Everything!

I walked down the road, musing on all the beautiful things that had happened since I met Him—the lonely paths, the tough decisions to make, the love to embrace. It was and is only possible because I found Him.

One day, as I went to visit a brother at a local church, I had a strange experience that I still remember vividly. Walking towards the church, I saw an old man sitting outside a flower shop in a serene neighborhood. He had intense, knowing eyes and a silver-grey beard. I didn’t know who he was—and still don’t. I walked past him, but suddenly I heard him call out, “My son!” I turned to look at him again. Clearly, he wasn’t my father, but I greeted him respectfully.

“My son,” he began, “great things are in store for you. The Almighty God will settle you in life. Don’t worry, the time is coming. Your future is secure in Him. Continue to do what you are doing for Him.”

His words brought tears to my eyes. How did he know so much about me? Who was he? I pondered his words as I walked into the church to meet the brother. Our meeting was brief, and I soon left.

As I walked past the spot I met the old man, the flowers were no longer there. The old man was gone! No one was there, inside or outside. I was shocked. Where had he gone? Who was he?

This experience resonated with the encounters I’ve had in both the word of God and vivid visions.

Seeking Him

As I plunged into studying His words, having fellowship with the Lord Jesus every day, I stumbled on a verse where the Lord said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.“ Matthew 6:33. These things include food, shelter, clothing and every other good things that man chases after.

A cry of “Yes!” erupted from my lips. Tears streamed down my face as I pledged to the Lord, “You will be my First and All. I will seek You and all that concerns You above all else. Even if I have no clothes, food, or shelter, I will never abandon my pursuit of You and Your kingdom.”

It was a build-up to my early encounter with the Lord when He appeared to me when I was still in University. I spoke extensively about that in my book, Goodness.

Driven by my commitment to the Lord, I joined my local church’s prayer team. Each week, we interceded for upcoming church services, praying for the Holy Spirit’s presence and for hearts to be open to the message of salvation. We also dedicated ourselves in prayer for the successful planting of new churches across the globe, from Nigeria and the UK to Germany, the US, and Haiti. Some of these churches continue to thrive today.

In that department, I forged lifelong friendships. Together, we poured our hearts into prayer, relying on the Lord’s strength within us—through hunger, lack, or abundance.

When financially strapped, I sometimes walked 12km (about 7.5 miles) to attend these sessions, fueled by a burning desire to serve God. If you know, you know (as Gen Z says).

Earning a Living

Driven by the need to support myself without being a burden, I desperately sought a way to earn a living. My prayers were answered unexpectedly when I found a vendor selling stylish, secondhand corporate ties at a great price. Seizing the opportunity, I used all my available funds to buy a significant quantity.

Back home, I meticulously cleaned and ironed each tie, transforming them into a professional-looking inventory. My flatmate and friend became my first client. He enthusiastically took a large batch of ties to his office, and within no time, they were all sold. The pricing was profitable because I had bought each tie for around $2.30 (in the mid-90s) and offered them at a significant discount of $11.51 compared to the retail price of $38.37 for a similar new tie.

I lived off the proceeds of the ties business and I used all of it to embark on a missionary journey into a far northern part of my country.

Missionary Journey

During the crossover night of December 1997, I had a solemn moment and tearfully expressed my desire to serve God in a way I never had before—by embarking on a missionary trip to preach the good news. There’s always something in most December for me.

In February 1998, I embarked on the missionary journey to meet my friend who was serving in that state.

While in the field, we journeyed from village to village, sharing the gospel, distributing aid, and feeding those who had come to the Lord.

One unforgettable event was a near-death experience involving a particular village council and some locals who opposed our message, accusing us of drawing the youth away from village square drinking gatherings.

On a particular Sunday morning, as we were having a service with fellow believers, they besieged us. At that moment, we felt as if we were facing the end of our lives, but we were filled with joy at the thought of dying for Christ. We screamed at the top of our lungs, “Kill us! Kill us! We are not afraid to die! To die is gain. To live is Christ!”

Our attackers, brandishing clubs and machetes, roared back, “Who will kill you! Get out of here!!” They roughly scooped us off the ground like sacks of potatoes, carried us a short distance, and flung us onto the sand. The thud of our landing echoed in the tense silence. We rose, covered in dust and bruises, and shook the sand from our shoes before walking back to our hut, shaken but resolute.

