Four Dimensional 2

CHINYERE OKO-JAJA
Copyright ® 2022 by Chinyere Oko-Jaja
THE FOUR-DIMENSIONAL YOUTH
ISBN: 978 - 978 - 51023 2 - 6
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any
information storage and retrieval system, without the written
permission from the publisher.
All Scriptural quotations are from New King James Version
except otherwise stated.
Published by:
PLOM Publishing
Port Harcourt, Rivers State - Nigeria.
+234 803 341 8826
plompublishing@gmail.com
Contact the author:

Chinyere Oko-Jaja
+2348036675532
chinyerembest@gmail.com
Printed in the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Page ii
DEDICATION
T
his book is dedicated to my Source of inspiration,
My Stretcher, My Preserver, My Watcher the
precious HOLY SPIRIT who makes all things
possible.
Page iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
G
lory, honour and praise to the Most High who
makes all things beautiful at His time.
My dear husband, Bishop Emmanuel is wonderful, his

assistance is immeasurable, I salute you Darling.
My children, God's arrows and special squad, you are

unstoppable, thank you for your immense contribution.
The typist, Mrs. Carol Firstman, thank you so much, you did
a good job.
Izuchukwu, thank you for the sacrifice.
A special thanks to my father and coach, Rev Prof. Mosy

Madugba and his dear wife for allowing God work on and
through him to become such an inspiration to me and so
many out there.
Thanks to everyone who have contributed directly or

indirectly to this piece of work. God bless us all. God bless
us all.
Page iv
FOREWORD
T
he author of this book is a trained leader, informed
and experienced mother, successful wife and a life
coach for youths. A lot of the content of this book
are her working tools with which she has rescued many lost
youths, transformed some confused minds, and raised
many hopefuls out of hopeless cases.
We cannot react or respond to non-existent stimulus. The

author of this book Dr. Mrs. Chinyere Oko-Jaja awakens
the minds of all of us to the presence and purpose of what
she calls “the Stretchers”, “the Watchers”, “the Inspirers”,
and “the Preservers.” This spurs in us a curiosity to pay
attention to the roles of these people in our lives and make
the best use of them.
She wrote about the most essential thing in life - developing

a positive and warm intimacy with God. The more intimate
we are with God, the more we reflect His divine nature,
purity, love, character and glory. This helps us shine as light
in the midst of darkness, provide the scarce dynamic and
transformational leadership role and be able to influence
many for the better. She concludes in the final chapter with
information on what things to avoid if you must reach your
Page v
The Four-Dimensional Youth
great goal in life. This book is a brilliant piece! Grab it with

two hands and enjoy it.
Prof. Mosy U. Madugba,

International Head Coordinator,
Ministers Prayer Network Int'l
Page vi
CONTENT
Dedication iii
Acknowledgment iv
Foreword v
Introduction ix
Section A : Peoples Influence on you 01

Chapter 1 The Elijahs: The Stretchers 03
Chapter 2 The Mordecais: The Watchers 09
Chapter 3 The Deborahs: The Inspirers 17
Chapter 4 The Elizabeths: The Preservers 23
Section B: Your influence on People 31

Chapter 5 Influencers are dreamers 33
Chapter 6 Influencers are leaders 57
Section C: Your Altitude, Developing Intimacy 77

Chapter 7 Intimacy with the Divine 79
Chapter 8 The Place of Knowledge in Intimacy 87
Chapter 9 The Place of Love in Intimacy 107
Chapter10 Growing Intimacy through Fellowship 115
Page vii
Section D: The Bewares of Four-Dimension Youth 125

C h a p t e r 1 1 - - - T h e B e w a r e s
127
Conclusion 137
References 139
Appendix 141
Books by the Author.
Page viii
INTRODUCTION
T he book in your hand is titled the Four- Dimensional

Youth. It is designed to produce an all-round youth,
helping the reader to understand the four points of
influence in life which every youth must take note of.
NORTH
(GOD’S INFLUENCE ON YOU)
WEST EAST
(PEOPLE’S (YOUR
INFLUENCE INFLUENCE
ON YOU – ON PEOPLE)
THE HELPERS)
SOUTH
(PEOPLE’S INFLUENCE
ON YOU – THE BEWARES)
Life is about influence. Your influence depends on your

influencers. The extent to which you allow God influence
you determines your altitude (height). Your capacity
enlarges as much as you make room for The Helpers
Page ix
(Stretchers, Inspires, Watchers and Preservers). The North

and the West walking together in your life enables your
tentacles to spread far and wide, making you the man/
woman of His(God) dream. However you'll automatically
go down, depreciate, and lose relevant when you allow the
Destroyers into your life.
A four-dimensional youth operates according to the order

of Christ “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in
favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52).
“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said;

sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you
have prepared for me. Then I said, “Behold I have come –
in the volume of the book it is written of me – To do your
will, O God” (Hebrews 10:5,7). “…During the feast many
believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did.
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he
knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify
of man, for He knew what was in man” (John 2:23-25).
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit

and with power; who went about doing good and healing
all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with
Him.” (Acts 10:38)
I pray that your life will never remain the same as you
contact the Lord through this piece of work.
Page x
SECTION A:
PEOPLES
INFLUENCE
ON YOU
Page 01
Page 02
CHAPTER ONE
The Elijahs: The Stretchers
T
he stretchers are those who see your big size, even
when you look small. They are discoverers, they see
what others may not really see in you. They relate
with you based on what they see on the present. Their
dealings are centred on building you into the man or
woman they see in you. They insist on you going on extra
mile, not supporting you settle for less. They expose you to
assignments that ordinarily may look bigger than you, one
that will make you sweat and spent quality time on; one
that seems to stress you, one that seems to be a virgin area
for you. The stretcher sees you as an elastic band (rubber
band), though looks small but can take care of so much if
pressure is put on it.
In life, you need such persons around you if you must

become the dream man/woman that your creator designed
you to be. Take a look at this scripture “so, he (Elijah)
departed from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who
was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and
he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and
throw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after
Elijah and said, 'please let me kiss my father and mother
Page 03
and then I will follow you”. And he said to him, 'go back
again, for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back
from him and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them
and boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment, and
gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and
followed Elijah and became his servant” (1 Kings 19:19-
21).
Elijah was instructed to take Elisha as a successor. But look

at the first assignment, he gave him a nut to crack. He threw
his mantle on him without saying a word; to worsen it all,
he walked away as if nothing happened.
It was now left for Elisha to discern, and give thought to the
incident and come up with the needed action. When Elijah
decided to say something, his words were not encouraging
“Go back again, what have I done to you?”
Elisha took the initiative to do what he did. You will agree

with me that, it is not everyone that had this encounter will
act like Elisha. Someone might say 'what is the meaning of
this, throwing your mantle on me without a word'? Another
might consider it a joke. Anyway, it might be a joke' with
this conclusion, such person will continue his work and
move straight to his partners to share the stories and
peradventure they will all laugh.
Another may run after him like Elisha did, but on hearing
Elijah's response 'what have I done to you?' will
Page 04
disappointedly or angrily go back without any further

action.
A four-dimensional youth does not take anything for

granted. There is always this thought of attaching
importance to events and situations around him. It is either
that God wants to do something, or a hidden part of him is
about to be made bare, or someone is getting inspired
through him or an opportunity is breaking forth.
If I may ask, how did Elisha have the knowledge of what to

do? He hastily carried out an action and “then he arose and
followed Elijah, and became his servant.
Elisha before this time may have established a lifestyle,

trained himself, have reverence for God and maintain a
consistent walk with God. He may have exposed himself to
a disciplined life and developed a hunger and thirst for an
excellent, meaningful, impactful and productive living. In
order words, acting rightly as occasion demands is not a
day's job. It involves a conscious, deliberate and intentional
effort, allowing oneself to get trained. It is sad to note that
oftentimes we miss out stretchers, the Elijahs, on the
ground that they are hard, insensitive, and callous, wicked,
cold hearted or lacked human sympathy.
Let's journey further to 2 Kings Chapter two, “And it came

to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into
Page 05
heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from

Gilgal. (2) Then Elijah said to Elisha, 'stay here, please, for
the Lord has sent me on to Bethel”. But Elisha said, “As the
LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” so
they went down to Bethel.
(4) Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha,stay here, please, for the
Lord has sent me on to Jericho”. But he said, 'As the LORD
lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” sothey
came to Jericho.
(6) Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the LORD
has sent me on to Jordan”. But he said, “As the LORD lives,
and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!. So the two of
them went on”.
Now, looking closely at what I referred to as the three

junctions of discouragement, there was nothing
motivating, that could made Elisha continue with Elijah. It
was really a hard nut to crack. Thank God, He never
hesitated to crack it. The stretcher wasn't funny at all. From
the conversation, it looks as if he had a straight face, may be
watching the reactions of Elisha.
Elisha continued with him until they got to Jericho. It was a

great distance calculating from Gilgal to Jordan. It was a
journey of so many days. Getting to Jordan, he never
Page 06
bothered to let Elisha know the plan, or enlighten him on

how to find his way back. It was not a “friendly journey” as
one may conclude. It was an enlargement journey, a
stretching one, a capacity building journey.
Elijah broke the iceberg when they crossed the Jordan

River. It is like saying, “yea this man has come a long way,
he has defied the nature, he has proved that he can carry
whatever may be the outcome, he can now be trusted, and
he is now ready to accommodate the flow”. He said to
Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taking
away from you? Elisha said, please let a double portion of
your spirit be upon me. So he said, 'you have asked a hard
thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from
you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so”
(2Kings 2:9-10). Elisha's request may sound big, but the
most important thing is that he has been stretched to
accommodate that, his capacity has been enlarged, he has
been emptied of mediocrity, he has graduated from simple
mathematics to Add mathematics, he has been weaned
from drinking milk to chewing bones, he has been salted
with fire that he is no longer afraid to burn.
Elisha was not making one of those bold flamboyant

request. He knew what he was asking for and determined
to have it. Do you know that, if you are not stretched and
prepared for any position, favour or an office, you may not
Page 07
last? At the end, it could have been better to remain as you

were before. Have you not seen where what supposed to
have been a blessing killed the receiver? This is the bane of
our society. People are after the glory without the pain of
preparation, training, discipline, patience and hard work.
Stretchers do not pamper or pet, they are rugged and are

determined to achieve the need of the hour. In life, you
must identify your Elijah without which Elisha cannot come
out of you irrespective of your wish, desire, hunger or even
prayer. Double portion is not obtained on a platter of gold.
Consider those sons of the prophets who were only
interested in seeing vision and prophesying, without
stepping out and following.
Can I say to you again? Look for your stretchers. Pause a

little and pray this prayer:
“Lord I cannot settle for the less of who you designed
me to be, let your hand rest on me, stretch me and
cause me to locate those individuals, the Elijahs you
have appointed for me. I receive the grace to be
stretched in Jesus' name.
Page 08
CHAPTER TWO
The Mordecais: The Watchers
T
he watchers are the Mordecais. They consider you
a treasure, and have regard for your person not
minding how fragile you might be, not minding
your age, size, experience or background. The watchers
have the ability to identify the covered beauty, gold in the
refuse dump. They are faith boosters, confidence restorers,
cheer leaders, and great coach.
As the name implies, they keep watch over you and are
consistent in approach, until they see you become what
they have seen in you; like Apostle Paul said to Christians at
Galatia “my little children, for whom I labour in birth until
Christ is formed” (Galatians 4:19). Watchers never give up;
even when pushing. They can be considered to be hard
runners and desperate pursuers.
Let's take a journey to one of the world's Watchers in Esther

chapter two “5. In Shushan the citadel there was a certain
Jew whose name was Mordecai… a Benjamite
7. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther,

his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother.
Page 09
The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her

father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own
daughter.
8. So it was, when the King's command and decree were

heard, and when many young women were gathered at
Shushan the citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that
Esther also was taken to the King's palace, into the care of
Hegai the custodian of the women.
9. Now the young woman pleased him and she obtained

his favour; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her,
besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants
were provided for her from the King's palace, and he
moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the
house of the women.
10. Esther had not revealed her people or family, for

Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it.
11. And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of

the women's quarters to learn of Esther's welfare and what
was happening to her.
Looking at Esther ordinarily, one would be tempted to

conclude that she had no future; losing both parents at a
very tender age can be devastating and frustrating. It seems
Page 10
to mean a shattered dream, a life of anything goes,

characterized by suffering, pain, uncontrollable tears,
servanthood (Slavery), mediocrity and a walk in the
shadow of death.
Esther's script is relevant for every generation, helping us to

know that there is a Maker's deposit in everyone
irrespective of background, circumstances, cultural
affiliation and so on. Often you hear people come up with
several reasons why they live a life of average, unfulfilment,
penury and being a societal nuisance. What are some of
those reasons?
· I am the first child, carrying the burden of the whole
family members.
· I came from a family that nobody grows beyond a
particular level, however you tried.
· I am the least loved in my family.
· I have a terrible ancestral background.
· I lost my parents at a very tender age, I've got no one
to help me.
· My father refused to train me.
· The more I try the more failure I encounter, maybe
that's the will of God for me.
· My step mother is the reason for my downfall. She
has vowed never to see me progress.
· I made a terrible mistake that scattered my future,
there is nothing I can do.
Page 11
· I am a spoilt child. My parents messed me up

through over pampering.
The list is endless. Can I say that none of these reasons is

capable of stopping anyone? Their edges are too blunt to
cut short and mess up the Makers deposit in you.
One of the persons you need in your life irrespective of

your story, is a Watcher. Someone, who, regardless of your
outer garment, sees through it to discover the treasure
within. Not only discovering, also supplying you with the
manure and ladder you need to grow. Mordecai, unlike
some men and women did not see Esther as a liability, or a
beast of burden; rather, he saw a deliverer in her, a woman
of great strength, a patriot, selfless goal getter. He picked
her up and made her a daughter. He gave her all the
privileges a daughter should have. He was her teacher,
teaching her morals, hard work, social grace and disciplines
her when necessary.
When Nebuchadnezzar's troop stormed Jerusalem and

other Israeli cities, Mordecai was one of the captives that
was taken to Babylon. The change of environment and
attendant difficulties or hardship did not affect his role in
Esther.
After many years of training by divine instinct, the Watcher

understood that it was time to push her out. He was not
Page 12
ashamed to enroll her into the school, King's Beautiful

Maidens Institute (KBMI). I am trying to imagine the
reaction of Esther when the Watcher informed her of his
intention; “No uncle, I cannot, we are strangers here, not
just strangers but captives. Uncle, are you sure this can
work?” I imagine the Watcher replied, my dear, what
matters is what your Maker designed you for, it is not
subject to times and season, geographical location and
circumstances of life. I have followed you these years and
have waited for this time. I could see confidence in Lady
Esther and hope rising, aligning herself with the faith of her
watcher who seemed to have known her more that she
knew herself.
The moment she enrolled in K.B.M. Institute, the

Moderator of the institute Comrade Hegai took notice of
her. Hear this “Now the young woman pleased him and
she obtained his favour so he readily gave beauty
preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven
choice maidservants were provided for her from the King's
palace and he moved her and her maidservants to the best
place in the house of the women” (Esther 2:9).
Can you now understand why it is not about your family,

social, economic or cultural background? It is about whom
you have been designed to be and whom you allowed
access into your life. Can I ask you now to pray the Lord to
Page 13
disengage you from devourers, destiny destroyers and

sycophants? Can you ask the Lord to draw you to your
watchers? Can you ask the Lord to help you with the
patience and discipline to be trained? Why the patience
and discipline? “Esther had not revealed her people or
family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal
it“(Esther 2:10).
A watcher understands times and season. Often times,

he/she will advise “It is not yet time to enter into any serious
relationship” or “walking with this flock of friends is not
good for you” or “You have deviated from what I know you
of”. Sometimes some youths see it as a disturbance,
infringing on ones right or privacy. and may go as far as
nicknaming the watcher “monitoring spirit”. “I too know”
“oversabi” “pocknoser” “mosquito”. In addition to this, the
next step is to avoid the person. My dear you need a
Mordecai. You need a Watcher in your life. Please earnestly
pray and desire such.
The watcher hardly gives up, because he knows what the

end looks like and would never want to take anything for
granted. “And every day Mordecai paced in front of the
court of the women's quarters to learn of Esther's welfare
and what was happening to her” (Esther 2:11). On
graduation, she passed out, not just with first class but as
the best student of the institute. She felt that she had
Page 14
arrived and that is all she was wired for; but the watcher
knew that it is only a stepping stone.
In the process of time, one of those occasions came, to

annihilate the Jews both young and old, the watcher swung
into action. He said, 'this is one of those major reasons why
you were made, rise up and do the needful” Esther,
hesitated because she never understood the ability and the
power at work in her. It was difficult for her to understand
considering the magnitude of the task. It was not only a very
big shoe but a suicidal journey. This reminds me one of the
encounters I had few years ago; one of our revered mothers
in the Lord handed over a garment to me. The garment was
too bogus and was never my size. I told her that I won't
collect it, reason being that it was too big. She dropped it
and presented another one. I rejected it because it was still
big but not as big as the first. She brought the third one
which I reluctantly collected, it was big but not as the first
two. I made a comment after receiving it from her that I will
shapen it to my size. At first I never had an understanding of
the revelation, until after some months when it flashed
back. The point I am driving at is that, most times we never
know what we were designed for, but with the help of the
right people by our side we grow into our design.
Esther could not see herself in Mordecai's proposal,

whereas Mordecai has seen her years before. To the glory
Page 15
of God. Esther stepped into that big shoe, she progressively

made serious impact; for that was the reason why she was
born. Thank God for Mordecai the watcher who never
looked down on her or considered her a liability. Today we
mostly hear of Esther's expedition and little of Mordecai.
But the truth is that, without Mordecai there wouldn't have
been an Esther.
Friends, pray earnestly for the Mordecai in your life,

acknowledge him/her and pray the Lord to preserve
him/her until the assignment he/she has in your life is
accomplished.
Page 16
CHAPTER THREE
The Deborahs: The Inspirers
T
he Inspirers are people from whom you drew
strength. They are those who can motivate you into
actualizing your dream; those helping you obey
God and making Him happy, helping you see reason to go
against the tide, the so-called convention that do not
produce result. They are the people whose lives are graced
and have lived to become a-food-for-thought, people who
appreciate your little effort but challenge you to go beyond
that; those helping you to see your unconquered grounds.
Those whose contact with you cause a stirring within,
waking up the dormant gifts/talent and potentials in you.
The Inspirers are those who ignitea cry in you “more of you
Lord”, those who as you watch them, you grow taller and
stronger. These are the Deborahs
Judges Chapter four contains a very interesting scenario.
1. “And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight

of the Lord when Ehud died.
2. So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin King of
Canaan, who reigned in Hazor… 3. And the
children of Israel cried out to the Lord, for Jabin had
Page 17
nine hundred chariots of iron and for twenty years

he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.
4. Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth,

was judging Israel at that time”.
Deborah came on board at a time when the situation of

