Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

This is a zero that the world has scored. A very great mistake that is in the world. I have never revealed this to you. But because of the Father's love for you I am going to reveal this mistake committed by the inhabitants of the world this morning to you. You should listen attentively. When I have been telling you that you should not request anything from the hands of God you refuse to heed this advice. But today we are all neck deep in the gospel of this morning. Do you know that when you request something from God, that is an act of gross insult on Him? You have heard the second lesson that ye should not tempt the Lord as they tempted and were destroyed of the serpent. When I advise you that you should not request anything from God you refuse to do so. God is the one who created everything, and He owns you and therefore, He knows those things you require in life. You have seen the pattern of our Lord Jesus Christ's prayer to his Father. (Matt 6:9-13). In everything we should give thanks to Him. What are you going to request from Him?

It is said that the reverence for God is the beginning of wisdom.(Ps 111:10). If you have the fear of God you will not request anything from Him. What can you request from Him? Do you even know what is good or what is bad?

You should not request anything from Him. Because it is the height of insult as some requested of Him and therefore tempted God and were destroyed of the serpent. (Num 21:5-6/1 Cor 10:9).

When you say, "O! God give me money, give me children; give me this or that," fire will come and consume you. O! God give me children, make me to pass my exams, do this for me, or do that for me. It is a height of insult and you have tempted God. Can you advise Him? What does He not know? For if you request something from Him and He failed to do same to you, it means you would be annoyed. And if He does it for you then He becomes your servant. Therefore because of this we err. Even as the Bible says search the scriptures and see whether you have eternal life. Every day you come here. But the next moment you will stand up to commit the same error. Even as we are here somebody may come out and pray saying, "O! God bestow power unto us, give us this or give us that". You do not know that that is an act of temptation to God.

I have pleaded with you time without number that you should not request anything from the hands of God, yet you are neck deep in imposing temptation on God. Anybody who opens his mouth to request anything from God is tempting, and that child is a child of perdition.

You have heard what the scriptures have told us that you should not be like them. Because they in their own estimation believed that God's hearing of somebody's prayer results from speaking much. Before you stand up to pray, God knows what is in you. At all times therefore, we should give thanks to God. If it pleases Him, He will bestow that thing to you, if it does not please Him, He will not do so. What makes this injunction to be from the path of rectitude? From our First Father (Adam) and First Mother (Eve) till today man had completely gone away from the injunctions of God. If you request anything from God this in effect is the height of insult; and if you have a child even in the secular arrangement that will come to you and say "O! Father make me go to the University, give me this, give me that." Can such a child be regarded as a good child? Has the gospel of today not proven to you that if the Father does not teach you, you will not be able to know? God alone is the one that teaches man. There is no other teacher unto mankind. All this time did we know that requesting something from the hands of God is temptation? Did you come to this understanding? All persons who request things from God are the children of perdition and they shall come to their wits' end.

As a supernatural teacher I have arranged this gospel in a chronological sequence. I first put out how Christ who is the mediator of the new covenant behaved in the first lesson. Then I follow that lesson with the repercussions that will come to whosoever request anything from God; as they tempted God and were destroyed of the serpent. And the pattern that He left should be our own ways of life. God is not blind neither is He so hard hearted. He is all knowing. Before you stand up to say anything He knows what is in you. And I do know that those who continue in this act are the greedy ones; they are always longing for the wealth of this world. Anybody who comes to Brotherhood to worship God cannot continue in such acts. You cannot change the arrangement of God. When God had arranged His things in their shipshape order no man can rearrange them. No prayer can change the arrangement of God.

For somebody to argue that he offered prayers to God to give him money, and after sometime God bestows money to him, it is not true. What came in effect was the fact that his request for money synchronized with the very time God has kept for him to have money. God has kept everything in their ship-shape order even before the foundations of the world were laid.

Consider Job as a case in point. When that great mishap befell Job what did he do? (Job 1:21). All his children died. His male servants and maid servants died also. His livestock also perished. Everything that he had in life had gone away. When you read the book of Job Chapter one; you will come by the prayer that he offered. That: "O! God thank you for thou giveth and thou also taketh."

"Naked did I come into the world and naked will I return; thou has never done anything wrong." You can see this as a clear example of faith in God. And it is for this reason our Lord Jesus Christ asked: "When the son of man shall come shall he see faith in the world?" (Luke 18:8). What he requests from man is nothing but faith, just to have that implicit belief in Him. If we believe fervently in God we would realize that whatever happens to us is at the mercy of God. And therefore in all situations you shall continue to bestow thanks unto Him. For God knows no variableness in His arrangement.

