HOW TO BACK YOUR PRAYER WITH FAITH FOR FASTER RESULTS FOR DESTINY||APOSTLE MICHAEL OROKPO#prayer#god

0:15 Look for the sign of the spirit, [music] not the facts. The facts will lie. The facts can be manipulated. The god of this world controls the external. He can manipulate it. Keith Mo was teaching us two weeks ago and he said don't look at the natural. You know why the Bible calls the devil the god of this world. That means he has authority to manipulate the natural. You told yourself when you see a red vehicle it means God is in that meeting. The devil will make sure every driver with red vehicle will not come because he controls the external. You tell yourself if the person who wears WHITE SHIRT AND BLACK TROUSER IS THE one I meet at the door. It means SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN. EVERYBODY WITH WHITE AND black will go to the back of the auditorium. [music] That's why you don't look at the natural. No. He said why we look not at the things which are seen but at the

1:00 things that are unseen. He said for THE THINGS THAT ARE SEEN THEY ARE TEMPORAL BUT THE THINGS THAT ARE UNSEEN THEY ARE ETERNAL. SEARCH THE SPIRIT. SEARCH IT. THAT'S WHERE faith comes from. [music] Search it in THE SPIRIT. AND SOMETIMES WHAT YOU WILL SENSE in the spirit is just a strand. STRAND STRAND. When that strand moves, it can be the sign of an abundance of rain. We are in the New Testament. God is no longer in heaven and we are reaching him. GOD HAS ENTERED US. ELIJAH may look for a hands fist in the crowd. He was in another dispensation. In our own dispensation, we look for the sign in our spirit. [music] THEY TOLD YOU THAT JOB THERE ARE 500 CANDIDATES FOR THE INTERVIEW. Don't be pured. Check the spirit. AS YOU ARE

1:45 PRAYING, YOU JUST SENSE PEACE. YOU just sense a victory. YOU JUST SENSE GOD. SAY GO FORWARD. SIT THERE. SIT THERE. HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL PASS AWAY. That word we stand. That's who you are. [music] That's who you are. [screaming] [music] [screaming] [music] THAT'S WHO YOU ARE. >> [music] [music] >> THAT'S WHO YOU ARE. That's who you are.

2:33 [music] There are times when God can give you an external sign, but the reason the external sign will be valuable because it'll first of all be an internal sign. If you miss that sign on the inside, [music] what you are doing is not it is natural beliefism. [music] It's fact. Living by your senses and by your facts. Facts lie. Facts can be manipulated and facts are under the influence of the God of this world. [music] So if the word does not comply to God's standard, the word will remain bad. So that something is going wrong does not mean the answer is not there. You

3:19 take the answer and the way to take the answer is by faith. Jesus came to Lazarus's tomb [music] and they were weeping. John chapter 11, if you were here, our brother would not have died. if you were here. And Jesus told them something that was so powerful. I don't have to be here in person for your brother to be saved. [music] I don't have to be here. You know what he told them? Have I not told you before? If thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God. So anybody who believes doesn't need God to be physically present to have the answers he would have had if God were there. So when we walk by faith, it means we are carrying God into every

4:04 circumstance. And because Jesus was on earth at the time, he did what they should have done if they had faith. He said, "This glory you are about to see, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see it." So this glory does not only manifest when I'm around. This answers does not only come when I'm around. These answers are present anywhere, anytime there is faith. It is the key to answers and many persons don't have answers and they are asking themselves why the answer to your answerless prayer is lack of faith. The moment faith is born answers to become byproduct. In fact, one of the proof that you have faith is that answers will come. It is natural for answers to respond to faith. And finally, why is faith in must? By God's

4:52 wisdom, he prescribed faith as the way to live to everyone who is justified. The Bible said, "The just shall live by faith." Habac 2:4, Romans 1:17, Hebrews 10:38, "The just shall live by faith." If you say you are justified, then God has already prescribed a path that you will follow. If you don't walk by faith, you will fail. The only reason the impact of your justification will show is when you start living by faith. In second 2 Corinthians 5:7 he said we walk by faith not by feelings not by sensory perception. There are many believers who walk by feelings. Listen feelings are good. They are the test boards of life. But you see your existence must be

5:39 superior to feelings. Otherwise your life will fluctuate and vasculate in the direction of your feeling. [music] Sometimes I see our brethren here praying and I'm just smiling. I'm just smiling because I know they are still growing. When they grow they will understand prayer is not about what what they feel. Prayer is not even about the excitement of the audience. When you see young believers praying they're under pressure to have a feeling. So much pressure. And when that pressure becomes so much, they want to see the congregation excited. But the whole idea about prayer is to commune with God. Get God. When you get God, the byproduct from God is what the

6:25 congregation is looking for. But you see, if you are not careful, instead of praying to God, you start praying to the congregation. [music] Come here. You need to ascend here. You need to learn. It's pressure. It's pressure. It's pressure. There are DAYS WHEN, SEE, I TELL YOU, THIS THING IS CALLED SPEAKING in tongues. It's not shouting in tonges. >> WHEN THE ENERGY grows in you, you can shout but you are is a move of the spirit. And there are times when the energy will be calm. Even you know and you will flow with the spirit. But when you are operating by feelings, you think every day it must beh when you grow you will know. You will know that this thing is about the move of the spirit. And the whole goal is to touch God. When you touch God, God will touch down. God will touch [music] the

7:10 people. And that's what makes the difference. Otherwise a point will come when you will reprogram the mindset of the people. And you know the danger they will be doing it thinking they are talking God they are not. It's after 5 years 7 years 10 years the frustrations of their lives will show them they never encountered or engaged God. Why do you think I'm very careful? Most times I pray alone. And I saw that in Jesus's life, he will go to a separate place and he's praying because people are just watching you to do something so that they will copy. If I come here now and I start praying like this [music] AFTER 1 MONTH ALL THESE YOUNG MEN WILL START and before you know it will become A TREND. AND BECAUSE THEY FOLLOW ME SO