Israel as a nation was terribly bad characterised by
oppression, pain, hardship, affliction, hunger and
insecurity. A situation that triggers fear, anxiety,
helplessness and hopelessness. A situation that is inimical
to growth, ambition, right living and godliness, a situation
that only allows mediocrity and mental poverty. To the
young people at that time, the future was bleak; they seem
to live for today only and no plan for tomorrow, no dream,
no vision, and no agenda.
Deborah a multi-talented woman: prophetess, wife,

mother and a judge was an Inspirer to many. Being the only
woman judge among the fourteen judges Israel has had.
She combined politics and spirituality and was also strong
at the home front. You can consider her “a successful
woman” She was a beacon light in Israel amidst thick
darkness. The young, energetic but fearful and timid Barak
together with others could not raise their heads or pursue
their God-given purpose until the Inspirer showed up.
They seemed to have everything but lacked courage, and
Page 18
stamina. Listen to this – “Then she (Deborah) sent and

called for Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh in
Naphtali and said to him “Has not the LORD God of Israel
commanded, Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take
with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of
the sons of Zebulun; and against you I will deploy Sisera,
the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his
multitude at the River Kishron; and I will deliver him into
your hand?” (Judges 4:6-7).
The Inspirer understood the stuff Barak was made of and

what he is up to through the leading of the Holy Spirit. She
never hesitated to let him know the counsel of God. To the
inspirer, the counsel of God stands and must be upheld
irrespective of the surrounding circumstances. While
others are dragging their feet out of fear and unbelief, she
chose to partner with God and drew others to Him.
Barak could not have imagined himself leading an army, to

engage in a battle with a nation that has enslaved them for
twenty years; whose armoury was weighty including nine
hundred chariots of iron. Though he had been motivated
and convinced of going, he made a special request which is
very rare “And Barak said to her, if you will go with me, then
I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!”
(Judges 4:8). It has never been heard in Israel before or
thereafter that a woman was at the frontline of the battle.
Page 19
There was no record that she threw a javelin or carried a

shield but her presence is all that was needed. She was
Gods masterpiece, Gods container, a mobile altar, a lioness
and goal getter. Her presence brought relief, and instil
courage to the battalion commander.
Friends you need the Deborahs. Those whose influence in

your life will stir up the lion in you, helping you to doubt
your doubts, terrorise your terrors and bring down your
goliaths. Deborah said to Barak when it was like she
noticed fear in him. Peradventure he must have called to
mind again the almighty Sisera, the army commander of
the troop of King Jabin and considered himself no match.
He may have looked at his own troop of ten thousand men
in number which may not be well trained or considered as
men of war. He may also have assessed their weaponry
compared to nine hundred iron chariots of the opponent
and so on. In the midst of all these, his strength was about
failing him. But thank God for the inspirer who noticed his
paralysis and immediately pumped in strength, helped him
saw victory before the battle and brought him on the same
page with God. “Then Deborah said to Barak, 'up! For this
is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your
hand. Has not the LORD gone out before you? “So Barak
went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men
following him”. (Judges 4:14).
Page 20
Crave for the association of the Deborahs and not those

who doubt and argue the ability and grace of God in your
life, those who are ruled and controlled by circumstances.
Those whose presence in your life makes you look like a
grasshopper in your own eyes, those who are afraid of your
dreams and are threatened by what will come out of you,
those who are always ready to supply countless reasons
why you cannot.
Can I say to you again? Desire, pray and lookout for

inspirers, those who no matter their qualifications, their
spiritual attainment, social status, economic strength,
wealth of experiences, achievement and carriage do not
look down on you or consider you unqualified to identify
with you. The Inspirers are those who are not ashamed to
carry you along. Look at this – “And Barak said to her, 'if you
will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me,
I will not go! So she said, 'I will surely go with you… Then
Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day,
saying:” (Judges 4:8-9; 5:1).What a partnership!
When the battle was over, she acknowledged the grace in

Barak, both of them organised a musical concert, she
believed that it is not yet over, there is still so much in this
young man.
The inspirer helps to announce you. He is never afraid of

your growth, discoveries, achievements and giant strides.
Page 21
He knows that the sky is wide enough to accommodate all

the birds. Deborah broadcasted Jael, a woman behind the
closed door, “inferior” if I may call her. “Most blessed
among women is Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, blessed
is she among women in tents. He asked for water, she gave
milk; she brought out cream in a lordly bowl. She stretched
her hand to the tent peg, her right hand to the workmen's
hammer; she pounded Sisera, she pierced his head, she
split and struck through his temple. At her feet he sank, fell,
he lay still; At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there
he fell dead” (Judges 5:24-25).
What an adorable word? How do you think this woman

Jael would feel hearing all these from a 'great woman', the
first lady of Israel, the mouthpiece of Jehovah? Do you also
consider the attention that Jael will receive from both men
and women, young and old? Do you also consider the level
of confidence of Jael in God first and in herself? This will
automatically boost her faith and walk with God and lead
to fresh discovery into her purpose.
Pray this prayer:

Open my eyes, O Lord, to see the Deborahs you have
placed around me in Jesus' name.
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CHAPTER FOUR
The Elizabeths: The Preservers
T
he bane of our society, the perennial problems in
the homes, the backwardness of communities and
nations and several unhealthy patterns that have
lingered over the ages are not there because they defied
solution or that there are no people capable of handling
them. Rather the people that are meant to handle them are
either distracted or are ignorant of their purpose. If I may
ask, are there no dreamers? Do we not have people who
are carrying the solution, those whose purpose for arriving
on the earth is to solve those problems? Are there not
people who by the nature of their configuration are wired
for certain specific purpose? What can you say about the
Samsons? Those who before they entered the womb, their
parents had visible encounters? What about those before
they entered into the higher institution or get a job had
tangible encounters of what is ahead of them.
Just like every product was designed for a specific use and
to solve a given problem, so also every human. The truth is
that unlike other human is so unique. Human is tied to
time. There is always an appointed time for every activity. A
child who is designed to save life through medical practice,
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does not become one immediately he was born. He needs

to undergo years of training to become a medical doctor. In
addition to this, becoming a medical doctor is not the end
of the road, rather the beginning of your fulfilment in life.
The road to fulfilment is such a long one. So many do break

down on the way while some have miscarriages.
Unfortunately, only few find themselves on the track,
hence the need for preservers.
The preservers are those who have been tested and tried in
the furnace of affliction and they come out more refined.
Those who have gained weight and still continue to
accumulate such that they are not tossed about by every
wind of doctrine. Those who carry the virtues needed to
beautify lives; those who have given themselves to be
discipled and disciplined such that God is not ashamed to
identify with them; those who are flexible in the hand of
God that he can toss them however he wants.
The preservers are the Elizabeths who understands the

language of the spirit to act as he leads. They are those who
see the mighty oak tree in a little seed; they see champions
in the little Davids, they do not despise the little beginnings
but have the eyes of God who sees the end from the
beginning. The preservers are those who offer their
shoulders for the young Marys to lean on, cry and receive
Page 24
comfort. They are those designed to be dream and vision

incubators who are ready to supply whatever is needed at
any given time.
Friends, you need the Elizabeths'. Let's take a journey to

Luke chapter one:
39. Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill
country with haste, to a city of Judah,
40. And entered the house of Zacharias and greeted
Elizabeth.
41. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting
of Mary that the babe leaped in her womb; and
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said,
'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of your womb!
43. But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my
Lord should come to me?
44. For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting
sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb
for joy.
45. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a
fulfilment of those things which were told her from
the Lord”.
Mary had a strange encounter in her house, where an angel

(Gabriel) told her of Gods agenda which was about to be
fulfilled. She was picked as one of the instruments to be
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used – submitting her womb and house for this great

assignment. It was a rude shock, unbelievable and
“embarrassing”. Considering that she was a virgin,
betrothed to a man and plans were already on to
consummate the marriage. How will she face the shame of
pregnancy outside marriage? What kind of explanation
would she give to the fiancé, relatives, friends, and those
who may wish to know? It was too much for her.
The angel concluded with “Now indeed, Elizabeth your

relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is
now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For
with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:36-37).
It was like saying to her, this thing that you are going
through now, someone has gone ahead of you; she is
carrying a Holy Ghost induced child, for with man, it is not
possible considering her age. Can you see the need for a
preserver? Why do you think that Elizabeth was involved?
For preservation!
Mary deemed it fit to check on Elizabeth because she

couldn't understand what was really going on though she
has submitted herself as the Lord wills. On getting to
Elizabeth her cousin, what I considered a 'drama' took
place “And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting
of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth
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was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41) Elizabeth spoke
under the unction of the Holy Spirit to the amazement of
Mary. She called Mary “the mother of my Lord” and went
further to confirm the word of the angel to Mary “Blessed
are you among women” (Luke 1:42). I believe that a strong
conviction came upon Mary as she heard this from her
cousin. She must have said “so this is really true'. Elizabeth
under that atmosphere continued “Blessed is she who
believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things
which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45). The
preserver strengthened the voice of the Lord, became a
witness and made the journey easier for Mary. Once she
entered into Mary's life, doubt and confusion left her. She
was not bemoaning herself again. The situation was no
longer embarrassing as she had previously analysed. She
was comforted and looked forward to seeing the
manifestation.
My dear you need a preserver. Pray to the Lord and cry out
to him for a preserver. Many dreams are aborted due to fear
ad unbelief. Often times people place their dreams
alongside their background, unfortunately there seems to
be no coherence, due to the 'how' factor. How can this be
looking at my educational qualification, my family
background, my position in the family, my financial
strength, my health condition? As the how continues, faith
starts going down, weakness sets it, helplessness and
Page 27
hopelessness set in and impossibility boldly written. From

there, the person will settle for the less, anything goes. But
when the preserver is around, he/she becomes the light,
helping you to see clearly and understand the power that is
at work in you. He/she helps to clear the doubt, helps you
understand that, that is the reason why you were born;
he/she becomes a strong confidence; he/she picks signal
from your designer and confirms your conviction. The
preserver most times tells you “I have been there before”
“You cannot be crushed” “It does not matter what you see
now, tomorrow is not only better but bigger”.
The preserver brings God nearer to you and helps you see
yourself through his eyes.
Let's see what Mary said after those inspired words from
Elizabeth in Luke chapter one:
46. …my soul magnifies the Lord,
47. And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48. For He has regarded the lowly state of His
maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations
will call me blessed.
49. He who is mighty has done great things for me, and
holy is His name.
50. And His mercy is on those who fear him from
generation to generation.
51. He has shown strength with his arm, He has
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scattered the proud in the imagination of their

hearts.
52. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and
exalted the lowly.
53. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the
rich He has sent away empty.
54. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of
His mercy,
55. As He spoke to our Fathers, to Abraham and to his
seed, forever.
Mary's spirit was stirred, a kind of strength entered into her.

It was like after Saul was anointed as the first King of Israel
he was given another heart such that he prophesied which
made people to ask “Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1
Samuel 10:9-10).
Notice the following things that took place in Mary's life.

i. An intimacy with God was established 'And my spirit
rejoiced in God my Saviour. It was no longer our
saviour but my. There is a self-awareness.
ii. Mary was from a lowly background, yet God located
her.
iii. She acknowledged the mercy of God which is
paramount.
iv. She acknowledged Gods sovereignty in handling
even the most frightened situation.
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v. She turned out to be a 'prophet' to Israel, confirming

what God has said to Abraham.
Ordinarily, who would have believed that Mary could

possess such boldness if not for the contact with the
preserver? Thank God for the preserver in her life. She
stayed with Elizabeth for three months. Those three
months were moments of discovery, sharing thoughts and
experiences, helping the young Mary to be brave and face
boldly what is ahead of her.
Page 30
SECTION B:
YOUR
INFLUENCE
ON PEOPLE
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Page 32
CHAPTER FIVE
Influencers Are Dreamers
T
he four dimensional youth is an influencer. No one
is created only to be a receiver rather you are both a
receiver and a giver. What you give depends on the
nature and volume of what you receive. This is very
important as you cannot give what you do not have. This
approach to life is very crucial; it prepares one to living a
responsible and productive life; living a life while bearing in
mind that there is someone somewhere being impacted
upon. Influencers do not live their lives alone.
· Influencers are dreamers

Dreamers do not die. Even when they are physically no
more, they still live. Dreamers are world figures, their
influence is global, it cuts across denomination, tribe, city,
class etc. Distance is not a barrier to them, the gates of cities
and nations willingly open for them, because they were
wired for the world.
One of the reasons why many spent their years in dungeon,

at bars, clubhouses, ghettos and littered all over the streets
is because they do not have a dream, they cannot dream.
Because from the moment they dream, the dungeon will
Page 33
naturally revolt against them, telling them, that they are not
meant to be here, they do not belong here anymore. The
power of the jungle to house them break, the doors and
keys that locked them will on their own accord open.
That reminds me an incident that took place in Acts of

Apostles chapter twelve. Peter was locked up in the prison
by Herod and has been sentenced to death waiting for
execution in less than twenty-four hours. Something
strange happened when heaven was signaled that this was
a dream-man on whose shoulder lies the administrative
prosperity of the church. God sent dream-facilitator to do
the needful. The moment he entered, chains on Peter
broke on their own, light took over the darkness, the
sixteen soldiers guarding Peter to ensure he never escaped
became impotent, the prison doors that were well secured
under lock and key willingly opened and bade him bye;
finally, the city gate made of iron could not resist the dream
man, it opened by itself. Glory to Jesus!
Dream comes with light and when the light shines, one's
eyes get opened, reasoning comes back, strength enters,
hopes restored and you see reason for living. Dreams tell
you that there is more to life than you know. Oftentimes I
hear people especially young ones, say that, life is scam,
school is scam, hard work is scam – infact to them, and
everything is scam. Hence they resign to fate, life of
Page 34
laziness, looking for an easy way out which has led many
into all kinds of dubious lifestyle. And so cut short their
lives, and they turned out to be liabilities instead of assets,
nuisance instead of joy, terrors instead of hopes and
problems instead of solutions.
A dream man can never be a liability however people see

him; it is just a matter of time. He is too precious to waste.
When the young man in one of Jesus' parables in Luke
chapter fifteen “came to his senses” when he remembered
himself, called to mind his root, his father's words, the life
he was designed to live, he became uncomfortable, he
hated his condition, and everything around was disgusting.
Suddenly the invisible chain holding him for a long time
broke, he traced his way back home without any mentor,
preacher, or counselor asking or compelling him to do so.
Can I say to you 'Dare to Dream'!
When you become a dreamer, even if you are covered

inside a bottle, that bottle will break, it can never house
you! Even in the desert, the desert will bring forth water.
Let's go to Psalm chapter eighty-four:
4. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they will
still be praising you.
5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in you, whose
heart is set on pilgrimage.
6. As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it
a spring, the rain also covers it with pools.
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7. They go from strength to strength, each one appears

before God in Zion.
The passage says, those who dwell in the house of the Lord
and those whose strength is in God. This is a dream-man,
the man who knows and understands his root, his source,
his make-up, his design, and knows who and what he is
living for. Such person keeps praising, that is keeps living.
There is no end to living. It is not subject to any condition or
circumstances.
“As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it
a spring; the rain also covers it with pools” NKJV.
“When they walk through the valley of weeping, it

will become a place of refreshing springs,
where pools of blessing collect after the rains” NLT.
“Passing through the valley of weeping (Baca), they

make it a place of springs; the early rain also fills the
pools with blessings” (Amplified) (Psalm 84:6).
This is interesting! When a dream-man enters a valley he

never sees it as the bus stop or as a place of abode or
destination. It is a mere passage, it is a route, a way leading
to destination. He never behaves as if that is the end of the
world, or lives as if there is no tomorrow; or allows himself
to be messed up given room to the adversary to vomit and
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ride on his head. Never! He rather turns the valley of

weeping to spring.
What does spring mean? It is bringing forth newness. It is a

place of abundance; a place of pleasant surprises.
Meteorologically, it is considered an intervention season
which is neither too warm nor too cold, giving room for
comfort living.
Ecologically, spring is tied to biological indicators which

includes blossoming of different plants rejuvenation of
animals and plants, soil reaction which produces a kind of
smell that make the temperature very conducive for micro
flora to flourish.
Spring ordinarily is synonymous to bringing forth, causing

newness, changing the statuesque, bringing something into
existence, activating a lifeless situation and making living
possible.
A dream-man going through a weeping, troublesome, or

hopeless situation supplies life to that situation and change
the narratives. Going through fire like Shedrach, Meshack
and Abadnego without getting burnt; coming out without a
scratch like Daniel in the lion's den. A dream-man fears no
valley, no desert, no fire, and no darkness. Because what
she carries is capable of turning things around. She is a
catalyst! She is a transformer! She is a thermostat!
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A dream-man is a “blessing attractor” “…where pools of

blessing collect after the rains” (Psalm 84:6 NLT). He has a
connection with the One who has no limits, who
everything (both living and non-living, visible and invisible,
thrones and dominion, spirits and flesh) serves; One who
calls things that are not as if they were. One who says a
thing and it comes to pass without hesitation; One who by
mere words set up the universe. That is why I say, DREAM.
Going further, on that passage, “they go from strength to

strength; each one appears before God in Zion” (Psalm
84:7) There is no end to what a dream-man can do. He
increases, bears fruits, grows beyond bounds and
continues to grow. That was what was said of Isaac in
Genesis chapter twenty-six “The man began to prosper,
and continued prospering until he became very
prosperous” (verse 13). It is interesting to know that the
time Isaac planted was a famine season, a season of
draught and scarcity, season when people are relocating
because of hardship, no job, no food, and life was
becoming unbearable. No, doubt he must have been
tempted to live and join the band wagon but thanks to God
who intervened by reminding him of who he is and the
dream of yester years, the mandate he is carrying and the
covenant speaking on his behalf. Let's go to Genesis
chapter twenty-six for more clarity:
Page 38
2. Then the LORD appeared to him and said: “Do not

go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell
you.
3. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless
you; for to you and your descendants I give all these
lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to
Abraham your father.
4. And I will make your descendants multiply as the
stars of heaven, I will give to your descendants all
these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the
earth shall be blessed;
5. Because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my
charge my commandments, my statutes and my
laws.
6. So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
The instruction of God to Isaac was to remain where he

was. It's like saying, your configuration is not tied to when
times are good only, or bad, or to a given circumstance; you
carry the determinant, the starter, the propeller; infact you
are a catalyst.
Little wonder, he planted that same year, same land, same

crops and reaped hundredfold. Incredible! Not so? That is
a Dream-man. He goes from strength to strength, from one
level of glory to another level, entering into various
dimensions of greatness and fruitfulness. Therefore,
DREAM.
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Nature of Dreamers
I want to believe that you have an understanding of what
we mean by dreams in this chapter. Dream, as referred
here, is not necessarily what happens in your unconscious
mind while you sleep. Rather it is the ability to see yourself
in the future. It is what you conceive in your heart to
become or do after a careful thought and search. It is a
strong resolve to become. It is the invisible perception of
your person waiting to be made visible. It is the hunger and
yearning to live a productive life not minding the obstacles
or limitations on your way. Dream is a correct assessment of
your past and present with a redefinition of your future that
far outweighs who you were and who you are. It is a coded
glorious future waiting to be discovered and harnessed.
Can I ask you at this juncture, do you have a dream? What

is your dream? When did you conceive that dream? Did
you write your dream? How did you get the dream? Have
you started working towards the dream? Do you have plans
for the fulfilment? How long do you think it will take you to
accomplish it? Is your dream open-ended, that is bogus
and limitless or it is restricted, small and easy to achieve?
Let me introduce you to what I refer to as having a tree-like

dream and not a fruit-like dream. A fruit-like dream is a
dream that is limited, that the end can easily be seen such
that, once you get there, there will be nothing to pursue
Page 40
again. Just as the name goes 'fruit'. It is perishable, does not

last, very attracting but finite. But a tree-like dream is
endearing. It is a dream that is deep rooted, multi-
dimensional, stands for all season, have generational
impact and outlives the dreamer.
Can you call to mind what God said to Abraham – “I will

bless you and make you a blessing and in you shall all the
families of the earth be blessed”. God is just telling him,
what you are carrying and what you are living for is beyond
you. It cuts across your family, city and nation. You are
wired to serve many languages and races, both young and
old. That is what I called tree-like dream.
It is such a dream that unfolds day after day, year after year;
where one ends, another is shooting out, such that you live
and be relevant all the days of your life irrespective of your
age. Your relevance is not tied to age. “The righteous shall
flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in
Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear
fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (Psalm
92:12-14).
I want to challenge you to make hays while the sun shines.

