Day 9

After being born again, I had a lot to understand . Initially when I see people prayed for or hands laid on them they fall. In fact some fall under periods of prayer with nobody touching them.As far as I knew then, God must be doing a major work in them. No way they fall under such anointing and nothing happens . God was about to teach me something .

Then I was in an evangelism group. We always went to hospitals to pray and preach to people . On occasions , we went to a brothel to preach . The managers let us. So one day we went there to preach and pray for the ladies there. It’s amazing how welcoming they were of the gospel . Many prayed the prayer of salvation but we had no means or infrastructure to get them out of there. It was heart breaking . Some of those ladies were not more that 18-19 years and they have been there for a while .

Anyway , we tried to get them to church service and they were willing but an older one told me that she couldn’t come. I asked why. She told me that anytime she goes into church building she leaves there thoroughly embarrassed. Again I said something like ,we don’t judge you, we will love you to come .

Then she told me that anytime she went for church service and they start praying , she would fall and roll all over the place . That she can’t stand straight , that it’s like everyone was watching her. That she will be so ashamed .I was stunned. I mean , how can the power of the anointing have the very opposite effect. Instead of drawing her nearer , it actually pushed her away. My eyes opened that day . One does not need to fall to receive anything.

Up until then , I could not understand why I had not falling under the anointing when others were. Clearly the kingdom of God is not about a physical reaction

Big revelation for me

Day 8

I smoked all through college and years after. I was still smoking when I got married . I did everything humanly possible , tried every trick to stop smoking to no avail. I will quit in the morning and return to it with a vengeance by evening time.

One day by the grace of God, I accepted the life that Jesus was offering , I was born again.It was evening that day as I walked about half a mile to my apartment in Lagos . I was beyond happy. It was as if a huge burden was off my shoulders.

Right across from where I lived was a corner store I always bought cigarette from . On getting near my place , I made for the corner store to buy cigarette as usual. I took a few steps and stopped. I thought to myself , why should the product of a plant rule my life. I turned and went into my place. The next day, Monday ,was the beginning of new believers class. I went for about a week. I was so immersed in the things of God that I remembered after 3 weeks that I had not smoked any cigarette .

That year was 1999 . I have not smoked since that day nor have I had the desire or urge to smoke .

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength .Philippians 4:13

Day 7

Almost everyone I know have survived an accident . So have I

One day driving back from work and very tired , I had about a mile to make my house I slept off. Suddenly I felt I was flying in the air and woke up. My car and I had been hurled into the air , sleep cleared from my eyes immediately . I gripped the steering so hard and was screaming ” blood of Jesus, blood of Jesus as the car lurched and skidded from one end to another and finally stopped.

I was shaking like a fig leaf in a storm . The left rear rim of my tire had bent and the front left tire was busted but I was unharmed . I was still shaking when my brother in law came to assist me, my hands were so unsteady that I could not use a wheel spammer . It was about 3 am in the morning

Ohhhh ! I have a very big God.

Day 6

My father told me this story and I thank God for it

He was one of the very few that made it to college in his time. Then Nigeria had only one college .

He had taken the entrance exam because he saw others doing it and he felt he could pass the exam . He passed and went to the school. He had ZERO money .

He stayed in the school for about 2 months but finally began to pack his stuff to leave because he had no money for tuition. College was not to be.

Then on his way around the school for about the last time , he walked through the admissions office . Right there was a new notice , that any student that will agree to teach at a certain high school for some years , the high school will pay their tuition . That must be God .He went ,signed the agreement , finished college and changed the destiny of his family .

He was the first man in my village to go to college

God is good

Day 5

My cousin Uche was excited when another relation came back with a dump truck. He drove it for a company . Late afternoon , uche was all around it in awe.

At about 7 pm , no one had seen him , the truck was gone and no one had a clue.

Now a man from another village walked into our village. He has been asking around for the family of the boy killed by a car by the main road .It was Uche. He was splattered on the ground comatose but with faint pulse. He was barely alive.My dad rushed him to a nearby clinic but the doctor told my dad not to bother , he don’t see the boy making it. My dad threw a major fit. ” How dare you say he will not live are you God” my father thundered. He drove him another hour to another hospital and he was admitted.

Long story short, Uche was in coma for SIX full months and woke up.

He walks with a limp but he is alive

The reason for my 21 days of gratitude is that my mind was being bombarded with so much negative thoughts , so I decided to write down for 21 days the goodness of the lord to me

Day 4

The more my wife pushed in labor , the more my sons heartbeat slowed down , the more she pushed the worse it got. Doctors had no choice, they cut her open and saw why. The umbilical cord was firmly wrapped around his neck. He lived.

He is 13 years this year .

The lord is my shepherd Psalm 23:1

Day 3

I completely forgot this one for over 25 years. I came home to my village from college and my mum quickly deplored me and my brothers to work on her farm.

Once at the farm, I bent down to pull out some weed. Right about making contact with the weed , I felt a slight shock at my back and I jumped backwards. Just then I saw it, a poisonous snake just leisurely crawled out from under the weed I bent down to. I was dazed. Nobody was standing at my back.

At this time , though my parents were Christians , I did not have time or room for God. If God was this good when I didn’t care , how much more now?

” Thanks be the Lord for He is good . His love endures forever” Psalm 136:1

Day 2

1967-1970

Dad came back from work on Friday .He decided to pack every one home to the village . Yes there was war but everything was peaceful where we lived.

He went back alone after the weekend to the house and froze in horror . The entire porch , the very center of our play zone , had been blown apart by shelling.

” A thousand May fall by our side , ten thousand by our right hand but it shall not come near us”Psalm 91:7

Day 1

1967- 1970

Survived the Nigerian civil war . Over 1 million people died , mostly women and children

Many years ago , I had a great desire to call a friend of mine who I had not seen in a long while

Little did I know it was God talking to me . I did not call . Months later I heard the guy died

The pain was beyond measure. Please reach out, you never know