Your duty, my duty, and our duty is that of giving thanks to God at all times and everything that he does for us. What are we going to request from his hands. All the suffering that beset us, they come out of our placing request before God. We can see this in the book of Jude 14-16: "And Enoch also the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage." When you request anything from God, God will send down his angels. They will come to you with canes, with swords, and with fire. When you stand up to say, "O! God, give me children, I want a black child, I want a fair-in-complexion child;" they will come and cut off your mouth. Now do you want to argue that things have taken a turn for the worse in our lives? Things are better for the inhabitants of the world today than any other time since God created man.

Now that you are shouting at the top of your voices that things are so deplorable in Nigeria, the question is: Does it mean that things were better with Nigeria when Nigeria was under the colonial masters, and we were slaves unto the colonial rule? I want an answer to this question. Today you are free; you have your own money; you bring out your own ideas. Can anyone say that the situation now is worse than before? It cannot be. Rather we are seeing better turns in this era. In the past if you want to attend a University there was none in Nigeria, and you had to make out for the white man's land; you must go overseas to go and pass through the four walls of a University. But today the reverse is the case and there are Universities all over Nigeria.

There is proliferation of Universities throughout Nigeria. Can you now say that things are worse than before? In the past we had only one Governor General for the whole Country (Nigeria). But today how many Governors do we have? We have twenty-one (21) Governors. And can we say that this is worse than before? We continue to request from God because of our lusts and affections. We should be thankful unto Him for the glory He has brought unto mankind. Do we even have the hope that the Holy Spirit will manifest in the world in this last era? We did not expect this. You say: "O! things are so bad with us." But don't forget that today we mint our own money (currency); we assemble our own cars; and we even manufacture our own textiles. But hitherto we were slaves unto the colonial master. Can we say that these new developments are good or bad for us? Look at the multiplicity of roads all over the country. We have development of important cities everywhere; houses and other infrastructures have also been provided. Tell me, which is bad with you?

Now all the illiterates are now literate. Those places that were inaccessible are now 'motorable'; and to crown it all we have a federal capital territory (F.C.T.), Abuja. Hitherto we were strangers in somebody's corridor. But today we have a place of our own where billions of Naira have already been sunk into developing that area. Can we now argue that these are signs of good or bad achievements?

In the past the whites dominated everything and they manipulated all positions. They were the pilots, they were the heads of different governmental departments. Everything was done under the auspices of the whites. But today the reverse is the case. We have our pilots. We nurse our independent thoughts. We do everything on our own. What then do we say is bad with us today? In the past religion only came to the black world from the white man's land. The whites were those who introduced Christianity to the blacks. Any church denominations which had no headquarters abroad had no recognition. But today the reverse is the case. The blacks are now evangelizing the whites. Therefore, each and everyone of us should rest and continue to give thanks to the Almighty God for all the good things He has bestowed upon us. Before, when we requested for independence nobody would lend ears to us. Even till today many are still agitating for Colonial rule; that we should still be lorded over by the whites. They want to be fed by the whites. Don't you know that when you are an infant, a period where you are being spoon-fed by your parent, you are still at your infancy, you are a minor. But when you start to struggle on your own; you begin to argue that things are difficult. It is not so. Rather you are growing at that stage. Therefore we should continue to be thankful unto God. Brethren we shall not take you further than this. Our first lesson will now be read, and you should listen attentively to the pattern of prayer as offered by our Lord Jesus Christ. The same must we use to lead the way. We should not request anything from God. Allow God to place His own things in their shipshape order.

"Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always; but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me."

Can you realize what is called faith? Can you also see what is called the reverence of God? If you were the one in this situation you would have made so much noise over the matter. But here our Lord Jesus Christ was merely giving thanks to his Father. If you were the one concerned in this matter you would have prayed and called on God to come down and destroy Satan, or to come and drive away Lucifer, or break down the stones. You would have prayed so hard and for so long and made much noise. But have you realized what our Lord Jesus Christ did?

Many say that they want to come and have audience with God; they want to discuss with him, or exchange letters with him. And I pity you because in all your past lives you have been having encounters with Satan; you have been transacting your business with Lucifer. Right from Adam until now nobody has known the exact deity of God. Therefore, you are doing things the way you like.

Remember the time when the Mother of the two sons of Zebedee went to our Lord Jesus Christ to make a request before Him. Matt 20:20-23). She went to him and said she had a request to place before him. Our Lord Jesus Christ asked her to go ahead with her request. And she said: O! Master pronounce that in the kingdom of your Father one of the two children of Zebedee should be placed on your right and the other on your left. He told them that they knew not what they were requesting. He asked them if they can taste of the cup that He would drink of. They said yes. And he said it is true that they could indeed drink of the cup that he drank. And He asked them again whether they could be baptized with the same baptism that He is baptized? They said yes. He said, it is true they could receive the same baptism with which he is baptized. But placing one of them on His right and the other on His left is not of himself to give. But it has been set aside by his Father unto those who have been predestined to be there. And I ask: Have your prayers done any good thing for you? You are quarrelling, you are fighting, you are infuriated, do you derive any good from all these acts? Have your worries done any good thing for you?

