Pastor Imisi Owolabi has urged believers to see every circumstance as an opportunity to produce a rich sacrifice of praise.
She said this while ministering on the “Power of Praise” at the August 25, 2022, Thursday Showers service.
According to the co-pastor of the Hope Centre, the Yaba branch of The Fountain of Life Church (TFOLC), one of the attacks the enemy launches against Christians is making them doubt God and His goodness towards them. She, however, said if believers understood the sovereignty of God, they would always overcome such attacks.
Taking her main Bible text from Matthew 4:1-5, the clergywoman noted that when a believer receives a word from God, the devil comes with that promise to tempt him.
“Whatever question the devil is asking you, don’t be under any pressure to prove to him what God has promised you; just as Jesus was not under any pressure to prove to the devil that God has anointed Him,” she told the congregation at the TFOLC headquarters in Ilupeju, Lagos State.
The president of Hope365 Ministries also said praise should not be subject to happiness. Such, she said, should be natural to God’s children.
“Your default is to praise God. The lion will always roar. You have it inside you! You have a voice; you will find it and laugh and dance and make a mockery of the enemy for attempting to steal your joy,” the preacher said.
She continued, “You can mute the microphone of the enemy when he’s talking to you. This can be done through praise. It is only here on earth that you have the opportunity to praise God irrespective of your challenges. Praise is a weapon.”
‘Too Faithful to Fail’
According to Pastor Imisi Owolabi, having God’s perspective would make a believer know every circumstance is a raw material to bring glory to Himself.
Pastor Imisi Owolabi said, “When you have a God perspective, you will realise that God is too faithful to fail. Everything is a raw material for our God. He might not have caused the challenges, but He can handle it.”
Citing Habakkuk 3:17-19, Acts 16:16, Psalm 103:1, Philippians 4:13-19, and Ephesians 5:19, the cleric noted that being conscious of God’s past goodness; contentment; studying the Word; retaining melodies in the heart and habit of praising God are ways believers can develop a praise culture.
“It’s a choice. You must be able to repeat your testimony over yourself. Is there anything God has done for you? Sit on it! You can’t afford to lose sight of the good way of God.
“Be content because covetousness will steal your joy. Be a student of the Word. Let melodies remain in your heart and keep practising praise,” she noted.
She said it would strengthen their faith and trigger miracles when believers do these.
Pastor Imisi thus urged the worshippers, from Psalm 126:6, to keep praising God irrespective of their circumstances. While stating that it might not be easy, she said it is rewarding when done consistently.
“It won’t always be easy, but keep doing it. It might not make sense,” the cleric told the congregation as she led them into a session of warfare praise.
