UNDERSTANDING

VISION

Copyright © 1992
by:
David O. Oyedepo

ISBN: 978-2480-17-7

2009 Reprint
Published in Nigeria by:
DOMINION PUBLISHING HOUSE
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All Scripture quotations are from the

King James Version of the Bible, except
otherwise stated.
 Introduction

The word, “vision” has been so grossly

misunderstood today in the church that
virtually every dream of the night is
mistaken for a vision. On the other
hand, the “spiritualist” churches use
“vision” as their principal bait to
secure fellowship. Every one of their
“prophets” claim to see “vision” for
people. Multitudes today are chasing
after the shadows through their “traps.”
The question then is, what is
vision? Is it what transpires in a trance
or what obtains in one from of ecstasy
or the other? The subject of vision is a
most crucial one of successful living.
The word says, “where there is no
vision, the people perish.” If we don’t
want to perish, then we must have
vision. The word “perish” here does not
mean to die physically. From the
original Greek text, it means “to be
stripped of honour and dignity.”
We can conclude therefore, that
vision is the pathway to honour and
dignity. Come with me through the
pages of this book as we explore this
great asset called vision.
Knowing where you are going and
what to do to get there generates
confidence. The confident ones are the
strong ones in the kingdom. They are
men of extraordinary strength, men of
exploits. These are the visionaries who
have sought for God and received His
plans for their lives. They know where
they are heading to. They know their
end of this end from their beginning.
They have a solid grip of this end. They
have a solid understanding of how to
get there. Their confidence knows no
barrier. They run like horsemen. They
leap like chariots.
One word comes to mind at their
appearance: warriors. Their faces are
set before them, eyes are fixed on a
particular target in the future. They
neither turn to the right nor to the left.
To them, the sword is a play-thing.
Pestilence does not hold them bound;
famine does not know their address.
Their presence sets confusion into the
enemy camp. They are mighty men of
exploits; mighty men of valour. Now,
they are extraordinary men, before,
they were ordinary men. Their status
changed when they laid hold on an
extraordinary vision from God and
dared to step out. They stepped out,
their vision in sight and their God
inside them. They know their visions
and they know their God.
When you know God, you lay hold
on strength, and when you have
strength you do exploits.
One of the most unpleasant
situations witnessed in life is seeing
believers not attaining their
extraordinary status in Christ Jesus. I
delved into this problem and
discovered that he reason for their
pitiable condition is ignorance.
“My people are destroyed for lack
of knowledge: because thou hast
rejected knowledge”
Hosea 4:6
This is why the Holy Ghost led me
to write this book. I pray that its
purpose will be fulfilled in your life as
you read in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 Chapter 1 - WHAT IS
VISION?

Vision means to see. In our context, it

means to see ahead. It is the ability to
have a pre-knowledge of an upcoming
event. It is more interesting to know
that God has a plan for His people both
as a body and as individuals. We serve
a decent and orderly God. He is no
author of confusion. He is a God of
plans and purposes.
When He created the first man, He
has a reason for it and had an
assignment for him to carry out. He
was to dress the garden and to keep it.
He was the king of Eden. And because
“He is the same yesterday, today, and
forever” (Hebrews 13:8), He still has
drawn out plans for every man on earth
today particularly the saints of God.
Remember we are told that
“All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made
that was made.”
John 1:3
This explains that Christ is the
force behind creation. The almighty
God said about Himself, “I am the
Lord I change not; therefore ye sons of
Jacob are not consumed!” (Malachi
3:6). All through scriptures, we see
God’s plans unfold to His people. We
have a predestination in God. We are
not creatures of chance, but of destiny.
We serve a God of plan and purpose.
Concerning Jeremiah, God said,
“Before I formed thee in the belly
I knew thee; and before thou camest
forth out of the womb I sanctified
thee, and I ordained thee a prophet
unto the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5
Apostle Paul also claimed that God
separated him from his mother’s
womb! He said, “But when it pleased
God, who separated me from my
mother’s womb, and called me by his
grace” (Galatians 1:15). God still
separates people today from their
mothers’ wombs. Your journey to
destiny began at salvation. It was so
with Paul. His journey began when he
acknowledged the Lordship of Christ.
Understand that you are born to
fulfill a particular course. A discovery
of that course is what is called a vision.
Vision, therefore, can be defined as the
unfolding of a divine plan as it related
to a nation, a group of people or an
individual.
The unfolding of God’s plan about
a man’s life is the beginning of a great
future. It is the beginning of that man’s
stardom in the kingdom. You never
become a star until you operate within
the scope of God’s plan for your life.
Every believer has a peculiar plan,
a peculiar function which has been
assigned o him before he was born.
Hear what God told the prophet
Jeremiah:
“Before I formed thee in the belly
I knew thee; and before thou camest
forth out of the womb I sanctified
thee, and I ordained thee a prophet
unto the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5
Every one believer has been
ordained to carry out a particular
function. We are all members of the
same body. We are the body of Christ.
“Now ye are the body of Christ,
and members in particular.”
I Corinthians 12:27
Each member has a function to
carry out. As a member of the body,
you are a steward of a particular
function. God expects you to carry out
this function. This is ministry, it is
stewardship. It is not limited to the
pulpit. Ministry is occupying your
position as assigned by God.
Have you come across a body
which is just one big eye? or one which
is one big mouth? No! A body is made
up of different members. Every
member has a particular function and
they all work together to the building
up of that body. Ministry is carrying
out a divine assignment. Everyone
assigned to carry out a divine task is a
minister.
Joseph had a divine task. He was
sent to Egypt to preserve lives. Gideon
was not called to preach but to deliver
the people of Israel. Abraham was
called to be established as an
institution through which the families
of the earth would be blessed. Callings
and elections are not limited to
preaching. You have a function. You
have a divine assignment. A discovery
of this function is what is called vision.
Vision is a divine insight into
God’s plan for you. The pursuit of this
vision is what is called a ministry. It
therefore goes that, no vision, no
ministry.
You have a ministry and it is your
duty to discover it. Just like the prophet
Habakkuk, stand upon your watch and
see what God has for you. Become a
visionary. Only visionaries become
great in the kingdom. Locate your
function and begin to manifest in it.
The future of every believer depends
on the discovery of his function.
Know this: No calling is of a low
status. Every calling, every function is
a high calling. Every calling
culminates in glory.
Every member of a king’s body has
a royal aroma. You cannot say of the
hand, “this is only the hand, it is not
the king so it has no honour.” No!
Every part of the king is the king, and
must be accorded the respect and
honour due to it. So is it with every
member of the body of Christ. Every
function you are ordained to carry out
leads to honour, dignity and stardom.
 The Importance of Vision

Vision is very important in a believer’s

life. It puts an end to a life of a struggle
(when you don’t discover God’s plan,
you keep on struggling). This is
because God only enables you to
perform in the area He has assigned
you to serve. This is where you make it
seemingly effortlessly, smiling all the
way.
Your vision gives stability to your
life. You know where you are heading.
You have a goal and aim for it with
strong purposeful strides; not as one
beating the air. Your attitude changes.
Your actions change.
 Others might bow with any wind of
doctrine; they might do whatever they
like and even succeed greatly in those
things; but none of those things will
move you. Your vision prevents you
from going anywhere you like, or
following after what others are doing.
It gives you a definite focus. It gives
you the consciousness of one on a
divine mission.
Only visionaries will be enlisted
into God’s army. They will be men
who know where they are heading. Men
who know their mission and go about it
with the strength of a horse. A man on
foot cannot compete with a man on a
horse. Vision gives you a horse to ride
on. The prophet Joel tells us about the
end time army of God:
“The appearance of them is as the
appearance of horses; and as
horsemen, so shall they run.”
Joel 2:4
This army is made up of men with
specific missions. Their faces will be
set only towards accomplishing these
missions. They shall not thrust each
other. Each one shall follow his own
path, his own calling, working
separately, yet together; towards one
goal.
“They shall run like mighty men;
they shall climb the wall like men of
war; and they shall march every one
on his ways, and they shall not break
their ranks: Neither shall one thrust
another; they shall walk every one in
his path: and when they fall upon the
sword, they shall not be wounded.”
Joel 2:7-8
These are the visionaries, the men
who will show forth the glory of God
this end time.
No man gives himself a vision.
Every true vision comes from God. It is
good for us to draw a line here between
vision and ambition. Vision is God-
given while ambition is man-made.
Vision is from above while ambition
has its origin on earth. Ambition is
born out of an earthly drive to do it
better than others. It springs mostly out
of envy and a desire for power and self
recognition.
 These desires run so deep that men
fix their eyes on their target and go all
out for the catch using all manner of
evil imaginations. Men driven by their
ambition can kill, destroy nations and
cities; pulling others down, just to
achieve their goal.
Hitler was a man driven by his own
earthly ambition. He wanted to rule the
world. He wanted the German nation to
bear rule over the whole world and felt
that the Jews were those standing in the
way. This brought about the devilish
idea of exterminating the Jews. Hitler
had an ambition and nothing was too
evil for him to do in order to achieve it.
The great man of faith, George
Muller, had a vision. He had a heavenly
dream. He wanted to put a smile on the
faces of all the orphans left after the
war.
He gave up everything he had to
start the orphanage, looking unto God
and God alone. He never had to go
stealing, killing, defrauding or begging
for sustenance. He was an ordinary
man who had an extraordinary task and
dared to step out in faith. This is a
vision from God. God gives the vision
and enables the visionary to bring it to
fruition.
No man gives himself a vision. No
one places himself in an office. God is
the one who assigns offices to His
children. He has set every member in
the body as it has pleased him. He has
absolute prerogative in the placement
of His people.
“And God hath set some in the
church, first apostles, secondarily
prophets, thirdly teachers, after that
miracles, then gifts of healings, helps,
governments, diversities of tongues.”
I Corinthians 12:28
Ephesians 4:11 also emphasizes
this point. It says:
“And he gave some, apostles; and
some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers”
God does the placement and leaves
it with the minister to either make good
use of his calling, or go to sleep with it.
God gives a task and gives the gift to
accomplish it. When He gives, He
never takes back.
“For the gifts and calling of God
are without repentance.”
Romans 11:29
Qualifications For Placement