7:57 CLOSELY AND THERE IS an emotional connect between me and them, it will become a trend. [music] And because I want my signature over a generation, I will push it and push it. But after 10 years, their frustration will show them that they wasted their time. I'm not against any disposition. I've told you before. But I persuade [music] people, follow the move of the spirit. Follow the move. There are times when you will come, it will be heavy on you. You will just be weeping. [music] You'll just be weeping. But the weight of glory will tell you God is here. There are times when you will come, it will just be an interaction with God. You are just communicating. God is talking. You are talking AS YOU ARE PRAYING you are taking notes is is communication AND [music] THERE ARE TIMES YOU come is warfare because God is using you as his battle act WHEN YOU ARE FIGHTING IN PRAYER SOMETIMES THE ENERGY

8:43 WILL BECOME FIRE it will literally burn you you can't stand AND THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THAT ENERGY WILL BE like a whalewind you'll be running and sprinting you won't know that you on the altar you will lose all your compartment you are operating by the move of the spirit [music] so don't PUT YOURSELF UNDER PRESSURE NOBODY IS SCORING YOU SIR WHEN YOU COME and you are talking to God, talk to God. TALK TO GOD. AFTER A WHILE, SOMEBODY will start breaking into laughter in the congregation. Somebody will start receiving revelation because as God is talking, the light will hit the audience. And that day is light be received. The day that it is battle, they will receive impartation. The day. So that's how these things work. At the foundation is the faith is the move of the spirit. And this is what God prescribed to the believer. In fact, for

9:30 those who understand how prayer works, sometimes you are praying and you are entering different realms in one prayer. You started talking to God. After a while, you enter a realm of battle and God teaches you some moves in the spirit. Ah, some of the things we do, where do you think we learn that from? It's from the altar. You enter some place and is a ground of warriors. You find some steps. Those readings is a move. [music] It's a move there. There are places where they fight backward. I will tell you some things but you think when we are dancing we are dancing backward we went somewhere sir we went somewhere we saw some things [music] ah relax let's continue with Bible study

10:16 so faith and don't think of anybody in your heart I'm teaching you I'm teaching you as my disciples keep your heart open and learn that's the corruption of this age when you start talking they start checking in their mind whether you are talking about somebody. Every minister has the law God gave him [music] and so they do it based on what God told them. There are some ministers that God told them if you are praying let everybody kneel down. That one is [music] a definite consecration for that tribe. So they can kneel down and pray is what God told them. That's their shape in the spirit. There are ministries where you come when they ARE PRAYING THEY ARE DANCING. That's the law God give them. There are ministries you go to when they are praying they are coughed. That's the law God give them. But what we are teaching here is not the specific consecration of tribes. It's the general counsel of God. [music] So keep your

11:03 heart open and learn and don't think what I'm not saying. [music] It's difficult to teach in this church without words because what you are saying people are hearing from everywhere and they make [music] hal. Hey [screaming] [music] [singing] [music] Halle. [music] [screaming] [music]

11:52 So why is faith a must? You may be seated. Number one, without faith, it's impossible to please God. Why is faith a must? Number two, faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Why is faith a must? Number three, faith is the key to answer prayers. And why is faith a must? Because faith is the prescribed way of living that the Holy Ghost give to us. And so if you want to please God, if you want to overcome your word, if you want to have answers to prayers and if you want to live as the justified, [music] faith will be a must for you. Praise God. Now let's go into the subject matter proper. [music] Before I begin to define faith, let me show you four four things that faith is not. Four things. Number one, faith is not mental accent. [music]

12:40 What do I mean by that? It is not just me belieism just I believe this thing I no that's not faith because there are many people they believe in some historical facts or some doctrinal persuasions but it is never followed with corresponding action so you come to meet them Jesus heal the sick yeah of course Jesus heal the sick of course mentally cognitively they feel that it's true but you will never see them put it to work when they are sick the first place they run to is the doctor the Jesus that heals the sick they will never talk to because they have no expectation for healing and they don't believe Jesus will heal them. Meanwhile, they they they understand that doctrine all of that is mental. It's not of the heart. When you see a man who believe in a historical fact or a doctrinal persuasion, but he doesn't follow it up

13:26 with action, that man doesn't have faith. Is a mental ascent. It is mere belieism. Jesus prospers, but you will never see him trust God or learn how God prospers men and apply it. Yes, the Lord prospers, but everything he's doing about his prosperity are the principles of business he learned from Netherlands Business School or Lagos Business School. You will never see him put his faith to work for prosperity. They say consecration is not there. They say giving is not there. They say covenant is not there, but he believes more than anybody that God prospers. He can even fight for that belief and he thinks he has faith. There's no action. And because there's no action, all of that is dead. It doesn't resonate with the frequency of it. So faith is not mental assent. That's where many people get it wrong. If you believe in God and in what

14:12 he says, the proof is not just what you say, but the actions you take in line with what you have believed. The second thing, faith is not. AND I'M TELLING you why many people think they have faith, but is in the day of trouble, they discover they don't have faith because they don't practice it. They don't leave it out. They just agree with it in their mind. And when trouble comes, they now discover that they are divided in between. They don't know whether to stand with God or to stand with men. And so that division makes it impossible for them to receive from God. He said, "Let not a man that is tossed to and fro ever believe that he will receive anything from God." He say, "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." [music] So it's not a mental accident. Number two, faith is not presumptions. There are many people who assume or

