Transcript: The Mystery of Spiritual Slumber

Listen to this message

Prepared from the audio, so small errors are possible.

God's word is alive and powerful. It is sharper than any double edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and our joints and marrow until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts. Join apostle Emmanuel as he takes us on a journey into the word of God. It is time to encounter God, be transformed by his word, and empowered by his spirit. Psalm 62 verse one. From verse one begins to show you the picture of your life as a believer from verse one to verse five. The Bible says, for Zion's sake, I will not hold my peace. Please pay attention to me. Let your spirit be here.

Let your heart be here. Let your body. Let everything be here. Today is going to be a reawakening. Today is going to be a revival of some sort. Ah, it's going to be a revival oh. So from verse one down to verse five begins to show you the picture of your life as a believer because you are saved, because you are righteous, Because you have accepted the life of God. The Bible says for Zion's sake, I will not hold my peace. You see, for Zion's sake, you are the spiritual Zion. You are the spiritual Jerusalem.

You are the spiritual Israelite. The Bible says in the book of Romans, who are the Israelites? And that book begins to redefine who the Israelites are. That the Israel of God is not just a physical location, but is any man who has accepted the life of God, who has received Christ by faith. That is the seed of Abraham. So you are not Abraham's seed because you are a Jew. You are Abraham's seed because you have accepted the life of God through salvation. So when you hear the promises that God gives to Zion or to Jerusalem or to Israel, you can claim those promises as yours as a believer. Those are words spoken to you as a believer. So if God says I will multiply Israel, what God is saying is I will multiply you as a believer.

Do do you understand that now? You can get my teaching who are the Israelites. I thought there what I'm explaining now. For Zion's sake, will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake, I will not rest. This is God speaking, saying that he will not hold his peace for Zion's sake. He will not rest for Jerusalem's sake. Why he's not holding his peace? Why is he not resting? Until our righteousness goes forth as brightness and our salvation as a lamb that born. You see, this scripture will be a national anthem here until all of you are able to realize what your destiny is in Christ because you are righteous.

Until you come to a place where you are you are you are uncomfortable with your righteousness not burning, with your light not shining even as a believer. This is where I'm bringing you to. Until you get to a place where you should know that as a believer, your greatness should shine. You should not be small, and you should not live a mediocre life because you are a Christian. Gone are the days where people attribute poverty to Christianity. Yeah. No. The Bible says your destiny as a believer is that your righteousness should go forth as brightness. That if you say I'm the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, people should see it in business. People should see it in ministry.

People should see it in your academics. People should see it in your career. People should see it in your workplace. Your righteousness must go forth as brightness. In other words, righteousness is not something that we have as believers to keep us holy and to maintain a form of holiness and maintain a form of piousness while we're in the church. Is not what righteousness is. And our salvation as a lamb that bonds. The whole world must see that you are saved. Look at the next verse. Verse two says, the Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory.

Give me give me NLT. NLT. It says nations will see your righteousness. Look at this. World leaders will be blinded by your glory. Hear me? Hear me? Hear me? That means that the righteousness we have received can be seen. It can be seen.

A lot of people believe that the righteousness you have believed is a form of holiness that keeps us pious in the church. That is not righteousness. Righteousness is the very nature of God. What makes God, God was imputed into you as a believer. In other words, when a believer write an exam, it's as though God write an exam. When a believer goes for an interview, do you know who they're interviewing? Now the question is not do you know who you are interviewing? The question is, does the person who has been interviewed know himself? Because the gate will always ask you, who are you? They ask the king of glory.

Who is the king of glory? The king of glory must be able to define his his his his identity as the Lord strong and mighty. Even before the gates open to the king of glory, they ask him, who are you? In other words, before the gates of life would open to you, they'll ask you, who are you? And you must be able to answer that question. I am the right talking of God in Christ Jesus. And when you are answering, you must know the meaning of what you're saying. That I carry the very nature of God on my inside. And because I carry this, then everything that comes out of me must be exceptional. My life must be different.

I have the wisdom of God. We see bits and pieces of this life manifested in the lives of the old testament patriarchs. When you read the book of Isaiah chapter 11, the bible reveals to us what we now call the manifestation of the seven spirit of God. These seven spirit of God are the different expressions of the holy spirit. Does not mean the spirit of God has seven spirits. It means these are the different expressions and the manifestations of the holy spirit in the Old Testament. And in the Old Testament, it came as the spirit of wisdom. It came as the spirit of the Lord. It came as the spirit of understanding. It came as the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, the spirit of the fear of the Lord.

Now look at this. In the Old Testament, the believers in the Old Testament had encounters with these dimensions of the sound spirit of God individually. So Samson knew the spirit of might. Solomon knew the spirit of wisdom. And if one was available or maybe two was available, you you rarely find all being available. They walked in dimensions. For instance, David had the spirit of count... Spirit of might as well. He had the spirit of the fear of the Lord. But you can see the obvious deficiencies in the life of David.

Based on the manifestation of this spirit that was missing in his life. But guess what? The believer has everything. The believer is not experiencing dimensions of the self spirit of God individually because the holy spirit is tabernacle your insight. All the dimensions are available to you. It means the believer has counsel. The believer has might. The believer has knowledge. The believer has understanding. The believer has wisdom, everything.

The bible says Christ has become wisdom unto us. It means what you have is much more than what Solomon had. And the believer must know this. And if what Solomon had could bring him wealth and riches, how much more what you have? You see, you must you must come to a point where you value yourself as a believer. Where you know that in that is... Has received God is higher than a president. In that has received the life of God is higher than a president. Is higher than a monarch. So in Isaiah, he says the world leaders will be blinded by your glory.

This is what the Bible says. World leaders will be blinded by your glory. You shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord himself will name. You shall be also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal dardom in the hand of your God. Verse four says, you shall no longer be termed forsaken nor shall your land anymore be termed desolate, but you shall be called Efzebah and your land, Beulah. For the Lord delight in you. Your land shall be married. Watch this. All of these are realities of the believer. In verse five, he says, and as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you.

But this is where I'm going. And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. Do do you do you see what you are reading? That God will look at you in heaven. And as you are winning all the awards, as your name is becoming great, as people are celebrating you, as you are standing with presidents, with governors, with kings, God is there in heaven saying that's my son. So shall your God rejoice over you. That every time a believer manifests the fullness of the investment of God in his life, God is rejoicing. So there are two times that God rejoices, that everyone rejoices. The first point is when you are saved. Because the Bible says that when a believer...

When a... An unbeliever becomes saved, heaven rejoices. But that is not the only time heaven rejoices. The second time ever rejoices to you, when you now begin to make use of your salvation. When you now begin to shine in light and glory, when the when the kings of this world become blinded by your glory, where what comes out of you start servicing nations, where your business, your career, where these things start multiplying, start expanding, start increasing. When you rise to the top of your field, God is rejoicing. So when you see a man of God who is sincere in heart and loves Jesus and he packs a stadium full, God is rejoicing. And souls are worshiping. People are coming saved in their numbers. God is rejoicing.

I was in pastor Paul Church, traveled there for a minister's conference. And as I got there, on the last night, the kings of a particular region, all the kings of that region came for that service, the last service. Why did they come? Because during the man's online meeting, the man was prophesying, and he said, I'm seeing a particular region. And he mentioned the name of the region in the spirit. And he said, your lost glory is coming back. God is doing this. He mentioned about three things or four things that he saw God doing. In about one month, everything manifested. All the kings came for service.

All the kings. All the kings. I am king this. I am over that. I am this that. I said, God is rejoicing. God is rejoicing. God is rejoicing. That is territorial dominion. That is the kings of this world being blinded by your glory.

