COPYRIGHT© 2018; Sylvester Donkoh

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DEDICATION

To my grandmother, Paulina Adwoa Foriwaa, who took me at the age of two when my parents got divorced and showed me what unconditional love was. God through this woman has contributed greatly to who I am today.

To my brother, my teacher, my motivator, Jonathan Addae, who has believed in me and my vision from the day I shared it with him. I am a speaker and an author today because of this great brother who encouraged and provided me with everything I needed and whose advice I thrive on.

To the millions of students out there who are ready to take full responsibilities for their lives to avoid being victims of circumstances and the products of their environments.

To the authorities of the schools who took the risks and gave me the opportunity against all odds to experiment the great potentials God has deposited in me with their students which has proven to be the greatest opportunity as a speaker.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am forever grateful to the many people who by their various contributions have made this book a success and impactful.

I am also grateful for the executives and members of Life After Salvation Movement International (LASMI), whose faithfulness to the vision, loyalty and patience motivate me and allow me to together with them pursue the vision of LASMI with ease. I think this is the best team God has given us and the one every leader would be privileged to have. ( Bernard Kwame Drah, Wemegah George, Pastor Joseph Apoe Engman, Frank Kudjoe, Ruby Andromeda Amissah, Precious Ocansey, Annie Sewornu, Susana Dodoo).

The following people have contributed to the development and production of this book and I feel a deep sense of gratitude to them:

My great brother, Jonathan Addae, for his extraordinary influence on my life. When I have nowhere to go, he is the one I run to. He advised me to write this book. God bless you sir.

The close circle of friends, pastors and head teachers of schools (both J.H.S and S.H.S) – Samuel Kweku Tetteh, who has been a great friend and a brother to me and LASMI, Ruby Andromeda Amissah, who knows a lot about me and my vision and has truly bought into it and has become a very important figure in my personal life, Beatrice Nana Adobea Addo, who has trained me to be patience, Pastor Israel Aghahowa, who for his constructive criticism, has made me a better person and Marian Amoako Danso (Mrs.), who gave her laptop to me to work on this book.

And finally, to the Source and Supplier of all visions, the Almighty God, the One who has put great wealth of treasure in me for the benefit of mankind, and His Dear Son, Jesus Christ, who died for my sins, and the Greatest Counselor of all time, the Holy Spirit. Thank You for the opportunity to serve You.

CONTENT

Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i i i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

C H A P T E R O N E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 PREPARATION

C H A P T E R T W O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 FIGHT YOUR FEARS

C H A P T E R T H R E E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 DISCIPLINE

C H A P T E R F O U R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1 DILIGENCE

C H A P T E R F I V E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1 SACRIFICE

C H A P T E R S I X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 1

THE GOD FACTOR

INTRODUCTION

We cannot change what happened yesterday, but we can do something today by correcting the mistakes of yesterday that can change the future. We can only have a better future when we are not stuck in the past but take advantage of today. The good seeds we sow today give us the best of tomorrow. How or where we were born doesn’t matter. They are things of the past.

What happened years ago don’t matter. We can make new decisions today that will change what the future presents. What will determine your success tomorrow depends on what you do today. The decisions you make today influence the outcome of the future.

While the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease (Genesis 8:22).

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

For that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Galatians 6:7-9).

No one was born to fail; neither was anyone born to be poor. You may have been born poor but you were not born to remain poor. You have the power to change that status. You may not be in the school of your choice but that is not an excuse to fail. It could actually be God’s plan for you.

Dear student, it is very possible to become whoever you want to become. Don’t waste the opportunity you have. You can do it; you can become that doctor, or that president who can change the direction of our nation. You can become that great inventor.

This book was written to challenge and inspire you; that whatever you have envisioned to achieve, it is possible only if you SEIZE

THE MOMENT.

 C H A P T E R O N E 

PREPARATION



Everything worth having is worth preparing for. When opportunity meets preparation, success is inevitable. I am yet to see anyone who never prepared for something but succeeded in it. Everything in life is prepared for. A student who never prepares for examinations will always fail.

The more you prepare, the better your chances of reaching your goals. You are a child of God; created to be the best you can be. You were created to share in God’s greatness. You were created with great worth and given important responsibilities. You have greatness in you to share with others. No matter how worthless you may appear, there is treasure in you which you can unleash by training.

Let me share with you how Mike Tyson lost for the first time in his boxing career and went on to lose other bouts.

He was to fight someone he considered an underdog. The bout was scheduled to take place in Japan and when they both arrived, they had to prepare.

Instead of training, Mike Tyson had fun. Meanwhile, his opponent was seriously training and preparing. Mike Tyson thought his opponent would be a walk-over just as pundits thought. Mike Tyson was unstoppable in his previous bouts and that made him think he could win without preparation. Unfortunately, the story was different. That was the beginning of his downfall. He lost his bout for the first time. He was knocked down and knocked out as he was doing to others. It was a shock to the entire boxing world. His defeat came as a result of lack of preparation.

No one is guaranteed victory in a battle he or she has not prepared for. The fact that you have been first in your class before or in a particular subject does not guarantee continuous success. Mike Tyson lost because he did not prepare. Preparation is very vital in the journey of life. Nothing should meet you unprepared. A failure is not someone who does not know how to succeed, but one who does not prepare for success.

As a student, I don’t know why you should not prepare for your examinations. You are no different from the one who gets better grades; the difference is preparation. Our lives are the sum of what we do every day. If you don’t do anything today, don’t expect something tomorrow.

Jesus Christ accomplished his mission successfully not because he is the Son of God. He was carried nine months in the womb just like you and me. He was given birth to by the same process like us. For thirty years, Jesus still remained the son of a carpenter. Before the age of thirty, he lived like just anybody. He could not do any miracle. I believe people saw him and asked if he was really the Messiah. Nothing good came out of him. He was only known as the son of a carpenter.

Here’s what the Bible said in Mark 1:12; And immediately, the Spirit drove him into the wilderness.

Jesus went into the wilderness not to eat and drink. He did not go there to sleep. There was no party there. He didn’t go there to watch television. He was not there to gossip. He was not hopping from one friend to the other. He was not watching movies. Jesus Christ went to prepare for his assignment on earth.

Dear student, if you don’t prepare for examinations, failure is inevitable. If Jesus Christ saw the need to prepare, how much more you? Life will always give you back what you put into it. Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights in preparation for his examinations. Yes, Jesus purposed to pass his examinations and he had to prepare adequately for them. No examination is bigger than you if only you prepare well. Your teachers have their part to play; your parents have their part to play; but if you don’t play your part well by preparing, then I am sorry you are sure to fail.

Your “wilderness” is the time to prepare. It is not the time to sleep, eat or drink; neither is it the time to visit friends who have no contribution to your success. Whiles you are sleeping in your “wilderness” time, others are busily preparing for the same examinations you are going to write. Whiles you are busily watching unnecessary television programs twenty-four hours a day, others are seriously “marrying” their books to give birth to success. Success is not automatic; it is always prepared for. You will know whether you will fail or succeed. No one needs to tell you. You will never succeed if you don’t prepare.

One man who has left his name in the history book of basketball is Michael Jordan. He was not the only player in his team at the time, but his name was mentioned more than others’. He was an outstanding basketball player and that was because he had one secret: preparation. After the entire team would be done with their training, he took the pain to prepare for six hours or more on his own. He tried shooting the ball from every angle and by constant training, he perfected the art of shooting from all angles and went on to score record number of goals. He still remains one of the best basketball players the world has ever known.

You can become your best if you will take the pain to prepare for every examination you face in life. Don’t settle for good because it is always an enemy to best. You can break your school’s record. You can become the best student your school has ever had. You can become the best in what you do that your country has ever had. Preparation will always distinguish you from the others.“

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee; and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about” (Luke 4:14).

The one nobody knew became the sought-after when he returned from his preparatory grounds. For thirty years on earth, no one knew the King of kings. When the Spirit of God sent him into the wilderness to prepare for his assignment on earth, the world was amazed at his exploits and achievements. The commonest man became the greatest. His fame was all over.

Success has many relatives but defeat is an orphan. No one would be attracted to a failure. Failure has its root in lack of preparation. Successful people always make their days in the nights. Whiles everyone is sleeping, they are awake preparing for the day. Don’t sleep your life, destiny, and future away. Rise up and prepare for your destiny.

The doctor you want to become starts from today. It depends on your preparation. The school is the preparatory ground for becoming that doctor. The lawyer you want to become starts right from today. Don’t wait for tomorrow because it might be too late. The examination you want to excel in is only possible when you start the preparations right now. You can’t excel in the examination you have not prepared for unless you want to cheat but cheating has its consequences.

Jesus could not have done anything if the Spirit of God had not sent him into the wilderness to prepare. The world is yet to recover from the three-and-half years of his remaining life after his preparation. After two thousand years and over, we still remember him.

Those you admire today were once like you; they had the same opportunity you have now. They knew today would come and they had to prepare for it. They knew if they had not prepared for today, they wouldn’t have been where they are now.

It is possible to become that great person you want to be. You can become that president we have been waiting for. You can become that great inventor. The opportunity is staring at you. Success will never say no to the one who will say yes to it and subscribe to its demands. Subscribe to the demands of preparation. The one who is struggling on the street and the one who is enjoying today had the same opportunity you have now. What you choose to do today will determine which one you become. Jesus Christ never struggled for anything after his preparation. He took the whole world in his hands and he is still ruling. Till tomorrow, Jesus reigns!

THE TEN VIRGINS

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and BUY FOR YOURSELVES. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were READY went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not” (emphasis added) (Mathew 25:1-12).

Your dreams, visions and goals will not live to see the light of day if you don’t prepare to make them a reality. Your dreams will die with you if you don’t do what you have to do to see their realization. Many people have died with their dreams because they never took steps to make them a reality. Dreams don’t fulfill themselves. Vision will only remain a mental picture until something is done about it.

Many people have great goals but they do absolutely nothing about them. Your dreams, visions, and goals demand adequate preparation for their full realization. You were created with a lot of dreams and visions. Achieving them requires that you set goals and work to fulfilling them. Fulfilling these dreams and visions requires discipline and determination. Set your goals high so that you can be the best.

Maybe you have a goal of getting aggregate six in your examination; it is only possible if you prepare adequately for it. Goal-setters are go-getters. Setting goals is not enough. You must prepare for them. Everyone you see has set goals but many don’t realize their goals because they think success is automatic. No! Success is consciously prepared for; it is something you work for. The one sleeping on the street today has the dream of sleeping in a mansion someday. The one walking now has the hope of driving his dream car. You can only catch goals that you are set for. You must prepare to catch your goals. A goal-scorer in a football match sets himself up for goals provided he would want to score any. In like manner, a goalkeeper must stay focused on the ball if he is to catch it.

Everyone going somewhere in life must set goals and prepare for them. Goals are things you intend to realize and obtain. They are the things that you have an objective to work towards. A vision is the unfolding of God’s plan for your life. It is the steps taken towards accomplishing a mission and ultimately fulfilling your purpose.

Dreams are the projections into the future you look forward to. Goals, visions, and dreams give definite expectations for the future. Note that they just give you expectations for the future and not the realization. There is the demand of preparation among others to see your goals and dreams realized. What you set your mind on determines how you prepare.

The one who is focused on killing a rat will prepare differently from the one who wants to kill an elephant. The elephant-killer will be more serious than the rat-killer. The one who wants to get aggregate six will be more serious than the one who wants to get aggregate twenty. Your passion for something determines how you prepare for it. If your mind is set on aggregate six, it is possible; prepare for it. Focus helps you to work at your goal until you succeed. Focus helps you to prepare to overcome every obstacle that may come your way. Focus will force you to wake up at night whiles others are sleeping though it may not be easy.

To be focused on your goals, dreams, and visions, you must carry out the following:

I. WRITE YOUR GOALS

As soon as you have determined your goals, you could forget them or even begin to wonder whether or not the goals would be worthwhile. Writing your goals down will be a good reminder for you.

If you want to get aggregate six in your examination, get an A4 sheet, write the six boldly on it and paste it where you will always see it. Doing that will motivate you to prepare enough to achieve that set goal.

Let your set goals drive you; let something give you sleepless night. Don’t just pass through school; leave a footprint. Write your name in the school’s history books.

Writing your goals reinforces them in your thinking and reminds you to stay committed to them. Many students are like the five foolish virgins who never prepared towards the pursuit of their goal.

Your preparations determine how far you go in life. Whether or not you have prepared for your exams will show when the day comes. Don’t go to the examination hall and be clueless while others are comfortably writing. Don’t be like the five foolish virgins who never prepared for the day of their success. When they had the opportunity to see the bridegroom was the same time they were looking for oil to buy. When the five wise virgins were buying extra oil, what were the others doing?

When it was time to seize the moment, they had no oil in their lamps, and when success was staring at them, they couldn’t do anything about it. It is possible to be like the five foolish virgins as a student if you are not buying extra oil.

Your set goals will determine the amount of oil you will buy. Simply put, your set goal of making a good grade will determine how you will prepare. Your adequate preparations for a given task will keep you ahead when unprepared people are facing the storm.

The five wise virgins knew that the oil in their lamps was inadequate for their set goals; they knew they wouldn’t meet the bridegroom without extra oil. They had to get extra of what everyone else was having initially.