It is for this reason that many people do argue that God is no longer in existence. And such a person will begin to murmur "upon all the prayers I have offered, all the fasting I have observed, yet my prayers are unanswered." And I ask: "can God Himself not fast?"

At no point in time had the inhabitants of the world pleased God. And since you have come to realize this new world (the New Kingdom of God), therefore in all things you have to give thanks to God over everything he gives to you. Your prayers will avail you nothing. God knows no variableness in the things that he creates. He has never done anything out of His predestinated ways. You can still thank Him for the life He gives to you. You can thank Him for the good health he bestows unto you. You are at liberty to thank Him continuously for all the good things he has given to you. You cannot request anything from him. Upon all the good things God has done for mankind, are you tired of giving him thanks?

I had given you an illustration concerning a certain community. They had a high mortality rate. Because of the high mortality rate amongst the citizens of that community they decided that a member of the community should be sent to be a Minister of God, so that when he came back and offered prayers people would no more go on transition (die). So when he returned from his studies as a minister of God the inhabitants of that community unilaterally shouted, O! Mr. death you have reached your wits end! But the following day somebody died. And they shouted for joy that the minister will cause that person to resurrect. Some people suggested that a grave should be dug for internment, others argued that they should not make the grave. After all, this wonderful minister is very much around. He will pray and this dead man will come back to life. He (the minister) was summoned, and reaching the place, he prayed: "O! Father thank you for what you have done, for if this did not happen a worse thing could have befallen us." And because of this all of them were annoyed. And that was not the end of the matter. All of them dispersed but they still maintained that maybe because that person was not a very prominent member of the community this minister was yet to start his work. The following day a very prominent man of that community passed away and all the inhabitants of that community chorused in one voice that this day the minister is going to prove what he was taught in the seminary. And when they had arranged everything they sent for the minister and he came and prayed: "O! Father thank you for what has happened because if this did not happen a worse thing would have happened. O! God take the soul unto Yourself." And he went his way. The people argued among themselves that maybe the first son of the king has not yet passed away that is why he cannot perform his miracles.

The following day the first son of the king died. And they said: if this minister will not cause the king's son to resurrect we shall know that he did not learn anything while in the seminary. And he was sent for; and he went, and prayed accordingly as he has been doing before." O! God thank you, for if this had not happened a worst thing would have come. Take his soul unto Yourself." The king was so infuriated because he contributed the greater part of the total amount that gave him the scholarship to the seminary. Because of that he went and hired four persons to assassinate the minister of God so that the money may be completely lost. He (the clergyman) has been going on preaching and therefore, on Sunday like this he was still preaching when these assassins ambushed along a certain road where there was a hillock. They expected him to pass through that road and they intended that when he came down the hill he could be killed. When the minister got to that road and on reaching the top of the hill the brakes of his motorcycle failed and so he was screeching down the hill at top speed until he collided with something that halted him.

The hired assassins who were monitoring him from their hideouts thought he was dead. These assassins were four and after the crash two of them came out and asked: "Reverend, what has happened to you?" And he told them, "if this accident did not occur a worse thing than this would have befallen him." And the two assassins looked at each other agape. One asked the other if he did tell him about their plans? He said no. They had to whistle for the other two to come out and when they came out of their hideout they asked him? Reverend, what has happened to you? And he answered and said: If this had not happened worse things would have happened. These two assassins asked the other ones who were hired to do the job: "Did you tell the Reverend anything about this deal?" And they said, "no." How did he realize that a worse thing would have happened? The four of them were those who helped the Reverend back home because he sustained serious injuries. The king sent for the minister and he was brought to the king. He asked him: What has befallen you? He told the king that he gave thanks to God because if the mishap did not occur to him a greater and worse thing would have befallen him. The king was surprised and struck with fear. And he thought within himself: these boys I hired to terminate his life have disgraced me by making the plans known to him. He called them and inquired: Did you make this known to the Reverend? They said no but that he has been making this statement all along. He was shocked and he spoke out that truly this Reverend gentleman has really been taught as a minister of God. He sent for all the community members, he assembled them and made an open confession that he indeed was the one that hired these assassins to terminate his life. And if the accident had not occurred they would have assassinated him. What is the need for us to request things from God? God knew that except that accident should occur the life of that minister would be terminated. That is why he made the accident to occur in order to take away the assassination upon his life. He (the king) then prayed the inhabitants of the community to believe fervently in the minister. That from all indications the minister was a well trained one. Because if that had not happened a worse thing would have befallen him.