It means when you start a company and a company from The US comes to buy what you started for $4,000,000,000, $40,000,000,000. Heaven is rejoicing. When you write an exam and you become the best in that field, guess what? God is saying that's my son. The Bible says... The Bible says as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride... Do you know what the bridegroom rejoices over the bride for? Uh-huh. Have you seen a bridegroom who is happy and rejoicing when the bride is ugly and and and looking down and looking sorrowful and looking battered and looking bitter? No.

But when the wife is glorified, when the wife is beautified, when the wife dresses up and she's walking down the aisle, the bridegroom is smiling and saying, look at my bride over there and and and and... Oh, God. It means whatever brings you glory brings God glory. I will never be tired of telling you this. It must enter into your consciousness. It must sink into you so that you will know that your desire for greatness is divine. For excellence is divine. There is more to your life than this. It does not matter where you are coming from. You might not have had the best background.

You might not have had the best education. You might not have had the best anything. But as you hear me, God is making you great. So when all these things that God has said manifest, when your name is changed and you are no longer called forsaken, God is rejoicing. When your righteousness bonds are the shining light and your salvation like the dawning of the sun, God is rejoicing. When the king of the world start noticing you and start realizing who you are, when your name in your feet of influence, either in fashion or in whatever it is you do, either you are a writer, you are a business person, a fashion designer, a chef, you have a restaurant, and the king of this world are visiting what you have. The Bible says as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so does your God rejoice over you. The question is, how shall these things be? From verse six downwards, now begins to reveal to you God's mechanism of seeing that the things he has said here will come to pass. In other words, it won't just come to pass because God...

Do you see how verse one begins? Verse one says God himself, he was a prophet that was speaking, but God was speaking through the prophet that he will not rest. He will not hold his peace. Do we think that that is enough to ensure that these things come to pass? You didn't get what I said? You would think that the very fact that God has said, see, over your matter, I will not rest. Over your matter, I will not hold my peace. But then God... One of the ways God will not rest and hold his peace is by ensuring that the strategy he has deployed is monitored to ensure that it comes to pass. From verse six, now begin to show us what the strategy is.

The strategy then becomes, I have set watchmen on your walls. Can you see this? Yes, sir. I have set watchmen. Remember, God said I will not rest. I will not hold my peace. The same God now said, I have set such men on your walls, oh Jerusalem. They shall never hold their peace. Who is... Oh, God.

I I really pray your eyes open. They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent. So these beautiful things that God has said will not just happen. There must be watchmen that God will now begin to set over every prophetic word that he releases. This tells you that whenever God releases a prophetic word over a territory, over Nigeria... Remember, by LTI's prophetic word, over this nation, that there will be a time when Nigeria will become a nation of corruption, that the hallmark of corruption in Africa will be Nigeria. But the time will come that righteousness will exalt us, and nations will travel around the world to learn righteousness from Nigeria. This is a prophetic word that his father gave. The moment that prophetic utterance was altered, God was saying I will not hold my peace.

I will not rest until this divine expression. What does God do rather? He then sets watchmen over that ward. So whenever God comes to a family and God says, in this family, a prophet will arise. In this family, a financial influencer will arise. A kingdom financial will arise. Who will rise to the to the peak of his destiny? I'm raising for myself a musician. It will come from this family. I'm raising for myself a lawyer.

I'm raising for myself an engineer. This lawyer will judge rightly. He will not send innocent people to the prison and to jail because they are poor or because they are broke, because righteousness will exalt a nation. I'm raising for myself a kingdom minister, a kingdom senator, a kingdom politician, and I will see to it that this person rises to the peak of his destiny. His destiny is to become a governor, to become a president. He will sit with kings. Whenever these words come out, whenever prophecies like this emerge, God is saying I'm not rest. But how he how he doeth it is to now begin to raise watchmen over that prophecy to ensure that those watchmen will now not keep quiet, will now not rest. Their responsibilities to ensure that they begin to prophesy what has been prophesied. The bible says day and night, they must set up their altar like a burning flame.

Day and night. I will show you the reason for this. It means if this thing will come to pass, then the watchmen will understand their responsibility. God has said I will not rest. But then he announces I will set watchmen. They will not keep quiet. They will not hold my... Their peace. They will keep on making mention of these promises, of these prophecies to God day and night. Look at the next verse.

Verse seven now says, and they will give God no rest. So how will God not rest? It is you that will give him no rest. So when God says, I will not rest, he's saying give me no rest. The word I have spoken over your life insist it must happen. The responsibility of the watchmen is to ensure what did God say. What has God said? What word was spoken? What did I see? Listen, there are mothers that heard this thing.

A prophet came and told them, this child in your womb will be an apostle to the nations. Listen. The moment God has said it, just because they heard it, there's no meaning to happen. The responsibility of the mother is to give God no rest. They will now insist that God, you are the one that told me, you are the one that told me that this boy will be a prophet, this boy will be an apostle. So I declare that that glory manifest. What has happened is a watchman has arisen. Overseeing that prophecy to ensure thy manifest. Hear me? Give him more rest till he establishes, until he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Give him more rest. There are believers that will insist. God, you have spoken a word over my life. God, you have said so and so about my life. You have said my righteousness will shine forth like a burning light. I insist that this world will find expression. I will not die a slave. I will not die forsaken. I will not die desolate. This is not the end of my life.

Until he establishes Jerusalem. In other words, it is God that will establish it. But you are the one that will ensure by standing in your position as a watchman that that word God has spoken is established. You know why? Because the word God has spoken is like a seed. It must be watered until its time of harvest comes. That time of harvest is the season of manifestation. That's the appointed time. Between the season of planting, between when the word came and the time of manifestation, the devil will come to interrupt the process. That's why watchmen are needed.

There are many times the prophecy will not manifest the date was spoken. There are many people that were told that they will become prophets. They will become evangelists. They are told that God hands upon them. Right now, they are 50 year old. They are doing conductor. There are many people smoking under the bridge. Yet the hand of God is upon them. There is a prophecy over their over their head. There are many women exchanging boys up and down, being long scale, being prophetess, but there's prophecy over their head.

There are many families in lack today whose life are the complete opposite of what was promised, but there's promise but there's prophecy over their head. There are families that are begging today. The children are struggling to make hens meet. To pray this kufu of the child is a problem. If such children don't insist that the prophecy must come to pass, that my life will not end like this, then they will only hear of the prophecies. They will only hear of the promises, but they will never see it manifest. They will never see it manifest. There are watchmen. In Ezekiel chapter 33 verse seven, the bible says, so you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Do you know that even for salvation to find expression, there were watchmen that were interceding on earth for Jesus to manifest.

And for some of them, God told them they will not die until they see the manifestation of that prophecy. Their assignment was to stand as watchmen so that the the promise of salvation could find expression. One of them was Simeon. In the book of Luke chapter two from verse 25, the bible says, and behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And this man was just. This man was devout waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the holy spirit was upon him. 26, it had been revealed to him by the holy spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Why? Because he's a watchman. Such people must not die.

His responsibility is to stay there as a watchman until what he was watching over manifest. Verse 27, so he came by the spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought the child Jesus, do you know that the parent did not go to him to say, I could be more? The moment the child manifested, it was a spirit that... It was in his house. Then the spirit told him, arise. Go there now. What you have been praying for, what you have been interceding for, what you have been standing on the guard for, what you have been watching over. The bible says, and when the parents brought the child to do for him according to the custom of the law. Next verse, the bible says, he took him up in his hands and blessed God and said, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word.

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all the peoples. A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel. Who told him all these things? Was it him that the angel appeared to? So who told him that what he was holding was a savior? Who told him that what he was holding was a lie to the Gentiles? Isn't that what Judah said about himself? That I'm a lie to the Gentiles. Now Simeon is saying, finally, my eyes have seen. For many years, I've been watching over this prophecy to ensure that it is not thwarted, to ensure that it finds expression, to ensure that it manifests, to ensure that the seasonal appointment comes.