You can’t do what everyone else is doing and have different results. Your average preparation cannot get you extraordinary results. If you want to achieve your set goals, put in the effort. The one or two hours of learning cannot get you your set goals. You need to put in more time; you need extra oil. Buy your extra oil in the night whiles your fellow students are sleeping and snoring. Stay awake when every other student is sleeping. Don’t be satisfied with only the normal hours you spend in school if you want to get your set goals.

If you want to get what everyone else is getting, you do what everyone else is doing; but if you want to get extra of what everyone else is getting, then you have to do extra of what everyone else is doing. There is nothing extraordinary in life; it is the pain that few people take to do the extra of what the ordinary person is doing. The world is full of everyone else, but it takes your inputs to be distinguished.

The five foolish virgins remained ordinary because they didn’t do anything extra. They had their set goal to see the bridegroom but never prepared to see him.

Every student must set goals for his or her examinations and prepare adequately. No student will seize any opportunity he or she has not prepared for.

I personally believe this parable of the ten virgins is a perfect example for any student who wants to seize any opportunity.

Fasting and prayers cannot be substituted for preparations though they are an essential part. There is the time to fast and pray and the time to prepare for your set goals.

Opportunity is calling for the attention of everyone, but only those who prepare get hold of it. No one can ever stop you from achieving your set goals except yourself.

You also have to understand the nature of your set goals. If you truly understand what your set goals are, you will always be motivated to work towards their full realization. One of the greatest causes of failure among people who are pursuing their vision is that they don’t identify their objectives of success. Once you identify these objectives, nothing can stop you. If you are not specific about the results you want to get in your examinations, your preparations become haphazard. Let your objectives be clear. People fail because they don’t know what they want. Make your vision plain. Understanding what you want is a great step to success.

What is the cost?

The next thing to do after knowing and understanding your set goals is to recognize the cost. Many students do not realize their set goals because they don’t evaluate the cost for accomplishment. Successful people are not found at particular places; they are not found in special schools. You don’t need to attend a special school to succeed. Success is a process and it is worked for. You must pay the price of success because it is not for free. Once you recognize the cost of accomplishing a vision or goal, unnecessary things become alternative.

Again, if you don’t know the principles of fulfilling your set goals, it will not be realized. One of the obstacles to accomplishing your set goal is not knowing the principles of fulfilling them. Successful people don’t pursue their set goals haphazardly; instead, they operate according to laid down and time-tested principles that enable their set goals to be a reality. A haphazard approach will end up in haphazard results.

II. SET DEADLINES

Setting deadlines means establishing a timeline within which to realize your goals. Someday is no day! Life is always prepared for a certain day. Every set goal is for an appointed time.

As a student who is getting ready to write your final examinations at a particular time, all your preparations must be geared towards that time. Setting deadline for what you are doing helps you prepare very well. For example, if you know your examination is next year or next three months, you will not prepare as one writing examinations in three or two years’ time. If you know your preparations are geared towards the next three months, there is no way you will pay heed to unnecessary things. You will know how to use your time well. When your set goals consume you, every other thing becomes secondary. The deadlines you set for yourself will always put you on your toes. It helps you to know how much time to invest in studying.

Like the five foolish virgins, don’t be caught unaware. They didn’t set any deadline for their mission; they left their lives to chance. They didn’t know the set time for the arrival of the bridegroom. If they did, they would buy more oil. You will know the particular time you will succeed when you have adequately prepared. Don’t be an unwise student; choose to be wise. Don’t be ignorant of the time of your examinations. Set deadlines for the goals you have set to help you put your best into your preparations.

 C H A P T E R T W O 

FIGHT YOUR FEARS



Fear is one of the strongest weapons of the enemy. It puts you in a position of sympathy and takes away your joy. When you lose your joy, you have lost your strength to act. We must replace our fears with faith and preparation since they are the antidotes to fear. Your dreams and goals may seem completely beyond what you can do now, but if you continue to work hard to achieve them, and keep in mind the vision of all that God has to offer you, you are sure to share in the promise because your faith is always built on the Word of God.

Fear comes naturally to us but faith comes by receiving the Word of God. God has promised our safety from evil. Fear will automatically come but our preparations will fight and defeat it.

“BUT NOW thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isaiah 43:1-2).

You can’t allow the fear of negative consequences keep you from taking risks. Allowing negative experiences of the past to warp your future is like living in a coffin. It puts a lid on you and can end your life.

I would challenge anyone who has never suffered a setback, felt disappointed or been the recipient of bad news to take up a more challenging task. Always look at your losses as opportunities for growth through learning, and then you will become undefeatable.

It is not the end when you realize that you have made a mistake. In fact, it could be the beginning of a new stage of your life. Life will always be fraught with losses, but if we are properly armed, the urge to give up as a result of losses will not overcome us.

Dreams are only dreams until you wake up and make them real. You must face all the challenges that come your way and make an effort not to become discouraged. Determination has its rewards.

Fear is one of the greatest enemies to potential. You will always require boldness to realize your dreams. Fear is also the faith that something cannot work. There will always be those times when it seems like you will never be able to achieve what you are striving for, but don’t give up. You can trust the Lord to grant you courage when you most need it.

“Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9).

Whatever you are afraid of will always dominate your life. Fear and faith are spirits; whichever of them you allow will control your life.

God commanded Joshua to be strong and of a good courage and not to be afraid of anyone or anything. He would’ve given up had God not encouraged him.

No one reaches the top without daring the impossible. No risk is too great to prevent the necessary job from getting done. You don’t concentrate on the risks; you concentrate on the results. Opportunity will only favor the bold. Be not afraid; that was the word of the Lord to Joshua.

Seizing the opportunity will require your boldness and understand that no challenge is stronger than you. God will not allow you to face any challenge that is above you. The only challenge which is greater than you is your fear. No examination is greater than you in any way and my word of encouragement is that do not be afraid. People have excelled before and so can you. If someone has done it before, then it is possible. Everything in the eyes of the bold is possible. The greatest mistake one can ever make is constantly being afraid of making one.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

One of the most influential people in my life, John C. Maxwell, wrote in his book, “SOMETIMES YOU WIN, SOMETIMES YOU LEARN” that, “What would you attempt to do if you wouldn’t fail?” That is a great and inspiring question. When most people hear it, they start dreaming again. They are motivated to reach for their goals and to risk more. I have a question that I think is just as important: what do you learn when you fail?

While people usually talk about their dreams, they barely mention their shortcomings. Most people don’t like to talk about their mistakes and failures. They don’t confront their losses because they are embarrassed by them. And when they find themselves falling short, they may find themselves say things such as “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.” The message is, “Hope to win, expect to lose, and live with the results either way.”

Successful people approach losing differently. They don’t try to brush failure under the rug. They don’t run away from their losses. Their attitude is never “sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.” Instead, they think, “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” They understand that life’s greatest lessons are gained from our losses – if we approach them the right way.

No one ever fails in life; we only learn. You have failed all your internal examinations, so what? It’s an indication that there is a better way to approach the external one. You have always been last in class, so what? There is a better way of doing what you have failed in. The greatest achievement in a man’s life is not in never falling but rising up after falling. Feed your faith and watch your fear starve to death.

If you must succeed, you must approach losing differently. You may also have experienced many wins in life, but you may also have had more than your share of losses. Some losses may have come through no fault of yours. However, many were of your own making, coming from bad choices and dumb mistakes. One mistake should not prevent you from giving off your best or trying something different.

Think of some of the losses in your life and how they made you feel. You either felt bad or you were afraid to try again. It is not just the pain of the moment that affects us. Our losses also cause us to be emotionally stuck. The negative experiences affect us more deeply than positive ones and these get us emotionally stuck.

Don’t feel like a slave to your own moods and feelings. Never have a tough time breaking out of your self-imposed prison of what-ifs. What if I fail in this examination; what will people say? What if I don’t get my desired results; how will I feel? Be positive-minded. It’s been said that if an ocean liner could think and feel, it would never leave its docks. It would be afraid of the thousands of huge waves it would have to encounter during its travels. Anxiety and fear are debilitating emotions for the human heart; so are losses. They can weaken, imprison, paralyze, dishearten and sicken you. To be successful, you need to find ways to get unstuck emotionally.

There is simply no way to be successful without taking risks. If you are ever going to succeed, then you have to take risks. You have the chance to improve yourself. Just believe in taking them. If you have never been scared, hurt, embarrassed, or disappointed throughout your life, then I don’t think you have ever taken any chances. When you must take up any challenge, be sure you know what you believe in and what you feel is most important so that you will have the self-confidence it takes to face it.

People sometimes hide behind fear for the reason that “If I fail, what will people say?” Have you also considered what people will say when you succeed? Whoever laughs at you because you failed hasn’t tried anything challenging. You will rather fail if you don’t try at all. There may be thousands of reasons why you should be afraid but there should be a reason why you should not give up. There must be a particular reason that drives you on. Don’t allow fear to sit on your success. Fight it because your heavenly Father has not given you the spirit of fear but of love, of power and of a sound mind. The spirit of love because perfect love cast away every fear, the spirit of power to dominate fear – the ability to fight fear and a sound mind because fear has no place in the mind which is sound and where peace reigns, there is no fear. It is a commandment from God that we should not be afraid. Absolute faith in God is the difference-maker in our lives.

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8).

Do not give room for fear to operate in your life. Fear is like a baby that grows larger by nursing it. You can never succeed if you entertain fear in your life.

 C H A P T E R T H R E E 

DISCIPLINE



“Know ye not that they which run in race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible crown. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air.

BUT I keep under my body and bring it into subjection; LEST by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should not be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) (Emphasis added).

Discipline is doing something the right way at the right time and at the rate it should be done. An undisciplined life is sure to crash at any time. Discipline is knowing what to do at a particular time, and doing it.

Oswald J. Smith, a Canadian pastor, author, and missions advocate once said, “Before you can conquer the world, you must first conquer the self. Discipline in early life which is prepared to make sacrifices in order to gain adequate preparation for the life-task, paves the way for high achievement.” The first and the greatest victory is to conquer the self.

There is a race we are all running in this world but only few are disciplined enough to emerge winners. The end of a recruit training marks the start of a real career life and discipline is the fuel. Discipline is a challenge in our pursuit in life including leaders. Everyone is running in a race; everyone wants to receive the prize; but only the disciplined will emerge winners. Run like the one who wants to win if you want to receive the prize. Don’t run the race anyhow and expect to win. It is good to have a target you want to hit; it is good to prepare to hit that target; it is good to fight every fear that may come your way; but this cannot be possible without discipline.

Nothing great ever comes out of a casual approach. If you approach life casually, you will end up a casualty. You must pay a price of discipline to receive the prize of success. Show me a man who is disciplined and I will show you a man who is ready to seize the moment. No one has genuinely emerged a great person without a trace of discipline in their life. Life has never and will never be fair to anyone who is not orderly. A successful life will always demand your discipline. Your life must be well coordinated. You must possess a sense of mission in the pursuit of your assignment. Until you take life seriously, life will not take you seriously. Until you take things seriously, they don’t matter to you. The ultimate end of life is the development of character.

A strong self-discipline is a key attitude of any great person. The true spirit of a great person cultivates self-control that regulates their focus and orders their life. A disciplined lifestyle distinguishes a great person from the spectators of life. In the race of life, discipline is the key to obtaining the prize. For every disciplined effort, there is a multiple reward. Until you “pay the price” of discipline, forget the prize of success.

Any study of the characteristics of any successful person reveals that he or she exhibits strong self-discipline, usually motivated by a passion, and generated by a sense of purpose and vision. It will always take your discipline to arrive at your destination. Every successful person is always a “prisoner” of his or her vision.

“Whiles the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).

“Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall reap life everlasting.

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:7-9).

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. It is denying yourself of the pleasures of today so you can lay hold of the treasures of tomorrow. A life without discipline is simply a life without direction. Discipline is not a gift but an attitude. Discipline is a habit that we cultivate. Only the disciplined will be highly distinguished.

We must look beyond today and focus on what the future holds for us by enduring the hardship. You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. You should not blend in to fit in. The fact that you are not going the direction everyone else is going does not mean you have missed your way. To be distinguished from the crowd is to be disciplined with your life. The world is full of everyone else but your discipline will make you different. Don’t take life for granted because you will be grounded.

Someone once said, “The simplicity of life has made it complicated for many people not to overcome its obstacles, thereby giving up easily.” If you don’t want to give up easily in life, you must be disciplined. Don’t live your life anyhow and expect to be successful because success is not automatic. Have a disciplined life which will eventually distinguish you.

DISCIPLINE ENTAILS

⑦‡ Putting a break in your system

⑦‡ Being purpose-driven; knowing where you are going and what you are doing

⑦‡ Being orderly; doing things the right way

⑦‡ Being well-cultured

⑦‡ Setting boundaries for yourself

⑦‡ Applying force in order to be first

⑦‡ Becoming a law to yourself

⑦‡ Having the ability to say NO in difficult situations

⑦‡ Having a standard to live by

⑦‡ Enduring hardship no matter the situation

⑦‡ Losing your will for God’s will

Discipline can be likened to the spinal cord in the body; it holds your entire life together.

Pay the price of discipline today so you don’t regret tomorrow. You will either rejoice or regret in the future depending on what you do today. Sow the seed of discipline today and harvest the fruits of success tomorrow.

AREAS OF DISCIPLINE

Discipline has to do with every area of our lives. Thus you need discipline in whatever you do. What salt is to food, so is discipline to our lives. If we must succeed in everything we do, then we must discipline ourselves.