14:57 suppose that something is so, but they don't have the fact that forms the basis of their conviction. [music] Does God bless people? Yes. How do you know? Uh the Bible says so. Where? What does the Bible say? He doesn't know. And before you know, he starts quoting parables. [music] So he just have assumptions and presumptions and presuppositions. He has never examined them. Prayer works. Of course, prayer works. Really, how do you know? There is no basis for his conviction. He just speak things from all over the place. no coherent knowledge and understanding that he's living by but he has little little knowledge about nuggets here and there and he thinks that because he's aware of he has faith and so all his life he's

15:43 making assumptions it is in the day of trouble where the requirement is based on acute understanding that he will discover he really doesn't know anything about anything [music] so many people when Kenneet was teaching faith anything you claim he will ask you what scripture [music] are you standing on you You must be definite in your understanding. If you talk at a heagen that God heals the sick, he will say, "What scripture are you [music] standing on?" If you talk and he god prospers, what scripture are you standing on? Because it's not there's no room for assumption in this matter because this is a matter of life and death. Imagine if you have headache and then you just go to the kiosk and say they says drug some drugs can cure headache pain reliever. They say some drug and pain relievers and then you go and carry chlorine. You you you take you look at

16:30 aine you take you open the one in the bottle that should be injected in the vein [laughter] when you drink you will die that's what many PEOPLE DO THEY SHUFFLE SCRIPTURES like a buffet THEY THROW ONE HERE THROW one they just gulp everything and because they have taugh scripture they think there'll be answer doesn't work like that there is specific knowledge for every answer you want so faith cannot be an assumption I'm telling YOU THIS BECAUSE MANY CHRISTIANS THEY don't have definite understanding that forms convictions. They are just religious people. Anywhere he lives, we go there. Pastor say this WEEK YOU WILL PROSPER. AMEN. AND THEY GO AND SAY GOD PROSPERS. BUT EVEN the message they are teaching that forms the basis for that impartation. They don't receive it. And you know when problem [music] comes, problems come to shuffle your mind and

17:16 find out what exactly you know did God really say? And then you now discover you don't really know what God said. You have been living in assumption all the while. And like Eve, you will fall a thousand times. [music] You need to know exactly what God said so that even when you are dying, die in faith. You know this thing so much that you can't change your mind. I was telling somebody the other day, I know God used the sick. I'm not planning to die, but if I'm on the sick bed now, you can't make me change my conviction. I have believed this thing too much to change my mind. [music] Acute understanding. I KNOW GOD PROSPERS, SIR. I know this thing. Not because I have so much information but because I HAVE PRECISE SCRIPTURES THAT have formed my conviction. That's why I

18:01 can empty my account every week for 6 months. I will not be perturbed. Those who live with me, they know I don't depend on what I have saved. I depend on God. [music] I'm not saying anything is wrong with saving. But I know this thing so much that to empty myself is not a prayer point. When the Bible said those who come grieving with precious seeds shall doubtless return bringing in their sheep, I say some of us have grown past that level. There is nothing precious that will carry to the altar grieving anymore. There is nothing that will bring to the altar grieving anymore. I have passed here sir [music] because there's conviction. [music] There's conviction. That's how faith works. And it is born out of precise understanding. See when somebody is talking I'm finding out what is the exact truth in it. That's why you hear

18:47 me sometimes trying to break these things down and explaining to you certain defines because too many things can be shuffled and juxtaposed in the reality and people don't know the exactness. So when you come people are praying everybody is just praying when you come people are sitting I I try to know why how and what specificity is something I don't joke with because that's where the answer is. go for an interview and they ask you what is your name or they ask you where do you come from and say I'm African if you don't faith where do you come from mean they are tracing you to your local government they need to know exactly where you came from because they want to understand the character traits of the people from where you came from they can use this to assess you what do you mean African that's how the matters of faith works

19:32 there must be exact KNOWLEDGE NUMBER THREE WHAT faith is not it's not natural belieism You [music] many people think they have faith but all their trust and all their belief is in the realm of facts. Natural belieism is a factbased faith. That is not faith. If they don't see an evidence is a Thomas kind of faith. Unless I see him and I see the the imprint on his palm I will not believe. And the moment they see his hand and they see the signs of the nails, my lord and my god, [music] that's how many operates. Even in the move of the spirit, they come for service. We we are all growing, sir. And I can give you literal

20:18 examples. Sometimes you go for a meeting, God tells you this is a power service. And I have seen it many times until God started teaching me faith. The first time I traveled for a meeting for over 7 hours. I thought the meeting was for the next day. So I would travel and rest. When I came they say thank God the meeting is this night. In fact we are late. We are late. I just drove for over 6 7 hours. It was in Caba at the NYC camp and I didn't come on my own. I came to represent a serial man of God and you are saying is now to give me 10 minutes. Let me pray. As I knelt down to pray God say I will show my hand. [music] It's a it will be a power service. I stood up. I said let's go. I wore my

21:04 suit. I entered the meeting. Unfortunately, as we were about to come out, heavy wind began to blow and the downpour was heavy. Rain started falling. Ah. And I understand a little bit about [music] the the chemistry of of man. When it becomes cold, especially for a young minister, it is difficult to charge the people up. In fact, everybody is coming to the meeting with A SWEATER. >> [laughter] >> WHEN I ENTERED the meeting to make things worse, it was a new auditorium. So the whole windows were open. There's no covering. Air was blowing from one side to the other on my microphone. You will hear because of air. I'm not exaggerating. God knows those who follow me earlier. You know I've thought I've shared this story. Brothers and sisters, I thought AND TAUGHT. I CHARGED MYSELF.