This is a lesson unto all of you to realize that everything that happens to you from day to day, if those things had not occurred, worse things would have befallen you. When we come to this realization we will not worry ourselves.

What says verse thirty-four of that text? It says: take no thought for the morrow: for the morrow will take thought of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matt 6:34). Therefore, from now till eternity we should not request anything from the hands of God because God knows all that we require in life. And the gospel of this day is an eye-opener. Scales have fallen off our eyes and we have realized ourselves more than before. This is the kingdom of God and you have been called into this kingdom gratis. Remember the statement made by Prophet Simeon when the young child was brought before him. He said: "O! God, let your servant depart in peace for my eyes have seen thy salvation."(Luke 2:29-32). But you stand here even in this heaven to request things from the hands of God. And when I look at you I feel so sorry for you because you do not know exactly where you are? What do you want to request from the hands of God? See our Brethren who have come in from London, America, and other parts of the world.

They give one testimony that those of us in this part of the world are very lucky. They have spent huge sums of money to transport themselves here. If you were there, would you have money to pay your fare down here? If it was to be passed on to voting that the word of God should leave Nigeria, or even Africa, for the white man's land, who would have given the blacks a mandate to do so? If a world conference was convened of all the inhabitants of the world to decide where the word of God should be published and be spread to other parts of the world, who would have cast his or her vote for Africa? It would have rested in London or in America. Because a popular agreement would have been put up that Africans be left alone for they are already down and are condemned. Are you the person who asked God to do this?

Therefore, we should not disturb ourselves again concerning the way God does His things. Because He has placed everything in their ship-shape order. You should not request God to do this or do that because he knows everything and had already arranged His things in their correct positions. Since you came to the kingdom have you ever seen me praying God to do this or that for me? At all times I am always bent on giving thanks to the Father for what He has done. For He knows no variableness in the things that He creates. What has saved you is that portion of the Bible which says: This is the new covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days: I will write my laws in their hearts, neighbor shall not teach neighbor or brother shall not teach a brother saying know ye the Lord: for all shall know me from the least to the greatest since I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities shall I remember no more. (Heb 8:10-12). Now have the scales fallen off your eyes to understand that for somebody to request from God is the height of temptation? Even for a child to request something from you, for any person to come and request anything from you it is temptation unto you. Even we ourselves we have been confessing this. When somebody requests anything from you, you shout: O! What sort of temptation is this? Maybe you were taken by surprise and that was your last card; and when you give it out you may not have any other one. Yet if you fail to grant the person's request, that person will say you are not a child of God.

It is said in the Bible, "if we were to search ourselves God would not have judged us. But when he judges us he chastises us so that he may not condemn us with the people of the world."(1 Cor 11:31-32). You have seen the love of God unto us this 2nd day of April 1989. He has brought out this knot that has been taken out from us and has shown it unto us. The thing that has constituted problems unto us and even our downfall in life had been registered upon this very loosing knot. Be very happy and rejoice immensely; because many had gone on fasting but they did not realize this truth.

Many a time when you stand in here to cause that confusion, you continue to place requests before God. You will be making extra noise when you place this request. When you talk and talk you reaffirm your request, and I will look at you with pitiful eyes. Therefore, Brethren, blindness is a very bad disease. You do not know that when you make this extra noise and movements to confirm your request you are moving out from the path of rectitude.

You can then realize that when I give you the answer I accompany it with the remedy. I first showed you the pattern of the prayer you should offer, and the repercussions that will come to you if you place requests before God. Our text is based on what we should do to cross over this effect. Therefore, whosoever that shall perish, his blood shall be upon him. Since God created man this is the first time that God is spending so much time (in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening and from dawn to dusk) teaching man one lesson after the other, revealing to man his own nature. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself did not do this because He spent three and half years and during this short period He spoke only in parables; and, without using parables He did not speak, because He knew He had a mission. (Matt 13:34/Mark 4:34) That is why He said: "When that Comforter shall come he shall lead you to the accurate knowledge of the truth." (John 16:13). He (Christ) did not lead mankind that time to the accurate knowledge of this truth. The knowledge that I have given you here did Abraham receive of this? Was it given to Elijah? Moses, Abraham, Noah, Aaron and the rest of them did not have this knowledge. There has never been any point in time that any man was blessed with this knowledge. But see how it is being given out to you in B.C.S. Today this secret wisdom of God is given out to you gratis. That is why I continue to tell you that in this kingdom you need not pray. Have you ever met me placing requests or praying that the rain should not fall? Or that the sun should not shine? At all times I am committed to giving thanks to the Father. This is what I have been doing. He saves us free.