Let’s look at some areas where you need discipline.

Time

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15&16).

As a person of excellence, you should always be on time. You have to take the responsibility of making it happen by putting in conscious efforts to attain it.

Time management is life management. It is taking control of the sequence of events. Failure to manage your time is failure to manage your life. Time, once wasted, can never be gotten back. You can work to get more money, more food, more clothes, etc. but you can never work to get more time. What you do with your time matters most. Your attitude toward time has an enormous impact on your behavior and your choices. People who take a long view of their lives always seem to make better decisions about their time and activities than people who give very little thought to the future.

In these days that many things are fighting for our time, it is very important to know what you use your time for.

Television is fighting for your time; friends are fighting for your time; house chores are fighting for your time; relationship is fighting for your time; but you have a choice.

Time is the greatest resource one can ever have. The time you spend to roam about in town can be invested in your studies; the time you spend watching unnecessary television programs can be invested into your studies. Don’t be a fool to waste time; be wise to invest it.

“Redeem your time because the days are evil”, says the Bible. If you don’t do any good thing with your time, the devil will find something for you. Those you are watching have invested their time into what you are watching. While you spend time watching them, they are making money.

There is never enough time to do everything but there is always enough time to do the important things. Whenever I am travelling, I carry at least a book with me because I like reading a lot. If the journey is two hours, that means I have to read for two hours because I know when I return, I will do other things. I make very good use of my travelling hours. I can’t travel and be talking in the bus with someone; I can’t sit in a bus and be sleeping. There is no time for me to waste. There are many set goals for my life; there are a lot to do and every second counts. I have loads of books to read and I must take advantage of every opportunity. Everyone in the bus can call me anti-social but I know what I am doing.

Your passion determines what you do with your time. The difference between the successful and average persons is how they use their time. The more conscious you are with time, the better your life becomes. The amount of time required to complete an important job is often the same time required to do an unimportant job. So you see, the time you waste daily can equally be invested into something better. If you can waste time gossiping with friends and watching television but you can’t invest time putting your life in shape, then you are automatically preparing to fail.

“TO EVERY thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

There is a time for everything on this earth; a time to do a particular thing cannot be used for another. A time for learning cannot be used to watch television; a time to study cannot be used to sleep; a time to be in school cannot be used to visit friends; a time to be in class cannot be spent in a man’s room; the time to put your best into your education cannot be used to watch others who have put their best into what you are watching. Do what life expects of you this moment.

How we use our time and what we use it for is very important in our journey of success. If you have wasted time, it is not too late to get back on track because you can’t afford to waste the rest. The time for you to act is now. There is no time for unimportant things anymore.

The following are some tips to help you to be time conscious;

I. PREPARE FOR TOMORROW TODAY

Before writing your examination, have your plans laid out. Plan on how to tackle every subject and get every necessary material that will help you. Get the books on every subject. Set the time and the day for every subject and have a routine for your plan. Set specific times to have a topic of a subject well tackled. For example, if it is Mathematics you want to learn tomorrow, prepare today by getting your text book(s), workbook, and all the materials you will need readily available. All these must be properly kept at the place you study. You don’t have to get up to look for anything when you are studying. Keep everything together at an obvious place where you can reach out to anytime. This will save you a lot of time and prevent interruptions.

II. WAKE UP EARLY

Waking up early is the first thing you do in a day.

Waking up early sets you on course early, gives you much time ahead of the rush hours.

Those who achieve a lot during the day wake up early. It is said that you make your day at night.

The Bible says of Jesus that he arose early before dawn to pray.

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35).

When you wake up early, you give yourself time to pray, prepare and plan for the day. In case you can’t discipline yourself enough to get up early, I encourage you to set an alarm to wake you up since that is the alternative and most popular way to wake up early. You can also go to bed early and wake up early if you want to sleep before you wake up to learn.

III. HAVE A TIMELINE FOR EVERY TASK

Waking up early is beneficial; but it does not guarantee your being on time.

I had a chat with a third year student who was about to write his final year examination but developed the attitude of coming to school late. He told me he woke up early alright but had to do a lot of things which he had no timelines for. Sometimes after doing all there is to do, he wears his uniform and sits behind his Bible for two hours. There is absolutely nothing wrong in studying the Bible as a student but there should be a timeline for it. Have a deadline for every task you have lined up for the day. For example, if you wake up early and spend too much time bathing and eating, you will end up running late for school or other important tasks. You may end up with little time to study before you get to school.

IV. CLEAR ALL DISTRACTIONS

The little time you think you spend on phone calls, social media, television, and with friends, amount to a great deal of time. Avoid unnecessary chats and conversations especially when you have tasks at hand. You must block out everything that distracts you. Don’t learn at a place where there is television that will distract you. Don’t learn with a friend who engages you in unnecessary conversations. Don’t learn with your phone by you (unless necessary).

Avoid the temptation to do “just one more” of that thing you are not supposed to be doing when you know it will distract your attention from learning because it can escalate from “just one” to many. When you have studied and are tired, you can rest for some time and go back to your books, but don’t attempt watching television or picking up your phone. You may end up watching the television or using the phone for the rest of the day.

V. EXPECT DELAYS IN YOUR PLAN AND ACTION

Imagine you have to be in school at 6:00 am and it normally takes you twenty minutes to get to school from home. Leaving the house ten minutes to time wouldn’t be favorable. Make time for delays you may have less control over including traffic jam on the road to school.

When planning, consider the possibility of delays. It is better to be hours early than to be minutes late.

VI. STAY AT IT

No one is expert at something he/she hasn’t done before. In order to be the best you can be, you do not have to wait until you know how to do things perfectly. Sometimes taking the risk to do something you know you enjoy but cannot do very well is the best way to discover the skills and talents to do it. Just do your best at whatever you decide to do. It is obviously not easy to stay behind your books for long hours especially when you have not done it before. It actually takes some time to make changes; so if you could not meet the number of hours you gave yourself to study, don’t be discouraged. If you missed it the first few times, don’t give up; keep at it.

You may not be able to study for long hours for the first time, but that is a good start. Start from somewhere and then push a little harder. Work on being consistent at it. In no time, you will observe that you have made tremendous progress.

THOUGHTS

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he………………. (Proverbs 23:7).

You are what you think most of the time; so value your mind and put it to good use. Your life is a finished product in your mind. You only manifest what is in your mind physically. David Schwartz once opined, “Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, or pounds, or college degrees, or family backgrounds; they are measured by the size of their thinking.” You have to think anyway, so why not think success? Thinking about success brings wholeness and maturity to your thought life. Thinking success will benefit you in whatever you do. Success thinkers accomplish more than narrow-minded thinkers. You can only lead with a success mindset.

Be sure you are thinking and talking about success always rather than the circumstances of your life. You become the product of whatever you think of most of the time; whether success or failure, possibility or impossibility, negative or positive.

We sometimes allow our environment to tell us who we are not. We allow circumstances to affect the way we think and what we think dominate our lives.

You may be born poor but you were not born to remain poor. You may be sleeping in a kiosk today but that is not where you were designed to be. Allow your mind to travel far. Your current situation is just but for a moment.

Many people fail because they allow mistakes of their parents to affect them. You must be positive and productive in your thinking.

Many great people you see today never had it easy; they also went through pains and mental torture. They suffered like you may be experiencing now but they were positive and productive in their thinking.

Until you conquer the battle in the mind, you cannot conquer the battle of life. Anyone who wants to conquer the world must first conquer the mind. Dr. David Oyedepo said, “Until there is a change within, there cannot be a change without and every change must start from within.”

You are not the failure that you think you are. You are not the poor person that you think you are. You are not the useless person that you think you are. You are not the dull student that you think you are. Discipline your thoughts because what you think of yourself matters most. Think of becoming that pharmacist, engineer, journalist, lawyer, pastor, world best player, teacher, or psychologist; think great, think positive. The environment may not allow you but allow your mind.

Your current school cannot determine who you become. As bad as you think your school is, people have passed through it and have succeeded and so can you.

Give yourself the chance. Think success, discipline your thoughts. Let your mind buy the future cheaply for you now.

We are not separated by the color of our skin. We are only separated by the way we think. You have the sole responsibility to determine the outcome of your life. Keep your thoughts and energy on what you want to succeed in, and let the worries and anxiety find no place in your mind. Control your thoughts.

Focus on your tomorrow. Focus on the things you want to do and work hard at them. People have gone through worst situations than you but they never allowed circumstances to determine their direction. Those circumstances never dominated their lives. They defied the odds to become who they are today. Don’t allow the devil take advantage of your mind. The devil cannot have access to your life until you give him access into your mind.

“Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good reports; if there be any virtue; and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

The mind is a battlefield. Life’s battles are first won in the mind. Keep your mind positive by accepting absolute responsibility for your life and for everything you want to succeed in. Refuse to criticize, complain or blame anyone for anything.

Resolve to make progress rather than excuse. Your thoughts are what your character becomes so if you always resolve into thinking impossibility thought, you automatically become lazy. Our lives are always built in our minds. The more you think you can’t make it, the more you fail in what you attempt to do.

Think of the next ten, fifteen years; how do you want your life to be? Have the picture of yourself in your mind in the next few years and work towards it. You have a great future and destiny; capture it in your mind and fight to grab it.

Don’t allow your environment influence you negatively. Be selective with the programs you watch on television because they can form negative thoughts in your mind. Watch the people you see as role models because they have great influence on your life. Be careful what you listen to because they can have effect on your thought. The negative thoughts you entertain today will form character in you and eventually become your life. Think on your future and how glorious you want it to be.

TONGUE

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21).

Many people have destroyed their destinies with their mouths. They have said things they shouldn’t have said. They have never said anything good into their lives. They have never been positive in their speech.

There is power in what you say. What you speak into your life really matters. Words are very powerful whether negative or positive.

If God formed everything by the power of His words and He created us in His image and after His likeness, then you have the power to say and see because when God said, He saw. God demonstrated this power to say and see with the first man He created just to tell us that we have that same ability.

“And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them; and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof” (Genesis 2:19).

The words we speak make or break us. We have the authority of God to speak into every situation. Our destinies are at the mercy of our tongues. Every word said is a seed planted whose fruits will be reaped. The undisciplined mouth can trap your destiny. One wrong word can wreck your destiny.

Don’t make statements like, “I am a failure” or “I can’t succeed.” Speak life into every dead situation around you. Speak positive words into your life. You are where you are today as a result of what you said of yourself yesterday, and where you will be tomorrow greatly depends on what you say today.

“So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone…………… and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army” (Ezekiel 37:7-10).

Our mouths are not only the door to our bellies but our destinychangers. Ezekiel prophesied and life came into dry bones and the bones which were dead lived again.

Every dead issue in your life can be resurrected by the power of your words. Prophesy good things into your life. Instead of destroying your destiny with your words, say things like; “I will never fail in my examination. Every day of my life is glorious. From today, only goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. From now and beyond, my path will shine more and more until the perfect day. My life will change levels from one glory to the other throughout my lifetime. I shall be exempted from every work of the devil. As a child of God, when others are weeping, unstoppable laughter will be my testimony. My joy will know no bounds.”

Don’t use your mouth to gossip, insult people, or argue on unnecessary issues. Your mouth is the greatest weapon to build your life so you have to change the way you use it.

“The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. A wholeness tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit” (Proverbs 15:2, 4).

Don’t complain of what God has not done or should’ve done for you. He knows better and He knows the end from the beginning. Don’t be destroyed because of your complaints, because yesterday cannot be better than today. Be generous with your compliments but stingy with your complaints. Don’t make the devil popular by announcing your failures and your problems. Stop the complaints and act now. There has never been a better yesterday with God. He wouldn’t have allowed you to see today if he had not gotten better plans for you. Every new day is an opportunity for us to improve on ourselves.

“And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it, and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the outermost parts of the camp.

And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a-lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely: the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leaks, and the onions, and the garlic;

But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our eyes” (Numbers 11:1;4-6).

“Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?” (Ecclesiastes 5:6).

An unbridled tongue can destroy you. Words are forces. Wrong or right, to build or destroy, they leave a trail of destruction or accomplishment. Words can build your confidence in life. Every word spoken has a spirit backing it. Positive words are backed by the Spirit of God but negative words are backed by evil spirits; hence, the need to be careful with what you say. Words are tools to build up our own spirits and minds. Build up your spirit with positive words and build up your mind with the word of God.

Our body responds to sounds, and our spirit responds to words. The words you speak are what your spirit responds to. Words give us mind-pictures that our entire being reacts to. We smile or cry when we hear a story. We think about what we hear, feel, or think about. What we do forms a habit in us. These habits determine our life and eventual destiny.

You can see people who have been robbed of their destinies and you can trace it down to their words. Their words put them where they are now.

“A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly” (Proverbs 18:6-8).

Talk about your expectations and not your experiences. Talk about your triumphs and not your trials. Talk about your ups and not your downs. Talk about your future and not your failures. Talk about your victories and not your challenges. Talk about your testimonies and not your tests.

“For by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words thou shall be condemned” (Matthew 12:37).

Control your mouth. If you talk about all your losses, setbacks, and failures, you are providing others with a photograph album and file of you as a loser. People will not see you as a winner because your words determine who you truly are. You are known by your words. Every time you talk, you are programming yourself, and others.