It is important for believers not to

mistake natural qualities for divine
placement. God’s placements are by
grace and election, not expertise or
strength. God wanted someone to bring
out His people from Egypt and who did
He choose? A stammerer, in the person
of Moses. When He needed a man to
build the walls of Jerusalem, He saw no
one within the city of Jerusalem. He
chose a slave boy in exile: Nehemiah.
“For ye see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the
flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, are called: But God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world
to confound the wise; and God hath
chosen the weak things of the world to
confound the things which are
mighty; And base things of the world,
and things which are despised, hath
God chosen, yea, and things which are
not, to bring to nought things that are:
That no flesh should glory in his
presence.”
I Corinthians 1:26-29
Your natural capabilities cannot
qualify you for a divine task. Divine
assignments require divine strength,
and divine strength can only be made
perfect in weakness. It is written,
“…my strength is made perfect in
weakness.”
 2 Corinthians 12:9
Eliab, Jesse’s first son, had all the
natural qualities of a king, but the same
qualities brought about his
disqualification before God. David, on
the other hand, was considered to be
naturally unqualified. He was not even
called out with the other sons. His
natural disqualification however,
qualified him for a divine assignment.
Never you think that your
eloquence or high educational
background is the reason why God has
called you into a preaching ministry. If
natural qualifications were to be
considered, I would have been the most
unlikely candidate for a preaching
ministry. I was very slow-tongued and
also very sickly, but God called me and
that made the difference.
God will always call you in your
weakness so that you can rely on His
strength for His assignment. God calls
you in your weakness so you can get to
know Him and rely solely on Him.
When you know God, you lay hold on
divine strength, when you have divine
strength, you do exploits in your divine
assignment.
A vision can be oral, pictorial, or
both. Either way, it is a spiritual
language through which God transmits
His plans to chosen vessels.
A dream is not a vision, but a
vision can be communicated with you
according to your level of
comprehension. It might be through
words or images. Images, however,
ease comprehension. Until words are
converted into images, and one can
truly say, “I see, I see,” there is no full
comprehension. Images give you what
to fix your eyes upon. This is
especially invaluable in moments of
discouragement. During such moments,
you can switch your mind back to the
images you received in the vision and
you are encouraged.
All over the world, an increasing
number of people are coming up with
one vision or the other. Some are
genuine, others need to be passed more
closely under God’s light; others still
need to be dumped into the trashcan.
As you read on, the Holy Spirit will
open your eyes to know where your
vision belongs, as you grasp a better
understanding of visions for effectual
implementation.
 Chapter 2 - THE GOD-
APPOINTED VISION

The prize for every high calling of God

is a crown and this crown is
enthronement. Every genuine vision
leads to enthronement. You therefore
owe yourself the responsibility of
ascertaining the genuineness of your
vision before launching out in its
pursuit.
How does one determine a genuine
vision? This is our focus in this
chapter. Let us see what the prophet
Habakkuk has to say:
“I will stand upon my watch, and
set me upon the tower, and will watch
to see what he will say unto me, and
what I shall answer when I am
reproved. And the LORD answered
me, and said, Write the vision, and
make it plain upon tables, that he may
run that readeth it. For the vision is
yet for an appointed time, but at the
end it shall speak, and not lie: though
it tarry, wait for it; because it will
surely come, it will not tarry. Behold,
his soul which is lifted up is not
upright in him: but the just shall live
by his faith.”
Habakkuk 2:1-4
One major characteristics of a
genuine vision is that, it has its source
in God. It is God’s revealed plan and
has to be traceable to Him. Any vision
that does not have its source in God
leads to destruction. It might flourish
for a while but certain destruction is
inevitable.
Absalom, the son of David, had a
desire. He wanted so much to become
king that he couldn’t even wait for his
father to die. His comportment and
appearance gained the people’s
approval.
Being pushed on by his own selfish
vision, and the people’s, he declared
himself king. His vision was not from
God. For a while, it was sweet but
sudden destruction overtook to
glorification, so does every one not
from God lead to destruction.
 A young man serving under a man
of God now suddenly thinks he can do
it better. He becomes very critical of
the existing authority. He tries all he
can to show people how gifted he is. He
gets encouragement from some
quarters and is pushed on to break
away from his parent ministry. He
proclaims he has a vision.
This vision is surely not from God,
for God does not encourage break-
aways. Take a cue from King David, he
has a divine calling.
He was anointed king in place of
Saul, but as long as Saul was alive, he
never sought to take the throne. He
only ran away when it became apparent
that his life was in danger.
 A vision that is of God will not
encourage divisions and break-aways,
so, watch it. It’s high time a stop was
put to break-aways and factions in our
churches. When your vision is of God,
He will create a peaceful way out for
you in His own time. Every God given
vision is characterized by peace. Vision
and peace are covenant partners. A
vision you receive and rest is driven
from you, and should be reexamined.
Abraham was an addicted
visionary. For twenty-five (25) years,
he held on to his vision – the promise
of a son. He was at peace.
“He staggered not at the promise
of God…”
Romans 4:20
 A vision which has God as its
source has peace as its companion. God
will always speak peace to His people.
“I will hear what God the LORD
will speak: for he will speak peace
unto his people, and to his saints…”
Psalm 85:8
A vision is given in response to a
heart desire. Desire leads to enquiry
and enquiry leads to acquiring.
“Through desire a man, having
separated himself, seeketh and
intermeddleth with all wisdom.”
Proverbs 18:1
A vision is sought for and acquired
by man. Everyone through separation
seeks his own vision. No one can seek a
vision for another person. The prophet,
Habakkuk says:
“I will stand upon my watch, and
set me upon the tower, and will watch
to see what he will say unto me, and
what I shall answer when I am
reproved. And the LORD answered
me, and said, Write the vision, and
make it plain upon tables, that he may
run that readeth it.”
Habakkuk 2:1-2
Vision is an individual, persona
affair. This is seen in the repeated use
of the first person pronoun in the above
text. It is not a collective affair. A man
who desires a vision, a man who
desires wisdom, must necessarily
separate himself from every distraction
make enquiries from God.
 Ascertaining Your Area
Genuine visions are plain, “…make
it plain upon the tables…” They clearly
state what to do, when to do it, where
to do it, and how to go about it.
I have seen a lot of preachers
coming up to claim that they have
received a vision from God, but when
asked what that vision is, they say:
“God has sent me to preach the Bible!”
This normally amuses me because God
can never send an individual to preach
the whole Bible!
You are too small to preach the
whole Bible. The Bible is loaded with
matter. It is loaded with substance. A
vision from God will point you to the
specific substance you are to preach.
When the Lord called me into ministry,
He made the vision plain before me:
“Go forth and liberate my people from
all oppressions of the devil through the
preaching of the word of faith.” This
was plain. The job was to liberate the
people of God and the tool for this
liberation was the word of faith. A
vision is a specific task assigned and
revealed to an individual by God.
If you are still prowling around,
claiming that God has called you to
preach the whole Bible, it’s time to
change your thinking. Get back to God
and ask for your specific assignment.
Visions are plain. This is why great
men of God today are identified with
specific, clear callings. For one man of
God, it is salvation; for another, it is
faith and healing, yet for another, it is
prosperity. God is not an author of
confusion. When He calls you, He
makes your calling plain.
 Zeal

A God-given vision always imparts a

divine drive in the beneficiary which
drives him on to accomplishment. This
divine drive is zeal.
Zeal is that inward excitement that
pushes you forward to accomplishing
your mission. When the zeal of God
consumes you, every other factor
becomes subsidiary. God cannot call
you to a task without giving you the
zeal to perform it.
 The Time Element