For he had made that covenant when he said: This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days: I will write my laws in their hearts; neighbor shall not teach neighbor or brother shall not teach his brother saying know ye the Lord; for all shall know me from the least to the greatest; since I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.(Heb 8:10-12). He made this covenant with himself. And today has this covenant not been made manifest upon this world? This is the long expected kingdom of God that had been revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar and also interpreted by Daniel.(Dan 2:1-47).

There is no other teacher excepting this. You have seen how I always arrange my teachings in their correct sequence, as if we are proving theorems in Algebra or Geometry. But in your own case you preach at random, you pick here you pick there without a correct sequence. Angels are doing their work. We should now hear the second lesson to show to you the repercussions unto those that place requests before God. Anybody that places requests before God is tempting God and the angels must bring that person to meet his doom.

"Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents."

Have you heard that? Can you now realize where tribulations and difficulties come out unto you? If not for God's mercy or if this was to happen in the former generation, and if God had not forgiven man of his sins, what would have befallen you for placing requests before God would have been great. Apart from Brotherhood, where He is now personified, did you know that God has been serving man? Did you come to the understanding hitherto that God is able to discharge and acquit somebody from a court case, or that God is able to bestow money to somebody, or that God can bless somebody with children and other things? You did not know this. You only believed in that slogan: God helps those who help themselves. You will enter the church building with the rings, and amulets, or concoctions and everything tied around your waist, and sometimes you leave the church to go and meet a native doctor. But today what has happened? The reverse is the case because now when you knock your head on the ground you receive goodness; when you kneel down you receive peace. He has placed his own things in their correct positions unto the children of the Kingdom. Those of you who were here yesterday you must have heard of the gospel that was given concerning His promise unto mankind. He (God) has kept His things in their proper positions. All that we have to do is to give thanks to Him; and sing and dance and show all forms or merriment. If we do any other thing outside these conditions then it means we are seeking for trouble.

You will remember when the pharisee and the publican went on the mount to offer prayers. The pharisee prayed saying, O! God I have been fasting two times a week and paying my tithe to God regularly, I am not like that abominable publican over there. (Luke 18:9-14).But the publican could not raise his eyes unto heaven. But bending down he prayed and said: God have mercy upon me a woeful sinner. And we are made to understand that God answered the prayer of the publican. When you come in here and continue to pray: O! God I am a sinner, I have told lies, I have committed fornication, I have done this or that, does it mean that God does not know we have committed these sins? He lives in you and knows everything about you. What He requires from us is to be truly repentant. Once we acknowledge our sinful nature all will be well with us because God knows that mankind suffers from human frailty.

All those who are fond of rendering long prayers; are woeful persons; and they are abominable persons. For twenty seven (27) years of my life I never offered a line of prayer. Like somebody will say: O! my Father who art in heaven. For twenty-seven (27) good years I did not pray. Does it mean that prayers is not good for man? It is only the woeful sinners and abominable fellows who are given to offering long prayers.

What else do you want to do? He is in our midst. He owns both heaven and earth. He has already completed His work and He has arranged His own things in their proper positions. What else are you going to request from Him? All that you have to do is to give Him thanks by loving one another. You do not have any specific assignment to discharge in this kingdom.

Go to the book of Genesis, chapter one. The first day He created all that was to be created that first day and said in the end that all was good. The second day after the creation process of that day he still blessed the day. And so He continued blessing each day of His creation even till today. Therefore there is nothing from God that is evil. All that emanates from Him is good. And therefore His goodness is universally distributed to all men. Therefore when you see somebody given to offering prayers do not regard him as somebody who loves God so much. Rather those who offer prayers are those who are very greedy, those who are trying to tempt God.

If God gives you food you should place the food before you and give thanks to Him: O! God thank You for this food You have given me, when I eat it let it be good to my body and soul. In everything we should always give thanks to Him, if it is His will He will do the same, if it is not His will He will not do so. And there is no difficulty at all in either case.