Now my eyes have seen the light of Israel, the glory of the Gentiles. This was a watchman. Do you know that this thing was so serious that he was not the only watchman? In verse 36, the bible says, now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Fanuel of the tribe of Harsha. She was a... Of a great age and had lived with a on... With a husband seven years from her virginity. And this woman was a widow of about eighty four years who did not depart from the temple even when her husband died, but was watching. She was watching, serving God with fastings, serving God with prayers night and day. Coming in in that instance also gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

So even Hannah knew that the one I'm carrying now is the redemption of Jerusalem. How did she know? They knew what they were waiting for. They were watching for something. These were watchmen that God had put to ensure that the prophecy... Do you know the importance of what they were doing? In Revelations 12, the Bible says that now a great sign appear in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head, a gallon of 12 stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. Being with child, the prophecy of this child or the revelational prophecy of this child is that of Jesus, the salvation of Israel.

And the bible says that in the realm of the spirit, she's like a woman. That's Mary's. She's like a woman that is... That wants to give birth. Right? In labor, that wants to give birth. In verse three, the bible says as she's doing this, as she's in labor, another sign appeared in heaven. Behold, a great fiery red dragon having seven heads, having 10 horns, having seven diadems in her head, stood in front of the woman. Yet when the angel came to the woman, the angel said that was highly favored. Do you know what is waiting for you?

Who is favored? Even Mary did not know that this thing is written up. Whereas, this is a reality in eternity past that a woman would conceive. And when that woman conceives, a great dragon will be standing. You see, the woman... If you read the story, the woman was delivered in that revelation, was taken to the earth, and she delivered well. The the... What made her deliver well was why the watchman was set so that the dragon would not be able to take the child. The watchmen had to be set to ensure that the plans of God will not be thwarted because as the child was coming, there was a dragon in front. In other words, the assignment of watchmen is to guard the purpose of God, to guard the prophecies, to guard the promises, to ensure that what God has decided he will do, he will do, and nothing will stop it.

Some of you are watchmen over your families. Some families are the way they are now because something happened to the watchmen. Some lives are struggling right now. They are a complete opposite to the prophecy that was said over their lives because something happened to those watchmen. There are times when a family will be in darkness. Maybe they are all Muslims, or maybe they are all idol worshipers, or maybe they go to a church, but there's no light. It is all just as darkness. And out of every member of the family, God will separate one person. And only that person will come to a place like BCM where he's not hearing revelation, where he's not seeing light, where he's not seeing that my God, my God, my God, what the situation of my family should not be so. How my parents are living, how my family is living, and everybody has become comfortable.

They have accepted it as normal thing. It's not a normal thing. That's not how God... The solution many a times is not to come and meet me and to tell me, sir, can you speak a word? It's to realize that the fact that you are the only one that has light means God has made me a watchman. It is the person that has light that will lead out of darkness. And some of you are watchmen over your families. Some are more than families. Some people are watchmen over nations. Yes.

Some people are watchmen over territories. When God promises a nation revival, when God promises a territory revival, he will appoint watchmen over that revival. Because the devil will do everything to ensure that the word that has been spoken does not manifest. The devil's assignment is always to ensure that what God said does not come to pass. And the devil does not have power over that in itself, but he can do something to the watchmen. That is my teaching today. In the book of Matthew chapter 13 and verse 24, the bible says, another parable put it forth unto them saying, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. The bible says in the book of Luke 11 verse eight that the word of God is the seed. The seed, eight eight eleven, the seed is the word of God. The seed is the word of God.

In other words, when the word of God comes to a man, it comes as a seed. It means it must grow. It must grow. It must reach a point of harvest. It must reach a point... It's not the day that the word came that will manifest. The word of God will mature because it's a seed. What I'm trying to tell you is that if the seed is planted, the moment the word has come, the devil he heard it too. He also heard it. And his responsibility from that day is to ensure that that word that has come does not come to pass.

He cannot do anything to the word because the word is more than him. Are you with me? But there are those that are meant to watch over that world until it grows to manifestation, until it grows to fulfillment, until the time of the appearance comes. There are those that should watch over it. So when the word comes that this lady will be the next Kefrin Koman, there are those that must begin to watch over that word. There are those that God will set over that prophecy. When the word was coming, the devil also ate it. And to ensure that it does not happen, the devil will now begin to ensure that the people that has been set as watchmen now begin to slumber. The moment they slumber, he can now go and do something. You will hear a uncle will come by when the girl is eight years old, and the uncle will come and molest her.

Rape her right there. That access came because a watchman was sleeping. That's why the next verse now says, but while men slept. My teaching today is titled the mystery of spiritual slumber. While men slept, there is nothing wrong with the prophecy. Guess what? The prophecy will remain powerful because God has said, as long as heaven and earth remains, not a doubt of my word will come back to me unfulfilled. It means if I have said it, it must not come back to me unfulfilled. Does not mean it will fulfill over the life it was promised. The life that the world came to might be irresponsible, but the world remains powerful.

The world will remain for its seed, for its seed seed, for its generations to come until it manifest. But it it must manifest. It must manifest. While men slept. While men slept. While men slept. An enemy came. The enemy can do nothing about what was spoken until men sleep. Can do nothing about the word spoken until men sleep. Until men sleep.

The devil has no access to a territory until men sleep. The devil has no axe. Do you know that nothing just happens? Our our family was doing well before, but sad, I don't even know what happened. All of a sudden, my family... My my father lost his job. A man slept. That's what happened. The devil cannot steal, kill, or destroy until a man sleeps. It means the warfare really starts from ensuring that men slumber.

Because the moment the devil is able to introduce slumber, then he has access into any territory. Remember, God is this... God is the very person that sets watchmen over his prophecies. God is the very one that sets watchmen to ensure that the word he has spoken finds expression, to ensure that these people are always on guard. They are might to give him no rest. So when the devil is able to make those men sleep, the sleep doesn't need to last long. This parable indicates that within a short period of spiritual slumber, an irreparable damage can happen. The sleep never leads to last long. Never needs to last long. Never needs to last long.

It can be just one month. In that one month, seasons of appointment is coming. Seasons of manifestation is coming, and the devil will come and do something. Plant anger in someone. Plant discord in someone. Plant strife in the family so that when the season comes and opens up, none of them is talking to each other. Everybody's angry with themselves. I have seen people, children, who God has spoken a word over them. Prophetic destinies they are carrying, but they are working with bad friends up and down. Smoking and doing all kinds of things.

Usually, it is because somebody slept. I heard a story of a young man. He got a job in The US, All expense paid. A week before he was meant to travel, he stood up from his house, walked out, and never came back. Somebody slept. That's not normal. That's the devil. The devil is real, and he plans attacks, coordinated attacks. And the intention of his attack is to ensure that that which God has spoken doesn't find expression. You must ensure that there are times when God will tell you in this office, in this organization, I'm lifting you high.

You'll become the head and not the tail. You are not the only one that edit. You must ensure that you are not sleeping Because a moment of slumber and you can come and plant anger in your boss's heart. It can't do anything about the world. But the men that will cause your lifting, who in themselves have not known God, they will begin to hate you for no reason. They will say, why is he the only one that is rising? What's what's going on? And if you are slumbering, you won't know the right response to do. You will respond in the flesh. What can...

What could have been easily killed that water could have been poured on that fire will now become a wildfire. Before you know, the same God who told you that you will become a lifted head in that office will now watch out and sack you. Did God not speak? No. But the wisdom that was not applied was because there was a moment of slumber. Whilst they are fighting you, wisdom will now tell you in the place of prayer. Take a seat. Go and sow to that man that is fighting you. And you're wondering how. But I got a report yesterday that he said so and so about me, but he didn't tell you face to face.

It's not nobody that told you. It might be true, but take a seed. Go and water down what is brewing. And whilst we don't speak, the reason why such a thing can come to your spirit space is because you are at alert. The devil came to plant a seed, but you were standing strong. You could pick it in the realm of the spirit. Your ears were not deaf. Your eyes were not were not blind. There are many people like that that the devil... Listen.