Start to dream else you become frustrated and stranded in
life and expire before your time. Have you not seen adults
Page 41
who once they retired from Civil Service or Pastoral

Ministry as Priests or Bishops, they become liabilities and
not sought for? This is the reason why many of such people
falsify their age and keep swearing affidavit until they could
no longer cheat nature because their bones, nerves, waist
and every part of the face are betraying the quoted age.
That was the case of one presidential candidate and a flag
bearer of one of the political parties in my country in 2022.
During the party's primary, he wrote his speech because his
memory was failing him, I supposed. To add to this to hold
the paper was even a problem. The paper was dancing as if
they put on an industrial fan near him. A man who should
be in his mid or late 80's claiming to be sixty-five years. So
unfortunate.
What am I saying? When you dream dreams (starting that

early enough), you will be proud of yourself, your age and
whatever God has enabled you to accomplish and still
doing. You will never have reason for regrets. You will keep
bearing fruit like palm tree, meeting needs and affecting
lives. Nobody comes nearer such a person without a lasting
impact. Can you pray and as well say to yourself
I am not a liability; I was never configured a liability; I
was never born to be a liability; I can never be a
liability; I am an asset; I am durable; I am costly; I am
a solution; I am palm tree-like; I am a global asset. So
be it in Jesus' name.
Page 42
A one-time President of the United States of America,

Teddy Roosevelt said “I chose not be a common man, it's
my right to be uncommon if I can. I'll seek opportunity not
security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen… humbled and
dulled by having the State look after me. I want to take the
calculated risk, to dream and to build, to fail and to
succeed”. Simply put, there is a life to live after my tenure
as president. My dear, tell yourself there is a life to live after
first degree or third degree; there is a life to live after getting
married or after wedding; there is a life to live after
graduation; there is a life to live after youth service; there is
a life to live after getting that your dream job; there is a life
to live after getting to the peak of your career; there is a life
to live after building your own house; there is a life to live
after training your children. Infact there is always a life to
live after all said and done. You are not permitted to expire
so long as you are alive irrespective of your age. You still
have something to offer. That is palm tree for you! Discover
something you must live for and passionately and
consistently pursue it.
25 Reasons why you must be a Dreamer

· When you begin to dream, you will start
experiencing change from the inside and you see
reasons to live.
· When you dream, life becomes adventurous, you
will always see ladders above where you stand.
Page 43
· When you dream, you will live above your

backgrounds, predicament and circumstances of
life.
· When you dream, you get renewed daily and
become stronger in the midst of storms.
· When you dream, you get more equipped to face
oppositions, and attacks with determination and so
live a more-than-a conquerors life.
· When you dream, you unlock your hidden
potentials.
· When you dream your life become meaningful, a
food for thought and a model.
· Dreamers do not follow the conventional, since they
know and understand where they are going, rather
they map out their own track and often go against
the tide.
· Dreamers are inventors and innovators because
they are after solving problems instead of cramming
and repeating methods and formulas that cannot
improve the plight of the people.
· Dreamers are answers and solution providers.
· Dreamers are assets, valuable and always sought for
because of an air of hope that their presence create.
· Dreamers are hard runners and nut crackers.
· Dreamers are co-creators with God, they are
Genesis chapter one verse twenty-eight species.
· Dreamers do not leave their destinies to be decided
Page 44
by chances or accidents or by man.

· Dreamers use the undesirable, ugly, and disturbing
situations for their advancement just like eagle in the
storm.
· Dreamers do not look down on others because they
know they are wired for the people.
· Dreamers shun mediocrity, stagnancy, and a life of
average
· Dreamers are always on top and are at the forefront.
· Dreamers are the voice and not the echoes.
· Dreamers are proactive, they see and study
situations before they happen.
· Dreamers are people oriented, they do not live for
themselves.
· Dreamers are change agents wherever they are,
carefully and consistently making impacts.
· Dreamers have strong connection to their source,
God Almighty, who is the reason for their dream.
· Dreamers cultivate a living relationship with Jesus
Christ and grow intimacy with him. Dreamers are
not scared of the size of their dreams. They are
Philippians 4:12 people “I can do all things through
Jesus that gives me the strength”
· Dreamers acknowledges the Holy Spirit, the third
person in trinity, the Helper, the Power activator.
Page 45
You can be a dreamer

C. S. Levis once said “You are never too old to set another
goal or to dream a new dream”. Without doubt, going
through the reasons why you must dream, must have send
a signal to you that life without dreams makes no meaning.
Therefore you must dream and keep dreaming. How?
· You must define what matters most to you; that
which is capable of taking most of your attention;
what you are willing to pursue even when it is not
convenient; what you cannot trade with even when
a mind blowing offer is made.
· Make a habit of writing down your 'dreams' and
thoughts as they come. This is because the
possibility of forgetting it is there. It serves as a
constant reminder and a wakeup call. Every dream
comes in phases and have time appointed. In the
scripture, while Habakkuk was lamenting on the
state of Israel, GOD consoled him with words but
instructed him to do something “Then the Lord
answered me and said, 'write the vision and make it
plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For
the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the
end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries,
wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not
tarry” (Habakkuk 2:2-3).
· Read and study people of like-mind. Find out who
they were/are, what they did, challenges they go
Page 46
through, the mistakes they made and the secret of

their success. I remembered our visit (Flavour for
Singles youth organization) to Rev. Prof. Mosy
Madugba and Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai during the
th
period of our 10 Anniversary celebration, when
they were asked what it takes to be great and the
secret of standing tall; their responses among other
things mentioned as if the duo had a meeting: you
must love God passionately and chase him, not
because of what you want to get but for who He is.
In addition, you must dream dreams, what am I
saying? Read and study people.
· Plan your life. Engage in action-oriented plans to
achieving your dream. Map out steps to be taken
with timeline. This is to guard against
procrastination and unnecessary delay
· Do not allow your mistake to crush you, rather learn
from it and keep moving. Follow the admonition of
Micah “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, when I
fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, The LORD will
be a light to me” (Micah 7:8). Bear in mind that the
tendency to make mistake is always there because
we are humans, that is why you must not allow the
sorrow/pain of falling to take you off the track.
Nevertheless you must not make excuses or take
pride in falling. On the other hand, there are some
Page 47
who because of fear of failure do not try at all. This is

very dangerous.
Let me share some of these quotes that I found inspiring

“If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up
with anything original” Ken Robinson.
“A man may fall many times, but he won't be a failure until

he says that someone pushed him” Elmer G. Letterman.
“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart

enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct
them” John Maxwell.
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable

but more useful, than a life spent in doing nothing” George
Bernard Shaw.
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn

nothing” Henry Ford.
“A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are

volitional and are the portals of discovery” James Joyce.
· Covet healthy lifestyle. The height of your success,

achievement and progress in life is determined by
the level of sacrifice made. As an athlete for instance,
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you cannot enjoy leisure at will or eat anything that

comes your way and still expects to be at your best.
Never! “And everyone who competes for the prize is
temperate in all things… Therefore I run thus: not
with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats
the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into
subjection…” (1 Corinthians 9:25-27).
The place of discipline or self-discipline in the pursuit of a

dream is not contestable. It is one of the major pillars to
achieving success and becoming great in life.
I read of an assignment given to Napoleon Hill by one of

the richest men in modern history, Andrew Carnegie 'to
seek out the richest and most successful people across the
land in the early 20th century. After a long search, he arrived
at this conclusion “that self-discipline is truly the starting
point of all great achievement” Jim Rohn in his own words
maintained that self-discipline is the bridge between goals
and accomplishment.
Have you heard this, that he who lives without discipline

dies without honour? One must therefore be ready to
embark on the journey to say No to things that will not help
you move forward however palatable they may look and
yes to the things that will shoot you up, things that will make
your life weighty and productive irrespective of how hard,
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bitter or inconveniencing they may be. The discipline of

gold to be a precious ornament, attract great value and
serve purpose is in being patient and focused to allow the
fire of the smith to pass through it as many times as possible.
It would be foolish for gold to say, “after all other ornaments
don't go through fire, why me?” Yes they don't go through
fire because they are not gold and can never answer gold,
however they resemble gold.
Every dream places a demand on the dreamer and such

demands are deep rooted in discipline. Discipline seems to
be the mother of all virtues. For instance hard work,
commitment, determination, contentment, modesty,
patience, assertiveness, honesty, loyalty, tolerance, respect,
humility, courage, justice, etc.
It is therefore, important to discover the discipline of your

dream: be intentional and consistent about it; be focused.
Make up your mind. First consider the cost, be truthful to
yourself and be as real as possible so as to make room for
fears and doubts, such that when confrontation comes, you
would not be swaged.
A dream is achievable when the mind is placed on the

outcome, the benefits and beneficiaries. Taking a clue from
Jesus “we do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom
our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die
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a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew

would be his afterward…” (Hebrews 12:2, NLT). Focusing
on the challenge, difficulties and problems surrounding
your dream will definitely weaken you and cause you to
drift resulting to abortion. Rather focus on the dream, think
about it, meditate on it, talk to yourself by yourself and
share with a mentor or coach.
Engage God. God is your Source, your Beginning, your

Designer, and your Maker. He knows your content, your
make up, your strength and weakness. Let me take you to
Psalm Chapter one hundred and thirty nine.
1. O Lord, you have searched me and known me. 2.

You know my sitting down and my rising up; you
understand my thought from afar off.
3. You comprehend my path and my lying down; and
are acquainted with all my ways.
13. For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in
my mother's womb.
15. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was
made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest
parts of the earth.
16. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in your book they all were written, the days
fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of
them.
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Can you see the reason why you need to engage God?
Acknowledge Him for who He is in your life, give him a
chance to really be your God and consistently walk with
him. I have seen and heard of people that were said to have
pursued their dream and become famous and successful
but had a painful end, some died a miserable death by
hanging themselves. The question is why? The truth is that
when the God-factor is neglected, ignored, abandoned;
When there is so much gap between you and your source;
when you take him for granted; when you live your life
outside him, it is like building a castle on the air, swimming
against the tide or like a blind man running without a guide.
While working on this book, I went through a long list of

men and women who have shaped history of nations,
those who have gained popularity and became very
famous, those who have become extra ordinarily wealthy
(Philanthropists and economic bulldozers) but they were
not fulfilled, most of them struggled with depression, died a
painful death and while some took their lives.
Cheslie Kryst was an American television presenter a

licensed attorney, model and beauty pageant titleholder.
She was crowned the Miss USA 2019 and was among the
top ten at the Miss universe 2019 contest. She was born on
April 1991 and died January 2022.
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Charlotte Dawson was a New Zealand-Australian

television personality a very charming and admirable
personality. Unfortunately she committed suicide in
February 2014 at the age of 48
Simmone Sherise Battle was an American singer,

songwriter, dancer and actress. She was born on June
1989. She was a finalist on the X factors, a British television
music competition. Simmone ended her life at a prime age
of 25 in 2014.
Stephanie Adams was an African American Euro-America

and Cherokee ancestry who started modeling at age 16
with the help of the aunts who were former models. She
was once a divorcee, later became a lesbian and declared
as the 'Best lesbian sex symbol' In 2009 she declared her
interest of getting married which she did, which produced
a son. Stephanie killed herself and son on May 18 2018 at
the age of 47 by jumping from a 25th-story balcony.
August Ames a Canadian pornographic actress who have

made appearances in more than 250 movies (both
pornographic and non-pornographic) and have been
nominated for several awards. She took her life few days to
a performance in a pornographic scene. The autopsy
revealed that she had cocaine, marijuana, zolost
(antidepressant sertraline) and the anxiolytic Alprazolam in
her system
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Desmond Arnofah popularly known as Etika died at age 29

on June 19, 1990. Desmond was a Ghanaian but lived in
New York. He was a You-tuber, streamer, model and
rapper. He became very popular after the release of 'super
smash Bros.4, where he discussed elements and new
developments of the game (Wikipedia). Following the
termination of his you tube channels (EW Network and
Etika-FRFX) on two different occasions, Desmond suffered
from mental breakdown and decided to take his life by
jumping off Manhattan Bridge, New York.
Kim Daul a 20 years old South Korean model, painter and

regular blogger. She suffered from loneliness, insomnia and
depression. She had so much frustration in meeting up the
demand of fashion industry. She had made suicidal
attempts before she finally did so. She died by hanging on
November, 1989.
What am I really driving at? When the God-factor is missing

in your life, if you do not cultivate a living relationship with
God through Jesus the propitiation for our sins; when He is
not your Lord, the number one of your life; when you do
not acknowledge him daily and in your life's endeavours; if
he is not on the driver's seat; if you play down on his
significance in your life whatever might be your reason; No
doubt you must crash. Without mincing words, you will not
get to your destination, you not get real fulfilment. You will
be like a bloated balloon.
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The truth is that, there is a vacuum in every person's life

which only Jesus can fill. Fame, wealth, fortune, academic
excellence, qualifications, social status or enviable family
background can never fill.
While going through the list of the famous people that

suffered depression, mental health, bipolar disorder, and
those who ended their lives abruptly, I could not hold my
tears. Can you imagine someone who millions of people
are following, one who crack jokes and literally help
people to have emotional stability, and walk out of terrible
health challenges? Yet, he/she is not happy, is lonely, and
depressed. You seem to give life by making people feel
lively yet you are dead. This is tragic!
However it is not late to engage God. You can do it right

now. How?
1. Acknowledge God as the one that designed,
fashioned and made you; the one who knows every
detail of your life such that nothing about you
including your future is not known by Him; the One
whose reason for making you is to derive pleasure
from you just like any manufacturer.
2. Acknowledge that you have not really made him
happy as should; that you have not accepted the
greatest offer He made to mankind in the person of
Jesus, hence you have declared yourself his enemy.
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3. Ask him to forgive you and show you mercy.

4. Tell him that you are willing to receive His offer.
Then ask Jesus to come into your life – to be your
Saviour and Lord beginning from today.
5. Welcome him from your heart as he has come to
stay. (Read Revelation 3:20).
If you have done this, you are now part of Gods family. Your
responsibility is to grow in him. Remember that when a
baby is born, he/she needs to grow and there are necessary
things that the baby need to grow into a matured human,
this is a gradual process.
Likewise, as a baby in Gods family, you must grow so as to

become the person of His dream. Kindly go to the
appendix chapter of this book for a guide.
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CHAPTER SIX
Influencers Are Leaders
L
eadership in simple terms is to show someone the
way, to direct the actions of people towards a set
goal.It is influencing peoples actions, behaviours and
conduct in such a way that they can follow. Leadership is
making people do what ordinarily they would not want to
do. Leadership is a visible expression of someone's thought,
opinion, aspirations, interest and pursuit that compels
another to go in his direction. It is an ability to identify
yourself, stir up and awaken your potential in such a way
that you will be able to help others do same for the purpose
of attaining a desired goal. Leadership according to
Madugba (2017) in his book Apostolic Leadership is
“possessing and demonstrating the wisdom required to
draw out the best out of other people and inspire them to
maximise the use of their potentials and whatever
resources at their disposal to achieve a desired goal”.
Haggai (1986) in his book Lead on defines leadership as the
“discipline of deliberately exerting special influence within
a group to move it towards achieving goals of beneficial
permanence that fulfil the group's real needs”. While Myles
Munroe defines it as “the capacity to influence others
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through inspiration motivated by passion, generated by

vision, produced by conviction, ignited by a purpose”
It is important to note that leadership, is not just about

position, title, or office. Leadership is the ability to
influence people. Anyone who can influence the action
and behavior of someone directly or indirectly is a leader.
Anybody who has someone following him is a leader.
Going by this, everybody is a leader. Let me hear you say to
yourself. I AM A LEADER.
Leadership is not limited to environment or a given

location. Leadership is mobile. That is, if you are a leader at
your place of residence, you are equally a leader at school,
your place of work etc. Even if you travel outside your
country, you are still a leader. Does that make sense to you?
What makes you a leader is in you. You are the leader not
because of the people around you or the job you do. So
wherever you are, you are a leader. For examples, what
makes a building a palace is because a King resides there, it
does not matter if it is a thatch house, mud house,
bungalow or duplex? Any day the King relocates it has
seized to be a palace. What matters is the presence of the
King rather the King makes the Palace. It is not the palace
that makes the King. Therefore it is you that is the leader
not the environment or position or the office.
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This is one of the secrets of a four-dimensional youth. To be

able to live a life or relevance and impact, a productive,
effective, responsible and result-oriented life, you must
see yourself as a leader.
What is the implication of the above?

1. It gives room for a consistent and progressive
lifestyle.
2. It enables one to live a purpose-driven life; an
understanding of why one is living and what he/she
is living for.
3. It helps one to develop a global mindset, making the
person relevant anywhere and anytime.
4. Living a purposeful life makes living interesting and
exciting. This is an antidote to depression.
5. It stirs up ones untapped resources.
6. It exposes and builds talent.
7. It increases the society's workforce.
8. It enables one to develop a teachable heart, always
wanting to learn.
The lifestyle of leaders

· Leaders are visionary.
Vision is the ability to see where you are going before you
get there. It is conceiving in one's heart what ought to be
regardless of the prevailing circumstances and also
envisaging ways through which such can be achieved.
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Vision is having a clear, exciting idea of where you are going

and what you are trying to accomplish and work towards
that. It is having a picture of what you seek to achieve in
your mind. Munroe (1984) asserted that “throughout
history the greatest leaders of the world were 'seers'. That is,
those who could see beyond what everybody else was
looking at”. He went further to say that visioners are people
who are not satisfied with what is happening but are
interested in what is going to happen and how they can
make it happen. This by implication, is having both
foresight and insight.
Civilisations were conceived, born and developed by

visionary leaders. Social, economic, architectural, medical,
scientific, political and spiritual achievements and heights
are attained through the driving force of men and women
that are vision-oriented. Munroe (2003) stressed that vision
is doomed. This is because according to him “Vision is the
key to unlocking the gates of what was and what is, to be
propelling us to into the land of what could be, and has not
been. Vision makes suffering and disappointment
bearable; it generates hope in despair and provides
endurance in tribulation. Vision inspires the depressed and
motivates the discouraged. Without vision life would be a
cyclic frustration within a whirlwind of despair”
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· Leaders are critical thinkers.
Critical thinking is the ability to look at issues in a more

rational way by understanding it first, asking series of
questions for an in-depth understanding and assessment of
what is prevalent. Leaders do not just take anything on a
face value, rather as critical thinkers, situations are
analysed, assessed, judged so as to arrive at the best option.
Critical thinkers demonstrate some of these characteristics:
flexibility in considering alternatives and opinions; fair-
mindedness in appraising reasoning; concern to become
and remain well-informed; listening to and understanding
of other people's opinion; self-confidence in one's ability to
reason. The truth is that no society can sustain itself and
maximise its potential without the members learning to
apply their thinking skills. Critical thinkers are problem
solvers, mountain threshers, and pathfinders. They
demystify superstitious and age-long problems. Most of the
world's inventors both past and present are critical thinkers.
· Leaders are motivators.
According to John Adams, if your activities inspire others to

dream more, and learn more, then you are a leader. One
of the major functions of leadership is to encourage and
challenge others to do. When you look around us,
whether in a home setting, office, worship centre, or
society, one discovers that most times people are
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adamant to perform their duties; either because they are

not willing, or lack of enthusiasm, or they are bothered
with issues that sap their inner strength but when a leader
steps in, people see reason to do what they never wanted
to do, what they ought to do or what they never know
how to do.
This is possible by engaging certain motivational skills,

among them include: appreciating people (their
personality, strength, gift/talent, contribution) and treating
people as human beings irrespective of their backgrounds.
· Leaders are risk takers.
Most often, leaders embark on a journey that they do not

literally know the outcome. If for any reason, the outcome
is unpleasant they'll stand to be blamed. That
notwithstanding, such a move must be made. Research has
shown has shown that leaders who take risks are more
likely to be positively perceived by those who work with or
hang around them regardless of whether they succeed.
Morgan (2020) citing Shellye Archambeau an African

