own. And I don't want to be on my own 39,000 ft above sea level. So he turned and returned me. I didn't know. I was just asking what is going on. I didn't know what it was. You know, and when I got home, I mean, I ate, I relaxed, I watched TV. I slept. To wake up in the morning became an issue. My eyes were open, but like it was like my whole body was no longer coordinating.

I was sick for 8 months. Months. So I understand when God says you're on your own. You know, I, I understand it, and you know, we had to get people in China to go, doctors, pharmacists, everybody came, they took specimen, they went and examined the specimen. They said, oh, is this person on a Christian? They said, no, they said, ah. He's almost there 6 or 8 months. The only thing I did in those 8 months was get. Sunday service to pre uh pre the next Sunday. But Yeah Messed up. Everything was out of proportion. Everything was out of place. So I know what physical storms are. When the Bible talks about being stricken with blood from the crown of his head, to the swords that team of his feet and what it is to have storms in your children. I remember my first son, Faith, around the age of 16, they said he had a growth at the back of his head.

And that was going to affect him a bit to reproduce. You know, and you know, we, we go through all kinds of things you can go through. Doctors, hospital, nurses, went through deliverance. You know, there are times you deliver what is not delivering. Oh, we cast all the devil's heart. The only thing we do not cast out is human spirit. You know, and it was a real star. I actually remember my daughter. Is that a mother of three children? She fell in love. I don't know why they use that word fall when they say love fall. Why not stand in love? I don't understand, but she fell in love. Can you imagine? You see our son. You know, she fell in love. I said, what do you know about me? I said, I love the boy. And he is one of those people who wear oversized shoes, oversized shirt, oversized trousers, oversized everything oversized and works like a club, you know. You know 00, that's cool.

My wife and I didn't know what to do. We called a lawyer. We said a lawyer should. Sadiman injunction. The boy should not give some meters away from her, and I don't know. Yeah, I love him. Ah yeah, yeah, yeah. I I just 30. What do you know? What do you know about love? said I know lady. I know love 30 year old girl fall in love. I was still joking with her a few days ago. I said, you love her. Do you know what it is to funniness? Actually, I don't fall in love again. I stand in love now. You have reason that you have reason. So she tell me, Lord, my life stole faithfulness. One day he just woke up and the left lid of his eyes just was down. The right lid stood up, the left lid was down. We went to all the consult across the country. You know, one of the one and then I said there is this special one, this is the final one. This is the final authority. An authority.

You say this one cannot do it, that cannot be done. I said, OK. So he went to that one. He had his glasses on his nose and said refrain. He said, this is the way he was born. I said, if you don't know what is happening, tell us. This is not the way he was born. Well, I know him now. You know, I'm talking about storms. I'm talking about the things, you see what I'm talking, I'm speaking to you as an old warrior. Someone who has been through it. I was in our church one day, we just, I just came back from a tour to Zambia. 9 of our senior ministers in various churches across the country resigned. So I know what it is like. When a pastor changes the name of the church or carries the whole church, one of our pastors, one of them that left, he carried all the chairs. The only thing was all of them was walls. The microphone, the everything speaker will breathe everything.

Why you want to tell you, I say, I say I understand that. I understand that. I've been there, you see, so, but the point is I'm sharing with you so that you can know how it is to prevail. Because sufferings are there. The diamonds are very storms of life, spiritual storms, you know, you just find it difficult to fast, you find it difficult to pray. All of a sudden you see yourself drifting, backsliding is a process. It's not something that happened by an act. Physical storms, health collapses. I've seen people whose health have given up, you know, young, but grow old overnight. And they, they, they probably don't even know the extent to which these things have gone. No ministerial storms. You know, I know about financial stories. I'm telling someone, I said, I lost 500,000 pounds. I mean, that was serious. I woke up in the morning

and this person who was doing this business for me and with me, told me that the money is gone. I said, where did it go? She left on the where, where did it go to? I thought I was gonna die. Now, I mean, that amount of cash, not, not, not tons of real cash, you know, so I know what it is like. You know, but I have recovered. And the reason why I will receive the because I know how to prevail because times will come various times in various areas of my life. Some of them will be long for long periods, 3 days, 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks. Some of them, so many of them, many of them have durations that differ. And the last thing about storms is that storms are uncontrollable. You can't control it. To control means to manage. To control means to manage. The pastor, where the men's fellowship took over the church, he couldn't manage those men. These were men that he raised.

