© Ayo Omolayo
“Give us the bread! Give us the bread! Give us the bread! How can you have the bread with you and watch us starve?”
I opened my eyes and discovered I had slept off while awaiting my mentor to call me out.
The day was finally here. It was time for singles meeting. The meeting was tagged, ‘Daughters with flaming altars’.
We had done alot in preparation for the day. Rounds of intercessory prayers and fasting. Harmony, Cynthia and I had taken it upon ourselves to invite people. Getting people to attend was not an issue. As an influencial person, I got alot of people, mostly top class ladies.
My mentor got all her church singles sisters to attend. I also informed pastor Kunle and he gave me the opportunity to announce it on his pulpit. So lots of single sisters were in attendance.
My mentor really believed in me and I wasn’t ready to disappoint her. To be honest, I had that first timers stage fright.
First, I was still a growing Christian. What would ever make God find me capable for his kingdom business? That’s one
Secondly, my past had alot of stories I’ll never be proud to tell. Yes, God chosed me despite my horrible past. But does that mean I’ll have to share my story with everyone?
The truth is I knew the answer to the question before I asked. So I decided to keep them aside and focus on the prayers I was praying in the office.
I was still on the chair, waiting to be called in, when a woman in her early forties entered.
“Good evening ma!” I greeted.
“Evening my daughter!” She replied.
I looked at her with inquisitive eyes.
“It’s time!” She said.
My heart almost flew into my mouth. I exhaled and calmed myself.
“Daddy, be with me! Speak through me!” I whispered as I followed the lady to the auditorium.
The crowd had already been receiving an intro on who the speaker was, so I as came out, they began to applaud.
My mentor hugged me and handed the mic to me.
“Remember how I told you I was going to be there to see you feed your generation with the bread of life? The day has finally arrived”.
My eyes popped wide in surprise.
She smiled and patted me on the shoulder.
“Go feed that crowd!” She said and walked away to resume her seat.
I stood at the pulpit and looked at the crowd in the hall. I almost lost my composure.
“Can we all rise up and worship God?” I asked.
The entire congregation rose up and the worship team, led by Harmony, began a song.
As soon as the worship got intense, I began the word.
“There’s a prayer we usually pray in Africa, or should I say, it’s a popular adage.
What I don’t know, will not know me. May I never suffer from what I know nothing about.
I used to love that prayer point alot. But that was then. The bible says in Hosea 4:6.My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children”
I’m sorry to announce, it’s that thing you don’t know that is killing you. When a Young Christian lady who has no praying altar goes into marriage. I’m sorry to announce, that marriage will suffer from lack of spiritual watchman”.
With my hands, I beckoned on them to sit down.
“Please ma! Don’t take these words for granted. No knowledge is not needed. Some may hear it right now and it makes no sense. But soon, they would start looking for you.
Can I tell you something?” I asked the crowd.
“Yes!” They chorused.
“Some months back, I was reading the Bible and I found a scripture that confronted me.
It was in Isaiah 21:11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
I was asking God, what happened to the night? Why was God asking about the night? Then God told me something that I would never forget.
He said that women are watchmen. But so many of them are sleeping away. The bible made us to understand that while men slept! Oh my God! Sister! It didn’t say while men committed sin. It didn’t say while men were masturbating or living in immorality. Just, while men slept, the enemy came and sowed evil seeds and went his way.
So when you rise up in the morning, you carried something. But your eyes are too heavy to understand. That was where many problems started today. Sleep! Mothers who could not wake up and watch over their children in the night have lost them into the hands of the devil.
Because, if you sleep, things would slip out of your hands”.
I could see the shock in their eyes.
“Sisters, so many of you have been trusting God to intervene in your marriage and you came here. But can I tell you something?”
“Yes ma!” They all chorused.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, we’re not here to discuss marriage. We’re here to discuss Intimacy and destiny.
“Wow!” Many exclaimed.
“Because a woman that has not known her God before going into marriage, is in for serious marital crisis.
So many ladies have majored on the minor and minored on the major. The first thing God created you for, was for himself. You were created to know God and fulfill purpose.
Do you know God? Sister, God called us to the place of intimacy, but you ran away. You ran away to chase after boyfriends. I wish you good luck! Sister! Christiana, wishes you good luck.
Many of you know very well that that guy you’re dating is not born again, but you are hiding it. Chai! You see the message clearly, the red flags and the signals, but you ignored. Sista! You dey find husband? They used to say, husband no dey market again! Rubbish!
That’s a lady that doesn’t know her God! Chai! No wonder the bible says, they that know their God shall be strong and shall do exploits. While your mates are busy doing exploits, you’re busy listening to the devil telling you I love you and sending you MTN recharge card! Good luck to you!”