David, was anxious over that first child delivered by the wife of that army officer. The child fell into serious sickness. David fasted and rolled on the ground praying to God to heal the child because he loved the woman so dearly, and passed this love unto the child that God should save the life of the young child. Every person noticed David's sympathy for the sick child; so they themselves joined in praying to God that something disastrous might not befall this little child because if the child should die our father David would also go on transition. But unfortunately that child died. Out of fear they could not make this known to David but he was very anxious to know about the condition of the child. He asked:"Is the child dead?" They said: "no, he is not dead." But he was doubting how things have gone so bad in the compound. Because they had considered the condition of David even when that child was sick but still breathing how he was shivering. Now that the child has passed away; should they make this known to David, he will faint. And so they hid this from him but later they could not help but to tell David the whole story. And David requested for water. He had a good bath, took the best of his wrappers, adorned himself as a young man and requested for food to be served to him. People were so astonished over his reaction. And he told them he must behave that way because he had cried, wailed, mourned and rolled on the ground when the child was sick because he wanted God to have mercy and heal that child. But after all that was spent the sickness could not heal, and now that the child has died, what else could he do? Is there anyone amongst you who has not had an encounter with God?

That is why the scriptures says that you always continue to resist the will of God. At all times you are prone to resisting God, even as your forefathers had done. Those of you who are not circumcised at your hearts and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit even as your fathers did. What do you want to request from Him? He is the creator. He owns the heavens. He owns the earth and the fullness thereof. He is in our midst. And has already arranged His own things according to plan. You do not have anything to request from Him than to always give thanks to Him in whatsoever you find yourself doing.

Do you think that if God was to be human He would have lived till today? And do you think that if He had hearkened unto my prayers He would still maintain that position as God? And even that which you are requesting from God if God were to bestow all your requests to you will you be able to carry the load of your requests granted to you? Your situation is deeply pathetic before the Lord. But we thank the Father because He is an all wise God. His wisdom transcends all planes of manifest. And He knows that we are fools that is why at all times He does not depart from us an inch. But look at what is happening now in Brotherhood, if a vision was given to a member of Brotherhood in Akwa Ibom State that the Holy Father has granted a Pentecostal Centre to them would you not tell that person to shut up his mouth and stop giving fake visions, that all of you are coming to Calabar? If somebody has prophesied that Akamkpa and the rest of these local government areas in Cross River State will be granted Pentecostal Centres would you have believed? Did you even see this in your dreams? Did visioners tell you this? But now that these Pentecostal Centres have been created for all of you does it mean that it is done out of your own worthiness, or that you requested this from God, or because of your righteousness?

Therefore, you should not request anything again from God. He is the all wise God. He is our Father. He is a kind and loving Father. His grace is sufficient unto all. And He knows all that we need in life. We should not request anything from Him so that we may live peaceably one unto another with Him. Because He is not the one that punishes us per se; but the angels of God taking charge of matters are those coming to chastise us. Anybody who requests anything from God, the angels will go to such a person and torment him. You have heard even the text of this day: "and were destroyed of the serpent."(Num 21:5/1 Cor 10:9). The serpent was used for the destruction of all those who tempted Him.

At times the destroyer will be used to destroy mankind. At other times fire, rain and the rage of angels will be used to destroy man. It is not God who is performing all those destructions. It is said that if we were to search ourselves God would not judge us but when He judges us He chastises us that we may not be condemned with the people of the world.(1 Cor 11:31-32).

When I tell you that you should not place any request before God, you continue to argue. Why? It was sickness that brought me to Brotherhood, or my aged mother at home is suffering from one kind of an infirmity, and I want God to heal me and heal her too. Does it mean by so doing you did not come in here to worship God? In (1 John 2:1) we can see this. My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Nobody can pray excepting our Lord Jesus the Christ who is our Saviour, the only mouth piece of God. No person can offer prayers to God, it is He Himself alone that can speak on behalf of man. When you come out here to say, "let thanks and praises be given to the Father," do you think that is the correct way of offering prayers? No person throughout the entire wide world knows God. All the inhabitants of the world are eluded of the correct wisdom of the deity of God. That is why today this pattern of prayer has been given to us. Anywhere you find yourself you should be bent on giving thanks to God. Anything you experience in life you should give thanks to God for it is said that no temptation cometh unto man except that which is destined to befall man, and in the midst of such temptation God will carve a way out for you.(1 Cor 10:13).

It is said: "are two sparrows not sold for one farthing? And one shall not fall unto the ground excepting the Father knows about it."(Matt 10:29). It is also said that no man can have anything except it be given to him from above.(John 3:27). If our prayers were to be effective, until now, Moses would not have died; Abraham and the rest of them would not have died away. Upon all the prayers they offered and the fasting they observed where are they today?