The devil cannot just plan an attack against a believer that you won't know anything about. It's not possible. God does not leave us comfortless. The problem many a times is spiritual slumber. And even those that God has made watchmen over their own lives. That God has said, see, you have a great destiny. And the vision, the word upon your life was forced upon your mother, was forced upon her grandmother. But she made a terrible mistake in marriage, And the word went over her, landed on your mother. Your mother to follow the same pattern of the grandmother made a terrible mistake in marriage. The word went over her.

Now it's upon your life. Now somebody that used to burn for God. Marriage killed the fire that she had for God before she married. Killed the passion, killed the love, all the visions she had for God before she married. Marriage killed everything. This was the same pattern the grandmother had. The grandmother had. Now there is nobody to stand as a watchman over that world. And God is saying, young lady, listen to me. Now that you are growing, you are the watchman over that prophecy.

Ensure that you insist that you find the expression. I will not end the same way my parents ended. I won't follow the same pattern. Listen. And there are times when the eyes of the girl will be opened because of the light she has received to identify the pattern and say, ah, something is wrong with this family. My life will not end like this. But just the fact that she said does not mean to not happen. There are many times that she will say it like that, and exactly what she said her life will not end is what she will play into. Why? Because the devil was capable or was able rather to make her empire into a state of spiritual slumber.

When the devil wants to avert a prophecy, what he does is not to attack the prophecy. He has no power against the prophecy. The prophecy will always remain, but it will always ensure that the watchmen in that house always sleeps. And listen. Whenever a family is destined for greatness, that prophecy will always hang to that family. There must be a member that will fulfill what God has said. The devil will ensure that everybody is irresponsible, Everybody is slumbering. Everybody... And he will do it in a way. It will come either by distraction, either by either by the loss of the flesh, the pride of the eyes, anything really, but it will come just to ensure that they lose focus, they lose target, and nobody ever enters into that manifestation.

Words can hang over generations for many years until it lands upon a person. The bible says God sent a word to Jacob. He lighted upon Israel. But the world that lighted upon Israel was not even originally to Jacob. It was first to Abraham. It was God that told Abraham, I will make you a great nation. That word was to Abraham did not manifest in Abraham, did not manifest in his grandson. It manifested in his great grandson. Why? Because when God came the first time, what was he doing?

He was sleeping. When he woke up, he said God was here, and I knew it not. That cost him twenty one years of labor. When God came again, he was alert. The bible says the angel told him, let me go. He said, won't let you go. My eyes are open now. I have known what slumber can cost a man. It can cost a man 23 years of labor. I won't make the same mistake.

Now my eyes are open. Now my eyes are open. I will not let you go until you bless me. I will not let you go until you bless me. It was in that moment that God... That the angel had told Jacob, from today henceforth, your names have been called Israel for thou art had power with God and you have prevailed. You have power with God and you have prevailed. Imagine when that angel came, he was still sleeping. Just imagine. Just imagine.

I have seen what slumbers cost men in scripture. Have you not seen Esso? That was a dimension of spiritual slumber that would make a man say, what is my prophetic destiny to me? That was what he said. He said, what is my birthright to me? It doesn't matter. See, take it and go. Just give me food. People are willing to exchange money for their destiny. Exchange even relationship for their destiny.

A prophet tells him, listen, listen, the way you are going. If you get... If you continue like this, what God has said over your life will be affected. He said, what... What's my business? I... But I love him. That's the era of Islam. We are willing to trade the material for eternal. It's slumber.

This job this job opportunity, I don't sense God is there, but you know how much they are paying me. It's a dimension of slumber. Maturity many a times is knowing what doors God did not open. The man of God said, some... He got an invite to go and minister in UK some years ago. And when he went to go to go and thank him for the invite that came from UK, God said, I'm not I'm not aware I opened any door in The UK. I'm not aware. You see, people now open the door. Oh, God. Wiles men slept.

The devil can do nothing as long as there are men standing on guard who will give God no rest until he brings that thing to fulfillment. But between the time the prophecy was sown and the time it will manifest, the devil wants access. He wants to cause a disruption. He wants to plan an attack. He wants to plan an onslaught. And the only way he does this is to make the man sleep. Spiritual slumber is a big problem plaguing Nigeria, plaguing many parts of the world right now. Men are sleeping. There are there are there are false teachers, false prophets that have permitted their way into the body of Christ who are propagating nonsense doctrine because that didn't mean who are to be arounder of the truth in righteousness slept. First Thessalonians chapter five and verse six, the bible says, therefore, let us not sleep.

This was Paul speaking. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do. So we agree there are those that sleep even amongst us. We agree there are those that have become comfortable in slumber even amongst us. But believers, listen. Let us not sleep. Instead of sleep, what do we do? But let us watch. Remember that what God does is to assign watchmen. A man that sleeps can therefore not watch.

And when a man cannot watch, then the prophecy God has spoken over your life will continue to linger and linger and linger and linger until it passes the season of manifestation. I looked at the girl some time ago, and I said, you are just behaving like a baby girl because you think you still have time. Rather, there's prophecy hanging over your head. When will you take your life seriously? You are angry with everybody or offended at everybody. I don't know the devil has successfully put you in a state of slumber. I look... I said ten years from now, you will look at your life and watch where where life went on. That time you think you have, it'll amaze you how fast it will go. And you'll be ecstatic and wonder why I've not done anything reasonable with your life.

Because when you should be moving forward, you thought you had time. Slumber. A state of spiritual slumber. Hear me? Let us not sleep. Let us watch. Let us be sober. This was Paul speaking. Watch Peter's version of this. First Peter five and verse eight.

This was Peter speaking. The bible says, Peter, be sober. Be vigilant because your adversary, the devil, he walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. And he can't devour everybody, but the one who becomes not sober, the one who becomes not watchful, the one who he makes slumber, then he will devour. It is true that your adversary the devil walks about, but he's looking for whom to devour. The people that he has opened the doors for him to enter through slumber, through sleeping. While they should be taking their life seriously, praying, fasting, waiting on God, fellowshipping with God, fulfilling the demands of destiny, reading. The guy is watching movies. The guy is heavily distracted. He spends hours on YouTube watching nonsense, seasonal movies, nonsense.

Everyday pornography, masturbation. The guy does not know I am stumbling. I am sleeping. And the more I sleep, the more I give the devil access to wreck my life, to wreck my destiny, to wreck my future. The more I sleep. Sober, he says. Be vigilant. Be sober. Be vigilant. Be watchful.

Never allow for a moment of slumber. Man of God, listen to me. The devil is watching over our prophecy. Hear me. Every moment of slumber, it permeates. He has access. Hear me. You will not suffer my foot to be moved. I carry your presence everywhere. Let your mind be so Listen.

The first mistake that Samson made was to tell Delilah his strength. But that alone was not even enough to make the Philistines kill him. They had to wait until he slept. Telling Delilah, the friend, was not the problem. The problem was that he slept. It was as Samson slept that his hair were cut off. Do you know that it would not have been a wise strategy for Delilah to have gone to the Philistines and told for every time, it would not have been a wise thing for Lila to have gone to the Philistines and told them that the source of Samson's strength is his air. So next time you go to battle, cut his air. How would they have done that? They would die before they can reach it.

It means there are times when you can even foolishly tell people what you are not meant to tell them. The question is, I... Will you sleep after? Because even the foolish thing you have told someone cannot be used against you unless you sleep. You will lift my life for the bottom. Do you know that Daniel, whilst he was in Babylon, was not told to stop praying. The decree was tell everybody to stop praying for thirty days. The devil does not need you to slumber all your life. The decree was static. What does what does thirty days have to do with anything?