Many of you that want to marry don’t have prayer life. You think you can survive without God abi? God is calling you to the secret place and you’re abandoning him for that boy. You’re chatting with him till 2am the next day and you don’t have time to chat with the ancient of days for one hour.
All you give God is five minutes. Five minutes prayer, then you start preparing for work. Bible is only in church you open it. Some of you don’t have bible. It’s phone you’re using and while sermon is going on. You stroll into Whatsapp and you’re gone. No wonder your life is like this.
“Lord show me mercy!” A lady cried and went one her knees.
Soon, most of them were found on the floor weeping.
“God said something in the book of Song of Solomon 3:1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
Sister, God is looking for you! Where are you? Where are you?
It was time for Intimacy. Your quiet time alarm rang. God started looking for you. He started tapping you out of your sleep. Sister it is time to worship me. Daughter, it is time for the heavens to hear that sweet voice we love so dearly. Daughter, it is time for communion with the sweet Holy Spirit. But you slept off.
Where are you in the place of prayer? Where are you in the place of Bible study? Where are you? Many of you have ran off. You’re looking for man to marry you. Men are scarce in the market these days.
When the bible says, seek ye first the kingdom of God and it’s righteousness. Everything you ever need, including husband shall be added unto you. You’re busy wasting away, giving him your body to tie him down, so other girls who are ready to give it to him would not snatch him away. Good luck to you!
Ask that lady, ‘what’s your assignment here on Earth? She would tell you she doesn’t know yet, but she’s asking God to give her husband.
Ask her about her relationship with God. She cannot fast. She’s still struggling with 30 minutes prayer everyday, if at all not once in a week. She never opens her bible to read it except when she goes to church on Sunday. And she’s asking God for a husband.
How many of you know Fanny Jane Crossby?” I asked.
A few raised up their hands.
“I know many of you would not know her. She’s a blind woman. But what’s so special about her. She’s one of the most greatest hymn writer in history. She composed over one thousand hymns and most of her hymns are the popular hymns we sing today in churches.
She’s the writer of, ‘To God be the glory, great things he hath done’, ‘Loving savior hear my cry’, Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord’. She’s the writer of, ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine’. Thou my everlasting portion more than friend or life to me’. She’s the writer of, ‘Jesus keep me near the cross’. Yes, that song.
In the cross!
In the cross,
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river”
I already had tears in my eyes as I sang this songs. The screams in the hall grew louder. So many were laying prostrate on the floor weeping.
“Sisters! This is a blind woman! A blind woman who fulfilled her purpose! She was born with eyes, but 6 weeks after her birth, she became blind. Satan saw a glorious destiny and struck early.
She became one of the greatest song writer in the world. A blind woman!
One day, a pastor called her and told her, ‘Fanny! You’re so talented. It’s so painful to find out that God gave you a beautiful gift, but denied you your eyes!’
Do you know what she told the pastor?
She said, ‘Pastor, if I could pray when I was six weeks old. I would have told God myself to take away my eyes. So that when I open my eyes in eternity, the first face I would see would be the face of my blessed saviour’.
Chai! Intimacy!”
The screams filled the hall. Many were blasting in tongues and rolling themselves on the floor.
“This God is too sweet! Who told you boyfriend is sweeter than God? He’s the best fiancee in the world.
Song of Solomon 3:1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
But in verse 2, God said, I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
Ayayayaaaaaa! God is looking for you oooo! He saying, where is Chioma? Where is she! I’m looking for my beloved daughter! For the past one week, she has not showed up for her quiet time. Where is she?
But in verse 4, It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found her whom my soul loveth: I held her, and would not let her go, until I had brought her into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
God wants to hold you again. It’s time. He has found you. Run to the altar now. Come and rededicate your life to Jesus today. If you know you want to surrender your life to Jesus, be the first person at the altar”.
Ladies came out in their numbers, crying. Some were crawling on their knees to the altar.
To be continued…….
You are in this Place
Calling us for More
You are in this Place Beckoning on Us
In a Time like this,
You’re Calling out our Names
Spirit Draw, draw, draw
Draw us Closer to you
Spirit Draw, draw, draw
Draw us more to Intimacy
Draw, draw, draw, my Beloved
[Pre – Chorus]
It’s been Long I Met you Jesus
It seems like I just Met you Today
There’s a Longing In my Spirit,
That is Calling me for More
There’s a Drawing In my Spirit,
That is Drawing me for More
[Chorus]
To Pray O, to Pray
That is what my Spirit Longs for
To Pray O, to Pray
That is what my Spirit Yearns for
To Pray O, to Pray, my Beloved
Go ahead and answer the call of the spirit.
God is calling you to the place of intimacy. Stop running away from him. Answer the call of the spirit.
