Pastor Rotimi Okpaise to Fountaineers: ‘Be Strong In Prayer’

Every believer must have a track record of service and commitment to God, Pastor Rotimi Okpaise has said.

This was the crux of his message in the first service on Sunday, January 30, 2022. Pastor Rotimi, who titled his sermon “Prayer Stories from the Bible,” took his reading from 2 Kings 20: 1–5.

He pointed the congregation to King Hezekiah’s encounter with prophet Isaiah. In highlighting the king’s good reputation before God, the cleric challenged anyone who calls himself a Christian to possess a good CV documenting the records of his service and commitment to God.

This reputation, he argued, gave Hezekiah the audacity, faith, and courage to approach God in prayer, seeking intervention over the prophet’s verdict.

“It is important to know that God wants us to have a dialogue with Him,” he said, noting that the state of one’s health is immaterial in comparison to the importance of prayer. He maintained that it is critical to be strong in prayer always.

He also referenced Hannah’s case from 1 Samuel 1–6, 10–11. According to him, Hannah’s vow to God demonstrated faith, knowing she was a servant in the kingdom. Hannah, he said, emphasised her service to God while praying specifically for a male child whom she vowed to give to God’s service.

“When you are stuck, do something out of the ordinary,” he said, referring to Hannah’s vow concerning her unborn child. He encouraged the congregation to be assured of God’s capacity to deliver answers to prayers if His glory is the end desire.

While reading from Jonah 2: 2 – 9 and 3:1, he mentioned that God gives second chances to His children. He admonished that it would be dangerous to allow the past to shackle one’s present and future. Using Jonah as an unusual example of prayer, Pastor Okpaise asserted that his prayers were in the past tense even while he was still in the belly of the fish. He alluded to this as a great example of the trust Jonah had as he prayed, knowing God would answer him.

Before his message, the congregation was treated to electrifying praise and worship by the Grace Levites as the church had its Family Sunday. During the service, Pastor Tinu Olasore also shared the Promise of the Week from John 15: 5. She said the passage highlights the need for total dependence on God, who is the only trustworthy source. The clergywoman thus urged the worshippers to trust and hold on to God, emphasising the futility of trusting in things and others.

The complete messages are available on the Church’s Youtube channel, The Fountain (TV) and TOM TV (Taiwo Odukoya Ministry). They are also available on CDs and DVDs at The Fountain of Life Church Digital Media Store.