21:52 I PRAYED IN TONGUES. I WILL TEACH some things that I know we will explode. Everybody was shaking like this. I was looking for somebody to fall down or for somebody to shout so that I'll be encouraged and start making declaration. Everybody sat like this. When I saw that things were not working, I left them and started worshiping. I worshiped. [music] I worshiped. No word of knowledge was coming. After a while, God now showed me mercy and I picked a word about a young man. I said he was wearing a glass door, full hair. He lost his father who was a pastor and now he struggling with his faith. In fact, he told himself that if he leaves NYC, he will go and do what he wants. I thought that was my key to break into the service. [music] I GAVE THE WORD WITH AUDACITY BECAUSE GOD CANNOT LIE. We looked and looked and the moment I gave the word, people

22:38 started clapping for brother to come out. They look left, look right. Brother didn't come out. Service went from lukewarm to extremely cold and congealed. That was when I came back and say, "Lord, mercy." Because I know one thing in God that will never fail. Mercy, mercy mercy. [music] Ah, do you know the whisper? God eventually broke out in the meeting. Many things happened. After the meeting, somebody walked up to me and said, "Pastor, I'm that brother that you spoke about." I looked I looked at him and said, "Get out of this place. Get out of this place. Don't come close.

23:25 You don't know that my life was hanging on that word of knowledge. You sat where you started begging. I SAID GET OUT FROM THIS PLACE. WHAT? WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO do for you? The anointing was on me when I was preaching. The anointing has lifted. God started that was when God started constraining me and I called him and prayed for him and that. But what's the point? I was looking for a natural sign and God wanted to teach me a lesson. There was no sign until I became frustrated and I shouted [music] and started giving commandment. Suddenly things began to boil. Things began to boil and before I KNEW SOMEBODY SHOUTED ON THE LEFT, SOMEBODY SHOUTED ON THE RIGHT. I NOW HEARD A PLASTIC CHAIR. I

24:11 SAY YES WE ARE HERE. When you hear that sound, know that something. WHEN YOU HEAR THAT SOUND, you enter your warrior mode. THAT WAS WHEN I TOLD THEM I CAME IN THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH. God told ME HE WILL SHOW HIS HAND. OH YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. I CAME ALIVE. [music] BUT YOU SEE, God was teaching me, look for the sign of the spirit, not the facts. The facts will lie. The facts can be manipulated. The God of this WORLD CONTROLS THE EXTERNAL. He can manipulate [music] it. KM was teaching us two weeks

24:58 ago and he said, "Don't look at the natural." You know why the Bible calls the devil the god of this world. That means he has authority to manipulate the natural. You told yourself when you see a red vehicle, it means God is in that meeting. The devil will make sure every driver with red eagle will not come because he controls the external. You tell yourself if the person who wears WHITE SHIRT AND BLACK TROUSER is the one I meet at the door it means SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN. EVERYBODY WITH white and black will go to the back of the auditorium. [music] That's why you don't look at the natural. No. He said why we look not at the things which are seen but at the things that are unseen. He said for the THINGS THAT ARE SEEN THEY ARE TEMPORAL BUT THE THINGS THAT ARE UNSEEN THEY ARE ETERNAL. SEARCH THE SPIRIT. SEARCH IT. THAT'S WHERE faith comes from. SEARCH IT

25:43 IN THE SPIRIT. AND SOMETIMES WHAT YOU WILL SENSE IN THE spirit is just a strand. Strand. Strand. When that strand moves, it can be the sign of an abundance of rain. We are in the New Testament. God is no longer in heaven and we are reaching him. GOD HAS ENTERED US. ELIJAH may look for a handsfist in the cloud. He was in another dispensation. In our own dispensation, we look for the sign in OUR SPIRIT. THEY TOLD YOU THAT JOB THERE ARE 500 CANDIDATES FOR THE INTERVIEW. Don't be ped up. Check the spirit. AS YOU ARE PRAYING, YOU JUST SENSE PEACE. You just sense a note of victory. YOU JUST SENSE GOD SAY GO FORWARD. SIT THERE. SIT THERE. HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL PASS AWAY. That word will stand. [music]

26:30 That's who you are. [music] That's who you are. Oh, [music] God. That's all you are. That's who you are. [music] There are times when God can give you an external sign, but the reason the external sign will be valid because you'll first of all be an internal sign. [music] If you miss that sign on the inside,

27:18 what you are doing is not it. It's natural belieism. It's fact. Living by your senses and by your facts. Facts lie. Facts can be manipulated. and facts are under the influence of the god of this [music] world. Sit down. We still have some 15 minutes. I need to run. The last thing faith is not a self-confidence. Many people are self-confident and charismatic and they assume that's faith because you are tall and broad on the chest and you have some very deep voice. That's good. It's not you sir. I know you are an elegant man but [laughter] you come to a place with your suit and you say you know um I I'll see what I

28:05 can do about that. It's good when you are doing your job for diplomatic relationship. But if you are looking for the intervention of a spirit, natural confidence is a limitation. [music] The moment you trust in yourself, you have lost. You said we have this glory in vessel that the excellency might be of God and not of man. Many young ladies think [music] they will be hot cake in the market because they are tall and fair or because they are dark and they are elegant or because they have some kind of hairstyle and then suddenly when the race of marriage come they now discover it is favor. [music] Many young men are intelligent. They made first class undergraduate made first class masters made first class PhD and they think when they enter the

28:51 market everybody will be begging them. They will now hold that those three certificates for 10 years. 10 years. And then you ask them, they say, "I have a PhD with first class, no job." You now discover that beyond that certificate, there are other forces that manipulate that tide. [music] And then you see somebody else who made a tutu and I'm not saying go and make tutu. Those of you who are stupid, somebody who made tutu will suddenly become within a time when this one got PhD, that one will be an MD of a company and he will, it is manager that will be hiring people and the PhD will be coming say give me the lowest rank available. [music] The race is not to be swift neither is the battle to be strong. It is of God that showed mercy. Even ministry here there are many people who believe what