Vision from God always has a time

element. Timing is very important in
God’s programme. There is always the
time for take-off. John the Baptist was
on a divine mission. It had been said of
him, even before he was born, that he
was going to prepare the way of the
Lord. He knew it but he didn’t go about
it immediately until he came to the
fullness of age. He waited for God’s
time. The Bible says:
“And the child grew, and waxed
strong in spirit, and was in the deserts
till the day of his shewing unto
Israel.”
 Luke 1:80
Jesus also knew of His mission but
He waited for 30 years carrying out
menial jobs before finally launching
out after receiving John’s baptism and
the baptism in the Holy Ghost.
The time God calls you to ministry
is not necessarily the time for you to
step out. Always get God’s appointed
time and walk in it.
A vision does not become a
ministry until it is pursued. The pursuit
of a God-given vision is what is called
a ministry.
“That he may run that readeth it”
If your vision must be
accomplished, you must run. You must
pursue it. Every calling of God
culminates in glory but there is a
demand to press.
“I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:14
There is of necessity, a pressing on
attached to every prize. No press, no
prize. Paul had a vision, so he ran, he
pressed, and he fought.
So run! Press on! Don’t go about
minding other people’s ministries. God
has not called you to be a referee.
Referees don’t win any prizes! Be least
concerned about how others are
pursuing their visions. Have a sense of
mission to effectively pursue your
vision.
 Great success is recorded on
diligent pursuit. You don’t succeed by
accident but by a conscious pursuit of
your vision – doing what it takes to get
to where you are going. Pursue your
vision, and receive your crown. You
can’t get the juice out of an orange
without squeezing it. So, press on and
obtain your prize.
The vision you will not pursue; you
will not fulfill. A vision that will not be
realized is one whose challenges you
will not rise up to. So get on your feet.
Rise up to the challenges of your
vision.
A Speaking Forth
A genuine vision speaks at the end:
“For the vision is yet for an
appointed time, but at the end it shall
speak, and not lie: though it tarry,
wait for it; because it will surely come,
it will not tarry.”
Habakkuk 2:3
The source of any vision is made
apparent for all to see at the end; it
speaks louder than words. If it is God,
its good fruit will be made manifest,
and everyone will see it. If it is not of
God, its bad fruit will also be shown to
all.
A vision is like a seed whose full
dignity only emerges at the end. At the
end, it shall speak by an abundant
harvest if well nourished and cared for.
a grain of wheat does not become a full
corn overnight, it matures in stages
until it is ready for harvest.
“And he said, So is the kingdom of
God, as if a man should cast seed into
the ground; And should sleep, and rise
night and day, and the seed should
spring and grow up, he knoweth not
how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit
of herself; first the blade, then the ear,
after that the full corn in the ear. But
when the fruit is brought forth,
immediately he putteth in the sickle,
because the harvest is come.”
Mark 4:26-29
A vision, like a seed, produces of
itself if pursued. The full corn does not
appear at once. The source of a vision
will not be a hidden secret after its
execution. Surely, the vision will speak
and not lie.
 Chapter 3 - SECURING A
VISION

Vision gives direction to life. God’s

path for you is in the vision He gives
you. Without vision you cannot get
your bearings right; so, get your vision,
locate your place in God and let the
light of God shine on your path. How
then do you secure a vision? Do visions
fall down from heaven like mangoes
from a mango tree? No! Genuine
visions come from God; yet, man has a
part to play.
A man who seeks a vision has to
stretch out his hands to God to receive
it, just like the man who desires the gift
of salvation has to step out and confess
the Lordship of Jesus. The visionary
has to step out and call on the name of
the Lord. There is a separation
involved. There is an asking involved,
be it revelation or salvation, they only
come to those who call on His name.
In this chapter, we are going to talk
about what this stepping out involves.
 Realizing Your Need

What you don’t need. God cannot

supply. He will only supply all your
needs according to His riches in glory
(Philippians 4:19). Only a fool will
despise the need for a vision because
the word of God clearly spells out the
consequence for the lack of it.
“Where there is no vision, the
people perish: but he that keepeth the
law, happy is he.”
Proverbs 29:18
Lack of vision can bring ruing to a
while generation. It can lead to the
destruction of the saints of God. There
is need for every believer to have a
vision. It is not God’s wish that anyone
should perish. He wants everyone to
enter into his Canaan and only vision
can take one there.
Do you want to enter into your
promised land? Do you want to possess
your possession? Then you need a
genuine vision from God in your life.
Vision is the gateway to greatness in
the kingdom. Vision makes a man. Let
us see what happened to one of our
covenant fathers.
All his life, Jacob had been a
trickster and a usurper until he met
with God at Bethel on his way to
Laban. This was the turning point of
his life. His personal encounter with
usurper was gone. The trickster was
buried. He made a covenant with God
and a new life began. He arrived
Laban’s place without a vision but he
had a determination to live right.
However, this was not enough. For
fourteen years, he sweated and
laboured for the woman he loved. He
was cheated and relegated to slavery.
At the end of 14 years, he only had two
wives and a battalion of children to
show for his sweat. No substance, no
future.
Then the need arose and with it cam
a vision. He remembered his covenant
with God. He asked and received a
terrific insight into cattle rearing which
he promptly put to work. He pursued it
and he prospered. The scripture says in
Genesis 30:43 that,
“And the man increased
exceedingly, and had much cattle, and
maidservants, and menservants, and
camels, and asses.”
The potential for greatness was in
him, but until he saw the need for
insight into the ways of God, he never
received. Vision brings about positive
covenant changes in your life. See the
need for it and you are prepared to
receive it.
 See God’s Willingness To
Reveal His Plan

God is always willing to reveal His

plans. He didn’t make His plans for
Himself, He made them for you and I.
He devised them so that through them,
we can arise as stars and bring about
the re-establishment of His kingdom on
earth. I used the word “re-
establishment” because Adam
transferred the dominion of the earth to
Satan at the fall.
God is eager to see the re-
establishment of His power and
authority on earth. This is why His
eagerness to reveal His plans to you
knows no limit.
“…I am the LORD thy God which
teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth
thee by the way that thou shouldest
go.”
Isaiah 48:17
God has taken upon Himself the
responsibility to lead you into your
destiny. How does He do this? By
revealing His plans, and by showing
you your own little portion in His
master plan for your life. It was
specially designed for you, so go for it.
God is eager, don’t you waver. He is
just waiting for that moment when you
will step out to receive it from Him.
 Seek God In Prayer

Prayer draws the hand of God in a

situation. It is the link that connects
man to the throne room of God. If you
want to know the ways of God in any
situation, you must pray. You must ask
Him.
The man Daniel was a man of
visions and revelations. He was also a
man of prayer. He received his vision
and revelation through the
instrumentality of prayer. A time came
when he discovered the set time for the
captivity of Israel. He then took it upon
himself to seek the face of God in
prayer concerning the restoration of
Jerusalem. He prayed and God released
His plans to him in a vision (see Daniel
9).
God only reveals His plans to those
who ask Him. If you will not ask, you
will not receive. Prayer is a means of
receiving God’s plans. Speaking
through the prophet Jeremiah, God
said:
“Call unto me, and I will answer
thee, and show thee great and mighty
things, which thou knowest not.”
Jeremiah 33:3
Every showing, every vision from
God must be preceded by a calling. No
calling, no showing. The word “shew”
talks about revelation. This is
revelation of what has to do with you
as contained in God’s plan.
This can only come to your through
prayer. This call is resounded all over
the scriptures. God has been saying it,
in case you have not heard; He is
saying it over and over again. “Call on
me, ask of me” e.t.c. So, ask and
receive so that your joy may be full.
 Be Watchful

Visions are received during watchful

moments. You make yourself available
to receive God’s plan through
watching. The prophet Habakkuk said:
“I will stand upon my watch, and
set me upon the tower, and will watch
to see what he will say unto me, and
what I shall answer when I am
reproved.”
Habakkuk 2:1
Watching and praying are two
different things. Prayer is calling upon
God, while watching is conditioning
your spirit man to receive from God. It
involves getting your spirit man linked
with heaven in order to receive
heaven’s signals. It is not praying. The
two go hand in hand. The prophet,
Habakkuk, prayed to God, then set
himself to watch and see what God
would say. He had to quit praying, he
was now watching.
Most people who talk about having
received God’s plan did so in moments
of watchfulness. God’s plan could be
revealed to you at any time – while
going about your daily affairs, or at the
wheel of a car driving e.t.c. As long as
your spiritman is tuned to receiving
from God, His glorious plan will drop
into it. The light comes – light so real
and vivid, you cannot deny it.
The vision for this ministry was
received through watchfulness. It
happened when I had a budging to visit
some old friends of mine. I got to their
house only to discover that they had
moved. I wasn’t happy to have come
all that way in vain. As I turned to go
back, the Holy Ghost said to me: “All
things work together to the advantage
of them that love the Lord.”
It was a flash into my spirit man. A
flash so sweet, it made me relax. I
could have missed it if I were not
watchful. It flashed and I caught it.
That word was undoubtedly from God.
I had never heard the interpretation of
that verse all my life. “All things work
together to the advantage…” (Romans
8:28). It was clearly and vividly put. I
repeated it and told myself that the
situation was to my advantage and
watched for further instructions which
came shortly.
The Holy Ghost told me to go to a
quiet place for a private discussion
with Him. So, I checked into a hotel,
knelt down and did not move for 18
hours. The vision for this ministry was
received during hose watchful hours.
Being watchful is very important if
you want to receive from God: you
may pray all you want, but if you are
not watchful, you will miss your
vision. Very often, spiritual truths are
sent forth as tiny seeds that can be
ignored if one is not watchful. So,
watch and lay hold on God’s plan for
your life.
Chapter 4 - PROVING THE
VISION