American, a former CEO of metric stream “Those who
learn and are able to take the best risks will drive the best
performance”.
That reminds me of David's encounter with the dreaded

warrior champion Goliath. None of the trained Armies of
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Israel could challenge him for a whole forty days including

the army commander, Major General Abner and the king,
Saul. Instead they resorted to hiding in the cave. As the days
go by, their strength depreciated. The tone of the music
changed when an inexperienced teenage boy who came
on an errand took the bull by the horn. It was a dangerous
risk. The sight was laughable considering the wide gap
between Goliath and David. This made the man to ask
David “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?” He
went further to say “come to me, and I will give your flesh to
the birds of the air and the beasts of the field! These sayings
were enough to put David to flight but he had made up his
mind to go in the name of the God of Israel.
David's zeal for God was overwhelming. His knowledge of

the person of the God of Israel was convincing. He fixed his
gaze on the God of Israel whose name was “at stake”. He
saw victory, was blind to both the size of Goliath and
himself. It was this risk that gave David followers “Now it
happened when David was returning from the slaughter of
the Philistines, that the women had come out of all the
cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king, Saul, with
tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. So the
women sang as they danced, and said, “Saul has slain his
thousands, And David his ten thousand” (1Sam 18:6-7).
Indeed leaders are risk takers. King Saul played safe and lost
respect, honour and followership from that day. While
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David without title, position or any kind of appointment,

emerged a leader. Let me reiterate that leadership is not by
size, experience, age, title, status or position.
Four dimensional youths are risk takers. Without risk, your

potential can hardly be optimised; you would be ignorant
of your ability and fulfilling purpose may be a mirage.
Without risk, you are indirectly denying people who are
supposed to be blessed by you. Can you imagine the joy,
confidence and encouragement that David brought to the
people after that episode?
This also brought David into the life of Jonathan. Jonathan

had a brother, friend and confidant in David “Then
Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved
him as his own brother. And Jonathan took off the robe that
was on him and gave it to David, with his amour, even to
the belt “(1 Samuel 18:3-4). Jonathan was so much
encouraged by David. I believed that he must have asked
himself so many questions of which some of them I
supposed might be “you mean that a young man, a
teenager can take such a risk without thought of his life? “So
there is such a person as this in Israel? “So someone can
came into battle without real weapons? In fact, he must
have concluded “There is something more about this
young man, I need to know his guts”.
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On the other hand, taking a risk brings you to the company

where you really belong, to your destiny helpers.
Considering the case of David, as an anointed king in the
closet waiting for the appointed time, he needed to get
palace training, be very close to royalty, observe
proceedings and gain wisdom. That single risk opened the
door which ordinarily couldn't have.
Can I say to you, take risk! Come out from your shell. Do
what the four lepers did. “Why are we sitting here until we
die?” If we say, “we will enter the city, the famine is in the
city and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also.
Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the
Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us,
we shall only die”(2 Kings 2:3-4).
Incidentally the decision they took aligned them to God's

agenda for the moment. You can go through the whole of
the chapter to see the outcome.
The importance or benefits of risk taking cannot be

overemphasized. Many I point out at this juncture that risk
taking is different from recklessness. Hence before you take
any risk you must put into consideration certain factors.
Firstly, a careful consideration of the potential outcome of

taking the risk or not taking it. In other words, the
advantages and disadvantages.
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Secondly, exploring different alternatives before taking a

decision. For example, the lepers case.
Thirdly, asking yourself questions like; will I be able to face

the consequences; What if it works out? What if it does
not? Who will benefit from this risk? Who will share in the
failure? Will the outcome have multiple effects? These
questions provide a clearer picture of what is on ground
and help to prepare you ahead of time.
Fourthly, according to Sportsman (2022), there is need to

factor your intuition. That is, listening to your inner man.
This is a natural instinct that God gives to every man which
sometimes helps us to take the right path.
Fifthly, develop a large heart towards non-success (failure).

Some people give up once they experience failure.
Therefore how you see failure matters a lot if you must be a
risk taker and fulfil your life's mission.
I like this quote from Robert Kiyosaki “Successful people

don't fear failure but they understand that its necessary to
learn and grow from” While Nelson Mandela said “Do not
judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell
down and got back up again”. Thomas Edison “I have not
failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work” Do
you know that the 16th President of United States, Abraham
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Lincoln lost five elections before being elected the U.S

President. According to history, all these losses seem
nothing to him until he got his heart desire.
Let me point out here, it was not a selfish desire like most
of our politicians nowadays, who desire an office due to the
euphoria of it to satisfy their ego, enrich themselves and
perpetrate all manner of wickedness. Abraham Lincoln was
attested to be one of the greatest President America ever
had.
· Leaders are Purpose-Driven

Leaders are like drivers, who before they embark on any
journey, already know where they are going and how to get
there. Considering the fact that there are many roads lest
one enters the wrong road and gets to the wrong
destination. A leader who does not know the way cannot
have followers. To be purpose-driven, is to align oneself to
the core reason behind an event, activity, or a decision. It is
understanding the 'Why' behind a thing, which goes a long
way to help one in decision making.
One of the major problems confronting the present

generation, especially the youths, is the inability to define
purpose. For instance, someone enters a boutique and saw
line up of fine wears, he/she buys it because it appeals to
him/her without understanding the purpose of such clothe.
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That is why someone will be comfortable to wear

swimming trunk on the street as fashion, likewise night
wears have turned to outing wears.
Another example is on marriage. Why do we have so

much increase on the rate of divorce? Because, purpose is
not known. Hence people enter into marriage just like a
casual relationship without careful thought or
understanding the 'why' of marriage. I have seen scenario
where a one week old marriage, was threatened. Three to
six months old marriage being dissolved.
What of a situation, where one gains admission in to an

institution of higher learning, only to join cult, and other
unhealthy group and engage in all kinds of dirty lifestyles.
At the end of the day he/she will end up having extra year
or even drop out. Why? The purpose of schooling is not
known.
Living without purpose is the bane of our society, therefore

the four-dimensional youth must be purpose-driven. You
must develop the attitude of asking 'why' and 'what'. Can
you imagine a scenario where a friend asks for your
company? You immediately consented without knowing
where you are going, why you are going and what you are
going to do?. This has put a lot of people into an avoidance
trouble.
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Living a purposeless life is dangerous. It can cause or

lead to the following:
- You live an 'anyhow it goes' life. Accepting whatever
life throws at you.
- You are full of anxiety, get worried over everything;
not being satisfied and also difficult to be satisfied.
- Always expressing fear
- Live an average life
- Easily confused
- A very close neighboir with depression
- Can hardly achieve any meaningful thing in life
- Be at the mercy of others since you cannot define
where you are going or understand what you really
want. You would end up living other people agenda.
- You will become a jack of all trades and master of
none.
- You will always be a starter.
In the 1940s, Viktor Frank was a prisoner in the Nazi

concentration camp. He went through much pain, agony
and brutality from the captors. But he survived even while
so many others couldn't. In his book 'man's search for
meaning' He said “Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear
with almost any 'how;”.
I therefore challenge you to be definite about life and what

you do with your life. You are a leader and you must be
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purpose-driven. Let us end it as we look at Judges Chapter

9:
8. The trees once went forth to anoint a king over
them. And they said to the olive tree 'Reign over us'.
9. But the olive tree said to them, 'should I cease giving
my oil, with which they honour God and men, and
go to sway over tree?
10. Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'you come and
reign over us;'
11. But the fig tree said to them, 'should I cease my
sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over
trees?
12. Then the trees said to the vine, 'you come and reign
over us!'
13. But the vine said to them, 'should I cease my new
wine, which cheers both God and men, and go to
sway over trees?' then all the trees said to the
bramble, 'you come and reign over us!'
15. And the bramble said to the trees, 'if in truth you
anoint me as king over you then come and take
shelter in my shade; But if not, let fire come out of
the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon!'”
It is a scenario of clear purpose. Those trees have
identified their relevance and so could not be
distracted even when the offer seems palatable.
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Leaders are followers

Just like I asserted earlier, everyone including you, is a
leader, so long as there is someone your life is influencing
directly or indirectly. In the same way, everyone is a
follower because someone is leading you, influencing your
decision, opinion behavior and conduct in one way or the
other. You are not an island. No one has all that he needs to
live a fulfilled life however wise, great, strong, powerful or
wealthy you might be. You need what someone have. That
makes you a follower. It is often said, that, if you are not a
good follower, you can never be a good leader. Therefore
to have strong influence and live an impactful life, one must
be a follower.
To be a follower is to be a learner, a student, a trainee, a

disciple. It is a conscious and deliberate effort to know, to
add to one's life, to be better off, to grow and be
productive.
To be a follower is to possess a mindset that is willing and

ready to learn at anytime and anywhere. It is not a
classroom situation limited by walls, and curriculum rather
a classroom without boundary. It is a mindset that sees
everywhere as classroom. A mindset that maximises every
opportunity to add value to one's life. This can be referred
to as learner's mindset.
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According to Harapnuik (2021) it is a “state of being where

people act on their intrinsic capacity to learn and respond
to their inquisitive nature that leads to viewing all
interactions with the world as learning opportunity”. This
definition presupposes that every human has an inherent
or natural ability to learn and keep learning. It considers
learning as a life-long activity.
To grow this mindset, it requires a change of mind and

thinking about learning. A mind that no matter your level of
education, position and attainment in life, you still consider
yourself a learner. A mind that irrespective of the gift / talent
you possess, the millions that are following you in your
social media handle, the crowd that you attract on stage, or
being the most outstanding person in your class, family or
workplace, you are still a learner.
A mind that sees every challenge as an opportunity to learn

new skills and a ladder to climb higher. A mind that never
looks down on anyone but is open to learn from both Dick
and Harry.
Acha (2016) opined that, “great leaders start off as great

followers and they don't change. They remain great
followers for the rest of their lives. The ability to follow
wholeheartedly is a non-negotiable prerequisite to
becoming an effective leader”. He listed some attributes of
an effective follower, which include:
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i. Effective followers know how to take and execute

instructions
ii. They know their role well
iii. They are servant
iv. They are obedient
v. They are humble
vi. They are great team players
Leaders are problem- solvers

The major purpose of leadership is to solve problems which
comes inform of helping and preparing people to reach the
supposed goal. To get to the goal is not really a small task. In
journeying to the goal, there are obstacles already waiting
or those created in the bid to make things happens. The
leader's responsibility is to help surmount these, and still
forge ahead.
While Jesus had stayed a while in a particular locality, he

informed his people on the need to move to another side.
As they embarked on the journey, their boat was troubled
by the wind and waves. It became so severe that the
disciples were afraid. They quickly got to his corner where
he was resting and asked him to handle the situation. So
long as they were concerned, 'it is Jesus' business and they
expected him to do something. Jesus rose up to the
challenge and quieten the sea.
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Looking at the above scenario, it is not enough to say 'let's

go to the other side” one must bear in mind of the
unforeseen. Can I say that, in the fulfillment of life's
mission, it has a catalogue of problems which usually give
way for another? Unfortunately so many people have
packed up and end their journey halfway due to challenges
that came to welcome them on the way.
A four dimensional youth is a leader and one of the major

attributes of leaders is problem-solving. There is no specific
time to expect this problem, it can showcase at any-time. A
leader must not see problems/challenges as distraction,
rather as a strategic enabler for continuous improvement
and opportunities previously unseen (Llopis, 2013).
It is important that one possesses this attitude, expecting

challenges however smooth things may look. This will give
you an edge over such and minimize the rate of failure,
discouragement and abandonment. May I inform you that
challenges are part of life. It is one of the subjects/courses
you must undertake in the fulfillment of life's purpose.
Infact, you are as strong as the problems you solve. While
Jesus was teaching on the need to obey and practice the
word, He presented two case studies. A man that built his
house on a rock whose foundation was very strong; and the
one that built on sand. The wind and waves descended on
both, the one on the rock stood firm while the other
collapsed.
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One of the lessons here, is that there is a set time for trouble
or challenge. It comes to everyone. That is why I say, make
room for challenges and face them head on when they
come. The more problems you solve, the stronger you
become. The more problems you solve, the more
discovery of yourself you make.
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SECTION C:
YOUR
ALTITUDE;
DEVELOPING
INTIMACY
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CHAPTER SEVEN
Intimacy With Divine
T
here is a connection between God and man right
from creation. God's intention is to share what he
has with man and vice versa. This compelled God
to have fellowship with man as found in Genesis 3:8. Being
the usual practice, God was calling for man 'where are you?'
Man incidentally has lost the boldness, the enthusiasm and
the friendliness. For the very first time, intimacy was lost.
Man became very much fearful, could no longer enjoy the
warmth, and cherry relationship with God. While God on
his part, was making effort to draw man, unfortunately the
gap keeps widening.
Thank God for his benevolence in coming down not to be

with man but to pick man up from the miry clay and take
him to the place where intimacy can be guaranteed. He did
so through Jesus who became poor so we might be rich,
was afflicted so we can be healed, and took the form of a
servant so we can be called sons.
Why all these? He is craving for a relationship, the closeness

that existed before the fall, closeness void of fear, guilt,
shame and intimidation; a closeness not as with master-
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servant, Boss-subordinate, or superior-inferior. Rather a

father-son kind of relationship, a friendly relationship just
like that between two lovers.
Can I announce to you that God has succeeded in bridging

the gap? And now one can enjoy a very close and intimate
relationship with Him. Note what Jesus said, 'You are my
friends if you do whatever I command you: No longer do I
call you servants, for a servant does not know what his
Master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things
that I heard from my Father I have made known to you”
(John 15:14-15). This confirms the type of relationship God
is craving for – friendly relationship.
Hear this, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave

the right to become children of God, to those who believe
in his name” (John 1:12) “And what agreement has the
temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the
living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk
among them. I will be their God, and they shall be my
people'. I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons
and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians
6:16,18). From the above scripture, God craves for a
container-content relationship. While you are the
container, God is the content, the inseparable two.
The next level of relationship from above is father-child

relationship. He has decided to make himself a father and
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has longed to relate with you as His child. Another aspect of

relationship that one needs to crave for is the shepherd-
sheep relationship, “I am the good shepherd, the good
shepherd gives his life for the sheep. I am the good
shepherd; and I know my sheep and am known by my
own” (John 10:11, 14). What is the emphasis here?
Shepherd and sheep relationship, a relationship
characterised by love and care.
Another aspect of relationship worthy of note is the

teacher-student relationship “However; when He the
Spirit of Truth has come, He will guide you into all truth; for
he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he
hears he will speak; and he will tell you things to come”
(John 16:13) God desires a teacher-student relationship.
To be candid, there are different dimension and degrees of

relationship that God has provided and he desires that we
make them a reality so as to enjoy them. He has played his
role, the ball is now at your court.
A summary of the type of relationship God craves for are:

· Friendly relationship
· Father-son relationship
· Container-content relationship
· Shepherd-sheep relationship
· Teacher-student relationship
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We shall enumerate twenty ways of building intimacy

with God.
1. Read the word daily
2. Make out a certain time that you will spend quality
time to study the word outside your daily devotion.
3. Read the word expecting God to speak to you.
4. Approach the word as your soul's food just like you
feed your body.
5. Pray daily – see reasons to appreciate, thank and
admire Him.
6. Take time to worship Him, call Him names and it will
be good to do so with understanding.
7. Tell Him you want to know Him. “Yet indeed I also
count all things loss for the excellence of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and count them as
rubbish, that I may gain Christ. That I may know Him
and the power of His resurrection, and the
fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His
death” (Philippians 3:10).
8. Share your fears, doubts, and your struggles.
9. Share your desires, ambition and dreams. Tell him
that you would want Him to be part of it and direct
as He wills.
10. Engage him in a discussion with any passage of the
scripture.
11. Be free to ask him for forgiveness whenever you
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messed up. Accept His forgiveness and continue.

Please do not doubt His forgiveness, it breaks His
heart because you are making Him a liar. “If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
(1 John 1:9).
12. Form the habit of admiring nature, from there
worship flows. “The works of the LORD are great,
studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work
is honourable and glorious, and His righteousness
endures forever” (Psalm 111:2-3).
13. Get a notebook to write down what strikes your
heart as you study and share with Him. “Write the
things which you have seen, and the things which
are, and the things which will take place after this”
“Then He that sat on the throne said, 'Behold I make
all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these
words are true and faithful'” (Revelation 1:9; 21:5).
14. Put down any burden he places in your heart so as to
follow it up.
15. Feel free to report any matter to Him. “And
Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the
messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to
the house of the LORD and spread it before the
LORD. Then Hezekiah prayed to the LORD,
saying:”(Isaiah 37:14-15). “Then someone told
David, saying, Ahitophel is among the conspirators
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with Absalom. And David said, 'O LORD, I pray, turn

the counsel of Ahitophel into foolishness!”(2 Samuel
16:31).
16. When you feel like crying to him, do so. “Hear my
prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; do not be
silent at my tears ;…”( Psalm 39:12).
17. Give Him a dance. Tell Him, Papa watch me. He
likes it “Let them praise His name with the dance”
(Psalm 149:3).
18. Constantly renew your love and affection by telling
Him how you love Him and then ask Him for grace
to love Him more. “I love you LORD, you are my
strength” (Psalm 18:1 NLT) “O how I love your law!
It is my meditation all day” (Psalm 119:97).
19. Consciously engage the Holy Spirit. He is the one
who helps us, knows and understands the father and
Jesus.
20. Intimacy is a walk of faith. “But without faith it is
impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God
must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of
those who diligently seek Him”(Hebrews 11:6).
Therefore put your faith to work, else you will feel
disappointed.
Difficulties Involve in Building Intimacy

Several times, some of us struggle in the process of building
intimacy. Some people get discouraged in their pursuit for
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God and live what I referred to as “an ordinary Christian

life” To some Christians, it is burdensome, not exciting. It is
like a yoke that they wish will break off their neck. Some
see it as a punishment. This is the reason why there is so
much compromise, halfhearted loyalty, and inability to live
the life of Christ. Above all, such life discourages sinners
from coming to Christ because they are scared of living
such a dejected and confused life. This is an aberration.
May the Lord have mercy in Jesus' name.
Some of the hindrances to achieving intimacy with

God:
1. Active participation in sin.
2. Making excuses for sinful habit.
3. Ignorance of God's word.
4. Inability to activate the work of Christ.
5. Lack of faith.
6. Guilt. Always calling to mind the sin that God had
already forgiven as if He is still holding it against you.
7. Being afraid of God.
8. Having a wrong view of God.
9. Ignorance of the work of Holy Spirit.
10. No serious time with God.
11. Being in the circle of wrong friends.
12. Feeling of inadequacy.
13. Laziness.
14. Procrastination.
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15. Fear of mess up.

16. Feeling of shame.
17. Fear of what people will say.
18. Repeated failed attempts.
19. Lack of commitment.
20. Lack of mentorship.
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CHAPTER EIGHT
The Place Of Knowledge In Intimacy
T
he degree of closeness in any relationship is
dependent on several factors. These factors
include: Knowledge, Love, Quality time, Effective
communication. Knowledge they say is power; while
power is the ability to do, to execute, or to enforce. Hence,
the power to engage God in an intimate relationship will be
lacking if one is ignorant. There is need to know. Let's
briefly consider the place of knowledge as pointed out in
the scripture.
- Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through
the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Peter
1:2 KJV).
- According to his divine power hath given unto us all
things that pertain unto life and godliness through
the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory
and virtue (2 Peter 1:3 KJV).
- And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free (John 8:32 LJV).
Scriptures abound relating to the benefits of knowledge but

suffice it to the above.
i. Grace can be increased or multiplied by knowledge.
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That is, as ones knowledge for Christ and God

increases, grace is added Remember that grace is
Gods inability in man, God doing in man and
through man what he cannot do by himself or by
anyone else. Grace is Gods evidence in man. So as
ones knowledge increases, this ability shoots up.
ii. Peace is multiplied through knowledge of Christ and
God. Peace is a heart condition filled with calmness
and joy even in the face of trouble, pain,
disappointment, affliction or unpleasant situation. It
is a kind of peace that baffles and passes human
understanding. The peace is experienced and grows
as one knows Him. Can you begin to understand the
reason why we experience so much, anxiety, worry,
depression and the like? Most of the time it is
ignorant of God and His Christ. Knowledge indeed is
power. So once you start getting unnecessarily
nervous, having suicidal thought, the medication
you need is to top up your knowledge tank, you will
grasp a revelation of God that will liberate you and
stand you on your feet.
iii. God's power has made available to us all things we
need to live a godly life in this world no matter how
corrupt, dirty, unpleasant, tempting and dark the
world may appear. Often times people ask of the
possibility of being holy and really serve God in the
midst of tempting issues. You hear people argue that
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it cannot be possible especially in this 21st century.

