Posted by Casmir Igbokwe on
Just imagine. Mr. and Mrs. Sampson Olu are a childless couple. They have gone to many hospitals, native doctors and prayer houses in search of this precious gift from God. Yet, the child refuses to come.
Just imagine. Mr. and Mrs. Sampson Olu are a childless couple. They have gone to many hospitals, native doctors and prayer houses in search of this precious gift from God. Yet, the child refuses to come. All their trust now is in God. But they do not sleep together. Do you think this child will ever come?
It is not possible. Except, perhaps, there is a reincarnation of Virgin Mary who, according to biblical account, gave birth to Jesus Christ without sleeping with her husband, Joseph.
If you bring this illustration into finances, Pastor Sam Adeyemi says in his book, Parable of Dollars, you will realise where the problems of Christians who pray fervently for a harvest without planting lie.
Every day, people congregate in prayer houses, casting away and binding the devil. As early as 9 am, they are already clapping, singing, dancing and chanting. Some of them carry big Bibles, enter people's houses to preach at odd hours. In the night, they go for vigils, disturbing their neighbourhood and distracting God. In most cases, what these people are after are prosperity and financial breakthrough.
To such people, Adeyemi counsels, 'The days of speaking in tongues because you pay tithe and then expect that somebody will suddenly knock on your door and give you money are over. You expect that is the way God blesses a Christian and gives him promotion. God certainly blesses people that way but they are the exceptions rather than the rule, although those are the kind of testimonies we like best in the church."
When you visit most of these religious crusades, or read some churches' newsletters, what you hear and see, in most cases, are testimonies exposing the material and spiritual poverty of our people. You will hear such things as, 'I sowed a seed of N700 and reaped N7, 000 in return." 'Praise God! For five years now, I have been looking for a job. Then, last week, I paid my tithe. Immediately after that, I ran into this brother who bought food for me and dashed me extra N500. Hallelujah!"
Africa has a problem. We misplace our priorities and expect manna to fall from heaven for us. God has given you the power to control your universe. All He requires from you is to think, plan and then do something that will bring wealth to you. You can only pray to Him to guide and support your efforts.
As Adeyemi puts it, 'You get money in exchange for meeting people's needs through products and services…. It is poor people that make rich people rich. Money goes from tenants to landlords, from commuters to bus owners and from those who buy to those who sell. It is the tenant that pays the school fees of the landlord's children. Whenever they increase the school fees, the landlord increases the rent.
'Make sure that what you are selling is more than what you are buying. That is how you will grow wealthy. If you are buying more than you are selling, you will be a debtor. If you are consuming more than you are producing, you can't build wealth. Make sure you have something other people need to buy. Make sure what they are buying from you is more than what you are buying from others."
That is the secret of the white man's success. He brought Christianity to us, but he does not spend all his time in churches and prayer houses. He thinks and dreams big. And out of this dream comes scientific and financial breakthrough.
Learn to dream big too. A journalist once asked the President of Silverbird, Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce, the secret of his success. The man's response was that he was a dreamer; that he spent most of his time dreaming. The manifestation of these dreams is what makes Murray-Bruce what he is today.
This is in no way suggesting that worshiping God is wrong. Far from it. It is all about utilising your time effectively. The same scriptures tell us that everything has a time. There is time to work and time to play. There is time to sleep and time to eat. There is time to think and time to bind witches.
Adeyemi sums it up, 'The most critical witches and wizards we need to fight are inside us and not in any village…. Most poor believers believe prayer and fasting will bring breakthrough. Prayer and fasting can bring the power of God, but if your thinking does not change, your financial wine will just continue to accumulate in the spirit realm. God will not be able to pour it until you change."
The PUNCH, Thursday, July 28, 2005