A vision that is not proved is not a

vision to be pursued. A word not tested
is not a word to be relied upon. There is
a path God has prepared for everyone
born of Him. He forbids anyone turning
from his path either to the right or to
the left.
Your success in life depends on
how well you keep to this path. When
you stay away from the path of God,
you are always to blame. Beloved, the
blame is always yours.
God holds you responsible. The
devil may have beguiled you. People
may have pushed you on; but the blame
is always yours. Why? because you
have authority over the devil. You have
authority over all external influences.
The devil beguiled Eve through his
subtlety, but Eve was punished. This
calls for caution in our eagerness to
hear words or revelations from people.
I have seen believers lured away
from their calling all because they
received a word from someone. Before
you star running with your vision,
before you start running with any word
you receive, subject it to an
examination. Check out on its
accuracy. Sieve off the unwanted
elements and hold on to the substance.
 The word of God had to be tried,
not once, but seven times.
“The words of the LORD are pure
words: as silver tried in a furnace of
earth, purified seven times.”
Psalm 12:6
If the word of God could be
subjected to testing, then every vision
or revelation must be properly
scrutinized. God has sounded the
instruction:
“There is a way which seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof
are the ways of death.”
Proverbs 14:12
Do you know that the devil himself
can appear as an angel of light? Don’t
go running with just anything you
receive. Prove it first. How do you
determine the accuracy of your vision?
 The Tool For Proving

God’s word is the only authentic tool

for proving a vision. When you receive
a vision, illuminate your spirit in God’s
word for a backing, before you step
out. by so doing, you have the double
assurance that it is from God because
God will only back up what He says.
A young pastor was praying one
day in his house when the word came:
“You are the Elijah who is to come
before the saviour comes back.”It
seemed so good and real, and he was
excited. Then the thought came that he
should get a scriptural backing for the
revelation. He went into God’s word
and he got to the place where Jesus told
His disciples that Elijah had already
come in the person of John the Baptist.
He went to his pastor for more
illumination and he was told the same
thing. Then he knew that the vision he
had received was not from God. The
devil knows the scriptures and quotes
them to confuse you.
Jesus, the son of God, was faced
with this trick of the devil on the
mountain of temptation. The devil
quoted scriptures to Him, but He was
not moved. He has the right scriptures
to set him on the run.
Before pursuing any revelation,
first get into the word of God for
proofs. Compare scripture with
scripture and unravel the truth behind
the vision.
 Identify The Personality
Behind The Voice

The atmosphere is full of voices. Since

visions involve some form of
communication or the other, it
becomes necessary to ascertain the
personality behind the voice you have
heard.
Not all voices are God’s voice.
There is the authentic voice of God,
there is the voice of your spiritman,
and there is the voice of the devil. Only
one of them is reliable and dependable,
and that is the voice of God.
I once heard something and I
though it was from God. The Lord
questioned me about it and I reminded
Him that that was what He said, but He
told me, “No, that was the voice of
your spiritman, you heard yourself.”
The voice of your spiritman is not
absolutely reliable. It may be biased
because it might have some element of
carnality in it. This is where you must
watch it. You might be able to detect
the devil’s voice easily, but your own
voice is not that easily exposed. Why?
The ways of a man always seem right
in his own eyes. So your voice, to you,
always seems to be saying the correct
thing. The way that seems right to you
is the way of your own voice.
On his way to Damascus, Saul
(Paul) and his team were struck by the
power of God. The voice of the Lord
came to him, he identified it and asked:
“Who art thou, Lord?”
Acts 9:5
The others heard the voice, but they
had no idea who was speaking. It is
important that you identify the voice
behind your vision, and you will not be
led into error.
 Ascertain The Content Of
Your Vision

The content of every vision has to be

ascertained. Get a good understanding
of the content of your vision before you
start to run with it. God has no pleasure
in your confusion. He is excited at your
having direction. Get back to Him with
your vision asking for further
illumination on each content. As you
engage yourself with Him, He will sort
everything out. Learn to ask God for
complete illumination into your vision.
His assurance and further revelation
will give you the courage to run with
effectiveness.
Commit your vision and revelation
to God in prayer. The prayer force
involved here is a prayer of
commitment. The word of God says:
“Commit thy way unto the LORD;
trust also in him; and he shall bring it
to pass.”
Psalm 37:5
After I was called into ministry, I
needed some clarification so I took the
matter to God. I asked, “Lord, are you
asking me to start an independent
ministry or to serve under an existing
one?” I threw the matter to God. All I
wanted was His will. I committed my
ways to Him and relaxed. Then the
answer came. I was to start off a new
ministry.
A time came when we were to set
up the operations headquarters of the
ministry, Ilorin looked very attractive.
As far as I was concerned, it was the
ideal spot. My wife and I, however,
committed the matter to God. We
threw it open to him, ready to obey
whatever he would say. And the Lord
spoke, He said, “Arise, go to
Damascus.”
The Lord made it plain that
Damascus stood for Kaduna – the city
of persecution. Coming here, therefore,
to witness Islamic uprisings was no
news to me. I was well acquainted with
my role in it. No force on earth could
stop me from playing my part because
this was what I was anointed for. God’s
voice helps you to operate under an
extraordinary confidence.
Friends, be inquisitive about your
visions. Ask him about everything up
to the minutest detail. Get him to give
you a good understanding of the
content of the vision before you step
out. When Moses was called to go and
deliver Israel from Egypt, he asked all
manner of questions. There was no
question he asked for proofs, and ne
got them. He asked for a mouth and he
got one. Moses got a better
understanding of his mission and how
to go about it by asking God questions.
So ask that you may receive
direction. The prayer of enquiry is the
prayer that offers direction. This is a
major tool for determining direction in
life.
You need God’s direction in every
venture you are embarking upon. Ask
Him for direction by committing your
ways to Him and He will direct your
path. He knows the end from the
beginning and before Him all things
lay bare. You don’t do greater exploits
than how accurate the content of your
vision is. God’s voice offers strength
and His strength leads to exploits.
 Things To Guard Against

There are, however, certain things you

should guard against:

Fleeces

One of them is asking for direction

with fleeces. What does this mean?
This means saying something like this:
“Father, if I go to see my pastor and the
first thing he tells me is “Jesus loves
you,” then I know you have called me
to work under him.” You cannot use
this method to get clarification on your
vision. The word of God says that as
many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God. Not as many
as are led by fleeces.
“For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God.”
Romans 8:14
You may argue that Gedeon did this
and it worked for him. Yes, but Gideon
was under the old covenant and under
this covenant, they had no indwelling
presence of the Holy Spirit. You are of
the new covenant and have the Spirit of
God in you. He is there to lead you so
ask him for illumination.
In the next chapter, we shall talk
more on the Holy Spirit and His role in
visions.

People’s Confirmation

Another thing you should guard against

is people’s confirmation. This is not
wrong in itself. God can use people to
help you but a lot of them will end up
leading you to confusion. When I
received my vision to go into ministry,
I told a great man of God about it. He
opened his mouth and told me that God
had not called me! If I had not heard
God clearly, this would have sent me
off the track. But I heard God and I
struck to my calling.
Nehemiah could not have
succeeded in his mission if he had
revealed it to people for confirmation.
He did the surveys by himself and gave
the people information on what they
were to do. If he had asked for their
advice, he would have been led off his
path.
Look unto God alone, and He will
verify your vision for you. There was a
time that I though a successful ministry
was only possible in America. I
decided to start off the ministry there. I
was looking to America instead of God,
and He told me “son, you have two
eyes; can you make one look up and the
other look down at the same time?” I
wondered what he meant, so I tried it
and I couldn’t. Then the message sank
in. I can’t look to God and America at
the same time. Successful ministries
are founded in God not in America.
Beloved, look up to God and hear
his voice. He alone is able to lead you
in the path He has chosen for you.
The Acid Test For A Genuine
Vision