Come to think of our Lord Jesus Christ as a case in point. He told His Father, "I know you always hear my prayers" (John 11:41-42). But I ask: "On that eventful day, the day He was arrested, did He not pray?(Matt 26:42/Mark 14:36/Luke22:42). Did the Father hear His prayers?" It is said: "Ask, seek, knock and ye shall receive."(Matt 7:7). Because of this you come in here and make so much noise, all by way of prayers until my ear drums have been affected. I pity you so much. And I ask: "These people, do they even know where they are going?" This Kingdom is a ready-made one. It has been established in heaven and sent down on earth in a ready-made manner. There is nothing you can add onto this Kingdom which is expanding, and spreading its tentacles throughout the entire world.

But because God does not take pleasure that man should perish, He has brought to us this minute knot which has been loosened from our body system. All these times, did you ever pray that God should forgive your sins? You are always placing requests before Him. Did you know that anytime you request anything from God it is the height of insult? Nobody has the right to even beg God for good health. When you place any request before Him you are tempting God. I am standing on the highest heavens to make this proclamation: At no point should you make requests. What can I request for, after all. Brethren I do not want to overload you. Listen to our golden text as it is going to be read, which is the panacea for all our sicknesses.

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do, for they think they shall be heard for their speaking.

Do you think that when you pray thanking the Father: O! Father thank you for what you have done unto me, thank you God for what you have bestowed unto me, do you think God does not know what you have need of? Do you think God is ignorant of your requests? He knows everything about you and at all times you should bestow thanks on Him. We are indebted to Him, so give thanks to Him for everything he has done to us. The duty we have to discharge towards God is that of thanksgiving for everything He bestows onto us. He is the one that created us. He owns us and knows everything about us. You do not have any right whatsoever to request anything from His hands. But in all situations we should be thankful to God.

If He has ordained that tomorrow you should go to Lagos when tomorrow comes you should not waste any time or say, O! Father let me prepare for the journey to Lagos, but you should leave immediately. Because we have a spiritual chorus here which says: "My disciples be ever ready." If He says enter into the water you should comply immediately, for He Himself is water and He knows where He is sending you to. If we from today continue to render thanks unto God, and refuse to place requests before Him shall we have any encounter with God?

Because it is only when you request something from somebody that you will either know whether the person is good or bad if he gives you, you could go back to that person the next day. And the day he will refuse to give it to you, you claim he is an abominable fellow. Can you see why you have clashed with God; or why you complain that God does not love you; God has not done this or that for you? All these emanate from that temptation of placing requests before God. And this temptation is too hideous and it is too much on your side. The insult that is the greatest, is to tempt God. Who are you that should tempt the one who owns heaven and earth? What is man that he should place temptation before God? When He destroyed the generation of Noah was He not God?(Gen 6:7). And when He destroyed the generations of the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah was He still not God?(Gen 19:24-28).

All the mighty works that He continue to perform throughout the entire world is He still not God? Therefore, we should close our mouths and only give thanks to God in everything happening. For nothing is evil after all concerning the things that beset us. Temptation is good. Honor is good. Disgrace is equally good. Death is good. Life is good. All the things that transpire in the world, they are all good. And therefore we should continue to give thanks to God over what we see in our lives. You have seen how our Lord Jesus Christ prayed giving thanks to His Father.(Matt 11:25/John 11:41). The same must we do.

And in our golden text you have been told not to dabble into vain repetitions. Like when you come out here and say O! Father I am sick, heal me, pass through and heal the other sick person. I want you to understand that these are vain repetitions of things He has already known. Is He not the one that owns you? Is He not the One that is in you? He knows everything about you. He knows your name and all your problems and difficulties in life. Mention one thing He has not known about you. When you knock down your head on the ground you receive grace and when you kneel down you receive His peace. The moment you knock your head and worship Him saying: Thank you Father for what you have done, all is well with you.

You stand here to pray shouting at the top of your voice. Does it mean that God is deaf? You come out here to show things to God. Does it mean that God is blind? You come out here to advise God? Did we come in here to tell God what to do? We all came in here to worship Him and abide by His injunctions. He knew the reason behind my ordaining prophets and prophetesses in the manner I have done. Who can tell me the reason behind what I did? Who knew the reason why somebody who has not yet received of the baptism of this kingdom, cannot even pray, and the next moment I elect him as a pastor? Do you know the reason behind this? Even somebody will come in here to steal I will quickly catch him and ordain him as a pastor.