If you really want to pass a decree, why not say nobody should pray again if not to the king? Who would have known, okay, is a corporate attack. But the attack was just thirty days. The question is, what was to happen in those thirty days? What was to happen in those thirty days whilst men slept. Do you realize that do you realize that Esther was in the palace? And Amman did not send that Esther was in the palace. Amman was planning the destruction of the Jews, whereas his queen was a Jew. What authority? What audacity?

He didn't care. He kept on planning. Why? Because the queen was sleeping. Mordecai was the one that came and wrote to her and said, what what are you doing there? Are you only eating and drinking? Do you think if they come for us, they won't come for you? Do you think if we die, won't die? Immediately, the queen rose up. She said, what have I been doing?

I've been sleeping. I've been sleeping. Call the three days fasting prayer. Romans chapter 11 and verse seven. The bible says, what then? Israel have not obtained that which is seeketh for, but the election has obtained it. Israel has not obtained it, but the election, those that were elected in promise has obtained it. Why did all that not obtain it? Because they were blinded. The promise was to all, but there were some that were blinded.

What was the cause of their blinding? The bible says... Next verse. The bible says, according as it is written, God has given them the spirit, KJV, of slumber. What is the implication of the spirit of slumber? Eyes that they should not see, ears that they should not hear. That when slumber begins to plague a man, one of the ways you know a man has started slumbering is that he will have eyes, yet he will not see. Every other person would see what he has to do to progress. They will tell him severally. They will tell him, you are so gifted.

You are so grace. Go and start this thing. But he will... He he will nod. He will nod. He will hear what they are saying, but he has not seen it. He will come to experience like this. Hear the truth, but not see it. Not hear it. Instructions will pass over his ears, and he would not see them as his ease.

He will receive words as advice. Stay with me. Do you know that in Ephesians five fourteen, slumber was compared to death? That if a man entered into a state of spiritual slumber is as good as dying, the bible says, awake them that sleep, arise from the dead. That a man entered into a state of slumber and is as good as the man is dead. The question is, what do you know about dead men? Dead men have no perception of what is going on around them. This... Dead men can do nothing about what is going on around them. Dead men have no awareness of what is going on around them.

And when a man is in a state of slumber, he has no perception. He has no awareness, and he can do nothing. That's why the first sign of spiritual slumber is lethargy. The Greek word for slumber that is used in Romans when the bible says he had given them the spirit of slumber. The Greek the Greek word slumber is the word catanoxis. Catanoxis. Catanoxis means to be lethargic. It means to be in a state of apathy, to lack enthusiasm, to lack the energy to act. That is what slumber does to the believer. It causes your ability to respond to circumstances and situations to be spiritually impaired.

The believer has no no no enthusiasm anymore. He's just doing things to fulfill all righteousness so that they will see that they will not say I'd not do it. This is how a believer will know the devil has plagued me with slumber. I'm starting to sleep spiritually. That word slumber is what describes or the experience you have when a person is facing tricked. And you'd expect that the person should run away, but the person just stands there in a panic attack and cannot do anything. Do you understand what I'm saying? You will be saying, yeah, run, run, and the guy is crippled by fear, too shocked to act. That's also the word that describes slumber. It's also the word catanoxes.

It means you... The way you would normally respond to a threat, slumber will make you lethargic, immobilized because your perception has been shut down. Apathy for spiritual things. Apathy towards life and destiny. Towards life. This is your life. This is your destiny. Do something. You know you are meant to read. You know you are meant to study.

You know you are meant to pray. When slumber is introduced, the desire to do these things is the first thing that is attacked. That hunger dies, and there's apathy. That apathy will make you irresponsive to every single thing you are told. Completely irresponsive, then they will teach you that you need relationships. Speak to someone. Talk to this person. Let them help you. Apathy, slumber will make you in... Total disinterest even to what you are told.

A sleeping man is angry with everybody that tries to wake him. You go and try and wake somebody that is deep in sleep. They can hit you. They can slap you. That's why when somebody in slumber is corrected, their response is hunger. They become offended. They become hungry because they're unable to see. They are the ones that planned an alarm that I want to wake up by 6AM. But in the state of sleep, a man has no sense. He can't see.

His perceptions are dead. He can't reason. He exists in a state all by himself. He can no longer see a single thing anybody is saying. So when they try to wake him up and they say, Kai, you should be doing something. Be careful. Why? He sees everyone who loves him as an attacker of him. People that will tell him, listen, you are being foolish. Do you know that it's a miracle to realize you are foolish?

The bible says if any man lacks wisdom, the first miracle is realizing that you lack it. Is a man that knows he lacks, I will ask. Yes, sir. The first miracle is realizing you lack wisdom. So the bible says if any man lack, the question is, if somebody tells you you lack wisdom, will you say thank you? Or will you say, why are you insulting me? Why are insulting me? A state of spiritual slumber makes you everything that should advance your destiny, including our students going to class. The guy is just... The guy drags himself for anything that should advance his destiny.

Coming to church, Ah, you have to force him. Even if he comes, it will be because he will look for the slightest excuse not to. And if he can find it, ah, glory to God. I'm having headache. I'm having headache. I don't have transport. If he looks and there's no excuse, he will drag himself and he will come. But peradventure, the devil is able to provide a reasonable reason why it should not. Then Stobach will make him make it. And that day might be the day is what he sent.

Lethargy, spiritual apathy towards the demands of destiny. They are given a book to read in the department, and they say finish this book in one month. It is in the fourth week on Thursday. When the month will end Saturday, I will now pick up the book and say, ah, they say we should read a book. You know that there are many students right now who are on break? Because UI is on break currently. And you would think that the exam is just meant to start a week. Before a week, the student was complaining that I'm not prepared. Now God does a miracle, and he's given three weeks. And you will think that he will go back to God and say thank you for answering my prayers.

You will be shocked he's at home right now watching Netflix. When the exam comes and they resume, guess what the story will be? I'm not prepared. And you will think that the fact that you have time is a miracle. It is not. It is not. It can be an advantage and a powerful disadvantage. It can be an advantage and it is a powerful disadvantage. That dangerous state of lethargy. Number two, May you wake up today.

Hear me. If the devil is able to attack you with slumber, just he has he has had access to your life. And many a times to repair can be very costly. Slumber can make you lose relationship that matter. A a moment of slumber, people that are important to your destiny, slum a moment of slumber, and to repair that thing back by the time you are awake to say, ah, let me start making amends can be very difficult. A moment of slumber. A moment of slumber can sink a man into depression, into condemnation. Where things you have been taught, you know I should not be condemned. You have been taught that a believer is not condemned. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who have received the life of Christ.

There's therefore now no condemnation. But when you make a simple mistake, you will find out that the devil intentionally plans the mistake to watch your response. The mistake is not the problem. Your response in condemnation is your choice. The moment you responded in condemnation, you slipped into a state of slumber. And whatever the devil wants to do in that moment, he can come and plant tears amongst the wheat. It is dangerous to give the devil space, but when you give him space, he will always ask for more. The devil is never comfortable with just a small plot. You give him a small plot, the next thing will have for is an acre. That's why a wise man never allows the devil access to his life.

A wise man is always on guard. Did you hear what Jesus told Peter? Satan has desired to have you, that he might sift you as wheat. But I've prayed for you. It was the same Peter who now said, be sober. Be vigilant because you have an adversary who is waiting like a lion. The devil is like a lion. The Bible says he is like a roaring lion. It means his hunting strategy is like that of a lion. How does a lion hunt?

He he observes in the dark. He's very quiet. Doesn't want the enemy to know that he's there. Just sitting still, observing. And the moment the animal is vulnerable, where he is not observing, where in his weak, when his guards are down, when he has lost consciousness, when he has lost perception of his environment. When he's when he's when he's distracted, either by the food he's eating, then all of a sudden, pow, he comes. That is exactly how the devil act. It does not come in your moment of strength. He would wait till the bible says, be sober. Be vigilant.