A common mistake losers make is sharing their heartbreak stories during the period of loss. Don’t share your heartbreak stories in the examinations you have failed before but find solutions to them. Get help from others. Learn from that failure. Winners don’t only talk about their failures; most importantly, they find solutions to them. They get help from others. They wait until that experience is past and share it as a triumph.

Instead of seeing people as takers, start concentrating on God as your giver. Your future is set in motion by your words. Be positive with your words as David was. David said if God had delivered him out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he would deliver him out of the hand of the Philistine.

David didn’t talk about how gigantic his challenge was. He didn’t talk about how experienced Goliath was. He focused on his victory over Goliath.

John Osteen said; “There is a miracle in your mouth.” Start professing your success because it is in your mouth. Begin talking in the direction you want your life to go. Talk into your examination. Say “I will succeed.” Your words are signposts to others…pointing in the direction your life is moving. Your word is your life. The power to seize the moment is in your tongue.

ASSOCIATION

“Be not deceived: evil communication corrupt good manners” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Sometimes, you must be willing to walk alone if you want to succeed. It is better to be alone than to be in the wrong company. Don’t be controlled by people, money, or past experiences. As a responsible student, you will have to make certain difficult decisions. These may require you to change some of the friends you keep, and to live your life in a whole new way. It is not how long you have been with that person but how beneficial they have been to you. Living in the same house with someone does not guarantee his stay in your life if he is not adding any value to your life.

Hang out with people who are smarter than you and you will see the difference. If you hang out with energy vampires, you will be a victim. Chill with game-changers and world-builders and their influence will open up new possibilities in your life. Associate with other students who are hungry for success. Get closer to students who are investing their time to get their best out of life.

The goal isn’t about money, clothing or whatnot. The goal is living the way God wants you to; so don’t allow anyone drag you to where you are not supposed to go. Set your priorities right; work on your dreams and not someone else’s.

Unwise associations have destroyed the potential and ability of thousands of could-be winners. Whoever cannot increase you will surely decrease you. The friends you make either make or break you. No friendship leaves you neutral.

The ability to disconnect from unqualified persons who abuse and misuse your life is invaluable. Allow those who minister good advice, counseling and directions into your life. Allow people who will accept you for who you are; and people who believe in you and your vision. Definitely, some people will never like you no matter what. Brush them off. Don’t give them a chance in your life.

Take a friend who will help you get closer to your God-ordained destination in life and not the one who will help you close your destiny.

FOOD AND CLOTHES

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what you ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink: nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of

the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For after all these things do the Gentile seek :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:25-34).

One of the major causes of failure is the unwillingness to access and know what we really want at a particular time. Any disorder in our lives can create death of our dreams.

Your success tomorrow has nothing to do with what you eat, drink or wear.

These Scriptures are not teaching against planning or setting goals for your life. As I earlier stated in chapter one, without proper planning and preparation for your future, forget about it because there will be none for you.

The scriptures talk against our worries in life. We have placed so much priority on what to eat, drink, and wear, forgetting about what to do. Food, drinks, and clothes are not our primary purpose on earth, and obviously not your purpose in school.

Perhaps you could ask; how can food affect my success? How can what I drink change my focus? How can clothing hinder my success? If I should discipline myself in every area of my life, should it include food, drink and clothes, too? Yes! You put your best into what you focus on most. Once you start worrying about them, you can go every length to get them and that can shift your attention.

Leave your worries to God and let Him take care of them. He will always make a way where there is none. He knows you have need of them. Cast those burdens on Him and He will take care of them because He cares for you.

Have control of your stomach or it will have control of you. Food was created for you, not vice versa. You have the ability to control it.

Remember, many people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. People sometimes do what they do because they don’t know what they want in life. There is absolutely no problem with what you eat and wear. We eat well to stay healthy; we wear good clothes to look nice; but that should not be your reason for living. It is absolutely lack of knowledge to wake up and only think of what to eat, drink, and wear.

There are several reasons why some people don’t set goals for their lives and food and clothing are some of those reasons. They have not been taught to discipline their bodies. When your reason for achieving success is well-defined, food and clothing are options.

The setting up of specific goals is a good way to have a more disciplined life. For example, you might purpose to get aggregate six in your exam; which is great. This involves a lot of work and demands a great deal of discipline. To fulfill this purpose, your daily goal would be to give enough time to your studies and this requires you to study whether or not you have something to eat or wear. You must not have a divided attention. What you want to succeed in should be your main focus and not food and clothes.

Goal-setting takes discipline, courage, and patience. There are temptations along the line; studying without food to eat even when you are hungry; learning and worrying about the clothes you will wear. These temptations cannot result in success.

BOOSTERS OF DISCIPLINE

There are two most important things that inspire one to be disciplined in what he or she does.

I. OBSERVATION

“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest OBSERVE TO DO according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest OBSERVE TO DO according to all that is written therein: for THEN thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and THEN thou shalt have GOOD SUCCESS” (Emphasis added)

(Joshua 1:7-8).

What you look at determines what you look like and who you look at determines who you become.

An unteachable spirit is an unwillingness to change. Millions of people have been where you are now. Someone has achieved what you are aiming for. Don’t look far; look at some of your teachers. They were once at your level.

God told Joshua to observe Moses and his laid down principles. The only way Joshua could prosper and have good success was to observe to do. Observation inspires one to be disciplined to work hard so as to become exactly that or even better. Many people are not disciplined because they have no one to observe.

Let’s look at David and observe few things from him. He was disciplined before and during the killing of his giant. We can observe that David knew what he was up to and he never wasted his time of stay in the bush. Nothing really mattered to him except his preparation to overcome his challenge. If you observe David very well, you can see that he really remained focused. His purpose was well-defined, and when he came face to face with his exams (Goliath), he knew that was an opportunity to seize.

David wanted to hit a target and had to stay awake every day to train for it. It will only take a disciplined person to hit the forehead of a man who was fully armed.

Whenever you hear a story of those who have succeeded in what you are doing amidst difficulties, you are always encouraged to do more. People have gotten the aggregate six you want to get, get to know how they got it and learn from them.

There are brilliant and intelligent students around you; get closer to them; learn from them; observe their ways. They may be brilliant and intelligent because they may be much disciplined with their lives. They may be investing much time in their studies. They may be staying awake whiles most students are asleep. Follow them. Pattern your life with those who are going your direction.

Observe to do what others have done to get the set goals you desire to get now. You know people who made straight A’s; get closer to them.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:18 that; “But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Observation helps us to learn what to do and what not to do. It helps us to learn from the mistakes of others. It helps us to learn from the good ways of others. It is what you learn after you know it is all that counts. We should learn as if we will live forever and live as if we are going to die tomorrow. Observe more and talk less if you want to succeed.

Hebrews 12:2 says; “Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith: who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

You want to sit on the throne of success? Observe to do. Paul admonishes us to be followers of him even as he was of Christ in 1 Corinthians 11:1.

Many people want to become successful but few are students of success. You first become a student before a master.

VISION

“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

And the LORD answered and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it shall surely come, it will not tarry” (Habakkuk 2:1-3). “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18).

Let us know something about vision and how it can affect us to be disciplined because there cannot be any discipline if there is no vision. If you see people who are doing things anyhow, it’s an indication that they have no vision. Vision is what powers one’s discipline.

If you can’t wake up to learn, it is because you don’t know what you want. It is more dangerous to live without knowing why than to die without knowing life.

People perish because they have no vision. People misbehave because they don’t know why they do what. Where there is vision, there is sanity, order, and good behavior.

Vision is the source and hope of life; it is the greatest gift ever given to mankind. It is the function of the heart and when the heart is willing, there is nothing like impossibility. Nothing noble or worthy was ever done without vision. No invention, development, or great feat was ever accomplished without the inspiring power of this mysterious source called vision.

Two people sat down motivated by vision and saw the need for an aircraft and devoted their lives to bring it to existence. Someone had the vision of inventing something heavier than stone that can float on the surface of water, and the ship was invented. Someone’s vision was to bring a book we can keep records in, and another person thought of the pen for writing the records in that book.

Vision is the key to unlocking the gates of what is, to propelling us into the land of what could be, and has not yet been.

Vision sets you free from the limitations of what the eyes see and allows you to enter into the liberty of what the heart feels. Nothing is out of reach of the person who has vision. No one can ever kill the passion of the one who is consumed with vision.

You simply can’t.

Vision is the foundation of courage and the fuel of persistence. It makes the unseen visible and the unknown possible. It makes suffering and disappointment bearable. It generates hope in the midst of despair and provides endurance in tribulation.

Nothing can ever stand in the way of the one who has vision – not money, food, clothes or drinks. No one can be a hindrance to them.

 C H A P T E R F O U R

DILIGENCE



Success is to be pursued; it does not just fall on people. You do not sit down and fold your arms and expect good things to come your way. Success is for those who pursue it. It is not accidental or automatic. Success is worked for. It requires a move. It requires a drive. We consciously become successful by working at it. Life without pursuit will end in failure and frustration.

“How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

So shall thy poverty come as the one that traveleth, and thy want as an armed man” (Proverbs 6:9-11).

Maybe you are sleeping too much, maybe you are playing too much, and maybe you are spending too much time watching television. Maybe you are spending too much time with friends.

For how long will you continue with that attitude? How long will you remain a sluggard? How long will you give reasons for your inactiveness?

Someday is no day; act now. There is no perfect time to act. Every day is God’s day; the day you act is your day. Every object will assume a state of rest until force is applied to it. Refusing to act is an automatic subscription to poverty and failure because a slack hand leads to a leaking pocket.

“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame” (Proverbs 10:4-5).

There is no substitute for work if you want to succeed. There is no failure for the one who has put his/her best into what he/ she wants to succeed in. Things work for only those who work. Work is God’s method of increase, so stop wasting your time on unnecessary things and work. Work hard.

Results only follow those who are committed to what they want in life. Be committed to your studies. Work hard towards your success. Work is the sure cure for failure.

You are not failing because you don’t have what it takes to succeed but because you are not working hard enough. Success is for committed people. It is for those who will say, “I will learn” and he/she wakes up to learn. Success is for those who will do more than ordinary people do.

Slothfulness brings lack and want, and failure is the by-product of laziness. If you don’t engage yourself in what you want, forget about succeeding in it. There is no software for success. It is always a hardware.

Success requires effective engagement. You are absolutely responsible for the outcome of your life. When you work hard and work right, success is automatic. Until you take absolute responsibility for the outcome of your life, you keep living as a liability.

Everyone is anointed for success and greatness but it will take your personal responsibility to determine it. As a student of life, you will never be made in a comfort zone but the hard way. Soldiers are only trained the hard way. It is hard work that brings the best out of you.

Peak performers are committed to a compelling mission. Your mission now is to succeed in your education and you must be committed to it. Be driven by it. Work at it. Put your best into it. Let it give you sleepless nights. Give off your best to succeed. Your hard work can bring you your desired results. Your hard work will bring out the best in you. It is clear that peak performers are deeply about what they do, and their efforts, energies and enthusiasm are traceable to that particular mission.

Diligence is a compulsory factor in the school of success. Only productive approach gives birth to a progressive adventure in life. It is the quality of your engagement that determines your success. Everything increases in value by working at it. Nothing comes out better in its raw state. Your success will forever assume a state of rest until a force of diligence is applied to it.

Many do not work hard to see the full realization of their potentials because of the little success they have seen. Many subscribe to the philosophy that whatever will be will be. On the contrary, whatever will be must be dreamt, planned and worked at.

Your vision is to be pursued. Pursue that aggregate six with everything in you. Tirelessly pursue it. Dreams and visions do not fulfill themselves, they are worked out. Work brings their fulfillment. If you do nothing about your dreams and visions, they will remain where you left them. Wishes are not horses. Nothing happens on its own accord. It will not happen automatically. Stop waiting for things to happen. Don’t ask how things are happening, don’t watch things happen. Make things happen by engaging yourself.

“For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle………………… But by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I LABOURED MORE ABUNDANTLY THAN THEY ALL: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10) (Emphasis added).

Do not wait for circumstances to be right and perfect. The more you watch your situation without acting, the weaker you become. Encourage yourself to work hard. Encourage yourself to pursue that vision and dream because it is possible.

Hard work eliminates a hard life. Your life is not hard because of where you are. Your life is hard because you are not working hard. Your problem is not because of where you are but your inability to pursue what you want with passion.

The Apostle Paul became great because he pursued his vision with passion. If you may not be able to fly, run. If you may not be able to run, walk. If you may not be able to walk, crawl. By all means and by God means, move.

PROFITABLE ENGAGEMENT

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several abilities: and straightway took his journey.

Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh and reconeth with them.

And so he that had received five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained beside them five more.

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter the joy of thy lord.

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed;

And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:15-30) Get to the point when you can’t take failure anymore. When you make up your mind to act, you will find energy that you never had before. You have to take one more step. Fear does not exist; you create it yourself. You can’t stay where you are and succeed. You have to move. Keep moving amidst the pains, and troubles.

We don’t grow big to manage well; we manage well to grow big. Our enlargement is a result of the effective management of what we have. The outcome of your quality engagement with the opportunity you have now has greater impact on your success and the society.

You have the opportunity to be in school and more importantly being in your final year. What profit have you thought of making? Are you going to leave the school just like everyone else left? Have a profit mentality. Think of making profits. Every business minded person works hard. Think of the time you have spent since you started schooling. Think of the investment your parent(s) have made in your education. Don’t disappoint them. Don’t let them regret of spending that money on you. They invested that money so they can profit from you.