Whereas all that one needs have been provided for.
Such provision can only be accessed through
knowledge that is knowledge of God and His Christ.
Remember that in Christ lies the treasures of
wisdom.
The more you know Him, the more wisdom is received to

live a peaceable life. It is obvious that the problem many of
us are having is “knowledge kwashiorkor” when the proper
knowledge is gotten, things will naturally change.
That reminds me of the revelation I got from a

scripture in Isaiah 10:27, I would like to read it from three
translations:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall
be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off
thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the
anointing”
“And it shall be in that day that the burden of the Assyrian

shall depart from off your shoulders, and his yoke from your
neck. The yoke shall be destroyed because of fatness which
prevents it from going around your neck” (Amplified).
“In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders,
their yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat”
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(NIV).
What destroys the yoke is not necessary the physical oil
(Anointing Oil) like some think, but rather because of
changes that have taken place from the inside which has
caused one to gain weight. As the weight continues to
increase, it will get to a point where the chain or yoke will
be unable to hold together, the next thing is to break hence
deliverance is received. What brings about the increase?
Intake of food (Physical). Spiritually speaking, the food of
the soul is the word (knowledge). The more of the word,
the more light floods in, and this releases a kind of
awareness that somehow gets one angry to say 'Enough is
enough'. And that becomes the end. For it shall be unto you
according to your faith; and all things are possible to those
who believe.
It is unfortunate that most times we engage in futile

exercises (such as praying empty prayers) what knowledge
can handle, as a result much is not achieved. Some people
never stop from visiting one prayer house or the other to
see the so-called man/woman of God. At the end the
problem continues. Get knowledge.
Having seen some of the wonders of knowledge, let's go

ahead to discuss the place of knowledge in developing
intimacy with God.
The knowledge we are projecting here it the knowledge of

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God. The way you see God and who you take him to be
determines how you will relate with him. I remembered
one of my daughters sharing one of her experience with
regards to relating with God. How she used to see God as
being so judgmental with the eyes of the old-testament
events. She called to mind several occasions where God
asked Israelites to destroy completely the occupants of the
land, God's dealing with Uzzah during the returning of the
ark to Jerusalem and other incidents. This made her to
conclude that God is not fair and she found it difficult to
relate closely with such a personality even though she had
received the offer He made through Jesus. But as she grew
in knowledge, her mindset has been seriously transformed.
While another of my daughter 'saw the Holy Spirit as a
'school headmaster' who is always wanting to correct and
punish. It appears that she always visualised the long cane
of the Holy Spirit as a headmaster. This made her get so
much scared of having dealing with the Holy Spirit because
she doesn't want to be flogged; without knowing that the
Holy Spirit is a very loving and admirable personality. With
time, knowledge delivered her, to the point of falling so
much in love with the Holy Spirit, such that He becomes
her best topic, and subject for discussion whenever she
speaks. Knowledge, indeed is power.
What do we need to know about God?

· His nature
· His ways
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· His power
God's Nature
To be candid, time will fail us to talk about God, but I shall
try a little. However, I encourage you to dig deeper. The
nature of God include and not limited to these – love,
mercy, and justice. God talking through Jeremiah on who is
qualified to glory, boast or brag, said, not the mighty, rich or
the wise, rather the One that knows and understands him,
that “I am the LORD, exercising loving-kindness,
judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these, I
delight” (Jeremiah 9:24) while He said to Moses, “And the
LORD passed before him and proclaimed. 'The LORD, the
LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and
abounding in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6).
God is Love. Talking about love and God; He loves the

“unloveable”, I mean, one who does not deserve to be
loved based on character, lifestyle and activity. One who
never thought of God, one who hates God and everything
God; yet He is loved by God. “But God demonstrates His
own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “But God put his love on
the line for us by offering his son in sacrificial death while
we were of no use whatever to him” (MSG).
It is very easy for human to 'love' who loves them but not
someone who is not showing any form of affection or one
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who has proved over time that he hates you.

The love of God compels him to continuously 'chase' you
even when you are far away from him. He considered it on
our behalf as ignorance. Was it not what Jesus said to his
accusers and those that murdered him “Father forgive
them for they do not know what they do”
God's love is targeted to his purpose, what he wants to

achieve which according to the scripture is written in his
book. When God is having dealings with you, it is not about
your backgrounds, your personality, your past or present,
or anything you can think of. Rather he considers what his
plans are. That is his nature. Because if he considers any of
the above, no one is qualified to relate with Him. You can
imagine how high and how holy he is. Oftentimes this lack
of understanding has kept some people in the dungeon or
prison of their past, some live in self-pity and keep
lamenting how unworthy they are. Even when God is
saying, 'come and let us reason together' “No matter how
deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you
as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red
as crimson, I can make you as white as wool” (Isaiah 1:18
NLT).
Yet we choose sometimes to condemn ourselves when

God has not condemned us. Such mindset is dangerous,
because you can never go deep in your relationship. Can
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you imagine that God is seeing you as a son/daughter, you

choose to answer and behave like a slave? This is a
limitation!
Now, let me say this, the moment you accept the gift of God
through Jesus, asking Jesus to be your Saviour and Lord,
immediately you have been adopted into the family of
God. God sees you as son (daughter), Jesus sees you as his
brother (sister), and you share in the privileges of Gods
family. “For the spirit which you have now received is not a
spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear,
but you have received the spirit of adoption (the spirit
producing sonship) in (the bliss of) which we cry, Abba
(Father)! Father! The spirit Himself (thus) testifies together
with our own spirit, (assuring us) that we are children of
God. And if we are (His) children, then we are (His) heirs
also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (sharing His
inheritance with Him); only we must share His suffering if
we are to share His glory (Romans 8:15-17 Amplified).
What a privilege.
Becoming Gods son/daughter and Jesus' brother/sister

launched you into the privileges in the family of God. You
share same inheritance with Jesus. Whatever Jesus enjoys
even while on earth, you share in them. Glory to Jesus! This
is love, unconditional love. This knowledge is mind
blowing. So when you call God 'father' understand the
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implication of the fatherhood. Please, I would like you to

take a study on who a real father is. Why this suggestion?
This is because some of do not have earthly father, while
some have but no relationship and nothing serious about
the relationship. As you understand this and continually
grow in it your relationship with God deepens. You will
begin to personalize him (my father) and not just our father.
Mercy of God: The love and mercy of God are interwoven.

You cannot talk of mercy without love. The two work hand
in hand. The love of God propels him to show mercy. He is
so rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4). He is so rich to the point of
distributing the mercy at will even when it is not deserved.
“For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whomever I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will
have compassion. So then it is not of him who wills, nor of
him who runs, but of God who shows mercy (Romans
9:15-16). I would like to present the Amplified translation
of verse 16 “So then God's gift is not a question of human
will and human effort, but of Gods mercy. It depends not
on one's own willingness nor on his strenuous exertion as in
running a race, but on God's having mercy on him”
What is this telling you on getting close to God? He accepts

your person irrespective of who you are. His mercy is
abounding. His mercy refines and draws you closer to him.
He is a distributor of mercy, as he keeps' coming in contact
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with you, a part of him is released into you, making you

better and better on daily basis. His mercy is sending a
message – if for any reason you fall into a mistake, you can
still come, He does not throw you away. His mercy releases
a favour that you can't understand. For example, who can
believe that an orphan girl, a stranger can become the first
lady of a nation (world power)? No, not possible. Who can
believe that a young lady without 'a name' together with her
betrothed husband can house the Almighty, suck her
breast, sleep in their inferior couch instead of growing in a
king's palace? Mercy! It was mercy that located Abraham
from a heathen background. Mercy showcased him and
made him a global figure by being a blessing to every family
on earth. Mercy!
Understanding of the mercy of God releases an

unquenchable thirst after God, because the more He
shows up the more you desire him. He told David, that he
will chose his son after him to continue his kingship forever.
He opted to be a father to him such that when he sins, he
will discipline him but will never withdraw his mercy as he
did to Saul. David could not comprehend such act of
benevolence, but only vowed to love and chose him the
rest of his life; “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that
will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all
the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and
to inquire in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).
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God is loving and merciful and at the same time just,

upright in his ways, righteous and reliable. When he asks
you to stand, stop, do this or that, he will surely stand by
you. He keeps to his words and cannot falter no matter
what. You can count on him any day anytime. He is
unwavering. He cannot be bribed. He has a standard. He
is ruled by the principle he set even before the foundation
of the world. This nature balances his mercy and love.
Remember what he said to David in one of the passages we
cited earlier “I will be his father and he shall be my son. If he
commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men
and with the blows of the sons of men. But my mercy shall
not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I
removed from before you” (2 Samuel 7:14-15).
God is a father that loves and disciplines. This aspect of his

creates a reverential fear, places a caution that he cannot
be toyed with; not taking him for granted. He so much lives
by his word “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His
ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4) Note,
everything he does is just and fair. He does no wrong. He
makes no mistake. He does everything according to the
counsel of his own good will.
Now tell me, why you will not fall in love with such a
personality. And as you continue to learn of Him, you grow
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in Him and your ties become stronger such that no wind

however stronger can move you away from him. He cannot
deceive you. If for example, he asks you to jump down
from the fifth floor of a building, that He will keep you from
breaking your bones; sure he will. Why do you think that
Shedrach, Meshack and Abadnego consented to enter the
fire? The intimacy level have grown to the point that they
can take a risk for his sake even if it means dying without
being perturbed. Intimacy!
My dear, growing your intimacy with God and Christ avails

you the opportunity to enter the realm of the supernatural
where you personally prove God and showcase him. Can I
say to you, study God.
God's way
God's ways are referring to his doings, pattern, and
standard. Why is this important? When you understand
whom you are walking with, the way he/she does things
will either strengthen your relationship or you don't take it
serious. Sometimes people don't grow in their relationship
with God owing to the fact that God is a general God, for
all; He might not have the time to look at someone's
direction or that He can only consider the very few who
may be prominent. So pursuing intimacy seems fruitless.
Pursuit of a relationship with God is a personal time. God is

infinite, He can never be overwhelmed by pressure like
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humans, He gives attention to individuals. Remember

while Jesus was passing Jericho road that faithful day, a
blind man started calling for his attention. Though the
crowd was much, Jesus heard him and attended to him.
Similar thing happened to Zacchaeus whose intention was
just to see Jesus. He made effort to achieve this. Unknown
to him, Jesus saw him and followed him home. Amazing!
He never thought of this. After all the crowd was much,
Jesus had his itinerary, He will never have time not to talk of
a person like Zacchaeus. But a little effort of Zacchaeus left
him with an experience that changed his life forever.
Somebody, make effort! God is taking note.
God is not human! Hear this, “For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than you ways, and my thoughts than your thought”
(Isaiah 55:8-9).
What is God expecting from you? Just do as He said, forget

about the how. He knows just what to do. Do not pity him
that he needs to rest from much work, so he will not
breakdown. No. He is not man. Have you not read? “Have
you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God,
the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither
faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He
gives power to the weal, And to those who have no might
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He increase strength” (Isaiah 40:28-29). This was the

response of God to the Israelites at that time who were
confused about the operation of God, who thought God
was human and have brought him to their level. They said
“My way is hidden from the Lord, and my just claim is
passed over by my God” (Isaiah 40:27). They were busy
saying, God does not consider again. He has much work.
He can notice us. But this is fallacy.
Beloved, God sees, God hears, God knows. He is aware of

every detail of your life. Your understanding of this will
wake up a hunger within you to pursue relationship. When
you are dealing with a personality that knows you in and
out, sees you beyond the clothe you wear, discerns your
thought and even exposes the one you are yet to think or
do; you will sing like me “Take my life and let it be
consecrated for you and you alone. Use me and do
whatever seems best to you”. That was the understanding
that David had, that made him to madly fall in love with
God. Let's go to Psalm Chapter 139.
1. O Lord you have searched me and known me.

2. You know my sitting down and my rising up; you
understand my thought afar off.
3. You comprehend my path and my lying down and
are acquainted with all my ways.
4. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O
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Lord you know it altogether.

5. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid
your hand upon me.
6. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high I
cannot attain it.
7. Where can I go from your spirit or where can I flee
from your presence?
8. If I ascend into heaven, you are there; if I make my
bed in hell, behold you are there.
9. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the
uttermost parts of the sea.
10. Even there, your hand shall lead me and your right
hand shall hold me.
11. If I say 'surely the darkness shall fall to me'. Even the
night shall be light about me;
12. Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from you. But
the night shines as the day; The darkness and the
light are both alike to you.
13. For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in
my mother's womb.
14. I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully
made; marvelous are your works, and that my soul
knows very well.
15. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was
made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest
parts of the earth.
16. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
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And in your book they all were written, the days

fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of
them.
17. How precious also are your thoughts for me; O God!
How great is the sum of them!
My dear when you have understanding of Gods operation

and his ways, you would not like to leave him, you will
always cry out like me “Lord more of you” David screamed,
“such knowledge is too much for me, it is high I cannot
attain it” But he pursued it and get God involved in every
detail of his life to the point God referred to him as “the
man after my heart” and went further to enter into an
everlasting covenant with him. Somebody, chase God! Go
after him to make Him happy! Choose to make Him
proud!
God's power
His power is known by the name He bears. The
understanding of his names is of great importance. This
creates a longing in one's heart leading to prayer 'Lord may I
know you.' One of the ways of God in His dealings with us,
is an introduction of who He is, which is through His name.
When the relationship with God and Abraham began, it
did not take time, the Lord showed up by introducing one
of his names through which Abraham could know Him
“After these things, the word of the LORD came to
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Abraham in a vision, saying “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am

your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis
15:1). Two names were made known here: Shield and
Rewarder. That is announcing His power to save however
the situation. I guess Abraham would be wondering,
leaving his home to an unknown destination…. It was a
journey that he knew when it began but no knowledge of
when it will end. Also considering the risk of the road and
wherever he will settle for rest. It can really be worrisome.
God decided to show up as SHIELD. Indeed He was his
shield.
On one occasion as he stopped over to a city called Gerar,

he was overwhelmed with fear due to the ungodliness of
the area. He sensed they might take his life in place of his
wife whom he considered very beautiful. In order to save
his head, he decided to be his wife's brother (in the actual
sense they were of the same father). His fear actually
materialized. The king of the land, Abimelech took Sarah as
his wife.
That night the SHIELD appeared to Abimelech in the

dream and said to him “you are a dead man, for that
woman you took is married” Abimelech pleaded not guilty
that he never knew that she was married and also he had
not had any sexual affair with her. God said “yes I know you
are innocent. That is why I kept you from sinning against
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me; I did not let you touch her” God ordered him to give
the woman back to the husband else he'll die together with
his household. This Abimelech did. Though he sent her
away with gifts meanwhile God had already afflicted
Abimelech, his wife, and female servants “So Abraham
prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and
his female servants. Then they bore children; for the Lord
had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech
because of Sarah, Abraham's wife” (Genesis 20:17-18).
Now tell me why someone will not delight to draw closer to

such a personality? For Abraham, he got the point where he
can do anything for God, whatever God asked him to
however unconventional, inconveniencing or even
ridiculous it may be. God at a time asked Abraham to
sacrifice his only son Isaac. To do this, it will take him three
days to get to the place of sacrifice though he was not given
the details of where. He decided to embark on a journey,
just to kill his son whom he bore after expiration of human
season. He obeyed without hesitation.
Friends, this can only be possible in a very intimate

relationship. Abraham entered God and God entered him,
to the point that he became more of God. Intimacy! It is not
enough to accept Jesus as Lord, that is just step one. There
are uncountable steps ahead of you and this you must
climb one after another until you see him face to face like
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Enoch. Unfortunately some of us have remained on step

one for years while some have moved to step two, the step I
can refer to as the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the
evidence of speaking in tongues. Such people settled there,
just feeling good that they can speak in tongues.
There is more to God. There are so many dimensions of

God that even if you live two hundred years old here on
earth, you cannot know it all.
Therefore somebody crave for him. Go for Him. Chase

God. Study his power. That was the revelation Paul got after
he had walked with God for years, gone through so many
hardship, touched lives in divers ways. Yet he cried out
“Everything else is worthless when compared with the
priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have
discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that
I may have Christ and become one with him. I no longer
count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law,
but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us
right with himself depends on faith “(Philippians 3:8-9
NLT) “That I may know Him and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being
conformed to his death (Philippians 3:10) Can you see
hunger? Everything else is worthless compared to knowing
Christ. Go for knowledge. The knowledge of God takes you
to the plane where ordinarily you cannot reach. The more
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you know him the closer you become and the better and
more useful your life become. Know his power and seek to
see it real in your life. The angel told Mary in response to
her question 'How can this be? “The Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow
you ;”(Luke 1:35). In other words, the Holy Spirit will
impregnate you, God will give you a child without contact
with any man. How? And to the disciples before the
ascension of Jesus, He said “But you shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be
witnesses to me. “(Acts 1:8)
The level of your knowledge determines your intimacy

level. Seek to increase in the knowledge of God, of Christ
and of the Holy Spirit (all in God).
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CHAPTER NINE
The Place Of Love In Intimacy
L
ove is an active word. It is a state of heart which is
given voice through action. Like asserted earlier,
God's nature is love and everything/every activity in
Gods family is initiated by love. Hence without love,
intimacy cannot be achieved. Naturally, only in the
atmosphere of love can relationship grow.
God has demonstrated his own love first by given away the
greatest treasure ever both in heaven and earth, Jesus. Ours
now is to reciprocate. It is important to note that cordial
relationship/intimacy cannot be achieved in the
atmosphere of fear and intimidation. If you are serving God
because you don't want to be punished or go to hell, you
may not really enjoy intimacy. You will behave like a
student before the school master who choose to obey once
he sight the long cane and does otherwise when the cane is
not there. Such obedience is mechanical and does not
have any serious effect on the person. God does not expect
us to serve him in fear, because fear is a torment.
Any relationship based on fear does not benefit the parties

involved. The lower person is always conscious of mistake
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and punishment. This state of mind attacks self-confidence

which usually leads to bondage. It is therefore an irony that
Jesus set you free yet you are still in bondage.
Firstly, your love for God starts and increases the moment
you understand His place in your life, who He is to you.
“That you love the LORD your God, that you may obey His
voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life
and the length of your days; and that you dwell in the land
which the LORD swore to your father, to Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:20).
From the above, who is God to you? God is your life. Do

you know what it means? No life outside him. You can only
be said to be alive, when He is really in-charge of your life.
My dear the Lord is saying 'I am your life, outside me, what
you are living as life, is death.
This is one of the revelations I had that stirs up hunger and

increased my desperation for God. My life as a person, title,
position, certificate, money, property, beauty etc. are
inconsequential outside God. I said to myself, “Chinyere,
you are less than nothing outside him, empty and naked
without Him. Whereas with Him I am weighty, I am great, I
prosperous, I am strong, I am a trailblazer, I am
unconquerable, I am a unstoppable, I am bold, I am
fearless”.
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Now you must frankly answer this question 'who is God to

you? May I help you by asking you to ignore what I consider
as childlike attitude – God is my provider; He is my keeper;
He is my healer; He is my deliverer; These are all correct
but if He does provides, heals or delivers, what of when
provision is not made and the like? Will He still be who He
is in your life? My relationship with God is it based on what
He can do for me? 'Whenever I ask anything, he does that'.
It is common to hear people say “God if you do so and so
for me, I will serve you, I will do so and so 'Or if you don't do
this, I will drop my bible” So childish. If you drop your bible
another will pick it. Infact, it does not remove anything
from God because He is already God before you came into
existence. You contribute nothing to His nature, it is only a
privilege that you can come close. Remember the word of
Jesus, “You did not choose me but I chose you”
What are we saying? Your love for God begins as you

understand His place in your life; who He is to you; and
who you are without Him.
Secondly, your love for God increases when you

understand His plan for your life. It is very easy to Cram and
quote some scriptures.
The key thing is understanding, what Apostle Paul referred

to as, revelation in one of the prayers he prayed for
Christians at Ephesus in Ephesians chapter one:
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17. that the God of your Lord Jesus Christ, the father of
glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope of His calling,
what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in
the saints,
19. And what is the exceeding greatness of His power
toward us who believe, according to the working of
His mighty power which He worked in Christ…
The plan of God for your life is mind blowing but it takes
understanding to grasp it and align yourself to it. There is so
much God is saying concerning you but sometimes, it
never made sense due to lack of understanding.
Can you please pray “Lord open the eyes of my heart to

understand what you have said concerning me? Light
of God flood my heart, let blindness go in Jesus name.
Open my eyes that I may see”.
Ignorance is a major road block to intimacy with divine.