29:37 do you mean? We are gifted. I can call people's names. I can profile people [music] by the prophetic. Anywhere I go to, the list that we have is 4,000 people. Well done. And God will keep quiet. Some will look at you and say, "What do you mean? I'm a man of prayer. If we enter that territory, we will approach it. [music] We will APPROACH IT. GIVE US 3 MONTHS." GOD will be listening. Another one will come and say, "No, the options I have, even kings can't resist me. Unless I don't carry a microphone, IF I TALK IN THAT LAND, THINGS WILL HAPPEN." really then God will keep quiet they will now commission themselves into ministry and then they will be hoping that people the territory will be so privileged that they came there [laughter] they'll be hoping that the MOMENT PEOPLE HEAR THAT THEY ARE THERE EVERYBODY will gather they will not be there prophesying

30:24 [music] they will prophesy and prophesy and prophesy every 3 months church will reshuffle [music] the 50 people that came when all of them receive prophecies they will now go new people will come after 3 years they will still be 52 >> that's when You will go back to God and kneel down and say the race is not to the swift. The battle is not to the strong. [music] He said bread is not to men or skill. It is God that showed mercy. YOU WILL PRAY THERE AND PRAY THERE. THE MORE YOU PRAY, the more you will hide because after all the job of an intercessor is to hide. So as you are praying, you'll be hiding. And then somebody else who doesn't have even half your stamina will enter that city and you become the star. In fact, sometimes the way heaven will work the economy is that your prayer that ascends to heaven as buyers and are stored in vias. God will use it to push this other ministry because he's the boss of the company.

31:10 You are in different departments. [music] He say God resists the proud but he giveth more grace to the humble. You want to do something with his spirit and you are standing on your physical strength, your natural ability. It's an insult on God. [music] You despise his grace when you DO THAT. HOW DARE YOU THINK YOUR PRAYER is the reason why people will come. How dare you think your prayer is the reason why? What do you mean outside God? Do you think we are the only people who pray? You think because you are gifted then you become a star and even God we have no choice but to celebrate you. You are joking. Those who are wise the first thing they try to do is to turn away from their natural abilities. Paul said we are the circumcision that worship God in the spirit [music]

31:56 rejoicing in Christ Jesus having no confidence in the flesh. The day you build your strength on your natural ability, you have separated yourself from God. [music] And life will so buffet you. It will so be buffet you that if you even if you repent, imitate mercy because you have despised the grace of God. You have undermined the place of God in your life. No matter how gifted you are, submit yourself to God and he will exalt you in due [music] time. Never allow the deception. You are going into that business. You say I'm charismatic. I'm this. Be joking. You go there and see the different perfumes that people wear to that business. Some they carried it from the graveyard. Some come into those business ground and they exchange people stars through

32:42 demonic order and astrology and you will enter that market. Somebody will be prospering by the favor of your life because you have come as a giant and as a superstar. God will leave you to manifest your ability. When you finish and you surrender, then he will come because the glory must be of God and not of man. I'M TELLING YOU MANY people mistake [music] charisma and self-confidence for faith because you can talk and when you talk people clap you are coming for a meeting you think no matter what happen that meeting will be on fire and he's not talking because he's trusting God for grace he's not talking because he's praying for the present he's talking because he knows he knows what to say you will keep saying what is right but your generation will never hear you and then you will discover he's not the best interpreter of scripture that has the sector of influence over generation

33:28 >> [music] [music] >> That's who you are. That's who you are. That's who you are. [music] [music] Have you learned something already? Now what is faith? [music] The word faith is the word pistice. [music] And the word pistice simply means reposing your confidence and your trust in another. Waiting upon his intervention for your own victory.

34:14 [music] putting your confidence and your trust in another waiting upon his intervention for your own victory. No wonder God instructed that we should walk by faith. It is designed in a way that flesh can never be glorified. It is designed in a way that only God can be glorified. And so when a man is walking by faith, [music] his trust is in God and his trust is in God's ability. So it is the intervention of God or they putting the ability of God to work that engenders his own victory. A simple technology, but many have never come to accept it. You know the problem with many people, they feel God waste time.

35:01 [music] Why would I be waiting on God when I know what to do? But they don't know that faith is not an act, it's a life. Because you may want to do something that you can do by your own ability and then you decide that for now I don't need faith. You will now come to a point where all your abilities put together can't do it. You now start learning what you should be mastering and then you discover it doesn't work. That's why many fail in the school of faith. They want to write a simple exam. They understand literature. So no need to trust [music] God. Come on. What is literature? Then they write the exam of literature but they go into the exam of life where they need successful living. They now discover that here they don't have all it takes. That's when they now start learning to trust God when they should be mastering trusting God.

35:47 [music] For faith to be faith three things must be in place. Number one there must be one in whom you trust or your trust is put. [music] So you can't say you are walking by faith when you will not state clearly without contradiction [music] whom your total confidence, assurance and trust is in. Any man who is walking by faith can tell you without ambiguity that this is the source of all my answers and victory. There must be one in whom your trust [music] rests. If that cannot be spelled out in your life, you are not a man of faith. [music] Number two, for faith to be faith, there must be a basis. [music] And for us who are Christians, the basis

36:33 of our faith are the promises of God, the nature of God, and the possibilities of God that he has assured us. [music] So when you find a man who is walking by faith, he doesn't just come. And that's why I showed you what faith is not talking and floating in limbo. anything he tells you, his assurance is either in God's character or in God's word, the integrity of God's word or in the promises that God has made or in the possibilities that God has affirmed. Those bases are the foundations of his faith. If I go to lay hands on the sick now, I'm not doing it because I'm being creative. I'm doing it because I believe in the integrity of the spoken word of Jesus that when I lay hands on the sick, the sick shall recover. And so when I'm