You are watchmen over the prophecies God has written over your life. Your assignment is to ensure that you insist that nothing will interfere with the promise. Nothing will interfere with the promise. Not a moment of weakness, not a moment of sadness. If at all I make a mistake, I will not slumber. I remember I told you that Samson made a mistake, but the mistake was not what killed him. It was slumber that killed him. How would you tell somebody the secret of your strength and still sleep on their laps? Come on now. Come on now.

Come on now. Due to the depth of that slumber, the first time you told this person a false truth, the person deployed the false truth and used it against you, called the Philistines to come and see if it was true. Now you tell the person the actual truth and still risk sleeping. But get my point. The problem wasn't that he made a mistake. It means there are many that believers can sincerely make a mistake. Does not mean the devil still have access to your life. Do you know what it means for you to be shielded in Christ? For you to be in Christ. But a believer can expose himself by allowing condemnation, by allowing the works of the flesh, by now sipping into a pit of the the the depression, frustration, sadness, and sorrow, a state of slumber.

By the time you wake up and say, ah, let me now start the things I've been doing before. Do you know what has been planted? These people woke up. They woke up. That's when they found out as something has been planted. The master said to uproot it now is dangerous. Because if you attempt to uproot it right now, when we do damage to even the one God planted. A married couple, be sober, be vigilant. Because that happy home you are smiling about, my mother would say my mother would always say proverb in Yoruba. I will say it in Yoruba then find a way to say it in English.

My mother would say, In other words, joy that is dancing on the stage should not forget that sadness is behind the stage waiting for his downfall. No true words. So the bible says, let him that thinketh his stand. Take heed. Even the one that thinks his stand, let him take heed lest he falls. Ah, I I told myself that I would fast for for the next three days. By 10AM, I forgot even what God told me while I was praying, and I went to eat. The response is not condemnation. The response is, father, I've come to you in mercy. I repent for this.

I go and I continue with this fasting process because you must not slumber. Be vigilant. What the Bible says rather. Be vigilant. God is the one that shows mercy. The devil does not. The devil has no atom of mercy because he wasn't shown mercy. In other words, it is a man that has received mercy that can show mercy. That's why the bible says as you have been forgiven, so forgive. The devil cannot be forgiven.

So he has no he has no such thing as forgiveness. He cannot... He has no power. It it does not. It cannot. Are you with me? How do you know that your life is under attack and the spirit of slumber has plagued your life and destiny? A state of chronic fatigue. This is not normal tiredness. No.

It is a tiredness that comes as a result of the onslaught of the spirit of slumber. The person feels tired doing the things that make for destiny. It's not as though he get... We went to work and was tired. He wakes up and he's too tired to pray, and he are just finally sleeping with each other once. And he wake up, and he's he's too tired to pray. He wants to fast, and he's too tired to fast. He's too tired. Everything just looks burdensome. As though he's carrying weight of seventy kg.

That is how prayer of ten minutes look. He's praying for ten minutes and as though he's struggling with the entire world, slumber has been introduced. He read this bible, and the bible looks like the most burdensome thing ever. In two minutes, his head is oscillating. He wakes up again oscillating. He feels just tired doing the things that made for destiny. It is an onslaught of slumber. Do you know that a hard heart is also a symptom of slumber? In the book of Matthew chapter 13, the Bible says, for their heart, the heart of these people have grown dull. Verse 15, their ears are hard of hearing.

And their eyes are closed. Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears. Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them. In other words, they know that I'm meant to heal them, but they will not turn. They will not understand. They will not hear because their heart is hard. And there are people like that. Hard heartedness is a symptom of slumber. Where nothing is as though no truth you can say can pierce the person's heart. The person is as stubborn as a goat.

What I want to do with what I will do. Not my pastor, not my spiritual authority, not my spiritual father, not anybody can speak to me. I've decided that I will do it. Number three is spiritual blindness. For those who have yielded to this spirit of slumber, their ability to see is impaired. Their ability to perceive spiritual truth is diminished. Diminished completely. Diminished completely. They can't see what you are saying. They can't hear what you're hearing in as much as they have eyes and they have ears.

But when slumber plagues a man, then the revelation that should make for his deliverance will skip him by, will pass him by. Sleeping people are the one that miss opportunities because when the opportunity comes, they are asleep. So when you send a link and you tell the person apply for this job, slumber will not make him apply. Say this conference is free. Let's go. Slumber will not make him go. As long as his destiny is concerned, slumber will... The only thing that he will find peace doing is sleeping. But you tell him, take an action. Let's go for this meeting.

Let's go for this crusade. It look as though you are forcing life out of him. And slumber plagues a man. It's a dangerous thing. They are blind to opportunities. They are blind to progress. They are blind to harvest. Number four is distraction. When slumber plagues a man, he's heavily distracted. In first Kings chapter 20 from verse 39, the Bible says, now as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, your servant went out into the midst of the battle.

And there, a man came over and brought a man to me and said, guard this man. If by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life. Or else you shall pay talent of silver. Your life shall be for his life. If you hear somebody tell you that, guard this person with your life. If he goes missing, he will kill you. What do you think that person would do? But not when slumber is there. Slumber does not make you have an idea what price is being lost. Slumber does not make you have an idea of consequence.

Slumber doesn't make you think implication. The next verse, you would think because the bible says that his life is on the line. He would take that assignment seriously. But watch this. While your servant was busy here and there, the person that they put in your gear was gone. What were you now busy doing? Busy here and there. Busy here and there. Doing what? When the devil wants to plague a man with slumber, one of the things he does is to introduce distraction.

You will think every other thing is reasonable except your purpose. You begin to have several inclinations to do every single thing but have no focus to do one thing. At the end of the day, you will find that you're not making any progress. You're always writing things down, things you want to do, things you want to do, things you want do, things you want to do. But there will be one distraction that will always come and slap you off the path. And it will come as reasonable things. It will come as things that things that make sense to you. Except for the fact that you will stay on that path for the next five years, for the next six years, ten years. And you now realize that nothing you wrote down to do with your life and destiny has been accomplished. Rather than going out front that the path you followed that led you here, even though in sensibility looked logical, was a distraction.

Distraction is one of the worst ways the devil plagues men. Distraction is one of the worst ways the devil plagues men. While I was busy here and there, Distraction from God, distraction from the things of God, distraction from destiny even. Whilst you are where you are, let the holy spirit speak to your heart. And when you realize that I think that one of these signs have been manifesting for some time in my life, heavenly father, I repent. Today, I plug into that prophecy and I awake. I awake from slumber. I awake from slumber. I awake from slumber. The fact that I'm speaking does not mean several people will wake up.

Awake from slumber. Another marker of the spirit of slumber plaguing a land's life is always the feeling of constant overwhelming. You just feel as though you are constantly overwhelmed. And by the time you now hear what you are doing, it will be so mind... It will be so small. But in your mind, it looks so big. It's slumber. Where the forty five minutes of prayer looks heavy, looks like a burden. And you have to go to class and come back. And the person says I'm burnt out.

I'm overwhelmed. It's too much. Do you know the price others are paying for destiny? How will you say that this this small thing you have been given is too much? I told you the story of a man that went to heaven and was complaining when he met Jesus in that vision, complaining of his the load he was carrying on earth. How about the challenge of ministry, challenge of his family, challenge of... It is just too much for him to bear. And God and Jesus took him to a room filled with bat balls and buckets that were transparent. And you could see like a liquid in gold form on their inside. And they were, some were half filled, some were fully filled.

Very big bowl, some were very big. Some were small. Little containers. Even the little container was still not filled. And God told him, this represents the load and the burden and the price you have to pay for destiny. If you are not comfortable with the one you currently have, pick another one. And he looked for the smallest one he could find. Found the smallest one, and he picked it. And he said, wow. That's the one you're currently carrying.