These were men whose background he knew. These were men that had pledged loyalty to him. But he couldn't manage it. And at times if you can't manage those sums, it's because you never prepared. 2 Chronicles 27:6, Jothan became mighty because he prepared. It's a program like this that is intended. I remember in those days when we were members of the Boy Scouts, motto was be prepared. Be prepared. So I want to show you when you go through storms, what are the things that are expected. What are you expected to do? Because stocks will come. You see, let's read the book in various areas of our lives from various sources. And you cannot predict how far they can go. But how do we now handle them? How do we manage them? What do we do that can make us prevail? That was the object lesson that Jesus taught his people here. And that is something you need to take from this world, prevail.

He was teaching them an important principle of life. Storm shall come many times in the ministry of just storm came financial storm. The people in the in the HMRC of their days. Said they have not paid tax and Judas have emptied the box. From stealing us stealing us no more pollen. And you have to find a way around it. And you will see what he did to remedy the situation. There are quite a few more stories that will come. So what does God expect us, expect from us? When we go through storms. What was it that Jesus was expecting from his apostles when that storm rose? What

It's not different There are some storms you're going through, you can't even tell anybody. One man came to me one day. He says, Sir, can I say something? I said, yes, I trust you. I said yes. He said whenever I see other women, I want to taste them. I said, oh, welcome to the club. Welcome to the club. Some of us so long ago. You see, to prevail means to have a superior strength, superior power over and against whatever the devil brings your way or the circumstance brings your way, or even your flesh brings your way because there's going to be loss of the flesh, your flesh, you are still human. You know, and as you go to places as you expose yourself, there'll be plenty of various types. Some of them will be unexpected, you know, but you still have to know what to do to deal with it. So I'm going to share with you 6 things. Then on the 61, you and I will do something. Out the storm.

Whatever name it is called, you have to do something about it. You're gonna do something about it. You know, I was asking pastor yesterday, I said, what do you expect? And he said, until you preach that to us, then you lay hands on us. God said to me, listen to what he said. He said, this time you will have. for themselves. It's one for you by someone else. When it comes up again, you will still need someone else. You need to know how to fight your battles. That's going to be the summary at the end of what I'm going to tell you. So you're going to face those concerns. I'm going to address it. Who are thou Zerubabe? You are a great because Zerubabe should be gonna play not by power or might or by my spirit. I would have to take some stones up. I went through the storm and it came again, you know, when the devil sees that he's getting you worried through it in a direction,

you'll keep coming back. As long as it came of someone else to win your battle for you, and the devil will always know he can come at you when nobody's around. So what it comes to dealing with stuff? What does God expect from us? I'm gonna tell you some 6 things that he expects from us because storms will come. Job chapter 5:7. It says man is born into trouble. The spark of fire goes heavenward. Job 14:1. It's a man, it's a few days, I'm full of trouble. Jesus said in John 16:33, this word I have spoken out to you that in me you may have peace in the world. He said you will have tribulation. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 12. They shall live only in this world. And so forth There is going to be a challenge to your faith. It looks strange concerning those fairy trials, I will try you. As though something strange has happened to you. There will always be storms.

There is never a season in life in every year that many nations don't go through storms. And there is no proxy, no matter how spiritual you get, no matter how far you have gone. You don't have storms. Storms can come up in church, can come up in your family, can come up in your life, can come up in your finances, unpredictable. Where and some what does your Circumstance of the storm, what does God expect us to do? Number one, he expects that you and I will look not at the circumstances, but at him. The easiest thing to look at is the storm. Because it looms large. It perfects us. It attacks our senses. And in all of that, God does not expect you to focus on the circumstances. He doesn't want your focus to be on the stem but on him. I want to give you a verse of scripture here. Lamentations 3:51. It says it like it says,

my eyes affected my heart. My eyes affected my heart. What you focus on will affect the way you feel. If you want to change the way you feel, you need to change what you're focused on. He wanted to remove your eyes from the circumstances, but put that eyes on him. In their country. The disciples were fishermen. Of the 12 apostles of Christ, 7 of them were practicing fishermen. So they had experience of what it is to have a storm. 7 of them, and they knew that if the boat they were in gets filled with water, it will sink. The leader Fishermen know that if the boat I'm using to fish gets filled with water. Well, I'm gonna drown. I know that. But the point was their eyes were on that, but their eyes were not on Jesus, who was in the boat.