37:18 going to lay hands on the sick, if I am feeling powerful, that is good. But my feelings are not the basis of my action. So whether I feel it or I don't feel it, Jesus said, lay hands on the sick. So the basis for my action must be clear at all times. The reason many don't get the faith result is because they are taking actions that are businessless. When you speak without audacity, what is he anchoring on? Is there a word for it? Is there something you know about God's nature? And I'm saying this the way I'm saying it so that you know this is not about quoting scriptures or memorizing scriptures. If you remember scriptures that is good but what we are talking about here is beyond the way King James is written. Because many people feel it's not faith until it is thou shalt. Beholdest thou. That's not what we are

38:05 talking about. We are talking about God's position on every subject matter. And so if I know God's position, I stand where God is standing. And so I don't need to say if thou lay thy hands on the sick they shall recover. No, I can know it in preaching English. If I put my hand on top sick person, he will recover. It will produce the same result. It's not King James. It's God's position. That's the basis. Many people are trying to quote King James to feel powerful, but they are not standing where God is standing on the subject. So even what they are saying, they don't know it and they don't believe it. So there must be a basis. When you step out and you tell yourself, I must prosper. What is the basis? Is it because you went to a business school? Is it because they promised you a job?

38:51 Is it because you have a rich father? Or because the Bible said Jesus, rich as he was, became poor that you may become rich. The basis must be clearly defined because when battles come, it is the basis that will be the contention. Because when the devil looks at you, he's not even moved by the action. He's trying to understand why you are doing what you are doing. And it must be very clear. If that becomes clear, there's no way your faith will not produce results. [music] And then number three, what makes faith faith is that there must always be action. He say faith without works is dead. And so there are many persons who are trying to live the faith life. But there is no clear definition of whom they are confidence rest on. [music] When they are making a decree, they are making a statement. Part of

39:37 that confidence is in their uncle who is a vice president or a senator. When they are making a decree on another time, part of their confidence is on their position on their job. When they are making a statement, part of their confidence is on the money somebody promising. And so you see that their lives are scattered. EVERY OTHER thing that brings success to your life is a channel that God is using. And so a man of faith any day, any time, in whatever context he speaks, his assurance is God. I showed you from Psalm 23:1 last on Sunday, the psalmist said, "The Lord is my shepherd." He had strong warriors. He was a king. He was he had he had experience himself. But there was no time he said anything. Listen, every time you take action, ask yourself, am I saying this because of my savings? Am I saying this because of my

40:23 position on my job? Am I saying this because of somebody who promised me? Am I saying this because of a friend? Am I saying this because a man of faith 100 over 100 every time he's talking or doing anything it is God and God only he sees every other person system or thing as a channel there will never be a time when the place of God will be in contention and a man of faith FOR EVERY ACTION HE takes there's a basis for it either because of what he knows about the nature of God or because of a promise he's standing on or because of a revelation from the word of God IF YOU ARE THERE you are safe. And finally, a man of faith [music] will always cap all he does with corresponding action. He said that believers that there's only one God. James 2:19, he said, "How do well, he

41:10 said the devil also believes and trembles." He said, "But oh ye vain man, knowest not doubt that faith without works is dead." And in verse 26, he said, "For as the body without the spirit is dead." He say also faith without works is dead. So even if you believe God, you stand on his word or his nature, if you don't have action, you are not in faith. These are the three things or the three triangle that completes [music] the circute of faith. Is this not simple? But when you walk through life, you discover it's hard because many times when we confront issues, we confront them because of what our friends promised us. Many times when we confront issues, we confront them because of where we are walking. Don't you know sometimes the way we are excited where we are promoted in life is because we think our levels have

41:55 changed. What you do in life doesn't change your level. The promotion you get on your job does not change your level. Your level is what God calls you per time. You can get a promotion on your job if your if what God call you have not changed. You have not promoted because they may give you a physical promotion. He can kill you. So a man's level actually changes if his status with God changes. You need to know this before you celebrate your promotion on your job and it becomes the demerit in your faith work. Before you celebrate your increased income and it becomes the demerit of your faith work before you celebrate your new relationships. Ah now I have the the phone number of the chief of army staff. I know the president personally you will be shocked. There are many things the president cannot do.

42:42 [music] When the devil brings cancer the president will be helpless like every other person. The only one who can answer all the crisis of life is the one your faith stands on. And so a man of faith every day in every circumstance has one confident [music] is God has one basis. God's position which is either his nature or his word and will always act as a sign that he believes God and he believes the basis for his action. If this cycle is complete, you can tell yourself I am a man of faith. NOW WHEN YOU ENTER the faith life, you will discover something that this is a life not an act. And so you begin to grow in it from one level to another level. And there are 10 levels you grow in faith. [music] 10 levels for everybody who is

43:29 in the faith life. Hope you know I quoted for you already. He said the just shall live by faith. It didn't say the jaw shall act faith from time to time. So when you enter the faith corridor, there are levels and I will just list them because of our time as we close. The first level you will find yourself in in the third corridor is a level where the Bible calls no faith. [music] The level of no faith. That's how the Bible puts it in Matthew Mark 4:40. Mark 4:40. Mark 4:40. Quickly Mark when I'm sharing this now, try to find where you are. And at the end of the service, come and whisper to me, tell me

44:14 I'm in level this, but please don't be in level one. [music] Jesus was in a boat with his disciples, and he slept off, and the wind came hitting on the boat turbulently, and they tapped him, master, master, carest not down that we perish. And he woke up, and he was offended at them. And he said unto them, why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? [music] You see that they were calling on God, meaning they trust God because they believe God can save them. But God woke up and told them you have no faith. [music] That means they believe in God but they are growing. They at the zero level of faith. And you will not understand this scripture until you go back to Deuteronomy 32:20. He will tell you the meaning of no faith. Deuteronomy 32:20. And he said unto them, I will hide my