As earlier mentioned, God has

commanded to “Prove all things; hold
fast that which is good” (I
Thessalonians 5:21). “All things”
include visions. This signifies that not
all visions are true!
We are also told that there are two
voices clamouring for man’s attention:
the voice of the Shepherd and that of
the stranger.
“And when he putteth forth his
own sheep, he goeth before them, and
the sheep follow him: for they know
his voice. And a stranger will they not
follow, but will flee from him: for they
know not the voice of strangers.”
John 10:4-5
Because there are voices, there
must be a way of knowing which one is
genuine and which is counterfeit. Here
is the simple proof.
The word declared:
“I will hear what God the LORD
will speak: for he will speak peace
unto his people, and to his saints: but
let them not turn again to folly.”
Psalm 85:8
PEACE is the proof of a genuine
vision!
When God, the good Shepherd
leads, He always leads beside the still
waters. Still waters connote peace and
rest. If a vision then is truly of God, it
will be accompanies with peace in the
heart. This is the authentic proof that
the vision is from God (the author of
peace and concord).
Whenever the peace of God eludes
a believer in the pursuit of a
“purported” vision, there is need to
check it. This is the simple reason:
Except God is actually involved, no
vision can be accomplished. In
Zechariah 4:6, it is stated, regarding
the vision of Zerubbabel:
“Not by might, nor by power, but
by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
This is reiterated in Psalm 127:1,
“Except the LORD build the house,
they labour in vain that build it.” What
more shall we say? “For by strength
shall no man prevail” (I Samuel 2:9).
The Master Himself concludes it with a
seal of finality thus:
“…without me ye can do nothing.”
John 15:5
It is clearly evident from all the
above scriptures that every vision
requires the direct involvement and
intervention of God to be accomplished
and fulfilled.
We are told that, “Faithful is he
that calleth you who also will do it” (I
Thessalonians 5:24). In the final
analysis, it is God who works in the
vessel to accomplish the vision He
gives. “It is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good
pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). However,
if God must work in man, man must
necessarily be at rest. We have this
blessed assurance in the Word that we
need not be otherwise for “The Lord
will fight for you (while) you hold your
peace” (Exodus 14:14).
If God must take over, man must
hold his peace. God does not take over
our battles and pursuits until we hold
our peace. You may ask, “But why?”
Because He does not share His glory
with anyone.
“My glory will I not share with any
one”
Isaiah 42:8
Also, “That no flesh might glory in
his presence” And more importantly,
“Be still and know that I am God: I will
be exalted among the heathen, I will be
exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).
This is the truth: Until you are at
REST, God cannot be at work. If you
must see God at work then you have to
be rest. This is the secret behind the
peace that attends all heaven-borne
visions. With peace in your heart,
triumph in your pursuit in guaranteed.
 Chapter 5 - SPIRITUAL
SENSITIVITY

The believer who will matter this end-

time is he who is led by the Holy
Spirit. The sons of God, the stars of
God, are those led by God, not those
who stay in church; they are not those
who preach 24 hours a day either.
The Bible says that the world is
waiting for the manifestation of the
sons of God. So, we want to know who
those sons are. God’s word proclaims:
“As many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of
God.”
 John 1:12
This means that when you receive
Jesus, you only receive the power to
become a son. You are just a child. The
Bible also says that an heir is no
different from a servant, while he
remains a child.
“Now I say, That the heir, as long
as he is a child, differeth nothing from
a servant, though he be lord of all.”
Galatians 4:1
This means that you cannot enter
into your inheritance in God until you
become a son. Of course, it is your
right to be on the throne; but the throne
is not for children! The Bible says
“woe unto you when your king is a
child” (Ecclesiastes 10:16).
 Listen, your rightful position can
never be yours except you outgrow
your childhood. Only sons can ascend
thrones. Thrones are for sons not for
children. The subject of sensitivity to
the spirit therefore, is crucial to our
achievement of success, because the
Bible classifies sons of God as those
led by the Spirit of God. Only those led
by the Spirit can ascend their thrones.
An eight year old child who is
declared king only carries the title. He
cannot make decisions. So you can
only enter into the place God has for
you when you outgrow childhood to
sonship.
At new birth, the power to be
sensitive to the Spirit is deposited in
you. You are a candidate for spiritual
sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. It is your
birthright to be led by the Spirit of
God. Until you appropriate this right,
you cannot become a son. It is your
birthright to be able to hear the Holy
Spirit talk to you on life’s issues.
The Holy Spirit is also the principal
tool for effectual analysis of your
vision. He tells you what is wrong from
what you claim is right. He tells you
what interpretation is faulty. He is the
chief executive for analysis of vision.
Your sensitivity to Him determines
how accurate the analysis of your
vision will be. The Bible says:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me.”
 John 10:27
If you are born of God, you are
expected to hear His voice, and His
voice is the voice of the Holy Ghost.
Children don’t have to go to school to
learn their parent’s language. The
greatest dummy in the world naturally
understands his mother tongue. God
says, I know you. You are mine, and
you know my voice; my voice is clear
to you.
The ability to hear God’s voice
does not belong to ministers alone.
Everyone born of God has that ability
in Him. The day you were born again,
there was a spiritual turning that took
place. This is what gives you the
capacity to understand God’s voice.
 Hearing God’s voice is not a gift
but a birthright.
The men who have attained great
heights in Christ today are known for
their super-sensitivity of the Holy
Spirit. They are men of honour and
dignity because they are working in the
plans of God.
Do you know the secret behind the
success of the ministry of Jesus? This
is it. He said it Himself:
“I can of mine own self do
nothing: as I hear, I judge.”
John 5:30
As he heard, He acted, he moved.
He was in constant communion with
God. When He was told about the
sickness and eventual death of Lazarus,
He didn’t go running down there. He
waited to hear from the Father before
moving. You too can hear. Your ears
are created to be hearing ears – capable
of hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.
A time came when the great man of
God, Elijah, was stranded, the great
man of Mount Carmel cried unto God
to take his life. He waited for God to
answer Him and God did. God spoke to
him telling him what to do. He heard
and this took him to other phase of
ministry. Elijah came to his weak point
and God’s voice paved a way for him.
The voice of God came, offered
direction and established his office (1
Kings 19:11-18).
Today, those who sweat in ministry
are those who are deaf to the Holy
Spirit. They do what is right in their
own sight, and not what God tells them
to do. It is very crucial that you be
sensitive enough to receive from God
when He speaks.
Below are a few ways you can
enhance your sensitivity to the Holy
Ghost.
 Importance Of Quietness

There is a notable thing in the

experience of Elijah. There was an
earthquake, a very wild wind, and then
a fire, but God’s voice was not heard in
them. When it finally came, it was a
still, small voice. The word “still” is
worthy of note. There is no way you
can receive signals from heaven
without the practise of quietness. The
word of God says that God’s voice is
behind.
“And thine ears shall hear a word
behind thee, saying, This is the way,
walk ye in it…”
Isaiah 30:21
 If God’s voice comes from behind,
then you need to be very quiet to hear
it. Except you are in the practise of
quietness, you cannot understand the
mystery of receiving from God.
Practise quietness on your inside and
outside. The Holy Spirit is always there
to instruct you. He never goes on break.
Get quiet and receive instructions from
Him daily. God’s word will drop on
you when you are quiet.
You cannot afford to be deaf to the
leading of the Holy Spirit. Stop rushing
around doing things. Maintain
quietness in your spiritman and also
around you and the mysteries of God
will drop in on you.
 Worship

Worship is adoration. It is bowing

down at the feet of God hallowing His
name. You are laying down your crown
before Him. When you do this, you are
ready to receive from Him. If you want
to increase your hearing ability, you
must learn to worship Him. When you
worship God, you receive revelations.
“But now bring me a minstrel. And
it came to pass, when the minstrel
played, that the hand of the LORD
came upon him. And he said, Thus
saith the LORD, Make this valley full
of ditches. For thus saith the LORD,
Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye
see rain; yet that valley shall be filled
with water, that ye may drink, both ye,
and your cattle, and your beasts.”
2 Kings 3:15-17
As the minstrel played on the
instrument and the heart of Elisha rose
up to God in worship, the word of the
Lord came unto him.
A lot of ministers around the world
today do this. They ask for a tune to be
struck on the organ while ministering
to the afflicted. Normally, it is a soft
tune that goes on an on. This enhances
their sensitivity to instruction from the
Holy Ghost.
The Psalms and Hymns are very
good tools for worship. I have noticed
that I feel armed with super confidence
anytime I enter into a deep realm of
worship in palms and hymns.
 Meekness

This is coming to God on the platform

of nothingness. It means coming to
God devoid of all your so called
knowledge. Coming to God empty with
the understanding that only He can full
you up. God’s word says:
“The meek will he guide in
judgment: and the meek will he teach
his way”
Psalms 25:9
God says put away your ideas and
receive my instruction with meekness.
When you do, you will possess the
earth because only the meek will
possess the earth. If you want to
possess the earth, you must embrace
meekness.
Meekness leads to obedience, and
obedience leads to possession. Don’t be
too wise for God to instruct. Don’t be
like King Ahab who was too wise, too
full of himself for God to instruct,
make yourself a Jehoshaphat instead.
Respect God’s instructions and obey
promptly. As you obey promptly, you
will receive more instructions. There is
no way the Holy Spirit will continue to
give you instructions if you have not
obeyed the previous ones.
Ahab had no respect for God’s
word. He had never carried out any of
God’s instructions. When Elisha was
called upon to give King Ahab and
King Jehoshaphat a word from God,
Elisha the prophet said,
“…were it not that I regard the
presence of Jehoshaphat the king of
Judah, I would not look toward thee,
nor see thee.”
2 Kings 3:14
Jehoshaphat always listened to and
obeyed the word of God. No wonder he
prospered.
When you follow all these “hearing
aids” listed above, your sensitivity to
the Holy Spirit will be heightened. You
will flow in the realm of revelations.
Your sonship will be sealed, and you
will start to manifest your position in
Christ Jesus.
 Chapter 6 - THE PLACE
OF PLANNING

No venture producers without planning.