The missionary trip became a turning point in my life. On my way back from the mission field, I had a divine encounter that changed everything for me.

Following the Lord’s instructions afterward, my relationship with Him deepened, and His blessings became tangible. But the greatest blessing is the intimacy with the Lord, which no one should trade for anything.

He is so close, and His words that He is in us and with us became a reality to me. It’s no longer just a mental acknowledgment—it’s reality!

He manifests His power, glory, and dominion through us. The Lord is in us and with us. There is no love greater than His! He is love.

If you tell me you are experiencing great love in life without Jesus, you are kidding yourself! You don’t know what love is without knowing God. To know Him is to know love.

I repeat; to know Him is to know love! When you draw near to Him and He will butter you up with His love, kindness and goodness. He is a good Father.

Everything

When you seek God and His righteousness, He takes care of you. He leads you along the path of life towards what will benefit you. He becomes your exceedingly great reward, defending you and sheltering you from life’s storms.

He is Almighty God. But beyond that, He wants to be your Heavenly Father! He calls out to you even when you don’t realize it. This might be one of His calls to you!

Will you heed the call and make Him the cornerstone of your life? He longs to be your One and only Lord, guiding you through every step of your journey. Will you surrender the reins and trust Him to handle life’s challenges?

Will you turn to Him and surrender all to Him?

He is everything! Oh, He will lead you through the valleys and mountains. The Lord is ever present with us. He wants to help us in life and take us from that place to that place. He is a Lifter. He wants to reveal the Father to us. He wants us to have a deep relationship with the Father.

He wants to reveal the Father to us. He wants us to do the works, even greater ones than He did while here on earth. Oh! If only you will allow Him.

What are you waiting for, friends?

Jesus said, “Whosoever come to me, I will never cast away.” John 6:37.

Where are you now? Are you pressing towards Him or far from Him? Will you hand over the compass of your life to Him? Will you let Him guide you in life? Will you? Are you not tired?

Will you? Jesus said, “Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden. And I will give you rest.” Matthew 12:28.

The Lord is calling you to come into His rest. Come into the finished work. Come into the rest of God! Come to Him! Come to your Maker. Come to the One who put you on this earth. Let Him fill you with Himself.

Prayers

I have two prayers for you.

The first prayer is for anyone who has never experienced the love of God in his or her life in a tangible way. Everyone wants to be loved. You too need to be loved. And only God can love you like you never experience. If you want that love, say this with faith in your heart:

Heavenly Father, I believe in my heart that You sent Jesus to the earth in the flesh to die for my sins, to pay for the judgment I would have gotten in this life and future. Today, I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe He died for me and rose for me so that I can live in Him. Thank you for forgiving me. I’m now a new person. I have found Your Love today. Amen!

Praise God! The peace of God has entered your heart. You are now a child of God. Glory be to God.

The second prayer is for you to hand over everything to Him:

Father God, I surrender everything to You. I am weary of carrying this burden of stone in my heart. My heart aches incessantly from the pain of life. Who else can help me besides you? I roll this burden to You, my Lord. Accept it from me. Let healing flow into my heart. Let Your healing come into my heart. Let your healing water flow over my soul in the name of Jesus.

Glory be to God! As you have said these, trust in your heart that He will direct you in life. He will send helpers to you. He will guide you with His eyes and lead you into that path that will profit you. Trust in the Lord. Daily seek Him, read His words and make them yours. And He will be everything to you. Amen!

I will advise you to read more by clicking any of the links below on knowing the Father and building yourself in God:
Healing for the Brokenhearted
Hopeless to Hopeful
The Subtle Seduction of Compromise
Tug of War Within
The Me Mirror: Breaking Free from Self-Obsession
Birth of a New Dawn
Cross Over
What is it with you and IJGB?
I Want Peace
The King is Coming
Everything
My Podcast
Remember Lot’s Wife
He revealed Himself
Didn’t end there
You are not doomed
Do you believe God
No One Like You
Living Beyond Today
Dead the Noise
Not Transactional
Forget Not
Who Do You Worship
Love Not

Or click here to read more inspiring posts.