45:01 face from them. I will see what their end shall be. For they are very forward generation, children in whom is no faith. So when the master says you have no faith, he's making a statement not because there's no faith there, but because you are a forward person. What does he mean? A forward person is somebody who is twisted in the mind, somebody who is controversial in the mind, somebody who is difficult to persuade. So there are many persons when you begin the faith corridor, you will discover there's a lot of contention in your mind. You will not be easily persuaded by what you are hearing. You will argue everything and anything God said. That's where Thomas was [music] in in John chapter 11. Jesus told him Lazarus is asleep and he said ah if Lazarus is asleep he will wake up now why do we need to go

45:47 there everything HE KEPT ARGUING EVERYTHING HE MUST twist it that's a forward mind for such a person it will be difficult to operate in faith even when Jesus resurrected they said the master is risen he say it's a lie unless I see his palms I saw when they put nails there I must dip my hand deep inside and see the hole before I believe when Jesus showed up he said take Have you not seen people who are so controversial? Everything you tell them, they will argue AND ARGUE NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE DOUBTING YOU. OH, but they cannot bring themselves to just believe. The mind IS SO TWISTED, COMPLEX, CONJUGATED AND COMPLICATED. For such people, the Bible say they have no faith. [music] A fro generation, children in whom is no faith. The second

46:34 level of faith is the level where the Bible calls little faith. Little faith is a bit similar to no faith. But the difference between little faith and no faith is not just that the mind is complicated. The mind is open. The mind is ready to learn and believe. But there's a challenge. The challenge is that there is fear and there's doubt. That same scripture Mark 4:40 Jesus said, "Why are you fearful? Why does doubt arise in your heart?" You see that? But in another verse, he now said what Jesus said. He no longer called it little faith. In Matthew 8:26, he called it, he no longer called it no faith. He now called it little faith. So as you are growing in faith, you will

47:21 believe God so much. YOU WILL BE EAGER TO TAKE ACTIONS. BUT EVERY TIME YOU WANT TO TAKE ACTION, there will be a fear that wants to arrest your action. That fear will want to arrest your action. You know God says lay hands on the sick. You are seeing the sick. You are being pulled to lay hands. Fear will paralyze you. For those who have no faith, the cure is to open their minds to learning. When you find that your mind is twisted, you must pay the price to buy the truth. Expose yourself to teachings. Find who speaks to you and sit with him to teach you until the mind opens. For those who have little fa who are always taken over by fear, get a mentor. When he is acting, go with him. After a while, you will overcome that fear. When I was growing up, I discovered a terrible phobia. I can't stand before people.

48:07 Even up till now, it takes the anointing. As I am talking to you now, if I step down from this platform and I'm talking to you, I can't look at you in the eyes. [music] I will hardly talk to people and keep my eyes. I can't do it. If I'm walking out of this hall, even though I'm the pastor here, I won't be able to look at people as I'm walking out. I'll just look down and go where I'm going. [music] That's how I am. Is the anointing that imparts boldness when I'm ministering. But you see the reason one of the reasons I was able to grow faster was because I had mentors. So when they are ministering I'm watching when they are going for a meeting I travel and go to that meeting. Sometimes I'm privileged they say come with me. Sometimes they don't call me I follow them. When I see the flyer I'm there after the meeting where sir how did you come here I'm

48:54 learning. I'm pursuing something and I must catch it. And so I'm seeing what they doing. As I'm seeing it faith is rising in my spirit. Faith is rising in my spirit. And then a point comes you receive a baptism of what they are doing. And then you now discover when you are in that position even before you think the action has gone. You are preaching and before you know what's happening. You say there are five people here God is touching. You didn't know why you said it but you followed until faith has risen in your heart and as you declare it happens. You look at somebody they say there's a challenge. You say in the next seven days there must be an answer. When you finish you now ask yourself did I say 7 years? You now go home and start begging God this thing better happens. Oh, what have I done to myself? Is because you received a baptism. Because little faith is a faith that is paralyzed by fear. THAT'S WHERE

49:40 MANY ARE. NUMBER THREE LEVEL OF FAITH AS YOU ARE growing is what we call weak faith. Weak faith is a faith that does not necessarily fear but is a faith that considers. So when you say do this is wondering how about this, how about that? What of this? What will happen to this? So the mind is too logical. The mind is too calculative that the action cannot be taken because it's considering too many things. Remember the Bible said Abraham considered not his body now dead neither the deadness of Sarah's womb. But there are many people who will consider their body. You tell them you'll get married this year and they say K but this is August too. When are we going to start dating? When will we understand ourselves? When are we going to do

50:25 introduction? When is the marriage? They do not read the Bible. He said though the cloud will be empty but the brook shall be filled with water. It's not about what you are seeing. Why we look not at the things which are seen but at the things that are seen. You tell them BY THE SPIRIT. GOD SAID IN 7 DAYS YOU will have a job and they say hm I've not worked for 10 years. So most of the job now they ask for experience and they are looking for young people and now 48. Which one will I apply for? They are considering that's why their faith is weak. If they were able to migrate from the realm of consideration, they'll discover that they have faith to produce results. But the mind cannot but go to work. Romans 14 from verse 1 to2. [music] He said, "Him that is weak in faith receive ye." Paul was talking about

51:11 those with weak faith. You know their problem. You will see it. He said, "But not to not to doubtful disputation." That means when you receive those who are weak in faith, don't fight with them. Leave them. That's where they are. When you are talking they say relax that can't work. When Elisha showed up and said by this time tomorrow a cup of Bali shall be sold for one shekele. The prime minister stood up and say sir I know God too. In fact I know God enough to know that there's a window in heaven. But even if this happen be reminded that you are talking about national economy. For national economy to change there must be budgetary issues. There must be strategies. There must be policies. There must be bureaucratic improvements. What do you think? Do you think you are talking to one widow? This is national economy. consideration they not too much for their faith to produce results.