You may have all the materials
required for a building project.
However, it takes planning to put up
the building. Every physical structure
requires planning to be in position.
Your vision is a kind of building and it
calls for planning to have it fulfilled.
Apostle Paul referred to his
vision/assignment and service as a
construction venture: He said:
“According to the grace of God
which is given unto me, as a wise
master builder, I have laid the
foundation, and another buildeth
thereon. But let every man take heed
how he buildeth thereupon.”
1 Corinthians 3:10
This implies that whatever calling
we may have is one form of
contribution to the kingdom or another.
It is a form of building. We are all
called to build on the foundation which
Christ has laid! And just as in any
construction task, planning is most
pertinent; so it is with the pursuit of
any vision.
Planning is not optional but
obligatory for any vision that will
thrive. It takes planning to excel in life.
Excellence is a product of good
planning. It is written about Jotham:
“So Jotham became mighty
because he prepared (planned) his
ways before the Lord his God”
2 Chronicles 27:6
Unfortunately, a great number of
the charismatics have undermined the
place of planning in the name of being
led by the spirit. While it is true that
we are to be led by the Spirit, it is
equally true that whatever the Word
commands is the Spirit’s command
also. The Scripture says:
“…. There are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost; and these three
are one.”
I John 5:7
 Again, Jesus said:
“….the words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit, and they are life.”
John 6:63
Therefore, if God in His Word
commands that we plan, the Holy Spirit
cannot lead us to despise planning.
God Himself, when He had the
vision to create this world, engaged the
weapon of planning to make His vision
a reality. The Bible says:
“The Lord by wisdom (which is
reflected in planning, being the
principle ingredient of planning) hath
founded the earth; by understanding
hath he established the heavens.”
Proverbs 3:19
Again, we are told in the Psalms;
 “O Lord, how manifolds are they
works! In wisdom hast thou made them
all: the earth is full of thy riches.”
Psalm 104:24
The world we see today is the proof
of God’s vision, which was activated
by wisdom, made manifest by quality
planning. All creation in their perfect
order is an evidence of wisdom at
work. There has never been a need to
revert His creation. Truly, wisdom
produces perfection.
 A VISIONARY IS A
BUILDER

It is written:
“Through wisdom is an house
builded; and by understanding it is
established: and by knowledge; shall
the chambers be filled with all precious
and pleasant riches.”
Proverbs 24:3-4
As earlier stated, it takes planning
to build. The quality of the planning
determines the quality of the final
outcome. The Living Bible brings the
truth of Proverbs 24:3-4 out much
more beautifully.
 It states,
“any enterprise is built by wise
planning, becomes strong through
common sense, and profits
wonderfully, by keeping abreast of the
facts.”
This is a very exciting translation.
The subjects of this translation include:
“Any enterprise” – every area of
human endeavour all callings.
“Is build by wise planning” – this
implies that wise planning is required
to accomplish every given task.
“Becomes strong through common
sense” – application of all forms of
acquired knowledge.
“Profits wonderfully by keeping
abreast of the facts” – there are related
facts to every given task. There are, for
instance, facts about driving, which
includes a working knowledge of the
gear system, the steering wheel. The
brakes, accelerator, clutch system, the
lighting system, etc.
If one is called to preach the
gospel, it becomes relevant in his
planning to know what message he is
called to preach.
“The voice said, Cry. And he said,
what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and
all the goodliness thereof is as the
flower of the field.”
Isaiah 40:6
A messenger without a message
will never have impact. If anything, he
will only end up a frustrated
confusionist.
One of the foremost facts required
for a successful preaching ministry is
to know what message you have been
commissioned to preach.
The next very important fact is to
know where you are sent – the city and
people you are sent to. When Jesus sent
His disciples out, He told where to go
“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and
commanded them, saying, go not into
the way of the Gentiles and into any
city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but
go rather to the lost sheep of the house
of Israel.”
Matthew 10:5-6
When God called Jonah to go to
Nineveh and he headed for Tarshish
instead, he paid dearly for it.
We have defined vision as a divine
plan, hence divine (scriptural) facts are
required to accomplish it.
God sent Apostle Paul to the
Gentiles. He had a very profound
ministry to them. All the humiliations
he suffered were inflicted on him in
Jerusalem. Why? God did not send him
to the Jews! In Acts 20:22, he said:
“And now, behold, I go bound in
the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing
the things that shall befall me there.”
And you know that whenever the
Spirit of the Lord is (leasing), there is
liberty. Paul had no liberty in his spirit
to go to Jerusalem, because God had
not sent him there. God has a place of
effect for the vision He has given you.
It has to be located.
 Chapter 7 - THE
APPOINTED TIME

An understanding of God’s time

schedule puts you in the centre of
God’s programme. Every vision from
God has a divinely appointed time. The
time you receive a call may not
necessarily be the time for its take off.
Don’t forget our text in Habakkuk:
“For the vision is yet for an
appointed time…”
Habakkuk 2:3
The vision is yet for an appointed
time. The word “yet” means the vision
is not for now. the prophet Habakkuk
sought a vision, and he received it; but
the Lord told him, “don’t expect what I
have told you to happen now. it will
surely happen, but its time is yet to
come.”
All visions have their appointed
time. The timing is determined by God
and God alone. God’s time is the time
of safety. God’s time is the time of
miraculous (divine) provisions. It is the
time of favours for accomplishment.
God’s time is the time when He by
Himself goes before you to make the
crooked places straight.
An understanding of this time
schedule is a sign of maturity. Children
hear things and want them
immediately. They keep on pestering
their parents until they wear them out.
But maturity is having an
understanding of all the intricacies
involved in whatever you have heard.
When understanding comes, caution is
exercised, and a lot of sweat is avoided.
Maturity calls for working in the centre
of God’s programme for your life,
according to His timing.
There is always a time for the
showing up of every calling of God.
John the Baptist had to remain in the
desert until the time of his showing to
Israel.
“And the child grew, and waxed
strong in spirit, and was in the deserts
till the day of his shewing unto
Israel.”
 Luke 1:80
If he had stepped out a day before
that time, he would have wrecked his
mission.
Jesus spent 30 years at the
carpenters shed. The Son of God was
carrying wood and mending broken
tables and chairs for 30 years! He knew
who He was right from the beginning.
He knew His mission. He voiced it out
at the age of 12.
“…Wist ye not that I must be
about my Father’s business?”
Luke 2:49
But He waited for His appointed
t i m e . He heard John preaching the
gospel of repentance, but He didn’t
rush out to start off His ministry. He
exercised caution. He waited. He
humbled Himself, then the heavens
opened. The beginning of His ministry
was declared and He came to Cana in
Gal i l ee. The wine ran out at the
marriage feast and Mary, His mother,
asked Him to intervene. He made a
statement that everyone should bear in
mind. He said:
“Woman, what have I to do with
thee? Mine hour is not yet come.”
John 2:4
Timing is very important in the
pursuit of any vision. When you miss
the right timing, you will fall on your
back. After the Lord called me into
ministry, I didn’t step out for months.
A time came when I began to sense
it was time to step out. I decided to go
to God, hoping to hear His marching
order. I can be very slow, but when I
get it, that ends it. I shout of like a
rocket! I separated myself to ask for
His timing. I called upon Him in
prayer. When I opened my eyes after
hours of praying, I saw a bright light in
the room. It was as if heaven’s musical
gadgets were turned on to release
heaven’s music. The sound I heard
which flooded the room was, “Be in
time, be in time.”
This brought tears to my eyes and I
found myself weeping. God had
sounded it. The time was ripe.
Everything was set. I left there with a
commissioning programme set in my
m i n d . I knew who was to do the
sending forth. It was a pastor I had
never met in my life. I got the name of
his ministry and his address and wrote
to him. he wrote back begging to be
excused because he had other
engagements lined up in Port Harcourt,
Nigeria on the same day as my
commissioning date.
Unperturbed, I wrote back, telling
him that the Lord said that his Port
Harcourt meeting was his own personal
meeting, but that my commissioning
ceremony was the Lord’s. I had just
sent my letter when I received another
from him saying that the Lord had
instructed him to put off the Port
Harcourt meeting to be at the
commissioning! We met for the first
time at the ceremony, but the Lord had
His way.
“For the vision is for an appointed
time.” There is an appointed time for
take-off. There is an appointed time for
move from one phase to another. There
is an appointed time to be at a
particular place. God is a perfect
planner , He has time for everything He
has ordained.
There is an appointed time for the
rain and another for the moon and the
stars. There is a time for rain and
another for sunshine. There is an
appointed time for everything.
“to everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the
heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
In 1985, I thought the Lord wanted
me to reach out to different cities in the
country with the Word. I mapped out a
plan and pasted it on my board.
One day, I looked at it, feeling
quite pleased with myself. Then the
Lord spoke: “Take off that plan from
the board.” When I asked why, He
replied: “This is not my plan for you
for now. I want you to do further
digging in this place where you are. It
is time for you to get your root deeper
into the land and bear more fruit. When
it is time for you to reach our I will let
you know.”
I removed the plan from the board
and asked for another plan for the year.
He gave me a growth plan, through a
sound teaching of the Word. And in
1986, we had a 91% increase.
“For the vision is for an appointed
time.”
Every phase in ministry has its
timing. If you miss out on the timing,
you miss out on God. And when God is
not with you, sweat results. It appears
as if you were not called by God.
As a minister of God, fix your
programme in accordance with God’s
timing. Don’t go rushing off to just
anywhere you are invited to.
A call came to Jesus, to come to
Bethany to heal Lazarus who was sick.
The call was from His loved ones, yet,
He stayed back, waiting for divine
instructions. The word came only after
Lazarus had died and was buried. He
went at God’s appointed time, and the
glory of God was manifested. The
anointing follows God’s timing. God’s
power follows God’s programme.
God is very particular about your
working in His schedule. The vision is
for an appointed time and all times are
appointed by God. When it was time
for this ministry to open up a branch in
Lagos, the Lord spoke to me one early
morning as I was worshiping at His
feet, He said: “Arise, go to Lagos and
raise Me a people.” That same day, I
dispatched my staff to Lagos to get a
location.
 When God speaks, the anointing for
breakthroughs follows. Without sweat,
we found a suitable location for the
church and offices. We also got
residential houses nearby for the pastor
and other staff – all at giveaway prices.
Lagos is one of the most diffucl
places in the world to secure an
accommodation. But working in God’s
timing reduces tension. It produces
instant results. Working in God’s
timing is the only way to guarantee
success in life and ministry. There is a
place to preach per time. There is a
word fro each place. Don’t go rushing
everywhere just because others are
doing it and are successful. You must
respond to the time nudging of the
Holy Spirit.
If you are not sure of His timing,
ask Him and He will tell you. You are a
soldier in the army of God, don’t go
marching at your own orders. Wait for
the Captain of the Hosts to give His
orders and then follow. Listen for His
matching orders before you move.
Obeying God’s timing leads to
sweatless triumph.
Joshua experienced this at the fall
of the city of Jericho. He obeyed God’s
marching orders and the city of Jericho
fell.
“So the people shouted when the
priests blew with the triumpets and it
came to pass, when the people heard
the sound of the triupet, and the
people shouted with a great shout, that
the wall fell down flat, so that the
people went up into the city, every
man straight before him, and they
took the city.”
Joshua 6:20
If he told the people that there was
no point marching around the city
seven times on the seventh day, and
that they should do it only one, they
would have faced the greatest defeat in
history. Not being obedient to God’s
timing may put a seal upon your doom.
Learn from King Saul. The set time
for him to wait for Samuel to come and
offer sacrifice to God was seven days.
Saul waited till the seventh day and
lost his patience. He couldn’t wait for
the day to end, to see if Samuel would
come or not. He decided to offer the
sacrifice. And as soon as he was
through with it, Samuel arrived.
“And Samuel said unto Saul, Thou
hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept
the commandment of the Lord thy
God, which He commanded thee: for
now would the Lord have established
thy kingdom upon Israel forever.”
1 Samuel 13:13
Saul’s impatience put an end to his
reign. Don’t be like Saul. Avoid haste.
Listen for God’s marching orders,
adhere strictly to them and you will
prosper.
 Chapter 8 - THE
APPOINTED PLACE