Opportunities are given to us to make something good out of them. Opportunities do not only come our way for our personal benefits, but for others, too. That is why you must make it big. Get up and fight to the end. There are people whose lives are waiting to be affected by the profits you make out of the opportunities.

“Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:28&30).

Every waster ends up a beggar. Every dark place is a shameful place. You become a liability if you don’t produce results. Life is about producing results. You lose value when you don’t produce results.

“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch which beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2).

This scripture is a direct interpretation of Matthew 25:15-30.

Don’t spend all your time doing nothing. Your diligence will take you from the pit to the peak. Ordinary students learn for few hours or perhaps minutes but the diligent goes beyond that. The diligent student spends more hours learning because he knows his hard work will pay off.

The average student is comfortable with the number of hours spent in school but the diligent student goes beyond that. He/ she spends extra hours after school. He/she spends more time than normal in their studies. He/she puts in more than the normal student would do.

One of my most respected teachers, Bishop David Oyedepo, once said to one of his pastors that, “Those who want to rule a city sleep at midnight; those who want to rule a nation sleep at dawn; but those who want to rule the world don’t sleep at all.” Solomon said in Proverbs 22:29 that; “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings: he shall not stand before mean men.”

It is just simple. If you want to succeed, be committed to what you do. Be diligent, because the diligent will always triumph.

WHAT MOVES YOU?

Work is one of the essential elements of creation. God worked for six days and rested on the seventh day. When Jesus came, he said, the works he does is actually His Father working through him. This means God is still working. He is working through us in various ways especially propagating the gospel. Work gives value, brings dignity, and recognition. That is why Jesus said in John 9:4; “I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work.”

One of the reasons some students find themselves in unpalatable situations is that they are not moved by anything. Nothing moves them. They leave their lives to chance. What really moves you?

“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34).

Every student must have one definite assignment. One thing must move you as a student. The success in your examinations must move you to work tirelessly.

A farmer will always wake up with one thing on his mind: to go to the farm. He knows there wouldn’t be anything for him at harvest time if he does not go to work on his farm. He does not get tired working. He is moved to wake up and go to the farm every day. He does not desire to harvest; he works to harvest.

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat” (Proverbs 13:4).

“The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing” (Proverbs 20:4).

Your dreams and visions will not be realized if you don’t take any steps towards achieving them. Do your best and God will do the rest. Until your best is done, God is not committed to doing anything. Put in every effort you can and watch God take over. Anyone who is not moved by anything is bound to fail in life. Let something move you because there is always what to do for your success.

We can’t wish our way into success. We work our way into it. How long will you wish for success? When will you rise from your daydream? Rise up and move. Your vision for being in school must move you every day.

Jesus said, “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me” (John 5:36).

Yes, you have dreams and visions for being in school, but until you move, nothing will move for you. Fruitfulness is in labor. Your life is in what you do. If you don’t do anything, don’t expect anything. The principle of sowing and reaping still works. Every assignment or vision casts away excuses. It is a great risk to be idle and dormant in the pursuit of your visions and dreams.

Distinction and excellence in examinations are not reserved for specific schools or groups of persons; it is for anyone who subscribes to the demands of diligence.

The Apostle Paul said, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling” (Philippians 3:13-14).

What is that one thing that must always wake you up? What is that one thing that must give you sleepless night? What is that one thing that must make you forget the things which are not valuable?

Within you is a giant who lives or dies depending on what you do. Take absolute responsibility for that giant to be awakened. Whenever you take on a responsibility required for your success, you will have the ability and grace of God to fulfill that responsibility. Dr. Myles Munroe said, “The people who change the world are those who have taken impossibility out of their vocabularies.” Our ability to do anything is never limited. We can do all things – whatever we believe and desire and are determined to do provided we don’t stop moving. Whatever legitimate is achievable because the ability to do so was deposited in us from creation.

Whatever David needed to kill Goliath was within him (1 Samuel 17:38-40). He never needed to qualify physically. The solution for your challenge is within the challenge. All you need to do is to move. David moved to overcome his challenge (Goliath) and what he needed (sword) to chop the head of that challenge was in the hand of that same challenge. He moved before he had a solution to the problem.

Whenever you are on a move to fulfilling your dreams, visions and goals, you are assured victory because you have what it takes within you. You can never know what you can do until you move. So move until you have accomplished that assignment. Put your best into your studies until you can be sure of your success. Don’t die with all your abilities still trapped inside of you. Don’t die with your dreams and visions in you. Take steps towards the attainment of your long awaited dreams and visions. Your thoughts will forever remain seeds until something is done about it. Take steps to plant those seeds of thought.

Anyone determined to do something great rarely has an empty schedule. We must have something we are living for if we want our lives to be meaningful. Our lives always have focus and a sense of purpose and fulfillment if we have something we are living for. Don’t be afraid to move beyond your dreams and visions to action. Don’t be too comfortable to think about all you might do instead of taking steps to achieve what you can do. You must stop dreaming, wake up, and act if you want your world to change.

TEN BASIC KEYS TO BE DILIGENT

I would want to believe that you are convinced now that you have a lot in you to be released and give your world. Don’t confuse who you are and what you can do with the results you have produced.

That great wealth of potential trapped inside of you is tired and crying to be released. That aggregate six is crying inside of you. That record in your school is tired and needs to be broken by you. What is inside of you is crying for exposure and fulfillment.

You may be asking the question of how you can come out of your comfort zone to release whatever is in you. I have good news for you: we have been given all that we will ever need to reach our full potential. God has equipped us with everything to execute every assignment perfectly.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:3-4).

God finished with us before releasing us unto the earth. All the abilities to fulfill our purpose have been built in us. No soldier will be sent to the battlefield without being properly equipped.

For you to realize your full potential, take note of the following keys;

⑦‡ YOUR SOURCE

Your source determines who you are and what you can do. You must know that God worked from the beginning and so were you created to work (Genesis 1:1-31). The ability to work and produce results was placed in you before you were released from heaven.

Every pot knows that it was formed from clay and its ability to carry water is as a result of the ability of the soil from which it was formed. Carrying water is not a miracle because of its source.

The potential of the baby lion to rule the jungle is as a result of its parents – its source. It will automatically carry all the abilities of its source from birth.

Every offspring has the potential to function as its source. Only ignorance will steal your ability. The baby elephant does not need to fast and pray to be like its mother. It only has to do what the mother elephant does.

You should know your Source because it determines what potential you have. Your Source is God and He created you as His extension to reflect His glory on earth. God gave you the ability and power to represent Him on earth. If He is your Source, then you possess all His qualities and nature and are capable of manifesting like Him. He worked to produce results and is still working through us. Distinction and excellence are His hallmark. He succeeded in doing everything. He never settled for average. He moved until He achieved the ultimate. He has given you that privilege by creating you in His image.

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

⑦‡ YOUR FUEL OF OPERATION

No matter how beautiful and strong an automobile may be, it will still need fuel to operate effectively. God designed, developed and produced you to function in a specific manner.

How productive you become is mostly determined by the fuel you have in you.

For your potential to be maximized, you need the fuel of faith and love. The secret behind David’s triumph over Goliath was the faith he had in God and the love he had for the people of Israel.

“And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, GO, and the LORD be with thee” (1 Samuel 17:26&37).

For you to maximize your potential, you must have faith in the One who created you. Without faith whatever you do amounts to nothing. Faith in God helps you to achieve whatever you want to.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

For by it the elders obtained a good report.

But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:1,2,6).

Whatever you don’t do in faith will never work for you. Don’t expect God to do anything for you or help you accomplish your mission if you don’t have faith in Him. He created you, knows what is best for you, and nothing can work without you believing in him. You can only operate effectively by the faith you have in God.

The fuel of love also helps in maximizing your potential. It is because of the love you have for humanity that you want to become that doctor, teacher, nurse, etc. David stood before Goliath because he couldn’t watch him defy the armies of the Lord anymore. He didn’t want to see any more reproach come to the people of Israel. He acted out of love. Love fueled him to kill Goliath.

You must love God and humanity as well. Whatever you do on earth is basically for God and humanity. Whatever you do is useless if it is not rooted in love. Your potential is maximized when there is love.

Don’t accommodate hatred in your heart. Don’t hate anyone around you and people who have gone ahead of you. Whenever you want someone to go down, you have to stay with them to keep them there.

Never compete with anyone because unhealthy competition breeds hatred. Life is not a competition; it is cooperation.

Your love for humanity encourages you to do more. It’s love that makes you act inspite of fear and not because of it. We read in 1 John 4:18 that, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.” Read also 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.

We were created to operate effectively by these two essential fuels – faith and love.

It is the faith Jesus had in His Father and the love he has for humanity that made him accomplish his mission and eventually fulfilled his earthly purpose.

⑦‡ YOUR REASON FOR BEING IN SCHOOL

Abuse will always be inevitable when purpose is not known. Our main purpose on earth is to dominate and once we realize that, nothing will stop us from maximizing our potential. Your purpose determines your passion and your passion determines your direction or your profession – what you do. If the purpose of God for your being in school is to dominate every examination, then the potential of dominance has already been put into you from creation.

For the manufacturer to produce a truck to carry sand, the potential or the ability to carry a certain amount of sand has been built in it. The potential to write that examination and excel has already been built in you.

Once you discover your reason for being in school, know that the potential to be distinguished in your examination is already within you. It is not around you, neither is it ahead of you.

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the POWER THAT WORKETH IN US” (Ephesians 3:20) (Emphasis added).

The purpose for which something was made determines its makeup. You have everything within you to succeed in this examination. The automobile that is made to carry sand has a bucket to carry the sand, the materials that hold the strength of the sand and the engine capacity to move the truck with the sand.

It is very important to know your reason for being in school to avoid destructions from friends and things of no value.

You are absolutely responsible for the outcome of your examination and it is your purpose that determines the kind of responsibility you take. Your potential will respond to the demands made on it.

I want you to understand that absolutely no one who finds himself/herself in school is an accident. Every student is in school for a specific reason. In case you have not yet discovered your reason for being in school, ask your teachers or some of the “serious” students and they will tell you.

⑦‡ YOU HAVE THE POWER

“But ye shall receive POWER, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

“Behold, I give unto you POWER to tread on serpents, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of POWER, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

The purpose of Jesus Christ on earth was to reinstate us to our original state – dominion – which is power. This power is to enable us release our full potential. God’s resource to us to maximize our potential is power. God has provided us access to the necessary resources for proper maintenance, sustenance, and operation. This resource is the power given to us from the beginning which we lost to the devil.

Fear cannot stop you from working hard. Someone’s threat cannot put fear in you. You have the power to dominate. There are people who think generational curses can hinder them. They have the fear that since no one has ever produced any good results in their families, there is no way they can. There is power in you that can stop these influences in your life.

Jesus descended from his throne to take this power from the devil and gave it back to you. The devil has no more power over you. The moment you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior, you receive power to dominate the devil, failure, mediocrity, threats, etc.

For you to have this power resource available always, you must maintain a strong relationship with your Source. You must be in active partnership with God. Any wayward life will make you lose the power resource, and can lead to the destruction of your potential and eventually your success.

⑦‡ STAY IN THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT

Except God, nothing influences a man like his environment.

There was a time I bought a product from the market and the inscription on it was: “Keep it in a cool dry place.” I want to believe that anything aside that could potentially affect the effective functioning of the product. A warm and wet place would have destroyed the potential of that product.

The environment you create for yourself, both internally and externally, has a lot of effect on your potential or ability. This environment has the power to influence your performance, function, and development.

The best environment for the fish to function well and realize its full potential is water. The soil is the right environment for plants to grow and that is why God put it there. For the lion to realize its full potential, it must be in the forest. God has specified the conditions under which every one of His creation is guaranteed the maximum performance of its potential.

Staying in the right environment is the ideal condition needed for the maximization of your true potential. For you to maximize your potential, you must stay in the environment of the word of God. You must know what the word of God is saying concerning your success. Don’t live in the environment of man’s opinions and philosophies. Man can only say what he knows. Man’s opinion can never be God’s verdict. Your life is based on the word of God and not the mind of man. Never live in the environment of bad news.

“And be ye not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and the perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Living in the environment of the word of God makes you know who you are, what you have and what you can do. The manual of the manufacturer of every product is to help know the full potential of that product. Failure to use the manual leads to the abuse of the usage of the product.

Don’t allow someone to create a polluted environment for you by what he says and does. God created everything by His word, and the word has been documented in a book called the Bible which is your operational manual.

“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1-3).

The environment of prayer is very important for the realization of your potential. Prayer is the spiritual environment you create to have fellowship with your Maker. The amount of the word of God you have will not be very effective if it is not coupled with prayers. The prayer environment is what gives you the power to act.

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show you great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 3:33).

The environment of prayer is where God unveils His plans to you. Know that the environment you create has great impact on your life. A prayerless student is a powerless student. The quality of time you spend with God in prayers determines the quality of your life. Prayer builds a wall of fire around you, preventing the enemy from having access to your life. It prevents the enemy from placing limitation on your potential. No insect can play on a pan which is on fire. Create a hot environment for the enemy to run from you. When you go on your knees before God, you stand tall before men. Those who know God are always strong and do exploits.