That's the one you're currently carrying. The one you came and complained about, that's it. And he woke up. You mean there are people carrying this, carrying that, carrying this, carrying that, and I think that nobody can understand me. It is pride to say that. It is it is the height of pride. Nobody can understand me. Nobody can understand. Are you... It's called the feeling of overemphasized importance.

Yes. You are not so unique. There's nothing new under the heavens. The life we are running is a race, and it is a relay race. Battles are transferred. The life you are living now is a continuation of somebody else's life. A batten, a mountain was passed over to you. The struggles you are facing, somebody has faced before, and they have conquered it. There's nothing too big for you to come out of. The bible says God will never tempt us with what is more than our strength to bear.

So what is the problem really? I lost my parents when I was young. You won't be the first person. I sympathize for you, but come out of regret. Come out of pain. Come out of frustration fast before you before you allow that loss become your... The reason for your undoing. Else when destiny ask you, why did you not make it? Nobody will answer because nobody will hear because my parents died. That might have been true, but Esther had no parents, so Why did he not make it?

Sir, I told people my dream, but nobody supported me. Even my father laughed at me. You won't be the first person. Go and meet Joseph. He will tell you that when I told people my dreams, the moment I told people, what came immediately was an attack from my immediate family. That is an attack. What if the guy was sleeping? What if he was in a state of slumber? Do you know even the father did not understand his dream? You would think the father would tell him.

The father was was was Jacob. You would think after his encounter with God, he would understand that his son has a prophetic destiny. And he will now say, ah, God has shown you this. The guy said, are you saying you... You'll be more than your father... Your brothers? Are you saying that your father, your mother will bow down to you? Be careful. That was Jacob's advice to his son. Spiritual slumber, a dangerous place for a believer to be.

And the thing is, you can be there for many years and not know you are there. Because sometimes you can have a sense, a false sense of peace. That false sense of peace is because your ability to perceive is dead. So you would think that everything is okay. Do you know that if a man is plagued with sleep, he can be sleeping in a burning house? And he would think everything is okay because he has a false sense of peace. I had I had I had someone once who was sleeping. I was reading with a candle on a plastic chair and fell asleep, and the candle burned to the last quarter, and the and the chair took fire and did not wake up. I'm serious. The the front of the chair burnt like this.

His head was still like this. He didn't wake up until somebody came and slapped him up. I think it was my mother. My mother came and slapped him. That was when he saw that there was danger. Whilst he was asleep, he didn't see anything. That is the reality of spiritual slumber. So you have a false sense of peace, a false sense of everything is okay. Everything is good. I'll be fine.

You won't be fine. You won't be fine. And it will be too late before you realize. It will be too late before you realize. Awake, them that sleep. Awake, then they sleep. In Romans chapter 13 verse 11, the Bible says, can we read together? Romans 13 and verse 11. The Bible says, one, two, three, go everybody. Knowing what?

Time. Do this. One, two, three, go. Bus, when is time? Because you understand that this is a Kronos moment. This is a Kronos moment. For some people, it's a Kairos moment. But you understand the times are sensitive. And during the time we cannot be sleeping, it is high time to awake out of sleep. Why?

Because now our salvation is near. Now the deliverance is near. Now the breakthrough is near. Now the miracle is near. Now the time of appearance is near. It is now... It is near now than when we first believed. Sir. Sir. It means that's why the devil is that's why the devil did not come when you first believed.

It is near now. Sir. He said, brother, awake. Awake. Awake. Awake. Awake. Awake. Understand that there's no time. Understand the burden that that that there are souls calling upon you.

There are lives that are dying. There are souls that are dying. Understand that what God wants to make out of your life is more than this. Understand. You have not reached the height of your progress. Understand. There is still more to your life than this. This is not the best you can be. I don't care what level of regard you have seen before. Understand.

There can be more. There can be more. And we will never settle for less for we know there's more that's found in you. Listen. Hear me? When you want to come out of slumber, how does a man come out? Number one is to identify that there's a problem. You must first agree. After you have identified, then the following thing is to repent of it. Identify there's a problem.

I I I can't I can't ignore it anymore. I can't deny as though the problem is not there. I'm distracted. There is this constant feeling of tiredness and fatigue. I think everything is too overwhelming. Everything is too big for me to do. I think about destiny. I'm like, can I carry this? Can I carry this? And I think about that one till I do nothing.

Something is wrong. Something is wrong. I identify that something is wrong, and I come to you, precious holy spirit. I repent of my inaction. I've been very unsealed up with life and destiny. You place so much burden upon me. Do you know that the rest... The the the prophecies upon your life is a function of the trust God has for you? The responsibility that God gives you that makes you feel as though the burden is too much is because God trust you. Else, you will not give somebody you don't trust 5,000,000 to go and put in the bank for you.

The bigger the assignment, the bigger the trust. And there are many people that have failed the trust of the kingdom. That God has looked at them, and every time you say every time you say, ah, God, this thing is too much, it's because the trust he has for you is much. Was that not why Job was plagued? The attack of Job was because God was defending him. And, God, there are some of you. The devil thinks he has won, but God is there in heaven saying, watch my son. Watch my son. Watch my son. Even whilst he's put in the cave, even whilst he's put in the pit, even whilst he's locked in the prison, watch my son.

As he dances in the storm, situation and circumstances will come that you would think will pull him down. But watch my son, and God is God is rejoicing over you because the storms came and your trust was still built on you. Number two, when you find out that there's a problem of slumber, go on a retreat. Go on an immediate retreat. Retreat fast. As a matter of fact, one of the ways to prevent against slumber is to do periodic retreats. Don't wait until slumber comes to retreat. There are times you set three days aside, locked in a room, you and God, and you are crying to God for help. In Isaiah 40 and verse 30, the bible says, even the youth shall faint and the weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait on the Lord, they shall renew their strength.

They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and they shall not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. In this in this retreat, you are asking God for strength because you can't do it on your own. So you ask God for strength. You're saying, God, I need strength for this. God supplies strength. God supplies strength. Many a time when you feel tired, it is because you are doing it by yourself. The bible says that my yoke is easy.

My burden is light. It means if your own is heavy, you are carrying it by yourself. That's why he says cast your own cares upon me and take my own. It's an exchange. When he says cast your cares, he didn't say let me give you my yoke because my own is easy. My burden is light. Your own care is heavy. It can kill you. Bring me. Bring your cares.

Let me carry it. But I have responsibilities in the kingdom. You carry that. And as we extend burden, I say, God, this is my issues. And I said, son, give that alone. Concern yourself with the kingdom. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things. I don't spend time asking about these things. No. That's not my assignment.

That's not my responsibility. All these things will be handed onto me. I pray somebody's eyes open. You see you see, we can speak, but it is still God that opens eyes. I have seen I have seen stubbornness. That truth will be in your front like this. And you will... I'm telling you, it exists. It exists. But there is a but there's a way God will break somebody's heart where you will realize, ah, I need to repent.

I need to repent. I am missing it. I am missing it. Where the teachings you have heard and you have ignored will start resounding back in your ears like an alarm clock, like a very insolent alarm clock until you wake up. It is happening to you today. Listen. Listen. Men, listen. Have a attitude of asking God for strength. Isaiah 14 verse 28.

The Bible says, have you not known? Have you not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord and the creator of the ends of the earth. Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29, can we read together everybody? He gives power to the weak. And to those who have no might, he increases strength. NLT, Psalms 89 verse 16. We read verse 17 together. Verse 16 says, they rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.

They exalt in your righteousness. Verse 17 together, everybody. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. When a believer is weak, it does not bring glory to God. In other words, those things that you feel are too heavy, the demands of destiny, there is strength that can be supplied. When you see a man doing what he has to do and he's living a a goal oriented life, a purpose centered life, he's... He has been helped by God. Yes. I have a feeling like that called helped by God.

Men can be helped by God. Men can be helped by God. Helps to fast, helps to pray, helps to study, yes, helps to read, Helps to read. Helps to give. Men can be helped by God. Help to sacrifice. Helps to lay it all down. There's a grace that lays all down. There's a grace that when it comes upon you, that difficulty in giving will crack. Yes.