Every vision given by God carries a

divine commission and there is a
physical location where that
commission can be carried out. Every
commission has a location, a base from
which its affairs are run.
It is true that God is the God of the
whole earth, but there is a portion of
the earth He has set aside for you.
God’s miracle, supplies and encounters
will only meet you when you are in His
chosen location. Every commission has
a base and until you locate your base
you will continue to struggle. Always
get your location from God or you will
continue to wallow in sweat and
poverty.
Remember Jonah. God sent him to
Nineveh, but he decided to go to
Tarshish. For punishment, he found
himself in the belly of a fish. He
languished there for three days and
three nights. When he came to his
senses, he was vomited on the shore.
“and the Lord spoke unto the fish,
and it committed Jonah upon the dry
land.”
Jonah 2:10
Know that God always thinks good
of you. Where He sends you to must be
considered as the best place for you. He
must have seen a need there for which
He has equipped you to meet.
There was every reason on this
earth for me to refuse to go to Kaduna
when God gave the word. I knew it to
be an Islamic stronghold. I knew it to
be the “mafia” headquarters. I knew all
these, but I was not moved. Only one
point was constant in my mind: god has
sent me there, so no devil can be
against me.
In the final analysis, this is the only
thing that matters in the choice of a
location. Has God sent you there? If
you can answer this question with all
sincerity in the affirmative, then you
can go ahead.
God is concerned about location.
That is why when you analyze your
vision, you must take not of the subject
of location. This is one of the things
you must be very precise about in
detailing out your vision. Get the
precise location for your vision from
G o d . Covenant walk always has a
divinely appointed place.
The rate of success in any location
is determined by the degree of location
precision. When God sends you to any
location, He goes before you to
straighten out all the crooked places.
“I will go before thee, and make
the crooked places straight: I will
break in pieces the gates of brass, and
cut in sunder the bars of iron.”
Isaiah 45:2
 He makes His supplies and
provision ready for you. He prepares
the people to receive you. In a location
where others have failed and are
withdrawing, you come out with
resounding success.
Where God says “Go” is where
your prominence will rise. If God says
move to Katsina, and you remain in
Lagos, you will die of hunger and
thirst. Lagos may be a land flowing
with milk and honey, but they will not
flow in your direction. The place may
be filled with your relatives and
friends, but God will not lead any one
of them to help you.
When God strikes a covenant, it has
a particular location where it will
work; so get up, leave your people and
go on to the land “I will show you.”
“Now, the Lord had said unto
Abram, Get thee out of thy country and
from they kindred, and from thy
father’s house, unto a land that I will
shew thee.”
Tracing the life of the covenant
fathers, you will notice that anytime
they left God’s location, they fell
victim of one thing or the other. When
you go to a location appointed by God,
your success is guaranteed, your
protection is sealed, because that is
where the angels of God will ascend
and descend, attending to you.
When I moved to Kaduna,
discouragement tried to set in from
people, but I was not moved by any of
them. I knew it was God’s city for me.
So when asked what I thought of doing
in such a place, I would reply: “To take
the city.” They would then say: “Look
Brother David, this city is impossible
to take.”
If you make too much noise, you
face being driven out by the Islamic
vandals.” This motivated me to make
all the noise I could. I was ready for
anything.
A day came and some men were
shown into my office. One of them
said, “We have an order for you to
move your church from here within
seven days. It is a residential area.” I
stood up from my seat, looked the man
straight in the eye and said with
authority, “Are your mosques in the
bush? All of you involved in this plot
will be dead in seven days.”
The cigarette fell down from his
mouth. He was shaking so much; he
could hardly pick it up and find the
door. He got to the road and came back
begging. “Please sir, I was sent. I am
only a messenger.” That was the end of
the matter!
God fights for you in your location.
He sets His angels there to fight on
your behalf and every pronouncement
you make is brought to pass.
Apostle Paul was commissioned to
go preach the gospel to the Gentiles.
His location was the cities of the
Gentiles as directed by the Holy Spirit
per time. You will notice that each
time he went to Jerusalem, he was
arrested. Jerusalem was his own city,
but he had no success there. Your
location could be a place, a person or a
m i s s i o n . Each one constitutes a
location.
The day you receive a ministry
from God, you become a ministry gift.
A ministry gift sent forth by God has a
location, he has an address. When God
calls you to pioneer a work, He will
also give you a location. That location
is your place.
If He calls you to serve under a
ministry, then that person is your place.
To the disciples, Jesus was their place.
He determined what they did at every
point in time. When serving under a
ministry gift therefore, he determines
what you do.
Often times, people of God are sent
to an existing ministry for training.
You don’t go there to determine what
you do. This is where humility comes
in. if you are not given an independent
ministry, you will need to go through a
private school of humility in that
ministry where you are sent.
If a mission is your location, that
mission determines your location and
what you do from time to time and
from place to place.
Your location is very important, so
get it from God and get your
satisfaction. Satisfaction only results
when you are in your proper location.
Before you move, understand where
you are heading to. Don’t let pride
decide your location. If it is, you will
end up in a pit. Let your location be by
God’s direction alone, and your
satisfaction, upliftment and future will
be guaranteed.
Chapter 9 - THE PURSUIT
OF VISION