The friends with whom you associate largely determine what you can do. Be in the company of people who are going where you are going and doing what you are doing. Don’t fit in or go with the crowd to have a voice. You cannot be all you could be in the wrong company. There are friends who are destiny-killers. They can easily destroy your potential.

Average thinkers are very poisonous. They can nullify or abort your potential. I have seen many people with great potential which could not be maximized because of friends. Some have turned into drug addicts and others accepting average as their best.

Associate with people who will bring out the best in you. Be in the company of great thinkers who are very mindful of success in what they do. Be in the company of people who work tirelessly to achieve best results.

⑦‡ COME OUT FROM YOUR SHELL

Your potential is the untapped treasure in you. Your potential will forever remain dormant if you decide not to take any responsibility for it. You are totally responsible for the outcome of your life. It takes your responsibility to maximize your potential.

Don’t sit on what you can do. Don’t keep your potential in you. It is your work that determines your lot. Dreams will remain that until you wake up and act.

A potential world-class footballer will remain an amateur until he goes to the field to display his skills. Don’t let your shell cover your potential. Many students have dreams but few take their dreams to the top.

“Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth, and thy want as an armed man” (Proverbs 6:10-11).

There is no holiday for the serious student. Your true potential can only be realized when you start working. No one has ever poured himself into his work and failed.

⑦‡ FEED YOUR POTENTIAL WITH THE RIGHT FOOD

Read books which are relevant to your course. Study the subjects you are going to write the exams on. Talk to people who are on the same field of what you are doing.

You can’t feed your mind with unnecessary television programs. You can’t feed your mind on something which has nothing to do with your potential.

An automobile which runs on diesel cannot be fed with petrol though they may both be fuel. Fish cannot come for holiday vacation on land and still be effective.

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail” (1 Peter 1:10).

How can you give diligence to make your success in the examination sure? What are these things that you must do? If you don’t want to fail in your examinations, study to show yourself approved in the examination hall; a student that needed not to fail, rightly answering all the questions.

Maximizing your potential is not automatic. The fact that you have been assured success does not mean it will come by chance. Nothing could be more miserable than someone spending much time in school but could not fulfill his/her purpose of being in school. Don’t wait on God to fulfill what He has said concerning your success. It is your responsibility to ensure your success. You are the one to make it happen by feeding your potential the fertilizer of good, positive company and give it the environment of encouragement.

Until your potential is cultivated, it will forever remain a buried ability and hidden power. Never believe you will become whatever God says without doing anything about it. You have got a lot to do to realize that dormant potential in you. It is your responsibility. It is up to you to break those records in your school before you leave. It’s your choice to be what God chose you to be. Give yourself to the teachings of your teachers and the study of your books if you must gloriously fulfill your reason for being in school and walk in God’s pre-arranged path.

⑦‡ GUARD AND PROTECT YOUR POTENTIAL

Undoubtedly, the richest place on earth is the cemetery. It is full of dreams that never materialized, gifts that were never used, and potentials that were never harnessed. How sad!

Many people have lived and died without fulfilling God’s dreams for their lives. Great doctors, inventors, lawyers, lecturers, and presidents are gone without realizing their potential.

Don’t allow the devil to steal your potential from you because that is what he is good at. Don’t allow anyone to discourage you from giving off your best.

Procrastination can easily destroy your potential if you allow it. When God asks you to do anything, he wants you to start immediately and the best place to start is where you are.

Past failures should never be given the chance in your mind. Every great person failed several times before they became successful. Guard your potential from the opinions of others. They may suggest to you what they couldn’t do to discourage you from acting. Don’t walk in people’s minds but God’s mind. When you walk in the minds of others, they control your life and eventually limit what you can do. They will tell you to do what they only know.

Don’t be distracted by anyone or anything. Don’t let television take your time. Give no friend the chance to take you off track. The friend that will close your destiny must be avoided.

Guard your potential against tradition because it will tell you how things are done in a particular way. Giving in to traditions is equally giving up on how far you can go. Anyone with a vision has no respect for tradition. Your vision will force you to break tradition. When tradition says, “This is how things are done”, rise up and say no! Be different. Act differently. Protect your potential against your environment. Don’t let your environment tell you you can’t go beyond a certain mark. Don’t accept those lies.

Don’t compromise on your potential. Do the right thing. Don’t do what everyone else is doing; do what is necessary. Any decision that must be taken to see the full realization of your potential must never be compromised. Don’t be like Esau who compromised on what he could do by selling off his destiny for a morsel of meat.

Protect and guard your potential against these if you must see the full realization of your potential. It is my prayer that God guides and protects you from all these for greater impact in your generation and the next generations in Jesus’ name!

⑦‡ AVOID SELFISHNESS WITH YOUR POTENTIAL

Life is not about duration, but donation. Giving is living. Don’t let the syndrome of “me, myself and I” corrupt your potential.

One can give without loving but no one can truly love without giving. Your life is not for you alone but also the entire world. Nothing on this earth exists for itself. What you do touches the lives of people around you. Whatever you do has the potential of helping many. You are responsible for using the potential God has put in you to take care of yourself and to care for those around you who may need your help and guidance.

Your success in your examination is to push you further so you can help others someday. The thought of this should motivate you to work harder. You are to become that doctor so you can help the sick. You are to become that lawyer so you can speak for the voiceless.

Most inventions are for the benefit of mankind – the aircraft is to make traveling very easily and faster for anyone who patronizes it; the television is to help us know what is going on around the world.

Your potential is to enrich and inspire the lives of others. True potential and fulfillment in life is not what is accomplished but who benefits from them. Success is not the acquisition or accumulation of material things but the accomplishment of the reasons he finds himself at a particular place. God will never give you anything that will benefit you alone.

Someone must read your books to be encouraged. Someone must hear your song to be healed and someone must become great by your lectures.

“Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…” (John 3:16).

Your love for God and humanity is what encourages you to give off your best. Let the world benefit from your potential.

⑦‡ OBEDIENCE TO THE VOICE OF GOD

“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth” (Deuteronomy 28:1).

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19).

Every manufacturer establishes laws of limitations for his products. God created you and has laws of limitations for you. It is not to restrict you, but to assist you and guarantee the maximum performance of your potential. As a student, the commandment for you is to study.

Hearken to His voice with regards to every step you take. Whenever you pick your books to study, ask him how you should go about it. One wrong step can destroy your potential forever. Let your spiritual “antenna” be positioned for His directions.

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21).

There is a way every product from a manufacturer could be used and the failure to follow the instructions for its usage could be disastrous. The One who created you knows your strength, ability, and capacity; he knows what you can do and how far you can go. He predetermined you before your creation. He knows what is best for you.

The driver who refuses to operate an automobile according to its manual may end up destroying it.

You are too small to go your own way. You have no idea what is ahead of you. There is the One who knows the end from the beginning. Many have gone their own ways and have missed it in life. Many are lost in life because they never asked the One who knows the way.

Obedience is the key word here. Hearken to the voice of God. Hear from him before you make any move. When you pick your books to read, listen to His voice; He will tell you what to study. He has no problem leading you if you are committed to following Him. Commit your ways unto Him.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Our Lord Jesus Christ couldn’t do anything until he was commanded by God. Every step He took was strictly by instructions. If Jesus obeyed the Father, then we have no option than to obey him as well. Obedience to God will release all the potential within you. The potential of a product is maximized when the instructions are strictly followed. Obedience is protection for potential.

May you hear the voice of God in every step you take in life.

 C H A P T E R F I V E

SACRIFICE



“Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

And Jesus said unto them, Very I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (Matthew 19:27-29).

According to the above passage, success has a lot to do with sacrifices. According to the dictionary, sacrifice is a loss or something you give up usually for the sake of a better cause. It has to do with going beyond your best and pouring yourself into what you want to succeed in. It’s going beyond hard work.

In our opening Scripture, Jesus was referring to forgetting about everything and pursuing your vision. Success in life demands your complete surrender. This is the point where you say, “If I perish, I perish.”

Your success in life is more important than your boyfriend, girlfriend, food, clothes, television programs, sleep, etc. Therefore, you must give up on all of them to get the best. Whatever you withhold from pursuing your vision will constitute a snare and will be what the devil will use to torment you. What your success requires is nothing but total and complete surrender or no pursuit at all.

Many students have suffered dire consequences when they did not yield their lustful desires to the purpose of being in school and committed outrageous mistakes. Many students, though intelligent and promising, suffered badly and could not fulfill their purpose of being in school because they could not yield their lustful desires to sacrifice. Some students have also messed up big time because they did not surrender every department of their lives to what they wanted. Other students, though started well, dropped out of school because they placed their physical needs above what they really wanted from school.

Your success in life will not accept your partial and incomplete surrender. It will require giving your all. It is either total surrender or no pursuit at all. Success in this examination desires to get all that it demands from you – your time, resources, energy, treasure, heart, humility, availability, teach-ability, consecration, commitment, prayerfulness, obedience, going to bed late and rising up early, going to school early, avoiding bad friends, etc. It is all or no show. This is because no one reaches the top automatically. They go beyond discipline, diligence and give their all. They enter into the realms of sacrifice. Nothing really matters to them anymore except what they want to succeed in. They go beyond their best. They use their monies for food to buy books for knowledge. They give all of themselves one hundred percent for what they want. You can never know what you can do to succeed until the only option left for you is to succeed. Jesus gave all of himself one hundred percent for us. This is the basis of his demanding all of you for the pursuit of every task and being the head and not the tail is one of his demands as a child of God.

Total surrender breeds total success. Success is for those who yield completely to it. All forms of distraction will do everything to resist you from yielding to sacrifice because by so doing, your mission of being in school will not be accomplished. The ministry of the devil is to distract you but Jesus came to give you life in abundance (John 10:10). God compensates with grace and glory for those who are truly dedicated to what they want to succeed in. Yielding to sacrifice will bring reward in your examination and your life as a whole because your future depends on the sacrifices you make today.

The heart is a major bone of contention and this is why the Bible says you must keep your heart with all diligence because out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). When you release your heart to what you want, there will not be any space for distractions.

The distraction from friends, food, clothes, visionless people, and vision killers will have no place in your heart. Complete surrender causes your war with sacrifice to cease. When you surrender completely to sacrifice, every failure in your life will cease. No one has ever given his all to what he wants and ever failed.

Dear student, as you are getting ready for this examination, let sacrifice have its way in every area of your life. Let your success in this examination consume you. Yield completely to sacrifice and your purpose of being in school will be fulfilled in your life.

SOW YOUR LIFE

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” (John 12:24-25).

The greatest thing that can ever happen to a seed is to be planted in the ground. Every seed has the potential of becoming a forest when planted. It doesn’t matter the quality of a seed, if not planted, it will forever remain a seed. The future of a seed is in its planted-ness.

Have you wondered why we still have food in abundance to eat since creation? He has not added anything to what He gave us yet we have never lacked food to eat.

The first work He gave to man was farming. He made Adam the farmer so he could grow and multiply what He gave him. This is why farmers have been very important in every nation and in every generation, and any nation and generation that lacks farmers will lack food.

For instance, we wouldn’t have had corn to eat if Adam had not grown and multiplied them. Except that corn of wheat is planted, it remains one grain of seed, but when that same grain is put into the ground, it grows to give us more grains. The multiplication of that one grain of corn is in its planting.

First of all, that grain of corn must be buried in a good ground because it can never grow whiles you are still holding it. It then has to “die and decay” to germinate. After some time, it grows taller and bigger without any fruit on it. The farmer does not get discouraged for not seeing any fruit at this point because he knows it is a process. Within some few weeks, the fruits start showing in their smallest form. Again, he does not rejoice because that is not what he has been waiting for. Some few more weeks, the fruits then take shape.

Eventually, that one grain of corn put in the ground grows and ready to be harvested. The farmer rejoices at this point because that is what he had been waiting for. The mystery is that, that one grain of corn put in the ground does not come as that same grain. It comes in hundreds. That one grain of corn put in the ground had to die to give hundreds of grains at harvest time. Until that grain of corn was planted, it remained a grain, but when it was planted and patiently waited for, it brought forth much grain.

“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a yielding seed” (Genesis 1:29).

The future of every seed begins with its planting. An unplanted seed will die. Your vision for life is a seed of success you have in your hands, but until you plant it, there will not be the manifestation. Until you pass the test of sacrifice, your vision has no future. Until your vision is planted, it has no future. Vision without sacrifice is impossible. The quality of your sacrifice is what determines the magnitude of your success. It is your planted-ness that determines your fruitfulness. You will never know the potential of a seed until it is planted. You can’t be truly sold out to what you do and not stand out. Until your life becomes a seed, your struggle for success continues. Your planted-ness today guarantees your multiplication tomorrow. When your life becomes a gift to your vision, giving yourself to it becomes a delight and success becomes a cheap thing.

“But none of these things moved me, neither count I my life dear unto my life, so that I might finish my course with joy” (Acts 20:24).

When we are planted, we don’t miss our fruits in our season. Your sacrifice can transform your small vision into a great one. Your choice for sacrificing for a successful life guarantees your distinction, because when you pass the sacrifice test, you will see its manifestation. Sacrifice guarantees the stability of your success.

When you give your life to your studies, your success is sure.

By the mystery of sacrifice, the least student has the potential to become a surprise. When your life is planted, your success becomes exceptionally distinguished.

“That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto” (1 Thessalonians 3:3).