Has this wisdom of God not eluded all of us? Have we not been eluded of this recondite wisdom of God? You should be asking yourself these questions: I came in here lusting after a certain sister, who came to steal but all of a sudden she said this man has ordained me. What has happened? Even I could not even pray, but see the position He has given to me in Brotherhood? Now amongst all the visioners in the Kingdom, those the Father has opened their eyes, have you seen me ordaining any of them as prophet? But those I ordain as prophets even if the letter "A" should be as big as this house they would not see it spiritually. They cannot dream and remember what they dreamt. But these are the human beings I have elected as prophets. Those who can see spiritually I have not elected them. But those who cannot see I make them prophets. Can you see how the wisdom of God has eluded mankind? How many of the Christ Students have I ordained? They are the preachers, they are those who understand clearly the intricacies of Brotherhood. But how many of them are with turbans? There is no ordained one who knows even a single principle of this Kingdom; yet I ordain them. The Christ Students who know everything about this Kingdom I have not washed their legs and feet. Have you seen me ordaining them? Can't you sit back and ask yourself: Why has God done things this way? Does it mean that God makes mistakes? Here, there are those who left their mothers, their fathers, their relations and some others resigned from the civil service and the management positions they were occupying in the world. They came in here, and have spent twenty-one years, and so shall they remain forever. But here you are, you are jumping left and right, jumping from pillar to post, and when you come I ordain you. What do you think about this place?

Do you remember when Christ said, "whosoever will come after me but does not hate his mother, his brothers, his sisters, his wife, her husband, and his very life, cannot be worthy of me?" (Luke 14:26). Those who have fulfilled these conditions are they not the Christ Students? And What conditions have you fulfilled? What have you done? Among the Christ Students they have no need to offer prayers amongst themselves. If somebody should stand up amongst them to pray saying, O! God give me a child, bless me with a sister or brother, they will look at you as a small boy and you will be ashamed. But in your own case when you are given a vision that God has sent a fat envelope to you, you will knock your head repeatedly and will question whether the envelope has not arrived yet. Therefore, Brethren enough is enough.

This is the year 1989 and from this year henceforth I am going to fortify you concerning the requirements of this Kingdom. You have heard the lessons given to you that we should not resemble them. Because they feel that God hears somebody's prayers through long speaking. But in all things we should give thanks to God for whatsoever he has done to us. He knows all your requests. He created you. And therefore there is no need for us to place requests before Him. And the mere fact that God has called us into this Kingdom, is that not enough? Show me any other position that is higher than your being elected into this wonderful Kingdom. You have heard the pattern of prayers that our Lord Jesus Christ offered: "O! Father thank you because I know that at all times you have been hearing my prayers. But because of the people standing here say I this that your name may be glorified."(John 11:42). Did the Father not know that Lazarus was dead? He is the one responsible for his going on transition; and did He not cause Lazarus to resurrect? Did our Lord Jesus Christ request Him to cause Lazarus to resurrect? Or did He report to the Father that: "Father behold Lazarus my friend is now dead." He did none of these, but rather gave thanks to the Father. And this pattern of prayer should remain, and be observed throughout our lives. He created you and called you into this kingdom. He knows all your problems; and daily, He is solving them for you. When Martha reported to our Lord Jesus Christ saying: "Behold the one that you love so much is sick. What did Christ say in reply? He told her that the sickness of Lazarus is not that which will lead unto death. But he is sick to reveal the glory of God."(John 11:3-4). He passed on His way.

Think of this, somebody is telling you that your best friend is sick, but you give an answer, and still go your way undisturbed. After this our Lord Jesus Christ was told that Lazarus had died. And after four days He told His disciples, "let us go back to Bethany," and they asked Him, "is it the very place that you were to be stoned that we should go back to?" He said, "we should go back because Lazarus is asleep." And they said,"let him sleep well." But He said, "no, it is not the ordinary sleep but he has gone on transition."

Peter was a very devout person. When our Lord Jesus Christ said, "we should go back and cause Lazarus to resurrect," Peter was so inquisitive that they should see another miracle, just as you want to know many things happening in this Kingdom.

But see the behavior of our Lord Jesus Christ by the tomb of Lazarus. If this was to be done by an ordinary human being, in this world, would he not call upon the name of Lazarus?

He would have mentioned the name of Lazarus to God: O! God see my friend Lazarus who was so good, he used to cook for me, walked with me everywhere. He would have called God to curse Satan, to destroy juju and apparition. But he was making very cute sentences. He prayed God: O! Father thank you, for I know you always hear my prayers; but for the sake of the people say I this. He called Lazarus to come out of the tomb, and he obeyed.

This is the Kingdom of God and not the kingdom of the world. Now when you want to offer prayers, you see yourselves carrying turbans. This one will hold this edge and another person will hold the other end and you will encircle somebody and pray. I have seen something in this kingdom! You place the turban on somebody's head. Some will use the turban to beat other parts of the person receiving prayers.

REFERENCE: Everlasting Gospel By The Sole Spiritual Head Of The Universe, Leader Olumba Olumba Obu on: "REQUESTFUL PRAYERS ARE INSULT TO GOD"