Because Jesus was in the boat, not God. He was in the boat and he cannot drown. He is the same person in 2 Kings chapter 6 and chapter 7 who made the action to swim. See, most of the time, the focus, what we focus on is the reason why some stones don't go away so easily and so quickly. Who work on your That is what I say in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, we all with open faces behold that mirror, the glory of God, we are changed. If you're going to change under the impact of the stuff you're going through, you're going to have to change the focus. Luke 21:26. He says, man's heart will fill them for fear for looking upon those things. That are coming to pass in the world. He said when all these things begin to happen, he said, lift up your legs and look up. For your redemption, draw it nigh. If you look at the problem, it grows. If you look at God, the problem diminishes. The stuff diminishes.

Psalm 25:15, he says, My eyes are ever towards the Lord, and He will take my feet out of the net. But at times it's difficult not to look on the doctor's reports. I'm not saying it's easy, but it's something you're going to do intentionally and on purpose. Abraham did not stagger the promise of God through our belief. He did not look at his own body now dead. Neither yet the deadness of serious womb, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that what God had promised, he was able to bring to pass. If I tell you that it's going to be easy to take your eyes away from the circumstances and put it on the Lord. I'll be deceiving you. It's not gonna be easy. But it's something you're going to have to do. Like they say in the US, a man gotta do what a man gotta do. These were fishermen. The leak was midnight.

And they knew that not many fishermen were around to help them around that time. Because they were in the middle of the, of the, of the Sea of Galilee. They were in the middle of it, not on the edges. And it was nice. And so they had the experience. But God, Jesus expected them. That they should focus on him and not on what is happening. The Bible says in the book of John chapter 7 verse 24. He said, do not judge according to the eyes or the flesh. You see, it's repeated in 2 Corinthians 10:7. We need to remove your eyes from the circumstances and put it on the Lord. That was what baby did. Goliath came out 13 ft 7 3/4 inches tall. That was a story. Buffeting the children of Israel's army for so many days. Everybody was really glad. It's too big for us to handle. But when David came, he changed perspective. He said don't look on this man's height. He said, this man is defiling the God

of the armies of Israel. David put his eyes on God. His focus was on God. 2 Corinthians 4:18, for we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen. But the things that are seen are temporal. The things that are not seen are eternal. You're gonna have to make a decision. I'm gonna focus on God. Said the Lord before me, He's on my right hand. Therefore, I will not be moved. Your eyes will affect your heart. Able to strap you looking on Jesus. The author and finish up and say, well, we had that story with my children. Each time We came to a point where there was nothing to look for. No more source of help. The Bible says, God help us because faith is the help of man. Anyone who has triumphed over stuff will tell you that it's only him who can calm the storm.

The best man can do is to help. But the help of men may not be enough. So you and I need to learn. Hebrews 122 looking under Jesus. The author and finish of my faith. Psalm 34:5 said, we looked up to him, we're enlightened our countenances, we are not ashamed. We need to come to the point where we set the law before us and it's on our right hand that is what will prevent us from being moved. That's the first thing. If you're gonna prevail, your vision must be accurate. Your focus must be on God. I will lift up my eyes under the hills from whence cometh my help. My help not from the hills. Help is not coming from the hill. Help is coming from the Lord. Who made heaven on earth. I noticed this about the ministry of Jesus Christ. Every time you run into a storm, the Bible will say he lifted up his eyes and looked up to heaven. John 14:41. John 11:41 at Lazarus's tomb. John 17:1. I'm 19.