As long as your sacrifice is maintained, your success does not cease. There is no guaranteed cure for failure than sacrifice. Sacrifice to your examination is the cure to your failure. You will never regret being truly sacrificial. Anyone truly sown as a seed ends up supernaturally distinguished. Sacrifice will always rewrite your story. It makes you unstoppable. It is your ticket to success.

AGAPE: THE ROOT OF SACRIFICE

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Love is not primarily an emotion, but an attitude of the heart. It is a commandment; “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

So many people today fail to sacrifice because of an inadequate concept and understanding of love.

Going back to Philippians 1:21, Paul operated in a strange dimension of love that eventually distinguished him. His life was no more important to him. His life was dedicated to the things he wanted to succeed in. His assignment was to spread the gospel and that attracted huge opposition. There were threats on his life but that wasn’t his concern. He sacrificed his life because of the love he had for his assignment. He sold his life to his assignment.

It is the same Paul who said in Galatians 2:20 that; “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

No one can truly sacrifice without having love for what he/she is sacrificing his/her life for. When the love for pursuing your assignment takes over your life, sacrifice becomes automatic.

If we are commanded to pour ourselves into what we want to succeed in, how do we carry it out? What does it mean to sacrifice our lives for what we do?

The explanation of these four different types of love as explained by Dr. Myles Munroe in his book, The Power and Purpose of Love and Marriage, will help you understand better and identify a separate and distinct type or degree of love you should operate in to sacrifice your life for your assignment for the benefit of others. It will help you better understand what true love is as well as what it is not.

“PHILEO: THE LOVE FOR FRIENDSHIP; Phileo takes its root from the related word philos, which means “friend”. It refers to the love that one has for a friend or acquaintance. It is the love on the level of casual friendship, or the affection we have for someone we are familiar with. Because of its general and casual nature, phileo is not the kind you need to sacrifice anything for.

This type of love operates on conditions and creates expectations and can inevitably result in disappointment.

“STORGE: THE LOVE FOR FAMILY; Storge is more close-knit than phileo because storge has to do with family, and family implies relationship. We take this love for granted because we assume that we love our parents and siblings and that they love us. Even though our love for our parents and our siblings is real, there is still underlying sense that we love them because we are supposed to. Once again, as with phileo, we are back to conditions and expectations.

“EROS: SEXUAL LOVE; Referring to eros as “sexual love” is really not very accurate because, strictly speaking, sex has nothing to do with true love. Sex can occur without love; it happens all the time. Love can exist without sex; the two are not dependent upon each other. Another word used to describe eros would be lust. Utterly selfish at its core, eros seeks to fulfill its lust at the expense of another. In its selfishness, eros has no regard for the feelings or desires of another, being interested only in the personal gratification it can get from that person. Eros knows little and cares less of human dignity and respect.

“AGAPE: THE DIVINE LOVE; In many ways, agape, the fourth and highest kind of love, is in a class of itself. Agape refers to divine love, the love God has for His people as well as the love His people give back to Him. It is also the kind of love that the people of God are supposed to have toward one another. Unlike phileo and storge, agape carries no obligation, holds no expectations, and lays down no conditions. Agape is unconditional love. Unlike eros which is the epitome of selfishness, agape acts first and foremost for the good and welfare of others. Rather than self-serving, agape is self-giving, a sacrificial love that pours itself out for the sake of someone else.”

Agape is what God showed us by giving his only begotten son to us in exchange of our sins (John 3:16). Jesus Christ, without a second thought, came down to die for our sins by reason of this agape love. He became one with us. He took on our low estate, becoming like us so that he could make us like himself.

Jesus Christ was others-conscious. He constantly watched out for our welfare and looked continually for opportunities to give to us. Jesus Christ was not complete until he gave himself finally to us on the cross.

He never waited for us to act first. He took the responsibilities to carry our burdens. He acted whether or not we responded or reciprocated. His love for us is unconditional. He loves without discriminating. He does not choose who to love, he simply chooses to love.

Understanding this kind of love is the key secret to our sacrifices to what we do particularly as it relates to our sacrifices to achieve the best in life.

Unlike phileo, storge, and eros which are all self-seeking, agape is seeking the interest of others. This kind of love is what makes one act without conditions.

Jesus, Paul, among many others, gave themselves for their assignments on earth before they left.

In chapter four, I made us understand that our lives are not only to ourselves but also to the entire world. This mindset makes you pour yourself out to achieve success in your assignment. That doctor, lawyer, lecturer, engineer, or president you want to become is for the entire world to benefit from. It is for your generation and the generation yet unborn, hence the need to sacrifice your life to achieve your best.

Sacrifice has to do with your time, resources and energy. Until one has totally surrendered these three areas, he has not yet started his journey in life. Your time, energy and resources must be directed to what you want to succeed in.

⑦‡ TIME

Time is the greatest commodity we can ever have and the first thing we must sacrifice for our success in life. Until we sacrifice, we cannot be satisfied. Your discipline and diligence with time cannot be compared to your sacrifice with it. This is the point you have to invest all your time into your assignment. Discipline will tell you to stay focused on what you are doing; diligence may tell you to spend more hours; but sacrifice is until you have achieved the ultimate, you don’t stop. Dreams come true if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it (J.M. Barrie).

Over the past years, many students have written examinations and others will continue to write. We get students who get outstanding results. Others get average results and some even fail. There will always be very few students who will sacrifice to be distinguished. The truth you must know and the deception you must erase from your mind is that, there are no “already made” people on this earth. We are all equal from creation with the same ability to succeed in our various assignments. Every born-again Christian has the mind of Christ and I don’t think Christ ever failed in his assignment.

The question is: why do we always have these three kinds of students? Why should some students fail, others pass, and few excel? The answer is sacrifice. Discipline and diligence will make you pass your examination but only sacrifice will make you excel. Many students can be disciplined and diligent for what they do without love but no student can sacrifice without love for what he does. Everyone puts all his time into what he really loves.

It will only take a student who means business to stay awake with his books for more hours than his sleeping hours. A hardworking student will do his best with his books but the dedicated student will go beyond his best. The hardworking student may get tired but the dedicated student never tires. So far as his success is concerned, the number of hours he will invest into his studies is a delight for him. When his colleagues are sleeping, he is awake. His interest is not in sleeping but in succeeding. He does not care about the health implications that come with inadequate sleep. The hardworking student will still have time for television programs, but the dedicated student will invest that time into his education. The dedicated student has no free time on his schedules.

Every hardworking person works for eight hours a day, but those who go beyond the eight hours achieve the most in life.

An eight-hour-a-day work cannot get you to your dream land.

You must go beyond the normal hours. When your mates are learning for three hours a day, you must multiply it by two. How sacrificial you are with your time determines how successful you become in your examination. Sacrifice the time for television programs, the many hours of sleep, and the time for less valuable activities. Time is important and it is not in abundance. Put all your time into your studies.

The moment you start thinking constantly in terms of “I can, I will and I am”, there is no way you will not sacrifice your time to succeed.

⑦‡ ENERGY

………… shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than

conquerors……………. (Romans 8:35-37).

In 2014, when I received the mandate to speak to students on visions, dreams, potentials, destiny, and purpose which is an arm of the main vision I received in 2013 to speak to the youth on “life after salvation”, I have never lost an aorta of energy moving from one school to the other every single day from Monday to Friday. I sometimes have to speak five times in four schools a day and it is always a delight to do so. My love for my assignment always restores my strength. I mostly have to run from one school to the other because of the time interval (five minutes), yet very excited every day. I don’t need money to motivate me because I would’ve stopped long ago. I only need my “crown” to motivate me. My focus has always been the end result.

Sickness or stress cannot stop me. I don’t care to repeat one shirt for three days but always kept very neat. Hunger has never been my worry and will never be. My fulfillment is in reaching out to the students and that is what wakes me up every day.

There is no excuse to relent on your efforts to achieve the ultimate in life. Stress should not stop you. Let your vision for life drive you to sacrifice your energy which is the second important thing for it. Success is staring at you but it is calling for your sacrifice. Never give up. They that endure to the end will receive the crown of success. Don’t get tired. Your open rewards are dependent on your secret inputs. Your extraordinary efforts will culminate in extraordinary results. To see and get what someone has not seen and gotten before, you do what someone has not done before.

No matter how tired a farmer is, he still goes to the farm to work because he knows he can’t get the best without sacrifice. He is always motivated by his harvests. He wants the best at harvest time. He never gets tired. His strength is renewed every morning.

You may go through pains for many hours of investment into your studies but that is just for a moment. You may be so tired but add one more hour because it will surely pay off when the results come. Give it your all. Giants are not birthed in comfort zones. There is no growth in comfort zones.

Perhaps you have the opportunity to kill a cat and a lion, the energy you will generate to kill the lion will not be the same as killing the cat. You can never know the strength you have until you are faced with something that can take your life. You will never know where the extra energy will come from.

The energy you have to generate to get aggregate six should not be the same as someone who wants to get aggregate fifteen. Your expectation determines your energy inputs. Your expectation will determine how long you stay awake to study.

“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6).

A ten-acre farmer will not work like a fifteen-acre farmer. A tenacre farmer may go to his farm early in the morning but the fifteen-acre farmer will be in his farm at dawn. Your vision will always empower your strength.

You have the energy in you to do everything legally and biblically possible to succeed, so rise up and pour yourself out. Success is never far from you.

⑦‡ RESOURCES

The third important thing you must sacrifice for your success is your resources. If a student can wear a dress of about GHC 100 and has no books to feed his/her mind with knowledge, it is a tragedy. If a student can buy a phone of GHC 300 and is still struggling to pay his/her school fees, then that student is heading for doom. If a student can buy a plate of meal for about GHC 20 and is waiting for the parents to pay for his/her extra tuition fees, then that student doesn’t know what he/she wants. If you can’t sacrifice your money for your future, it is a great shame. Don’t eat all your future away.

As a matter of fact, if your future does not cost you anything, then you don’t want it. Life is a personal responsibility and you must take that responsibility by investing your resources into it. Dedication guarantees the stability of your destiny.

Life After Salvation Movement had the privilege to have its first series of impactful programs in 2015 and we had no sponsorship. Every single person on the executive committee had to sacrifice his/her resources to make the programs successful. Everyone brought money on board. We had to sacrifice our monies for three major programs of that year. We invested our monies in those programs than buy good clothes with it.

We will always live to face the consequences of our decisions and choices. What you choose to do with your resources has a greater impact on your success. Choose to invest your resources into your success rather than buying things which have nothing to do with your success. Cell phones can wait, good clothes can wait, good food can wait, and every other thing can wait. Other things should not be more important than your success. Sacrifice your resources if you have to, no matter the situation and your success will be sure.

FEW EXAMPLES TO FOLLOW

Dedication is a platform for the rise of giants and the highway to glorification. The mustard-seed is a clear illustration of the grace and glory that accompanies dedication. The mustard-seed is like a grain (very tiny) which a man took, and cast into his garden and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it as said in Luke 13:19.

As I have stated earlier, your success in life demands personal responsibility for maximum delivery. Therefore, the key to the full delivery of each one’s success is dedication to the demands of success. Dedication is the covenant platform for the rise of giants.

There are people who were distinguished in their various assignments by the reason of their absolute dedication to them.

⑦‡ MOSES: AN UNUSUAL PROPHET

*His passion to see God’s people liberated was unparalleled.

“And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in sand” (Exodus 2:11-12).

*He was called to undertake the most difficult task to head back to Egypt from where he fled.

“Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10).

*Moses took his life in his hand and went to confront Pharaoh face to face.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go” (Exodus 4:21).

*He ended up as one of the most outstanding men in biblical history.

“Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

NEHEMIAH: THE RENOWNED BUILDER

*He had an undying passion to see the dignity of Jerusalem restored.

“And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven” ( Nehemiah 1:3-4).

*He was prepared to die as revealed in the way he responded to the king.

“Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance

sad, seeing thou art not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,

And said unto the king, Let the king live long for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchers, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?” (Nehemiah 2:2-3).

*He got on the job of rebuilding the wall with unparalleled sacrifice.

“So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days” (Nehemiah 6:15).

*He ended up becoming the governor of Judah.

“Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah” (Nehemiah 5:14).

⑦‡ DANIEL, SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO: THE REIGNING TEAM

*They purposed in their hearts to live for God in their land of captivity.

“And Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8).

*They headed confidently into the fiery furnace triumphantly.

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this manner.

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).

*A team that will rather burn to death than bow to idols.

“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death” (Songs of Solomon 8:6).

*They ended up as rulers in the land of Babylon.

“Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king” (Daniel 2:49).

I believe without doubt that with these few Old Testament examples, nothing whatsoever should stop you from giving off your all to achieve your best. It is absolutely your fault if you fail. Nobody should be blamed. Sacrifice your comfort to fulfill your vision. You have the keys in your hand to excel.

 C H A P T E R S I X 

THE GOD FACTOR



“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion” (Genesis 1:26).

The above scripture clearly depicts how great man (male and female) was until the fall. Man never had any lack and want. Man was successful in whatever he did. Man was totally in control of life because he had the image of God. Man had the Spirit of God working in him. Man didn’t have to pray for anything because they were readily available to him. Man was totally the reflection of God. Everything in God was found in man.

Unfortunately, something mysterious happened. Man “died”. Man “died” for the reason that he lost his relationship with his Maker. His dominion ability was stolen from him by the devil. He could no longer operate in the class of God. He “died” because he had no power and authority again.

