When God reveals purpose to you, HE describes some of the things you would see, gain or encounter. God describes purpose in order to keep our desire wet for it and to enable us realize when we are at the height HE has called us to get to. God gives us clear description so that we would be able to tell when we are fulfilling His will/purpose or walking outside His agenda.In giving description about purpose, God usually answers these four questions in different ways and at different times; when,where, what and whom.
WHEN
God is the author of time and HE knows the best time for something to happen. HE usually describes when we are to do things related to or connected to purpose.When he appeared to Moses, HE told him it was time to go and deliver Israel.
“So now, Go. I am sending you to pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:10
May I remind you, that 40 years prior to this time, Moses had attempted to save an Israelite from the hand of an Egyptian, but it wasn’t time yet for Moses to be a deliverer.“Many years ago when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his people, the Israelites, and he saw how hard they were forced to work.During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrew slaves. After looking around to make sure no one was watching,Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.” (Exodus2:11-12)
God’s intention for creating Moses was to use Moses as a deliverer for Israel but when Moses attempted to begin before time, he put himself at risk.
“And sure enough when pharaoh heard about it, he gave orders to have Moses arrested and killed. But Moses fled from pharaoh and escaped to the land of Midian.” (Exodus 2:15)
The reason why God tells us when, is because time is very critical when it comes to fulfilling purpose. If you go earlier than you should, it would be a disaster. If you went later, it still won’t give the best results.. See chapter nine for how to discern your season and time. I pray that the Lord will help us know the right time.
WHERE
When God calls a man to do something, HE assigns him to a particular location. Purpose is not meant to be fulfilled just about anywhere; hence, God never leaves the man who seeks to fulfill purpose in the dark. God told Moses the exact destination he was calling him to take Israel- Canaan.You might be called to preach. That’s true, but it is important for you to know where God would rather have you preach.
God doesn’t send us everywhere. God’s intention for your life is designed to be fulfilled in certain locations.
That is why not everyone prospers in a given location. If God wants you to pastor a church in some little village in Mbaise, Imo state and you decide to rather pastor one in the big city of Ikeja, Lagos; you would be operating outside God’s purpose for your life. Miracles might still happen, the church might grow into a ten thousand seater church in each service, but such a person is working on another man’s farm.
God doesn’t send us everywhere. God’s intention for your life is designed to be fulfilled in certain locations.
That is why not everyone prospers in a given location. If God wants you to pastor a church in some little village in Mbaise, Imo state and you decide to rather pastor one in the big city of Ikeja, Lagos; you would be operating outside God’s purpose for your life. Miracles might still happen, the church might grow into a ten thousand seater church in each service, but such a person is working on another man’s farm.
The danger of operating under such atmosphere of disobedience is the exposure to challenges that would have never been. One even stands a chance of completely losing his reward as God does not reward disobedience. HE punishes for it. Apostle Paul warned us about losing our reward when he said, “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
It is important for you to understand where God would rather have you stay in order for you to fulfill purpose and be blessed in it. Some years ago when I was about to get into the university, I was planning on applying to a particular university in the south south (Benin). However, the very day I made up my mind to apply to that university, I had a dream.I saw myself on the balcony of a one-storey building. As I stood there, some group of women dressed in white wrappers and red scarves on their heads were dancing across the street. As I watched, I saw their leader pointing towards my direction. She was giving order to bring me. I sensed they were some occult group and so vehemently began to declare that I was for Jesus and would never serve the devil. When I woke, I heard a voice say, “Don’t go to Benin.” I didn’t want to assume it was the Lord.
So, I went straight to my father and narrated the dream to him.I didn’t tell him I heard a voice say whatever. He immediately knew that we were being instructed against my decision to school in that part of the country.
God sometimes give direction through dreams. When Herod sought to kill baby Jesus, God spoke to Joseph concerning where to take the child. “When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” Mathew 2:13. In as much as God speaks to us through dreams, I often tell people to seek confirmation. The devil also uses the dream world.
Our minds can also initiate a dream.“As a dream comes when there are many cares...” Ecclesiastes 5:3
Our minds can also initiate a dream.“As a dream comes when there are many cares...” Ecclesiastes 5:3
The fulfillment of purpose is an important matter. We must be sure it is God directing us. Always seek confirmation from scriptures and trusted believers.After that incident, I began to ask God where he would rather have me study. Just before it was time for UME (UniversityMatriculation Examination) forms to be filled, a young man who had been a member of our church several years ago came to see my father. He had relocated to another part of the country and so dad didn’t know anything about him until he showed up.
During their conversation, my father told him I was trying to get into the university. He suddenly suggested we apply to University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). My dad said he doesn’t know anyone living there. People often choose a school where they have relatives/close friends. No one wants to send their children to an unknown land. The young man said, we had someone and he mentioned Reverend Vincent Diolu.
It had been a long time my dad and the Reverend had seen each other. My father served as a missionary in their village (Igbodo) in delta state, where he met the Reverend many years ago. The young man who visited gave my father the Reverend’s number. Did you know that since that day till the moment this book is been written, we haven’t seen nor heard from that young man anymore? God brought him to help order my step to the right place. As soon as he left, dad dialed the number and re-established connection with the Reverend. We had no restrictions in our heart about our decision to apply to UNN. I did apply and got admitted and Reverend Vincent and his family became my family and still are. They took great care of me all through my four years of study there. However, God had more than a physical “taking care” in mind when he ordered my steps there. HE intended to build me for ministry. Reverend Vincent and his wife, pastor Mrs. Mercy Diolu run a church on campus-SHEKINAH ASSEMBLY INT’L CHURCHES. That ministry became a grooming ground for me. I was immediately surrounded by a cloud of witnesses and a loving church family that encouraged me to attend fellowship. Shekinah Assembly gave me a platform on campus. I began to grow in my walk with the Lord and I saw spiritual gifts (I didn’t know was there) operating in my life.
I didn’t know that God had spoken to my father, Bishop Dr.Peter, to ordain me an Evangelist. So in October 2008, I went home for our Annual international convention at ABUNDANT HOUSE OF GRACE, and got ordained by my father as an evangelist. When I returned to school for my second year (2009), Reverend Vincent got me ordained as a minister to serve in Shekinah Assembly. He didn’t know about my earlier ordination. It was God organizing the perfection of his purpose in my life. What If I had gone to some other school? Perhaps, I would have fallen out of faith. There wasn’t a Shekinah Assembly in Benin at the time I was in school. God knew that Reverend Vincent and Shekinah Assembly were the right vessels for my ministry preparation. I might have completely lost it, if I had gone to school elsewhere.
We often don’t know that seemingly minor decisions such as a college choice or a career choice are important factors which aid or mar our fulfillment of purpose. God knows that they are important and so HE would order your steps to land in the right place and at the right time, if you let Him. Proverbs 20:24 says, “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can any one understand his own ways?” Read more
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