There is a physical law that stipulates,

“All objects assume a state of rest until
a force is applied to it.” The same goes
for the spiritual. Nothing will happen
to a situation, desire, or vision that you
do nothing about.
For instance, I heard the gospel
over and again, but until I stepped out
to ACT on what is required, that is, to
repent of my sins and accept Jesus
Christ as my Lord, I was not saved.
Faith is dead without action.
Positive action is the only authentic
evidence of faith. Apostle James said,
“What doth it profit, my brethren,
though a man say he hath faith, and
have not works? can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and
destitute of daily food, And one of you
say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye
warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye
give them not those things which are
needful to the body; what doth it
profit? Even so faith, if it hath not
works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a
man may say, Thou hast faith, and I
have works: shew me thy faith without
thy works, and I will shew thee my
faith by my works.”
James 2:14-18
“I will shew you my faith by my
works!” Men of action are men of
exploits. The Bible is loaded with
demands for action.
“And it shall come to pass, if thou
shalt hearken diligently unto the voice
of the LORD thy God, to observe and
to do all his commandments which I
command thee this day, that the
LORD thy God will set thee on high
above all nations of the earth:”
Deuteronomy 28:1
It says, If you will hearken
diligently to the voice of the Lord your
God (which includes vision) to observe
(analyze and appreciate) and to do (act
upon) all his commandments, then, He
will ensure your lifting: He will set you
“on high above all nations of the
earth.”
Action is the proof of faith. If you
believe in the vision, act it out! Step
out to prove that you believe in it.
No matter how great a farmer’s
dream for a prize winning harvest, if he
would not take a farm land, secure
implementations to clear the land,
plough, hoe, ridge, and sow seeds of
desired crops, his dream will have no
proof at the end of the day. His
fantastic vision will follow him to the
grace if he does nothing about it.
Vision without pursuit is mere wishes.
Someone once said, “if wishes were
horses, even beggars will ride.”
Action is the word. No action, no
accomplishment. Actors are winners,
and winners are kings. Yes, great is
your vision, but equally great must be
your drives, or your great vision will
lead to great frustration. No reason
should be strong enough for your
inaction. Those who do nothing
towards their goal, groan at the end.
The Bible says,
“The sluggard will not plow by
reason of the cold; therefore shall he
beg in harvest, and have nothing.”
Proverbs 20:4
There is no challenge-free track on
earth. Whatever reason will not let you
take steps in the direction of your
vision will ultimately rob you of
fulfillment.
For every vision, there is provision.
God will not reveal a plan without the
resources to match. This is why I
believe that every vision a man has
received of the Lord, He has within
Himself what it takes to accomplish it.
God’s commandments are not
grievous. He will not send a man on an
impossible mission.
This is why He said,
“…Write the vision, and make it
plain”
Habakkuk 2:2
I have shown you what to do, and
you have received of Me what it takes
to do it, so un! Run!! Run!!! Move!
Move!! Move!!! Take steps, it is within
your reach.
 Your Gift

A man is worth nothing except by

virtue of what he has received from
above. God makes the man because it
is the gift of God in him that makes
him.
“A man’s gift maketh room for
him, and bringeth him before great
men.”
Proverbs 18:16
What makes it the gift of God? It is
neither the strength nor the smartness
of a man but the gift of God.
The task you are called upon to
undertake is spiritual. The gifts
therefore are spiritual. Your spiritual
gifts set in motion spiritual forces,
which create a way for you.
As you embark upon God’s plan
and purpose for your life, trust not in
yourself. Whatever he has called you to
do will be accomplished by His gift.
God’s callings are forever associated
with His gifts. You know something?
The gifts and callings of God are not
taken back from you. God gives and
does not withdraw.
“For the gifts and calling of God
are without repentance”
Romans 11:29
When God calls, He endows you
with what it takes to stand in that
office. Remember Gideon. He called
himself the least of the least.
 But God said this is why I have
chosen you so you don’t rely on your
own strength. There is a strength that is
needed to accomplish a calling and
God is the supplier of it. You cannot do
what God has assigned to you with
your own strength. Look unto Him and
believe Him for His strength, and then
His gift will go into operation to
produce the needed results. In the final
analysis, God makes the man and the
ministry.
“…it is not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but of God that
sheweth mercy.”
Romans 9:16
So you can say like the Apostle
Paul, “I am what I am by the grace of
God.” What makes a man is the grace
of God. The grace of God is a free gift.
It is unmerited favour from God. You
don’t qualify for it. God’s strength is
made perfect in weakness. When you
are weak in your own self, then you are
strong in God.
In the callings and elections of
God, your human qualifications are
your disqualifications, and your natural
disqualifications are what qualify you.
He chooses the base things, the weak
things, those without reputation and He
makes them.
“For ye see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the
flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, are called: But God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world
to confound the wise; and God hath
chosen the weak things of the world to
confound the things which are
mighty; And base things of the world,
and things which are despised, hath
God chosen, yea, and things which are
not, to bring to nought things that are:
That no flesh should glory in his
presence.”
I Corinthians 1:26-29
I was the least qualified for a
preaching ministry in my eyes and in
the eyes of the world, because I was
very slow-tongued. Now, the situation
has changed. God’s enablement makes
the difference. People sometimes
complain that I speak too fast.
 In his own eyes, Moses was the
least qualified, but God knew that no
matter how qualified he was naturally,
he would fail in his assignment. So
God told Moses, “I am your
qualification. Go in my name and in
my might, and get your job done.”
God is your qualification, without
Him, you can do nothing. Battles are
won by the grace of God. Feats are
accomplished not by power nor by
might, but by the spirit of God. Each
time Samson fought and won, it was
always precede with the phrase, “and
the spirit of God came upon him.”
Samson did not pay anything to get in.
In fact, he did all he could to lose it
through promiscuous living. The only
time he failed and was captured, it was
recorded:
“…and he wist not that the LORD
was departed from him.”
Judges 16:20
When God leaves you, your
nakedness is revealed. Why? It is God
that gets the job done.
“Except the LORD build the house,
they labour in vain that build it: except
the LORD keep the city, the watchman
waketh but in vain.”
Psalms 127:1
God is the builder of your ministry.
He is the one who gets the job done not
you. He calls you and also does the job
through you.
“Faithful is he that calleth you,
who also will do it.”
I Thessalonians 5:24
The Lord sent me to set up a Bible
training school; yet I had never been to
a bible School. I had to settle down
with Him and He gave me everything
from the name to the courses and their
outlines. Some of the courses offered
here are not found in any other Bible
School in the World.
All your strength is equal to
nothing without God. If you must
succeed, you must go along with Him.
For you to be able to forge ahead, you
have to be watchful not to stray from
your calling, let your eyes be single
and be steadfast in its pursuit.
“…give diligence to make your
calling and election sure: for if ye do
these things, ye shall never fall:”
2 Peter 1:10
Be watchful to keep to your calling.
Avoid distractions. Keep your eyes
fixed on your vision. Neither deviates
to the left nor to the right.
“Take heed to the ministry which
thou hast received in the Lord, that
thou fulfill it.”
Colossians 4:17
Crown are exchangeable, so take
heed lest another take your own.
Chapter 10 - CONCLUSION

Consistency is the mark of champions.

Everyone that desires to win requires
persistency. Challenges of life are
many, but all that will dare to stand in
spite of all odds will make it.
All the covenant fathers have to
contend with challenges and strong
oppositions in the pursuit of their
visions. But through persistency, they
were able to overcome.
The Lord Jesus Christ himself
taught us to recognize the place of
pressing in the kingdom or vision
pursuits.
“The law and the prophets were
until John: since that time the
kingdom of God is preached, and
every man presseth into it.”
Luke 16:16
Any one who must successfully
pursue his vision must accept this as
part of the deal. Pressing is not often
convenient – you will be squeezed, you
will be roughened up, e.t.c. But that is a
certain route for anyone who must win
the prize.
Consider Apostle Paul. He walked
in the light of this revelation in the
pursuit of his vision. He suffered
hunger, shipwreck, imprisonment on
several occasions. At a time, he
received thirty nine strokes of the cane.
He went through a host of other terrible
experiences that would have frustrated
and discouraged any man. But not Paul,
none of these things moved him. He
had the courage of a winner.
He pressed towards his goal. In
Philippians 3:13-14, he revealed a
secret for anyone who must win:
“Brethren, I count not myself to
have apprehended: but this one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, I press toward
the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Pressing implies consistency. Many
lose too cheaply because they quit too
soon.
The name of the game is
consistency. That is your guarantee tor
triumph and excellence in the pursuit
of your vision.
 Prayer

Having read this book, I pray that every

scale that had hitherto blinded your
eyes from seeing clearly be lifted in the
name of Jesus. May you understand the
unfolding of God’s plan for your life
per time and may God’s grace be
available all the time to help you. I
decree that you will keep step with the
Master’s blue print for your life,
proving the vision and running with it
at the appropriate time. In the name of
Jesus, I dislodge the spirit of
insensitivity to the Spirit of God and
pronounce that you will be prompt in
carrying out His plans for your life. I
rebuke the spirit of disobedience and
impart the grace to yield to His will no
matter the case, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 Confession

I believe the word of God and go forth

to take conscious steps in the direction
of His vision for my life. I will no
longer walk in darkness but will walk
in line with His plans for my life.
Table of Contents
UNDERSTANDING
3
VISION
Introduction 5
Chapter 1 - WHAT IS
10
VISION?
The Importance of Vision 18
Qualifications For Placement 26
Chapter 2 - THE GOD-
33
APPOINTED VISION
Zeal 43
The Time Element 44
Chapter 3 - SECURING A 52
VISION
Realizing Your Need 54
See God’s Willingness To
58
Reveal His Plan
Seek God In Prayer 60
Be Watchful 63
Chapter 4 - PROVING THE
69
VISION
The Tool For Proving 73
Identify The Personality
76
Behind The Voice
Ascertain The Content Of Your
79
Vision
Things To Guard Against 84
Fleeces 84
People’s Confirmation 86
 The Acid Test For A Genuine
Vision 89

Chapter 5 - SPIRITUAL
96
SENSITIVITY
Importance Of Quietness 104
Worship 106
Meekness 109
Chapter 6 - THE PLACE
113
OF PLANNING
A VISIONARY IS A
118
BUILDER
Chapter 7 - THE
124
APPOINTED TIME
Chapter 8 - THE
140
APPOINTED PLACE
Chapter 9 - THE PURSUIT
OF VISION 152

Your Gift 158

Chapter 10 - CONCLUSION 167
Prayer 171
Confession 173