Ignorance breeds suspicious, lack of trust, fear,
compromise and betrayal. But in the atmosphere of love,
these things will be missing, you can't find them. Love
grows when you understand Gods plan for your life. This
plan is in the pages of the scripture. The more you
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understand it, the more your heart open to Him, your

affection grows, your desire to please him grows, you
would not want to make him angry. It is only a fool that
would keep offending the one whose thought, plan and
actions towards him is good, one who is ready to go ahead
of him to clear the way so he will not enter into danger, one
who even in the midst of fire is present, one who when he
appears, obstacles give way, one who always stand as a big
brother without pretense. My dear don't be a fool. Seek
knowledge, seek understanding. Fall in love with God.
Grow in the love because love grows. Get closer. Don't
worship or serve at a distance.
Thirdly, your love for God is tested on your willingness to

please him and make him happy. How? Through
obedience! Jesus said “As the Father loved me, I also have
loved you, abide in my love. If you keep my
commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have
kept my father's commandments and abide in His love. You
are my friends, if you do whatever I command you”
(John15:9,10,14).
It is very easy to say, I love God. But the test of love for God
is in your ability to make sacrifices. Sacrificing your desire,
pursuit, ambition, pleasure etc. Anytime you say 'Yes' to
God, there is something that you have given up. Because
there is this desire in man to do his own thing. For example,
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you want to watch movie which happens to encroach to

your time of prayer or fellowship. What do you do? Once
you make a choice, you have sacrificed something.
Consider a situation where you are under pressure to
engage in sex with a supposed friend. If you are a Christian,
what comes to your mind at that time is 'this is sin'. But you
have the choice of saying, yes to that offer or yes to God.
What of a situation while you are busy with your system
(phone, laptop) a pornographic site popped up? You are
immediately faced with a choice, to click or ignore. You are
aware of the implication – Unclean mind, masturbation,
sexual affair (different kinds) and so on. When you chose to
ignore the site, you have made a sacrifice, which is
obedient to God.
This goes on and on. Anytime you say yes to God, it is a

sacrifice (though it's for your own good, you are not doing
God any favour). So the level of sacrifice you are willing to
undertake determines your love for God. Jesus said, “If you
love me keep my commandment” That is, do what I ask
you to do. Do not take lightly my word and counsel.
As you grow in our walk with God, He places a demand on

you to test your love for Him. That also will determine the
level of trust He will have on you. Oftentimes, you hear
people pray for double portion of someone's anointing;
asking for power to manifest God and do all kinds of
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miracles. The truth is that, if God answers such prayers,

some of us will bastardly embarrass Him.
When Abraham obeyed to sacrifice his only son to God,

God entered into an everlasting covenant with Him that is
still speaking till date “By myself I have sworn… because
you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son,
your only son – blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I
will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven
and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your
descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your
seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because
you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:16-18).
Abraham proved to God that there is nothing he cannot do

for God. That is love. Generation unborn will still benefit
from the blessing of Abraham. So when you are claiming
Abraham's blessing, it is born out of love, obedient and
sacrifice. So, to be in a love relationship with God,
obedience is key.
Pray this prayer

Dear Holy Spirit, teach me the love of God, teach me
and help me to love God. Take my heart o God,
breathe upon me afresh”
I lay my weakness, my strength, my passion, my

desire, my goal, my pursuit, my ambition, and every
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department of my life my past, my today and my

tomorrow at your feet.
Dear Lord, align me to your will and purpose for my

life and let only your counsel prevail in Jesus' name.
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CHAPTER TEN
Growing Intimacy Through Fellowship
I
ntimacy grows as parties involved seek to spend time
together. Intimacy means closeness. The degree of
closeness is dependent on how much of that person
you know and prove. You can claim to know me because
you have heard of me, or seen me somewhere or traveled
in the same vehicle with me. Whereas you may not know
the issues surrounding my life, why I do what I do, my life's
principle, what puts me on or off, my pursuit and so on. But
if you have followed me closely and we have played along
for some-time, both at formal and informal situations, you
can attest of me to an extent.
Spending time with God helps one to really know God. The
truth is that God knows you but you don't know him. That is
the reason why we behave foolishly most times. Intimacy
calls for time. God says 'Draw closer to me and I will draw
closer to you'. Why do you think that Jesus said to the
disciples, I do no longer call you servants but you are now
friends? (John 15:15). At the outset of his ministry, he chose
them and continuously spent time with them. While the
multitude left, they would share fellowship together.
Sometimes, he'll take them to the mountain or any solitary
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place. This fellowship continues even while Jesus was no

longer physically present.
The book of Acts has it on record that this fellowship did not
end even after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. “And they
continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and
fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers” (Acts
2:42). Outside the general fellowship, each of them have
their personal time with the Lord. It was on one of those
occasions that Peter had an encounter to visit a gentile
Cornelius, which ordinarily couldn't have been possible as
he rightly told the Lord “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten
anything that is common or unclean” (Acts 10:14 KJV).
Intimacy broke limit in Peter's life.
Spending time with the Lord does not only increase

intimacy, it enables us to know Him, His mind, His ways,
His plans, as well as breaking the so-called impossibilities in
our lives, our wills, our emotion, and our resolves. It
enables us to gain more access to him and be on the same
page with him. It helps us to naturally behave like Him and
less of human, awakening His ability in us to do the
unusual, the impossibility. It helps us not to struggle in
obeying Him.
The question now is, how do I spend time with Him?

Where do I find Him? What should I be doing while with
Him? When is the right time to do this?
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We shall discuss the above questions together in no

particular order. Spending time with God is done in the
place of prayer. Talking about prayer, it is not necessarily
coming to ask for your needs, you come with the mind of
sharing fellowship – Admiring the father and all He
represents; telling Him from your heart, how you feel
about Him, calling to mind His words and actions. This can
be in words, song, dance or thought (meditation). The
more of this, the more your heart open. In the process you
might begin to feel Gods mind or heart beat towards you,
others or situation which will lead you to intercede,
petition or supplicate or even engage in warfare. This is a
continual practice which must be deliberate and
intentional.
So many things go on in the place of prayer – it is a time of

refining. You can imagine a mortal man with all kinds of
limitations before the immortal, infinite, holy and all
powerful being. You can imagine what happens when His
eyes full of fire comes in contact with your eyes, you'll begin
to see what you have never seen or noticed in your life or
what you've been making excuse for. Immediately, a
conviction hits your heart because the fire has melted the
scale in your eyes, so you can see yourself as He sees you.
Before you know it, you are broken in tears, asking Him to
help you, while resolving to be whom you have been
designed to be.
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I just remembered Isaiah's case, who have been serving in

the office of a prophet for quite some time, as a holy man.
In the course of his fellowship fire pierced into his eyes,
melting the scale. Immediately he saw himself in God's
mirror, condemnation followed. He seemed to have laid
curse on himself “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I
am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the king, The
LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). Malachi chapter 3 verses 2 and
3 made us to know that God is a refining fire and a launders
soap. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And
who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's
fire and like launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and a
purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge
them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an
offering in righteousness”.
Can you see that prayer is not just asking for your schools
fees, who you will marry, food, job and so on. All these are
not bad but when your life is put in order, every other thing
will fall in place. It is an error for someone to engage in
prayer or call himself a prayer warrior or the like without
any reasonable change in one's life.
This attitude of prayer should be a regular thing, not when

you feel you are free or when you are pressed with a
challenge. It should be a lifestyle, hence the need to be
intentional about it.
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Another striking thing that happens in the place of prayer is

teaching. It is a time of learning. Remember that the Holy
Spirit is actively involved and one of his duties in our lives is
teaching. He opens our mind and enlightens the
understanding, teach and opens us to mysteries of the
kingdom, about our lives and assignment. For instance, the
case of Peter mentioned before. It was in the place of
prayer, that he was taught the mind of God, not to refer
anything as common or unclean.
In addition to prayer as a way of spending time with God is

reading, studying and meditating on the word of God. This
is a serious instrument. Outside nature, through which one
have insight on who God is, the word of God (Bible) is a
perfect instrument. Everything one needs to know about
God, life, and oneself and assignment are written there.
There is no subject matter that is not discussed in the Bible.
Intimacy with God can be possible when I have an
understanding of His personality, likes, dislike, his
expectation towards me, his mind towards others and
every activity under heaven. Growing in this understanding
gives room for closeness because two cannot walk together
except they agree.
God's word achieves the following:

· It cleanses the heart and makes it ready and fit for
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. “How can a young
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man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to

your word” Psalm 119:9) “Your word I have hidden
in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm
119:11).
· God's word awakens our spirit and gives it life so that
we can romance with God who is spirit “It is the
spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The
words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life”
(John 6:63). Also proverbs 4:20-22
· God's word opens our understanding and make it
possible for one to walk with God.
· God's word convicts “Now when they heard this,
they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the
rest of the Apostles, 'men and brethren, what shall
we do” (Acts 2:37).
· God's word reveals God and exposes our thoughts to
Gods scrutiny Hebrews 4:12
· God's word gives direction “your word is a lamp to
my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
· God's word is a defense “Put on the whole armour of
God that you may be able to stand against the wiles
of the devil. And take … the sword of the spirit,
which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:11,17).
· The word of God nourishes. It is the soul's food. “As
new born babes, desire the pure milk of the word,
that you may grow thereby” (1peter 2:2)
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Spending quality time with God can be achieved through

effective communication. Communication is an expression
of thoughts, ideas and feelings in such a way that the person
on the other side (receiver) understands and relates back
information as a proof that he understood. In our
relationship with the Lord we engage in a continuous
talking to and talking with.
God delights in hearing and listening to us as much as he

talks to and with us. Remember the various types of
relationship mentioned at the early part of this book, Father
– son relationship, Teacher – student, shepherd-sheep etc.
How can the above relationship be actualized without
effective communication? Not possible. The truth is that
the more open we are, the closer we become.
Do you know that there is no subject matter that you

cannot share and discuss with God? Nothing is too small or
too big, too spiritual or too carnal. I grew up as a Christian
to hear that God speaks to us every time but we are the
ones that keep deaf ear. I have found it to be true. Indeed
God speaks and desires to actively engage us. The extent
to which you listen to God determines the depth of your
communication. Imagine a scenario where someone
speaks to you without you responding, he will not relate
the next message since you've not gotten the previous.
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There is this misconception that you only communicate to

God at prayer. Because of that, many Christians reserve
that 'prayer time' as communication time together with
bible reading or devotion time. Can I say to you that you
can commune with God anytime and anywhere – while in
the kitchen, toilet, on the road, in the market, in the
classroom… while you observe your prayer time, your
father needs your attention, wants to know how you feel,
and would like to engage you.
There are times some thoughts will pop in, and nothing
stops you from reporting such to the Lord. Sometimes the
Spirit of God might be the one that dropped the thought,
wanting to engage you. It is therefore important you train
yourself to engage God by being intentional about it. Tell
the Holy Spirit you would appreciate that. You can ask Him
question on any subject matter and expect response. May I
say that, you must not get discouraged when you do not
pick any information, just go and share your feelings and
you will see the atmosphere improves little by little.
The word of God is a powerful instrument through which

He communicates with us. As you study, expect the Holy
Spirit, the teacher to minister to you and also find time to
meditate. Please feel free to share your fears, your doubts,
your struggles, and your failure. Do not be ashamed to do
so, He is your father, He knows you. Come to Him just as
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you are without pretending. I just remembered a very

funny scenario in 1 Kings Chapter 14. King Jeroboam's son
fell sick and out of fear he sent his wife to prophet Abijah to
enquire if the son will live. But he cautioned her to disguise
herself so that Abijah will take her to be another woman
since the prophet's sight was failing him by reason of age.
Before she got to him, God had already told Abijah the
drama of Jeroboam and wife and what he will answer
them. “And so it was, when Abijah heard the sound of her
footsteps as she came through the door, he said, 'come in,
wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another
person? For I have been sent to you with bad news” (1 Kings
14:6).
Lastly, let me inform you that the Lord has feelings, He has
what bothers Him. So desire to know His feelings. You can
do so by asking Him, telling Him you care. As you
wholeheartedly do so, He will continue to impress on your
heart his feelings and heartbeat. Some of these will
translate to assignments and prayer burdens. It is at this
level you become relevant to Him, because you are not just
being busy with whatever that enters your head or church
activities.
The Lord also has secrets which He does not just reveal to
everybody but to those who deserve it. When He wanted
to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He did not go to Lot who
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was 'an indigene' but rather to Abraham. Why?

Relationship! It is not just a one day walk with God. Desire
to go closer. Let your hunger intensify increase on daily
basis until you become a person of His dream which will
end in heaven.
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SECTION D:
THE BEWARES
OF FOUR-
DIMENSIONAL
YOUTH
Page 125
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Bewares
A
nybody who wishes to go far in life, make positive
impact and fulfil purpose must be careful in doing
so. So many great dreamers have crashed on the
way leaving their dreams behind and are busy pursuing
shadows. Some have died before their time yet the
problems they were wired to solve are still there
multiplying and getting more complex; the people tied to
their destiny to impact on are still waiting and expecting
them.
Unfortunately they are no more. Those who ought to be

actors and players in the game of life have ended up being
spectators and story tellers. Those who ought to be at the
frontline making waves are wallowing in the mire at the
backyard busy blaming someone for their predicament.
Samson was a great child just like any other child but his
was very prominent due to angelic visitation before his
conception. He ended in frustration because of
carelessness, when he started taking things for granted.
Friends, it does not matter what your dream is, the size and
influence you carry. It does not matter the volume of your
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revelation; the ocean you may have crossed; the mighty

hand of God upon your life. It is very very possible to crash.
Do you realize that every hill/mountain however high has a
valley? That you are standing on the top of the mountain is
no guarantee that you will remain there. Infact the
probability of falling is high. Hence the admonition of the
scripture “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take
heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
Why do you think that after gaining victory over a particular

habit, after sometime, you see yourself going back to it?
Why do you think that a particular sinful life you've never
lived even as an unbeliever, is developing now you are a
believer, the urge becoming so much to the point of
practicing it and growing in it? I therefore say to you,
Beware!
Jesus underwent temptation in the wilderness at the outset

of his ministry. For forty days and night he was in ocean of
power. Yet the adversary, the devil, could have the gut to
talk with him with the intention of winning him over. Please
note, this is Jesus! One who is both God and man with all
the powers of the Godhead. He was not at the party,
market or ball-room dance but at the place of serious
prayer. If the devil could have the courage to meet him,
then you are too small for him. Therefore, Beware!
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Hear this, “Now when the devil had ended every

temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune
time” (Luke 4:13) “That completed the testing. The devil
withdraw temporarily, waiting and planning to show up
with the intension of scoring a point, lying in wait for
another opportunity (MSG). Note this, the devil decided to
waiting temporarily, waiting and planning to show up with
the intention of scoring a point.
Look at the phrase 'lying in wait' what does it mean?

According to Merriam – Webster dictionary, it is “holding
oneself in a concealed position to watch and wait for a
victim for the purpose of making an unexpected attack and
murdering or inflicting bodily injury on the victim”.
Dictionary. Com said “to remain hidden while preparing to
attack” Lexico.com defines it thus: “conceal oneself,
waiting to surprise, attack or catch someone”.
This is indeed a serious matter. The devil does not get tried,
this you must know. He is a man of faith, always believing
that one day he will score. He is a stubborn pursuer. He is a
strategist. That is why, when you gain victory over an issue,
before you know it, you are engaging in another tussle.
Therefore, Beware!
The adversary does not rest, he does not give up. That is
why intimacy with the Lord is paramount, you must pursue
it like a wounded lion. The adversary is afraid of dreamers.
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They are his major targets. Joseph while growing up had

series of dreams that baffled the parents and stirred up
resentment from his brothers. The dreams were so
disturbing that the father at a time had to rebuke him
sharply.
“Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his

brothers, and said. 'Look, I have dreamed another dream.
And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars
bowed down to me' so he told it to his father and his
brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, 'what
is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother
and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the
earth before you?' And his brothers envied him, but his
father kept the matter in mind” (Genesis 37:9-11).
In the process of time, Joseph was asked to go and send

refreshment to the brothers. The moment the brothers
sighted him, guess what? They were excited that the day
they have been waiting for has finally come.
Now when they saw him afar off even before he came near
them, they conspired against him to kill him. Then they said
to one another 'look this dreamer is coming! Come
therefore let us now kill him and cast him into some pit, and
we shall say, “Some wild beast have devoured him. We
shall see what will become of his dreams!” (Genesis
37:18-20)
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The bitterness was so much that they never considered the

blood relationship; being their own small brother. They did
not identify him by name, but mockingly said “the
dreamer”; and went ahead to say, we shall know what will
become of his dream.
Beware the enemy is after the dreamer and his/her dreams.

How about the case of David? The moment Saul
understood that he was a dreamer, he went after him, he
hunted him like an insect. He pursued him with all sense of
seriousness and urgency. He made several decisive
attempts to bring him down “and Saul cast the spear, for he
said, “I will pin David to the wall”! But David escaped his
presence twice. (1 Samuel 18:11) “And Saul sought to
smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he
slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the
javelin into the wall and David fled and escaped that night
(1 Samuel 19:10). What about the time he pursued him
with three thousand soldiers? On one occasion, Saul nearly
killed his heir apparent, Jonathan for trying to defend David
(1 Samuel 20:33).
Beware of intimidators. Those in whose presence you are

not bold to express your faith in Christ and pursue your
dream.
Beware of the triggers. Those persons and situations that

stir up desire and passion that are inimical to Gods standard
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and principle; stirring up the urge to go back to your vomit.