51:57 He said when you RECEIVE THOSE PEOPLE DON'T ARGUE WITH THEM IT DON'T HELP THEM. He said for one believer that they may eat all things another who is weak it helps. So they think it's wrong to do certain things because they have too many rules and regulation too many facts TOO MANY PROGRAMS THAT HAS become a law in their mind. That's why their faith is weak. Every time God speaks they begin to consider. I hope you know the reason Peter began to sink was because he started considering the wind and the wave. So faith becomes weak when consideration takes over the place of believing. That's the third level of faith. But don't be discouraged if you are there. You are still growing. You are still growing. You are growing from no faith to little faith to weak faith. SEE WHAT YOU DO at this level is that go against [music] your consideration. When

52:43 you think it will not work, go and do the same thing. The more you argue that's the more you act. As you are acting, you will discover that a point will come your results will begin to supersede your arguments. And then the second thing you do at this level is to cast down your imaginations. The Bible said casting down imagination and every high standing thing. 2 Corinthians 10 from 3:5 and bringing into captivity. SO GOD TELLS YOU YOU WILL MARRY THIS YEAR AND THEN YOUR MIND is telling you not the devil that nobody can meet somebody, date somebody and marry in 5 months. Tell yourself my God does not live in the realm of time. Everything my God says happen. I rebuke THIS THOUGHT. WHAT GOD says will happen. IF YOU DON'T TALK TO YOURSELF AND CAST DOWN those imaginations, those imaginations will subdue your faith. You will not discover that you have faith but never having

53:29 results because your faith is weak. So two ways to deal with weak faith is to keep carrying out the actions. And number two, keep casting down your imagination. See the faith life is a deliberate life. We grow in it. It doesn't just happen. We grow. At one level, no faith, you receive light. Keep learning, keep growing in understanding. Your mind is straight. You go to little faith. At little faith, get mentors, learn from people until you are baptized. Then you come to weak faith. Start taking action. You go there, your mind is telling you guys, I know God can heal the limb, but this person leg this is not spinal cord problem. This leg is this leg is tiny. The bones, this is bones. [music] If it was a pain or a fracture maybe, but K this leg the leg is even bent. The

54:15 power that he use the pain is the power that straightens the leg. Your job is not to consider how. Your job is to take the action. He said as thou knowest not how the bones are formed in him that is with tried. He says so knoweth not thou the ways of the spirit. THE RATHER IT IS THE SIMPLE IT IS for God. [music] He said for with man these things are difficult but with God all things are possible. [music] Have you not been there before? Somebody said my eyes are itching me. You put YOUR HAND IN THE NAME OF JESUS. EYES BE HEALED. The next person you meet is also eye. But the eyes are budged out with cancer. You now say, "Where are the intercessors? Come, come, come. We need to join faith. Where are the intercessors? We need to, you know what we are trying to escape? We are trying to escape taking the blame. If it doesn't happen, they will

55:01 say it's all of us. We are still trusting God." That means when you prayed for the one you thought was weak, you took the glory. The same power that healed itching can heal cancer. It's not for you to consider. Yours is to lay hands and make decrees. But you see, if your brain keeps considering, you'll be asking yourself, when will this thing go down? Will it puncture? Will it vanish? What will happen? That is not your duty. That is God's duty. Allow God to think how it will happen. You follow what he has told you. [music] Weak faith is a faith that considers. Number four, [music] dead faith. Dead faith. Dead faith is a faith that succumbs to arguments and doesn't take action. So if you don't grow from weak faith, you will descend into dead faith. [music] The Bible said in James 21:19

55:48 and 26, faith without works is dead. AND SO SOMEBODY'S HERE SAY I BELIEVE IN HEALING. HE HAS NEVER prayed for the sick. He doesn't have faith. I believe in prosperity. He has never taken an action that God recommends for prosperity. He has no faith. Every faith that is not dead takes action. Number five, you now have what we call vain faith. Vain faith. 1 Corinthians 15:14. [music] Vain faith. There are many people who have vain faith. [music] And if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain. And our faith is also vain. What is vain faith? Vain faith is a baseless faith. [music] There's no basis. Paul is saying the faith we have has basis. The reason

56:34 we believe is because Christ rose from the dead. Just in case Christ did not rise from the dead and we are here professing eternal life, he said that would have been a vain faith because it's baseless. But because Christ rose, our faith is substantiated. So a vain faith is a faith that is not substantiated either by a promise or by nature or by an action of God. These are the five levels of weak and unproductive faith. When you are able to grow from this level, then you enter the faiths that produce result. And the faith that produce result are also in five categories. Number one is steadfast faith. Steadfast. Colossians 2:5. Steadfast [music] faith. He said, "For though I be I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joining and beholding your order and the

57:21 steadfastness OF YOUR FAITH." STEADFAST FAITH is faith that endures. I know the answer has not come but I still believe. You know you must migrate from steadfastness because you have suffered no faith. You have suffered weak faith. You have suffered little faith. You have SUFFERED DEAD FAITH. NOW YOU are beginning to learn to take action. AS YOU START TAKING ACTION, DON'T ASSUME you will see results. Results don't come immediately. Ask every faith practitioner. They will tell you. You say you are an intercessor. You go to pray for deliverance. You will pray and pray. Maybe the first 10 people you pray for, the demons will not go. The case will become worse, but will endure. You are trusting God for breakthrough. The moment you start taking actions for breakthrough, that's when your finances will become tighter. IF YOU DON'T COME into steadfastness of faith, you will discover that you will

58:08 drown. So the first level of productive faith is not faith that have answers. It's actually faith that refuses [music] to back down. Even if the answer does not come, I will stand my ground. I RATHER DIE in faith. WHEN YOU GROW FROM STEADFAST FAITH, you now go to strong faith. STRONG faith is a faith that rejoices in the midst of circumstances. You see that at this level, you have not started getting results, but you have believed faith more than your answer. Because when you start walking in faith, the first thing God will teach you IS THAT YOUR FAITH is superior to the answer. Your faith produces