There's a... There is such a grace. I tell you. You have done it by yourself up until now. Can you allow God help you? God says cast your cares. Let me help you. You have walked by yourself up until now. You have labored by yourself up until now. When your mother passed away, you were by yourself.

You didn't allow anybody help you. When your father passed away, you were by yourself. When your mother lost her job, were by yourself. When the business crashed, you were by yourself. When you lost that opportunity, you were by yourself. Can I hold your hands? For when you hold my hands, everything becomes possible. When you hold my hands, everything becomes possible. Listen. That's God's offering to you.

Bring your hands. Let's walk this journey together. You are not... Listen. The design was never that you should walk it alone. What God said is, though you walk through the fire, though you walk through the waters, I shall be with you. You were never meant to pass through it alone. It was meant to be with me. The reason why it looks heavy and burdensome is that you have done it in your strength. God can supply strength.

God can help men. God can raise the hands of men. When he's weak, God can make a man strong for my grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in your weakness. Everything becomes possible when you hold my hand. Everything becomes possible. Everything becomes possible. Listen. Listen. It pleases God to make us strong.

It pleases God to make us strong. Number four, come out of slumbering behaviors. Come out of it. As you have received help from God, now intentionally choose to come out from behaviors that are symptoms of his... Of slumber or that propagate slumbering. For instance, watching movies on handling, spending on LV time on social media, time you should be praying, doesn't mean don't relax, doesn't mean don't be there at all. But you know that you... It is unhealthy. You know your own is unhealthy. Your own is unfounded.

Stop it. You have received help. Now act out the help you have received. Take a book and read. That course you have downloaded three months ago, you have not watched anything. Sit down beside your lap and watch. Get rid of procrastination. I will do it tomorrow. I will do it tomorrow. That's a slumbering behavior.

Start now. There are books you have written down to study. Not one you have read. You bought five books last month, bought seven books last... The previous one, bought two books in January. Not one you have read. You start the first one, don't finish. Try the second one, don't finish. Every book is half half half half. Stop stumbling behaviors.

Do you know that isolation is a stumbling behavior? Yes, sir. When you start isolating yourself, it's a sign of stumbling because the devil will only get you in isolation. That is how a lion hunts. Lions never go for a herd in a in a a in a flock. They go for the one that is isolated, the one that is alone. So there are some of you that the moment challenges come, your first response is a slumbering behavior, is to isolate yourself. Take yourself away from spiritual people that can hold your hands, that can make you strong, that can speak encouraging words to you. You are not the first person to fail. You're not the first person to experience a disaster.

You're not the first person to... But whilst... The problem is when you encountered it, you now withdrew. Wanted to visit, I want to be alone. It's the devil that is speaking to you. It can't be God. He says two is better than one. For one one is weak. One one is cold. The other can make him one.

A three foot cord cannot be easily broken. When your heart is becoming weary, there must be a voice that can lift you up, that can encourage you, that can tell you, brother, listen. You think that you are going through something, but listen. God has a plan for you. This that you are going through will be for the best. I might not be able to explain to you why this happened or why that happened. I know you prepared well. I know you I know you... I mean, I saw when you were preparing for an interview, but you still did not get the job. Listen to me.

There are better opportunities coming. There are better ones coming. That word of encouragement is lifting your heart. That that... The tendency to have slumbered is immediately wrestled because you are in a place of comfort. But when you have nobody around you and you sleep into depression, only you will be there. God will not be able to reach you because if he will reach you, he will reach you through men. It's a bad habit many people have. The moment they are in a challenge, they slip away, and the devil gets you. He gets them there.

He makes the problem worse. Whatever happens, never forsake the assembly of the believers. Yes. Whatever happens. Whatever happens. There are people that come what may, I must always talk to them. Come what may. Whatever attack might come, they are the ones that will hold your hand. There are times when the when the rod becomes too heavy. Carrying it alone might be burdensome.

There are men that will help you. There are there are errands and horse that will help you. They won't collect the the rod from your hand. It's still your own, but they will help you lift your hand. They will help you lift your hand. Are you with me? Yes. Yes. There are many people that have died in suffering because nobody knew what they were going through. Husband was beating them, maltreating them.

They were going through all kind of abuse, and they kept quiet, kept to themselves, spoke to nobody, received no encouragement from anybody until they died, until one day they slumped and died. The devil get you in isolation. It's a bad habit. It's a slumbering habit. Terrible indeed. There are times you can offer help. Don't go and meet friends that when you fail, they'll not tell you, ah, you think you have failed? Look at my own. Those are evil people. And many a times, slumbering people find comfort amongst those friends.

You you didn't get it. Your own is even small. When I went to my own interview, they were laughing at me. That's my encouragement. You are worsening situation. Encouragement should be in God's word. If it's not founded in God's word, it is not encouraging you no matter what it looks to be doing. The bible says David encouraged himself in the Lord. Prophetic word is for comfort. Prophetic word is for comfort.

People that when you are going through anything, they can call you and say, ah, I was praying with you. I was praying, and you just came to my heart. And God has to tell you that no matter what you might be going through right now, but the end will be joyful. Ah, and there will be tears in your eyes. I didn't tell you what I was going through, but let me tell you the power of prophetic conversation. Prophetic conversations. Some of you will go away. Maybe you'll travel, and you will forget the people you started a flame together. You will die alone. You will die alone.

You will die alone. Distance is not a function of association. Yes. I have I have little children who are out of the country, several of them, and they would call me over and over again. Apostle, this is what I'm going through right now. Apostle, this is the case right now and a word of encouragement, a word of hope, a word of comfort. You see. Becomes possible. Yeah. Rise up on your feet.

I believe yes I believe. Not everything becomes possible. I believe. Yes. I believe. Everything becomes possible. The last way to come out of slumbering is to awaken the fires of prayer. Awaken the fires of prayer. If the devil is able to strike your prayer life, he has sentenced you into a state of slumbering. And if he succeeds, the damage can be irreparable and awaken the fires of prayer.

Right now, I want us to pray. The first prayer would be those that have realized that I think there's a problem somewhere, and, God, I am here. I would have done altar call, but there's no time for that. God, I am here. I am here. I am here. I started well with you, but at some point, lost it. I lost it, and I know I did. But I've come today. Help me.

Help me. Help me. Please pray. Help me. If there's anybody under the sound of my voice, whom you know that you have entered into a state of spiritual slumber where even your love and passion for God is just gone. And you are here and you're saying, man of God, I don't even have an encounter with God. Or I used to, but it is gone. I'm talking specifically with respect to your work with God. I want you to come out. I'll count to five.

Just come out. Let me pray with you. Let's come out. I'll count to five. One, two, three. Alright. Don't just stop stop where you are. Stop where you are so that we don't clog this place. Stop where you are. It's good like that.

I pray for everybody under the sound of my voice here, and I ask in the name of Jesus that let the fires on their altar be once again reawakened. Amen. And let every slumping heart be reawakened. Amen. I declare, awake them that sleep. Amen. In the name of Jesus. Amen. The bible says, the Lord that watches over Israel. What is the character of the Lord that watches?

He never sleeps. He never slumbers. So if he has given you an assignment to watch, it means he can help you not to sleep. He can help you not to slumber. I declare that today you will receive help from God. Amen. In the name of Jesus. Amen. It is done. Go back to your seat.

Thank you. Thank Jesus for what you have received today. We believe you were blessed by this message to connect with the Disciples Christian Network and get more from Apostle Emmanuel. Follow us on our social media platforms. You can follow us on Instagram at official disciple c n. You can follow us on Facebook at disciples christian network. You can also join our telegram page at d c n media for more messages by apostle Emmanuel. If you have a testimony from this message, you can mail us at disciplecn@gmail.com. God bless you.