Beware of the Delilahs. Those who pretend to love you but
their presence in your life always stir up lust, weakens your
emotions, your strength, your commitment and your
consecration. Those who make it difficult for you to live a
holy life such that you always feel ashamed to stand before
God. Let me say that this can be in form of movie, music
etc.
Beware of the Sanballats who always ridicule your

decision, your little beginning, your little effort, your
dream. Those who try to prove to you that you can't be
better off may be due to your past failures and background.
Those who try to make jest of any move you make and
delighted only to see you unformed, unproductive,
unrefined, unkempt, scattered, miserable and hopeless.
Beware of the Jezebels. Those who have strong satanic

anointing, making great waves, and commanding attention
and make you feel inferior as if your God is nothing. Those
who tell you how you can get answers to your request
quickly outside God without delay. Those who encourage
you to use what you have to get what you want irrespective
of the consequences.
Beware of the wolves in sheep's clothe whose target is to

devour, waiting for the slightest opportunity. Beware
because they have a form of godliness but not godly, they
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look beautiful and innocent outside but rotten inside, their

look is welcoming but possess all manner of devouring
weapons, they seem to be prayer warriors but they war
against prayers.
Beware of the Jonadabs (2 Samuel 13:3). Those who make

you feel comfortable in sin, who make light the word of
God, promoting His mercy and stepping down His justice.
Those who encourage you any time you do wrong or make
mistake by saying 'it doesn't matter'. Beware of those who
share with you the stories of those who could not make it
and never mention those who in spite of the temptations
and troubles around them made it. Those who while you
are bemoaning your mistake 'encourage' you that you are
not alone in this act, that almost everyone is in it. Run!
Those who will always tell you, 'God understands' and are
eager to celebrate your 'downfall' just to prove their point.
Beware, the devil never likes to give dreamers breathing

space. He fires all kinds of arrows. If you are ignorant of this,
you will get wearied, discouraged, start backsliding, enter
into ministry of complain and murmuring and before you
know it, the fire is off. Some will say, ever since I became
very serious in my walk with God, things have fallen apart,
from one trouble to the other. Friends, this is because your
enemy is interested. You dare not be careless about it else
you become a ghost of yourself and expire while still alive.
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Friends, it is normal, your Father allows that so you can be

grounded. How can you boast of being a professional or
champion when you have not solved any problem, done
any test or assignment, carried out any project or engage in
battles? For the juice in the orange to come out, the orange
must be squeezed; for the five loaves of bread to feed more
than five thousand people, it must be broken; for the vine
branches to bear fruits, they must be pruned; for the
perfume in the alabaster bottle to be relevant, it must be
broken; else it will not serve the Master.
Can you recall the injunction in 1 Peter 5:8 “Be careful!

Watch out for the attacks from the devil, your great enemy.
He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some
victim to devour” (NLT).
Beware! Go and ask Joseph how he overcame the

intimidation of his brothers “And he dreamed yet again”.
Ask him, how he escaped the pit dug by Mrs. Portiphar,
“How can I do this wickedness and sin against God”. He
loved God. He made God his number one. God matters
most to him. He was careful about what God would say.
He was focused on his dream and refused temporary
satisfaction. He was a man of vision, never shortsighted. He
encouraged himself, “Weeping may endure for a night but
joy comes in the morning.”
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Though he had sexual urge like every other young person,

he decided to enter into sexual fasting, he zipped up and
consistently say, not yet. He brought his urge under control,
and never allowed it to rule him. That is Sexual integrity. He
was careful not to 'enjoy' today and loose his many
tomorrows. He vowed to make his Source, Maker and
Designer proud even in the prison. To Joseph, it is far better
to live in the prison for a while than to live in a mansion that
will imprison him the rest of his life.
Furthermore, ask David. Though he lost control of his

sexual integrity at a time, he refused to remain on the
ground. Beware of guilt and messenger from the pit of hell
that will weary you with confession of one sin that God has
forgiven you; always bringing the picture of your past to
stop you. Learn from David, he said “only you have I sinned
against oh God” not to Satan. Receive mercy from your
Father, for He is not done with you. Shut the door of your
past and receive strength to move on Jesus' name.
Find out from David how he overcame the torment of Saul

who vowed to waste him. He made God his personal God
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The LORD is strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
(Psalm 27:1). “LORD is my rock and my fortress and my
deliverer; My God, my strength in whom I will trust, my
shield and horn of my salvation, my stronghold“(Psalm
18:2)
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He was conscious of what God said concerning his life and

he believed him to bring it to pass, even while Saul sought
him every day, but God delivered him (1 Samuel 23:14)
He was careful to allow God take over his battle even when
he was pushed to take vengeance and act otherwise.
“Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe
in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and
did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor
rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet
you hunt my life to take it. Let the LORD judge between
you and me and let the LORD avenge me on you. But my
hand shall not be against you”. (1 Samuel 24:11-12)
You must engage GOD consciously, intentionally,

deliberately and consistently.
Make God your lover, pursue Him and chase Him. “The
one thing I ask the Lord, the thing I seek most – is to live in
the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in
the LORD's perfections and meditating in His temple”
(Psalm 27:4 NLT) “…to gaze upon the beauty of the
LORD…”NIV.
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CONCLUSION
T
he Four-Dimensional youth is a total youth. A youth
that pursues every dimension of life as was found in
Jesus. One who is not only spiritually sound but
socially influencing , economically relevant, and
psychologically balanced. He is one who has made God his
number one, has allowed Jesus the Lord of life to manage
his life, one who is accountable first to God, considering
him first in every action he/she takes.
The youth who have come to realise that he/she is not in

the world just to make up the population rather, one that
came with an assignment to positively influence his/her
world and is determined to fulfil it according to the order of
Christ. A youth that realizes that he is a leader and as well as
a follower. Living in this consciousness all the rest of
his/herlife irrespective of time, season and does not take
the grace of God for granted but being careful to honour
God and shun the delicacies of the devil, the adversary in
whatever form he shows up. One whose hope and
aspiration does not end in this world but in the world to
come where Jesus reigns eternally as found in Revelation
21: 1-7
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1. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the

first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also
there was no more sea.
2. Then I, John, saw the Holy city. New Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as
a bride adorned for her husband.
3. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying,
'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He
will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.
God Himself will be with them and be their God.
4. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
there shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying.
There shall be no more pain, for the former things
have passed away.
5. Then he who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make
all things new”. And He said to me, “write for these
words are true and faithful'.
6. And he said to me, “it is done! I am the alpha and the
omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the
fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
7. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will
be his God and he will be my son.'
---Waiting earnestly for you on the mountain of

influence —
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REFERENCES
Acha, K. (2016). Great leaders is a great follower: The

qualities of a great follower
Llopics, J. (2013). The four most effective ways leaders

solve problem. https/www/forbes.com
Haggai, J. (1986). Lead on! Leadership that endures in a

changing world. books.google.com.ng
Madugba, M. (2018). Apostolic Leadership. Worldwide

publishing group.
Munroe, M. (1984). In-Charge: Finding the Leader within

you.
Munroe, M. (2013). The Principles and Power of Vision.

Whitaker publishing house.
Sportsman, S. (2021). Risk Taking: The heart of

Courageous Leadership
Page 139
Page 140
APPENDIX
As a new born in the family of God, take note of the following

studies that will help you grow spiritually culled from
GROWING IN CHRIST WHEN YOUNG By OKORONKWO,
STELLA
Study I
WATCH OUT FOR MR. DOUBT
Peter received Jesus when he was eight years old. He however

still responded to the altar call on three other occasions where
he was prayed for to be saved. Soon, he began to face struggles.
There were days he felt like a Christian but other days, he felt
like he was not saved. Many a time he struggled with questions
like:
“Are you really sure you are saved?” “How can you prove it?”
From time to time, Mr. Doubt told him things like: “But your life
isn't good enough!” “You still fight and tell lies sometimes”
Peter tried to remind himself of God's promise, which says that

God saves all those who receive Jesus and renews their lives.
One morning, he woke up, sat on his bed and decided to talk
aloud to Mr. Doubt to assure him that he has been truly saved. If
you were Peter, how would you frame the discussion with Mr.
Doubt? Let's get some help from the Bible.
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Bible Lesson: John 1:12; Romans 10:9, 17; 5:11-13;

Numbers 23:19.
Do you sometimes feel the same way as Peter felt? If yes, then
that is Mr. Doubt in action. After reading those verses, you
should tell Mr. Doubt that your name was written in the Book of
life the day you invited Jesus in your heart. The angels in heaven
also rejoiced about your salvation and they all remember the
date. Tell him God promised to save you if you received Jesus
into your heart and since God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19), he
has done it. Tell him that God has already saved you as He said in
his word. He gives eternal life to those who listen to his voice
(John 10:27-29). Feelings are not important. God has done what
he said he would do. That is how to deal with Mr. Doubt's tricks.
He visits everyone who makes decision to follow Christ. You
need to know what to tell him when he comes to you.
Now let's try to understand the difference between doubt and

faith. Let us first look at the dictionary definitions of doubt and
faith: Doubt means indecision, uncertainty, believing with fear.
While faith means trust, confidence or belief.
From these definitions, we can say that doubt is a negative thing

while faith is a positive thing. But how does the Bible describe
doubt and faith? Doubt is not being sure or stable, being shaky.
While faith is being sure of what we hope for, being certain of
what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1)
James 1:5-8 warns us not to be like the doubting man who is not
stable. We all exercise faith in our everyday life. Take for
instance, when you sit on a chair school, at church or at home,
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you don't normally fear that it would break, or when you don't
board a bus to and from school you don't doubt it can take you
to your destination. Maybe you have travelled in a train or an
airplane. Did you ever scramble to get out because you had not
faith in the driver or the pilot? No! Rather you sat down
comfortably until you reached where you were going. It is the
same kind of faith that you need to exercise for your salvation.
Try to imagine the structure of a train. It is made up of the engine,

e the compartment for the driver and the coaches. The engine
needs fuel for it to move the coaches. Once the driver starts the
engine, the coaches follow wherever the engine leads. What
would happen if the coaches are in front and the engine comes
after them? The train would never move because it's always the
engine that pulls the coach. That would also look ridiculous.
We can liken this to the Christian experience. Let's take the

engine as faith, the fuel as God's word and the coaches as our
feelings. Our faith needs the word of God to strengthen it and
make it work for us. Since the coaches normally follow the
engine, our feelings should follow our faith, not the other way
round. You have been saved by grace through faith not because
of your own merit (Ephesians 2:8-9). When Mr. Doubt comes in
to make you feel like you are not saved, you must fight him with
the sword of the spirit which is God's word. When he tries a few
times and sees that you are very sure of your salvation, he will
simply leave to come back next time with another kind of test.
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Study 2
(WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN HELP ME GROW?)
EATING MY SOUL FOOD
Sharon was only three months old when famine broke out in her
village. Her mother had been very sick and died shortly after
having baby Sharon. Since all the cows died during the famine
the father could not get milk anywhere to feed her. He had to
travel to the neighboring village to buy milk about once every
two weeks. So Sharon neither had enough milk to drink nor
could she get fruits to eat. The famine bit even harder. She could
only drink a bottle of milk once every week. So little Sharon
became malnourished and suffered from a sickness called
kwashiorkor.
Do you have a baby sister or brother? Have you tried to observe

what it feeds on every day, how fat or thin he/she grows every
month? Can you remember anything about any of the babies
you have seen before? One thing I remember about babies is
that they can really scream when they are hungry. The second
thing is that they enjoy breast milk a lot because it is sweet and
nutritious necessary for their growth. It keeps them and protects
them from infections. But as they grow, breast milk alone no
longer satisfies them. They still cry even after being breast fed. So
they begin to take plenty of cow milk, mashed fruits and solid
food which help them develop rapidly. Did the Bible say
anything about the food for our soul after we get saved? Let us
see.
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Bible Learning: 1 Peter 2:2; Joshua 1:8, Proverbs 3:1-3.

You became like a new born baby in God's family the day you
invited Jesus into your life. You needed milk to help you grow.
God's word was likened to milk in 1 Peter 2:2 to show how
important it is to someone like you who is a young Christian. It is
the only milk that can nourish your soul and make you grow
spiritually. It also keeps you free from the infections of sin if you
feed on it regularly, like well-fed babies, who do not catch
infection very easily. You need to commit some of the verses to
memory too. Why do we need to do that? Listen to what David
says in Psalms 119:11. “I memorise God's word so that I may not
sin against God”.
That formular will be good for you too and for every other
Christian. The Bible is the only food the soul can feed on. You
are looking healthy today because you feed your body at least
two or three times a day. Your soul will also be healthy if you feed
it daily with God's word. As you grow older in the faith, you will
no longer be satisfied with basic teachings, which is like milk but
hard stuff in the Bible. You will also receive strength from God's
word.
Psalm 119:105 compares God's word to a lamp and a light.

Have you ever found yourself in complete darkness when there
was no light at night? How did you feel? You must have dreaded
the darkness because it was full of uncertainties. There was a
possibility of tripping over and falling, or knocking your leg
against a dangerous object. The best anyone could do in such
situations is to stand still and wait for some candle or lamp. In the
same way, the world is full of all kinds of evils and un-certainties.
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But God's word shows us the right way to follow. It tells us the
right things to do and the bad things to avoid. Since we are
strangers on this earth, God's word also guides us in our daily
walk. As a young person, you still have many more years ahead
of you. Studying God's word and memorizing it is a sure way to
succeed in whatever you are doing in life (Joshua 1:8). Nobody
will be able to mislead you if you know God's word.
Have you ever seen a sword? God's word is also compared to a

two-edged sword in Hebrews 4:12. Swords are important
weapons when it comes to fighting because they are very sharp
and effective. And a two-edged sword can be quite dangerous
because it can cut with the two sides. God's word can go very
deep into the heart of the worst sinner and change him or her.
Secondly, it can be used to fight our enemy, the devil. When he

comes to tempt you, you fight him by quoting the relevant verse
to him and he will be defeated . Jesus used that weapon many
times especially when he was tempted in the wilderness. He
always said to Satan “it is written ….” God's word is like a fire
and a hammer, Jeremiah 29:2a. Finally, God's word is like a
mirror. We see ourselves as we really are more clearly as we
study it daily. It can show us where we are living right or wrong. It
shapes our lives in a very good way if we apply it to our lives.
What can God do in our lives?

God's word convinces-Nehemiah 8:9; God's word corrects-2
Tim. 3:16;
God's word cleans-Psalm 119:9, 11; God's word equips-

Proverbs 22:21;
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It leads us to God-Daniel 11:32
Five ways to take in soul food:

(1) Read the Bible (2) Hear (3) Memorize (4) Study (5)
Meditate
A Christian who does all these has a firm grip of God's word.
God's word teaches you about God the Father, the Son and Holy
Spirit. It is the only book that transforms lives, thoughts and
attitudes of people. The only book God ever published. It is used
to motivate people to hate sin. It is a very powerful book that
pierces a heart that is as hard as stone. God revealed Himself in
the Bible so anyone who wants to know God will know Him
through feeding on His word.
ACTION TO TAKE_ Things you need

* A Bible of your own
* Find a quiet place to meditate on God's word early in the
morning, in the afternoon or at night depending on
when it is most convenient.
* Use a daily devotional like Daily Power, Daily Bread,
Young People, or Every Day with Jesus to help you.
* Write down what you learn each time in a small not
book.
* Take action regarding whatever you learn from every
passage you read. For example :
If it is a command, obey it.
If it is a promise, claim it.
If it is about a sin in your life, confess it.
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If it is an example, follow it.

If is an action to take, take it. If is about an attitude
change, change your attitude.
Study 3
Load, are you listening?
John has just turned 12. Being an only child, he knows that he is
the only rose in his parents' garden. John's father, Daniel, is a
business man, who travel a lot. John gets to see him only a few
days in a month but those few days are very meaningful to John.
His father tries to give him quality time. They play football and
other games together. John uses these moments to tell his father
stories about his school and friends, and share his worries and
fears. He also tells his father about things he wants him to buy for
him. One time, John made a list of the things he needed his
father to do for him. The list went like this:
“Daddy I need: a new pair of shoes for school; a new hockey

stick; a motor bike because my friends are driving motor cars
and bikes to school these days; a wife to keep me company at
home since I have no sister or brother; a video game; a gun
because I see people using it a lot in movies.”
If you were John's father, what would you think about John's list?
Would you grant all of them? You would at least grant some
because he is your son. John's request to his father is just like
when we talk to God about our needs. Let's see what the Bible
says about prayer.
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Bible Lesson: Luke 18:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Matthew

7:7-11.
John presented his request to his father. Is it like saying a prayer
to God? How would you define prayer? It is like chatting with
your father, mother, or a friend. What went on between John
and his father is what goes on between us and God all the time.
When John presented his request to his father, his father
discussed with him explaining the things he needs now and the
things he does not need at all. That was communication and
fellowship between father and son. There is communication
and fellowship between us and God too. This is called prayer.
When two people converse, there is a two-way
communication. This means that none of the parties is silent.
Prayer is fellowship with God

We earlier learnt that when you invite Jesus into your life, you
become a member of God's family. God becomes your father.
Jesus becomes your friend and brother. No matter how bad you
may have been in the past God says he is no longer ashamed to
be called your father. Wow! How nice it is to have the big God
who created the whole universe as your father! Prayer is the
only link between you and God. Just like your earthly parents
like talking with you, the heavenly father enjoys it when you talk
to him and he sometimes talks back to you. You will hear his still
small voice if you listen carefully.
He is different from your earthly parents who sometimes travel

and leave you alone for a long time. Sometimes they are tried,
busy or asleep so that you cannot reach them when you need
them. Your heavenly father neither sleep nor travels. He is
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always there for you whenever you need him. You don't need to
make appointments or stand in a queue before you can see him.
He says you can call on him any time and anywhere. You can
talk to him about your problems as many times as you want until
you are satisfied. The more you spend time in prayer the more
you become close to God.
Prayer is like fuel

What happens to a car when there is no fuel in it? It stalls and
cannot move until fuel is put in it again. Prayer is the force that
gets you going as a Christian. When you pray constantly, you
become stronger.
Prayer is warfare
A prayerless Christian is like a toothless bulldog that the devil is
not afraid. Prayer is the battle weapon for Christians, without
which they are powerless. When you don't pray, the devil notice
that you are losing power and comes to attack you. Remember
that the devil is not happy that you left his camp so he is always
looking for a way to bring you back. He trembles and fears en he
sees you praying. Romans 8:39.
Prayer is like Oxygen

Prayer is as important to a Christian as oxygen is to life. Close
your nostrils and mouth for two seconds and see what happens.
Was it an enjoyable experience you had to quickly open them to
get in some oxygen so that you don't die. Without constant
prayer, our fire begins to go out and we become weak. We are
supposed to pray constantly to help us stay spiritually alive and
not fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41).
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Prayer is telling God our needs

In the book of Samuel, Hannah told God her need and God
answered her. In Luke 18:1-8, the unrighteous judge refused to
listen to the widow at the beginning. But the widow almost wore
him out by going to him constantly. He later changed his mind
and granted her request for fear that she may wear him down.
Jesus wants you to pray always and not be discouraged. No
problem is too big or too small to be taken to God. Whether it is
friend, toys, food, healing or clothes that you need, God is ready
to listen to you. He is interested in knowing your needs,
problems and desires in life. You would be surprised he cares
even for the smallest details of your life-school work, toys,
bicycle, games, swimming, friends, clothes and shoes. Though
he knows them, he wants you to ask, seek and knock (Matthew
7:7-8). In Mark 10:51, he knew what blind Bartimeaus needed,
but still he asked him: “What would you like me to do for you?”
As a new Christian, you certainly would want to ask God to help
you grow into a strong Christian so that you may enjoy
fellowship with God and be a good disciple of Jesus Christ.
How does God answer prayer?

We will not always receive all the things we pray for. In some
cases, we will have to wait for long. Hannah in 1 Samuel 2
prayed and waited for long before she had baby Samuel.
Abraham also waited for many years before Isaac was born.
They were both patient until God answered their prayer. Paul
the great Apostle prayed to get well but he continued to suffer “a
thorn in the flesh” It then means that there are three different
kinds of answers to prayer. These are:
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1. “No my child, it is not good or necessary for you”

2. “Wait for the right time, my child”
3. “Yes my child, you may have it”
Whatever answer he gives is the best for us. Again there are
times when what we are asking for may well be God's will, but
some things block our prayers. Some of them are:
a. Unconfessed sin (Psalms 66:18, Isaiah 59:1-2)
b. Lack of forgives (1 John 4:20)
c. Asking selfishly ( James 4:3)
d. Doubts ( Hebrews 11:6)
e. Discouragement or losing hope quickly ( Luke 1:8)
f. Satan ( Daniel 10:12-14)
Do we only pray for ourselves?