Man was now running from things that were originally running from him. He became a beggar to his environment. He became a subject to the devil because he returned to dust and dust is the food for the serpent. Man became a victim of circumstances. The best he could do was to live an average life; a life full of mediocrity (See Genesis 3:1-24).

God had to take man back to his original state (dominion), and the question was “how could this be done?” God, being all powerful, knew what He could do. He sent His only begotten Son to die for the sins of man to get man back to his original state – dominion.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

His death (for us) is to make us have dominion again. His death is for us to carry the image of God again. Man without God is nothing but dust. We can only become the best God wants us to be only if we are connected to Him. That is the only way we are empowered spiritually to triumph in our assignments. God has always been the constant of our lives’ equations. Every other thing is a variable.

Spiritual empowerment has to do with the grace of God. No one becomes genuinely great without grace. David recognized this when he said in 1 Samuel 17:37, “The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto

David, GO, and the LORD be with thee.”

One will fail in the pursuit of his assignment when he relies on his strength. Success comes by being empty of you and full of God. Until you are engraced by God, you will be disgraced by men. Until you approach God for empowerment, you will always suffer reproach.

“Except the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain that build it; except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

Every genuine success comes by absolute dependence on God. If success is your goal in life, you will need the empowerment of God for your battles because success is impossible without spiritual empowerment. There are spiritual barriers against the rise of every student and you can only overcome them by your strength in God. The cheapest way of becoming a champion is killing a champion.

“When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils” (Luke 11:21-22).

The devil will always fight against your success but your connection to your Source will empower you to overcome him. There hasn’t been and there will never be an opposition-free life. Your success is a threat to his kingdom hence the continuous fight.

“For great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9).

The devil knows how great you are from the beginning and will try everything possible to steal it from you but the grace of God is always available for you to fight him. Without grace the devil will definitely disgrace you. Fighting him with your physical strength is a total waste of time.

“…Not by might, nor by power, but by Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).

The consciousness of God behind your success makes him empower you to succeed, opposition notwithstanding. It is either God of all or not God at all, and it is dangerous to go through life without him. God will always show you solutions to any life problem if you allow him the ownership of your life. He will make a way for you to overcome every obstacle. There is no problem without a solution but there is no solution outside of God. You can have all you need to become successful but without the Constant, you are vulnerable to the devil, and as good as dead.

Spiritual empowerment does not come by wishing but with demands. Your willingness to yield to these demands is very important. There are three basic ways to be empowered spiritually. One cannot go without the others and none is esteemed above the others.

BE BORN AGAIN

“Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:3-8).

The root of sin in our hearts is extremely deep, and this is the basic cause of our problems; only the fire of the Lord can burn it out. This is precisely what Christ came to do. You have to accept to be one of his before you can access this great privilege.

Being born again is the very first step to be initiated into the kingdom of God. It is the enlistment into the army of Christ to trouble the enemy. Spiritual empowerment comes primarily on the ticket of salvation.

Our lives must be separated unto God. We must go back to him. He is clean and so must we also be. To operate like him, we must be like him. We must be sanctified. We must constantly desire to live sanctified lives. Only the sanctified are ordained to be glorified.

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Timothy 2:19-21).

Sanctification is for all but comes by your willingness. Whatever defiles a man defiles his destiny.

Iniquity is a spirit and can destroy a man’s destiny. Our personal responsibility in the area of cleansing is what positions us for an encounter with God for our success. To delight yourself in iniquity means you are robbing yourself the blessings of God. Sin demotes one’s life but righteousness puts us on the platform for glorification and blessings.

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin in a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

Although we don’t arrive at sanctification, we must continually press on. We all have the potential to be holy.

Although sin is pleasurable, it is but for a moment. Sin is very deceptive. It blinds the eye and the mind. You cannot receive anything from God when you are in sin. Sin entices and temptations are the traps of the enemy meant to destroy and magnetize us. Sin is a spiritual force and it drags men to itself. Whenever you go into sin, you lose your power to confront the devil. By it addictive nature, it becomes like the way human cannot do away with water. It becomes a lifestyle. It dominates and directs one’s destiny and whatever dominates and directs you negatively, ruins your life.

Sanctification is a must for every student who wants to succeed in life. Sexual immorality, covetousness, lying, malice, hatred, weeds smoking, selfishness, abortion, gossiping, mockery, amongst others (which are embodied in the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life), must be dealt with. Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior will give you the power to dominate these sins.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1Corinthians 2:9).

Becoming born again and separating yourself unto God has a lot of benefits for you; you gain access into your inheritance, you receive fresh unction, fresh ideas, fresh wisdom, fresh insights, fresh strength and a lot more from God. Sanctification guarantees answers to our prayers. It guarantees peace, quietness and assurance which grant you boldness. Sanctification gives you divine health, divine favor, assurance of divine protection, access to divine secrets, and a lot more.

“For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promises of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

THE WORD OF GOD

The word of God is the gateway to our stardom. The devil may be having the opportunity to molest you because you don’t know who you are in the word of God. You think you cannot make it because you have been blinded to know who you are. You don’t know you have the mind of Christ because you have not read it in the scriptures.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

“In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2Corinthians 4:4).

As long as we stay with the word of God, we don’t stop making exploits. It is the word of God that tells us who we are and what we have. Nothing can empower our mind than self-discovery and self-identity. The discovery of who we are empowers us to recover all that belongs to us in redemption. As we get to know how beautiful we are when we look into the physical mirror, we also get to know how powerful we are when we look into the spiritual mirror (the Bible). Your true identity is revealed to you in the word of God. The word of God births revelation and revelation paves the way for illumination.

The devil goes every length to make sure he blinds you so you cannot see the potency of the word because he knows it has the ability to create and recreate your destiny. He knows he will be in trouble when you are illuminated. Your faith is built on the word of God, and once your faith is in place, nothing can stop you from succeeding. Power, which is the ability to cause change, comes by the faith you have in the word of God. Even faith which is a living force is primarily drawn from the living word for living proofs. How much you know the word of God and live on is how far you can go. The Bible is a volume of vision. Maybe you are not seeing vision because you don’t know much of the word.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

The book is the manual of the Manufacturer (God) for the manufactured (you). Every product functions best and effectively by the proper use of the manual. Failure to use the manual is the acceptance to misuse the product. As a product from the manufacturing company cannot function effectively without the use of the manual, so can you also not function effectively without the proper use of the word of God. Your power to succeed lies in the light of scriptures. When you live your life in-line with scriptures, you triumph without sweat. Every step you take in life demands adequate knowledge and this knowledge is drawn from the word of God. When you get to know who you are in scriptures, it gives you the confidence to dare the impossible. When the word of God becomes your light, darkness naturally runs from you. Your success is in the power of the word of God. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

The word tells you that no matter the storm, God is still with you. Though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you should fear no evil because he is with you. His rod and his staff comfort you (See Psalm 23:4).

This promise empowers you to walk through life with confidence irrespective of the challenges. When you think nothing is working for you, that is the time you turn to the word of God for empowerment. The more you read, the more you are empowered. The word has the ability to get you back on your feet when life seems to be defeating you. Always run to the word for reinforcement to fight the enemy. You are no threat to the devil when you are empty of the word of God.

Imagine a soldier goes to the battlefield without a weapon. His survival is not guaranteed. You can’t fight the devil without the weapon of the word of God in you.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom...” (Colossians 3:16)

You cannot succeed without the word of God. It is the word you encounter that brings out the best in you. Your success is impossible without being spiritually empowered and spiritual empowerment comes by the adequate knowledge of the word of God. It is the word that tells you that God raised you up together, and made you sit together in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus which in turn empowers you to live as a heavenly citizen. The word tells you God does not delight in the strength of the horse to make you great, he takes no pleasure in the legs of a man to carry you to your destination, but for you to succeed, you must take pleasure in fearing him and hope in his mercy (see Psalm 147:10-11).

You don’t need examination malpractice to excel but the empowerment of God through his word. Labor in the word until you have found your word that will illuminate and empower you to activate that academic giant which has been dormant in you. What you need to succeed is not ahead or behind you, it is inside of you.

FASTING AND PRAYER

Fasting and prayer is a genuine desire for deeper intimacy with the Lord and knowledge of God’s perfect will. It is the secret to obtaining opened doors, miraculous provision, favor, and the tender touch of God upon your life. The power of fasting and prayer moves you from obscurity to opened doors. The dream God has placed inside of you that only He can make possible needs fasting and prayer. Your dreams and visions will be awakened by fasting and prayer. The discipline of fasting and prayer releases the success anointing, favor, and blessings of God. When fasting and prayer becomes a habit, success becomes a lifestyle.

Fasting is not staying without food for a period of time. That will be starving or call it dieting. If your fasting has no spiritual purpose, it becomes a religious activity. Fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose; that is to say, seeking for empowerment to fight the devil. There are certain forces that will never allow you to succeed except you fast and pray. Fasting is a secret source of power.

There was a time a man brought his lunatic son to the disciples for deliverance. They could not do anything and the man sent his son to Jesus Christ. After Jesus delivered the boy, he then told the disciples that they could not cure the boy except they had fasted and prayed (See Matthew 17:14-21). In a spiritual battle, fasting and prayer is non-negotiable.

When we eliminate food for a period of time, our spirits become uncluttered by the things of this world and amazingly sensitive to the things of God helping us to live holy. Whoever is sensitive to hear from God is undefeatable.

Whenever you desire to be closer to God or are in need of great breakthrough in your life, and more importantly success in your examination, remember that it will be impossible without fasting and prayer. Fasting is undoubtedly a secret source of power!

Fasting and prayer is obviously a difficult thing to do because it is not convenient but when God see the desires of your heart, He will provide you with the grace to endure and see the breakthroughs you need to come to pass.

At your level now, I recommend only one type of fast to you. The partial fast amongst the absolute and the normal fast is the best for you now. Depending on your strength, you can fast from 6am to 12 mid-day, 3pm or 6pm. You can also decide to do away with a meal or two in a day as long as your strength can carry you.

“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of skill” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

You need the empowerment of God to overcome every obstacle in this examination. Being born again is an initiation into the kingdom of God, and the word of God illuminates you to know your inheritance in Christ and who you are but fasting and prayer empowers you to get hold on your inheritance.

You were created to have dominion over everything but there is an enemy you must constantly fight. Dominion will remain a mere confession without power and power doesn’t come by wishing. Fasting and prayer is what generates this power for dominion. Dominion will remain a theory without power. The enemy has no respect for your intelligence because intelligence without power will end in frustration. The only language the enemy understands is power. Power is the language of dominion.

You are essentially a spirit, you have a soul and you live in a body. The body which is the container needs physical food to grow, the soul which is the mind needs the word of God to grow, but the spirit which is the real you needs fasting and prayer to stay active to be empowered.

“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about” (Luke 4:1,2,14).

There is the demand of fasting and prayer for empowerment. Forget about empowerment if you are not ready for the demands. It is what you look for that you find. People want change but are not ready to take up responsibilities. You can’t take anything from the supermarket without paying for it. No positive change comes with time. It is only a negative change that comes with time. Every positive change you want to see comes with a responsibility. Prayer is the key that unlocks the package of power. The more you fast and pray, the more powerful you become. In the school of power, fasting and prayer is a determinant factor. It takes power to get hold on what rightfully belongs to you. The power you have determines the exploits you command.

“For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries”(1Corinthians 16:9).

We are to fight for our possessions and we will need power to fight and overcome. Every position attracts opposition and they must be dealt with. Until you travail in fasting and prayers, you will not prevail against them.

Peter is a clear example of demonstration of power. The same Peter who denied his master Jesus Christ before a little girl was empowered to speak against the misdeeds of the people. Peter’s shadow could raise the dead. All these happened after he had fasted and prayed with the rest of the disciples.

In Acts 2:41, three thousand souls were saved, in Acts 4:4, five thousand souls were saved, in Acts 5:14, multitudes of souls were saved, and in Acts 13:44, almost a whole city gathered to hear the word of God. All these happened by the demonstration of power.

No wonder David said in Psalm 63:1-2 that, “O GOD, thou art my God; early will I seek thee; my soul thirsted for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; just to have the power of God to operate” (Emphasis added).

To see the power of God, it will demand your responsibility of fasting and prayers. If you don’t pray, you will become a prey to life’s challenges because the enemy is always looking or the powerless or the vulnerable to attack. You need power to dominate in the affairs of life. You cannot reign without power. Every king needs power to rule and a king like you has to generate power through fasting and prayers to dominate.

Fasting and prayers will bring you into destiny. Fasting and prayers will bring you into alignment with God’s plan for you. Just as the apostles fasted and prayed for their breakthroughs in their assignment, I believe that, likewise, your success in life is always around the corner. God is going to do wonders for you in all your examinations, leading you to get the results you have never dreamt of. Now is the time to fast and pray to seek God diligently, to sanctify yourself, to discern God’s priorities, and to walk in His promises.

Have you ever given your life to JESUS CHRIST? If the answer is NO, then say this prayer with confidence;

Lord Jesus, I know am a sinner. I confess my sins and ask for forgiveness. I come to you in confidence knowing that only you can save me. I confess You as Lord and Savior. From today, I know I am born again. Thank You, Jesus, for saving my life.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Be established in the presence of God and your life will never be the same in JESUS’ NAME!