It is important to also pray for others in our prayer time. Parents,
pastors. Teachers, relatives and our friends also need our
prayers. We may not have material things to give such people
but the greatest gift we can give them is to pray for them. No
matter what happens, you should never be tired of praying.
Study 4: LET'S MEET TOGETHER!

Emily was 13 years when she joined burden school away from
home. Why at home, she used to enjoy going to church with her
parents. She accepted Jesus as her personal Saviour when she
was 11 years old. She found herself in a situation where there
was no church or even a Christian group. She became worried
the first few weeks.
“What am I going to do?” she said to herself. “My Sunday school

teacher told me that I need to meet with other Christians in
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order to continue growing in my new life. Lord send me

someone I can be praying with”, She whispered to God every
night.
Four weeks later, Josephine joined the school. Emily noticed

that Josephine was also a Christian, and soon became friends.
Emily asked her if they could be praying together at break time.
Soon other friends joined them. God helped them to be well
behaved and do well their school work. The headmaster was
pleased with them and allowed them to be meeting in the
chapel every week. That was how a Christian Union started in
that school. Not only did Emily grow in her faith, many other
schoolmate were also helped through the Christian Union.
Thank God Emily remembered what she was thought in Sunday
school. Will also remembered?
You may have heard of the popular saying that birds of the same
feather flock together? Can that saying also be true of human
beings? Let's see what the Bible says.
Bible Learning: Acts 1:14, 2:42, 46. 4:24, 31; Ephesians 4:11-
16.
As read the passages in the book of Acts, did you noticed that the
disciples of Jesus were like birds of the same feather? They ate
together, move together, pray together, study the Bible together
and shared things together. That kind of fellowship was helpful
to his one of them. They grow stronger in their faith.
Is there any lesson you can learn from Emily and this disciples?
When we meet and pray together with other believers, we not
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only learn new things but we are also encouraged in our faith.
The Bible says we are members of the body of Christ. Just take a
look at your body and see how different parts of the body fits
together to make up the real you. No part can function without
the help of some other parts. The brain sends a message to the
hand to pick up something from the floor. When there is danger
around, the eye first sees the danger and sends a message to the
brain which tells the legs to run for safety and they obey. If the
legs refused to obey, the whole body would be in danger.
The same applies to Christians who are members of one family-

the family of God. We need each other for the growth and
proper functioning of the body of Christ. We are supposed to
sharpen and help one another (Ecclesiastics 4:9-12).
Let's look at the picture of pieces of burning wood. When one of

them is removed, what do you think happens to it? The fire goes
out while the rest continue burning. That can also happen to
Christians. A Christian who is always on each own tent to grow
cold after sometimes. But the one who meets and prays with
other Christians grows stronger and wiser in his faith.
What kinds of people do you like moving with in school or in the

neighborhood? Do you enjoy being with Christians more than
you enjoy hanging out with non-Christians? If that is correct,
then you have made a good choice. Fellow Christians will help
you grow but non-Christians will pull you down.
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Study 5:
ME? SHARE MY LIGHT?
Mary always dreamt of having a beautiful pair of gold ear rings,

especially the type her friend Linda wore on her last birthday.
Mary prayed that God would touch her mother to buy the ear
rings for her 13th birthday. God answered her prayer with a plus.
She could hardly believe her eyes when she unwrapped the gift.
“Wow, they are so beautiful”, she said with tears of joy flowing
down her cheeks. “Thank you so much! Mom!” She shouted.
“They are even more beautiful than Linda's” “And more
expensive too”, said her Mom. “I am going to wear them to
church tomorrow!” “Oh Mom you are so sweet, thanks again.”
She hugged her Mom again and again. Mary could hardly sleep
that night because of her excitement. She looked at herself in
the mirror for hours. Come Sunday, she was the envy of friends.
But she could hardly wait for Monday to show her precious gift
to Linda. Guess what happened on Monday!
Who of us doesn't behave like Mary? When something exciting

happens to us. We've anxious to share it with friends so that they
too may share in our excitement. What things do you like to
share with friends? Probably about a new watch or dress that has
just been bought for you. Sometimes you talk about a new born
baby in the family, a new car, or a computer your parents have
just bought. All of us like to talk about something that we hold
every precious, don't we? Sometimes, we even carry the new
gift to show off with it at school. This is because we are so excited
about the gift that we cannot keep the joy to ourselves.
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How about your faith in Christ? Are you excited enough about
your faith that you want to share it with friends? Let's pause and
read what the Bible says.
Bible Lesson:John1:40-42: Matthew 5:13-16: Matthew

28:19-20.
A decision to follow Christ is the best decision anyone could
make in life. You ought to be proud and excited about it- so
much that you can't help but share with your friends. Just before
He went into heaven, Jesus commanded His disciples to tell
others about the good news of salvation. This command is
known as the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Do you
know that you are one of His disciples too?
Little Joe realized this when he was about ten. He knew he must
obey his Lord but he was afraid of all the big people around him.
How would he be able to look in their faces and tell them about
Jesus? Will they be patience enough to listen to a small person
like him? He was determined to obey his master's command. He
saw a tall man with a brief case at a football match.
“I must share the light with this man”, Joe whispered to himself.
He walked confidently to where the man was but on getting
there his heart sank. “What if the man slaps me? He is so big!”
Joe though to himself. But something from within him gave him
the courage to move on. He went closer to the man. All he could
do was jump up to the man's ear and shout the word: “Eternity!”
As the man, who was concentrating on the match, looked

around to see who that little brat was, Joe was already 30
Page 156
meters away running for safety. He had a prayer on his lips that
went like this, “God, I've done my part, please do your part by
helping him accept Jesus as his Saviour” The man dismissed Joe
as one of those street urchins and continued watching football.
But from that moment, he had no peace of mind. He wondered
what the word “eternity” had to do. With him, he continued
searching for the meaning of “eternity” until he found it years
later. He accepted Jesus into his life and later became an
evangelist and brought many people to Christ.
Did Joe obey God's command of “sharing” the good news?

Would you like to be used by God like Joe was? You will have lots
of joy if you obey the command is share light, Friends and
relations are in darkness. Ephesians 4:18, John 3:19. They are to
be pitied. Jesus said that you are the light of the world (Matthew
5:13-14). In other words, you are the one to show your friends
the way. Which is Christ. You will also cause a lot of joy in heaven
among the Angels, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost by
pointing people to the Kingdom (Luke 15:7).
Can you imagine that Jesus also calls you “the salt of the earth”?
What this means is that the earth would be dark, drab and dull
without you. You are the one to introduce your friends to a
meaningful and abundant life in Jesus Christ. Some of them are
so lost in sin that you have to literally pull them out as you would
to someone burning in fire or to someone who has fallen in pit.
There are two ways in which you can share your light with
friends and neighbours. One is by “telling” and the other is by
“showing”. You tell them with your mouth the wonderful things
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Christ has done in your life, but you also show them through
your behaviour that you are a new person in Christ. Don't be
clouded by small problems like shyness stammering, not being
able to express yourself well and whatever else. Talk to God
about it and allow the Holy Spirit to speak through your mouth.
You will see a big difference. Moses, in the Bible was a
stammerer and could not express himself well but God did
mighty things through him. He can do the same with you.
Take a look at what Andrew did in John 1:41. Immediately he

found Jesus, he took Simon to meet Jesus. In verse 45, Philip also
found Nathaniel and told him about Jesus. That is what is
expected of you as a growing Christian. The beautiful thing
about it is that you are not going to do it in your own strength.
You have a helper. In Acts 1:8. God promised to give you power
to share your light and faith in Christ. You will not only be his
witness in your own Jerusalem (your family), but also in
Judea(your neighbourhood)/school/church, Samaria (your
home town) and other parts of the world. What does it mean to
be a witness? It means giving evidence of your changed life to
others. This can be done in two ways –by telling them with your
mouth and by showing them through your behaviour.
Perhaps you are worried about what you would say to people
when sharing about Christ. Here are a few tips to help you.
Write them in a small note book and carry them in your pocket
or school bag.
* Tell them about the love of God- John 3:16
* Tell them about the sinful nature of all men- Romans3:23
* Tell them about God's provision of salvation and the
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need to invite Jesus Christ into their lives. Revelation

3:20. Romans 6:23, 1John 1:8-9.
* Tell them about fullness of life in Christ- John 1:12
They may not get saved immediately you talk to them. After
doing your own part of sowing the seed in their heart, God will
water it. You have to be patient like the farmer who plants, waits
for the germination, the weeding and the harvest. But if they are
willing to receive Jesus, lead them in a simple prayer of
confession and invitation of Christ into their lives(ask them to say
a short prayer after you like the ones in lessons one and two). As
simple as that!
Study 6:
ME? GOD'S TEMPLE?
Meet Kate. She is a charming 11 year old girl. She has a nice little
dog known as Jimmy. Kate is a very neat girl ad doesn't like dirt at
all. She keeps herself clean. She ensures that all her belongings
are clean too. And that includes Jimmy. She washes him every
day and trains him to remain clean. She goes to the extent of
spraying her perfume on Jimmy so that he may also smell nicely
like her.
One day, Jimmy decided to be naughty. “I'm tired of being

washed every day”, he said to himself.
I need some freedom to play and wiggle in the mud like other
dogs!”
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Guess what he did! Shortly after Kate gave him a warm bath,
Jimmy stayed at the corridor waiting for Kate to go for her music
lesson. He then ran to the front of the house where “shumba”, a
stray dog was scrounging for food. They hit off and started rolling
in mud over and over again. They thoroughly enjoyed
themselves but at the end of it they looked horrible. For
“shumba”, it didn't matter because after all he was a stray dog.
But for Jimmy, he belonged to somebody who does not take any
nonsense. When Jimmy saw Kate returning home, he ran into
the house. With all that dirt on him, he went and sat on the
couch in the living room, innocently waiting for Kate's reaction.
What would you do to Jimmy if you were late?
It wasn't funny for Kate at all. With her mouth wide open in
shock, she stood at the door for a while staring at Jimmy. She
couldn't believe what she was seeing. Jimmy had never done
this before. She got really furious, kick Jimmy around and called
him names.
“You nasty stinking dog! Get out of here and don't you ever
come back to me!” she snarled. He sadly walked away. He
never seen Kate get so angry. He got scared as he saw the anger
and disappointment written all over her face. He decided to
spend the whole day in the neighbour's garden, brooding over
his foolish behaviour.
With time however, Kate started calming own. She grew restless
and off she went looking for Jimmy.
“Jimmy! Jimmy! Where are you?” She called out to Jimmy.

Jimmy heard the first call but he was not very sure whether to
Page 160
respond because he feared being punished.“ Jimmy! Come

here little love, and don't you ever misbehave again”, she
shouted the third time. Jimmy could sense the usual love in her
voice and ran out for the garden towards Kate. She washed him
again and emptied all her perfume on him to get rid of the nasty
smell from his body.
“Now, you try to be a little cute dog!” she implored, rubbing him
at the back. Jimmy wagged his tail in repentance and joy. Now,
thinking about God and His children, don't we sometimes
behave like Jimmy? What does the Bible say?
Bible Learning:2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 7:1; 1Peter 1:15-16; 1

John 2:1-2
When you gave your life to Jesus, He washed you clean with his
blood and you became a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). You
became the temple of God who is holy and clean. Just like Kate,
God feels unhappy when you let sin into your life, whether it is
in form of thoughts, words or actions. God's desire is for you to
be holy or set apart for him. This is because you are his temple.
Examine the two bottles of water below or try the experiment on

your own. Bottle A contains clean water while bottle B contains
muddy water. The water in bottle A can be compared to a clean
life. The water in bottle B can be compared to a life full of sin.
How would you describe the water in bottle B? Dirty, stinking,
impure, brown, infected, dangerous, sickening, unsafe,
contaminated and full of germs? Yes. You are right. Would you
ever want to drink such water? The same words are also used to
describe any life that is full of sin. God will not listen to that
Page 161
person's prayers or praises. They will just sound like noise s to

him. All the good things done by that person will become
disgusting to God. The particles of sin crowds and confuses the
life of such a one. Would you like your life to be like that?
Now let's look at bottle A. How would you describe the water in
this bottle? Pure, clean, drinkable, uncontaminated, dear,
transparent, safe, sweet and pleasing. It does not contain any
particles. These sound good to the ear, don't they? Would you
like your life to be described this way? This is how God wants
your life to be like because you are his temple. In 1 Peter 1:15-
16, God says he wants you to be holy and clean like He is. Only
then can your prayers and praises reach him. You will be his
friend just like Abraham was.
Try another experiment. Mix the clean and dirty water. What do
you get? Clean water + Dirty water = Dirty. Darkness and light
cannot mix. Even if you put only a drop of the dirty water. What
do you get?
God says you should set yourself apart from those friends whose
lives are contaminated with sin. You should not touch or look as
unclean things like they do. He wants you to run away from
those things that contaminate our hearts – pornographic
pictures (pictures of naked people), dirty novels and movies,
bad friends, and other things (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
The issue of bad influence from friends is a serious one. Bad

friends will pull you down because it is easier to pull someone
down than up. When you live a clean life, God is able to relate to
Page 162
you better, talk to you sometime and even reveal some things to
you. He is the one who chose you (Ephesians 1:4). And He
wants you to be a vessel through which his Holy Spirit can flow
and bless other people. Besides, we all desire to see God at the
end of our lives here, don't we? Without keeping His temple
clean, how then can we be able to see Him (Hebrews 12:14)?
In addition to keeping your heart clean, you must also keep your
body clean. Brush your teeth at least twice daily, comb your hair
and wear clean clothes. Even if you have only one good dress or
shirt you can wash it at night and wear it the next day. God wants
his temple to be physically clean also.
Study 6:
Help, I need a helper!
Thousands of years ago, the earth had no form or shape. But

when the Holy Spirit moved on the surface of the earth, it started
to have some shape. The light came to be. The waters flowed
and was separated from the land. The trees, the shrubs and the
flowers sprang up. Day and night became separated, the sun
governing the day and the moon governing the night. Animals
suddenly popped out of the seas and the lands. All these
happened when God bellowed, “let there be ...!” The birds flew
above the earth. And man, the greatest of all, came to be. God
looked at all the things He had made, and they were beautiful.
Let's see what the Bible says about this episode.
Page 163
Bible lesson: Genesis 1:2, 26; John 6:63, 14:16-17, 26,

15:26, 16:7-15
When God said:

Let us make man in our image…” the word “us” suggests that
there was more than one person doing the work with him. Can
you guess who they were? There was God, the Father, God the
Son who is Jesus Christ and God, the Holy Spirit. In Christian
language, we call this the trinity which means three persons in
one. HO
ER
LY
TH
SP
GOD
IR
FA
IT
SON
The Holy Spirit played a very important role in the work of

creation. When God said “Let there be…” it was the Holy Spirit
who brought it to be. Today, He is doing the same work in the
lives of people by helping them get saved and live good
Christian lives. He recreates lives that are destroyed by sin and
makes them new. He is the most beautiful, loveliest, precious
person on earth. He is the one representing Jesus on earth since
Jesus went back to heaven. He is the Spirit of God. Through him
we can know more about the Father.
Page 164
So who is this Holy Spirit?

He is a person with feelings and can speak, love or hate.
He is your guide and helper;
He is the down payment that Jesus placed to show that you are
his;
He is the Comforter and Counsellor;
He is the power of God that enables us do good things;
He is a gentle companion for every Christian;
He is given to believers as a guarantee of eternal life.
He can be grieved;
He is called – Comforter, Counsellor, Helper, Spirit of truth
Did you know that God put a stamp or seal on you the day you
got saved? That was the seal of the Holy Spirit, to show that you
now belong to God. Every believer has that seal and the devil
recognizes it very well. How nice to know this truth! You should
walk with your heads high. You have a helper to guide and
strengthen you throughout your life. That helper is the blessed
Holy Spirit.
So, what work does the Holy Spirit do in the lives of God's
children?
- He changes the sinner's heart;
- He gives new life to the believers;
- He lives within the believer;
- He helps the believer when he is performing any task;
- He is great teacher to the believer;
- He gives the believer power to share about Christ with
others;
- He help the believer to live a holy life;
Page 165
- He gives the believer the assurance that he is God's child;

- He comforts and guides the believer;
- He fellowships with the believer and helps him to pray;
- He receives things from the Father and the Son for the
believer.
So these are some of the things the Holy Spirit would be doing in
your life. Tick them and thank God for each of them. If he has
not done any of the above, ask him to begin doing them now. He
is there for you all the time. He does many other wonderful
things in the life of any believer who asks Him for help. When
you are weak ask him for strength. When you are scared or
afraid, ask him for faith and courage. When you are always
forgetful during exams, ask him to remind you of everything you
have read. When you feel dry, empty, shy and unable to share
with others, ask Him to fill you with power. When you are
feeling sad and you need comfort, he will bring you happiness
and comfort. When you are faced with a difficult task, He will
give you ideas. He is your Counsellor or Adviser. He will teach
you everything you need to know about God. Your pastor or
teacher cannot teach you everything you need to know. The
Holy Spirit will do that for you as Jesus said.
Page 166

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CHINYERE OKO-JAJA

Copyright ® 2022 by Chinyere Oko-Jaja

THE FOUR-DIMENSIONAL YOUTH

ISBN: 978 - 978 - 51023 2 - 6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or

Contact the author:

Printed in the Federal Republic of Nigeria

My dear husband, Bishop Emmanuel is wonderful, his

My children, God's arrows and special squad, you are

A special thanks to my father and coach, Rev Prof. Mosy

Thanks to everyone who have contributed directly or

We cannot react or respond to non-existent stimulus. The

She wrote about the most essential thing in life - developing

great goal in life. This book is a brilliant piece! Grab it with

Prof. Mosy U. Madugba,

Section A : Peoples Influence on you 01

Section B: Your influence on People 31

Section C: Your Altitude, Developing Intimacy 77

Section D: The Bewares of Four-Dimension Youth 125

Books by the Author.

T he book in your hand is titled the Four- Dimensional

Life is about influence. Your influence depends on your

(Stretchers, Inspires, Watchers and Preservers). The North

A four-dimensional youth operates according to the order

“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said;

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit

In life, you need such persons around you if you must

Elijah was instructed to take Elisha as a successor. But look

Elisha took the initiative to do what he did. You will agree

disappointedly or angrily go back without any further

A four-dimensional youth does not take anything for

If I may ask, how did Elisha have the knowledge of what to

Elisha before this time may have established a lifestyle,

Let's journey further to 2 Kings Chapter two, “And it came

heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from

Now, looking closely at what I referred to as the three

Elisha continued with him until they got to Jericho. It was a

bothered to let Elisha know the plan, or enlighten him on

Elijah broke the iceberg when they crossed the Jordan

Elisha was not making one of those bold flamboyant

last? At the end, it could have been better to remain as you

Stretchers do not pamper or pet, they are rugged and are

Can I say to you again? Look for your stretchers. Pause a

Let's take a journey to one of the world's Watchers in Esther

7. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther,

The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her

8. So it was, when the King's command and decree were

9. Now the young woman pleased him and she obtained

10. Esther had not revealed her people or family, for

11. And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of

Looking at Esther ordinarily, one would be tempted to

to mean a shattered dream, a life of anything goes,

Esther's script is relevant for every generation, helping us to

· I am a spoilt child. My parents messed me up

The list is endless. Can I say that none of these reasons is

One of the persons you need in your life irrespective of

When Nebuchadnezzar's troop stormed Jerusalem and

After many years of training by divine instinct, the Watcher

ashamed to enroll her into the school, King's Beautiful