I'll tell you a story:
About 28 years ago, I was an undergraduate.
My roommate had a very graphic dream that his father died.
He woke up around 4am & prayed till dawn. I woke up & joined him.
He decided to travel to Ilorin (from ABU Zaria) to see his home pastor for prayer...
He got to Ilorin & told his pastor the dream.
Pastor: so what have you done since you had this dream?
Friend: I prayed!
Pastor: so why are you here?
Friend: I want you to pray for my father so he wouldn't die!
Pastor: but you've prayed already!
Friend: yes sir. But...
Pastor: but what?
Friend: just pray for me, sir! I don't want my father to die!
Pastor: you have already prayed, son. I'm not closer to God than you are. Go back to school. Your prayer is good enough.
He returned to Zaria disappointed. But guess what? His dad is still alive!
After a while, my friend said, "Harry! My father is still alive! So God heard our prayer!"
We started believing in our prayers.
We started believing God is as much our Father as the pastor's.
If that Ilorin pastor had prayed for my friend, we wouldn't have been independent today.
His refusal to pray for my friend was the best thing he did for him.
I doff my hat for Rev'd George Adegboye of Rhema Chapel, Ilorin. He taught me & my friend (who is a pastor in Lagos today) how to understand God as OUR FATHER.
Unfortunately, many other pastors don't do this...
They have become prayer contractors. They even encourage you to bring your "prayer requests" to them.
That's why these camps are always full. People just come for the man of God to "say a word" for them. "The word is in YOUR MOUTH", scripture says (Romans 10"8)...
It is as potent in YOUR MOUTH as it is in the mouth of anyone else.
The difference here is, that man of God understands that & you don't.
When you do, you'll open your mouth & say the very same thing.
And God WILL hear you.
Just as he hears your pastor.
That's my point, Sir...
😇
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When Goodluck Jonathan was President, his Party (PDP) had a problem in his State (Bayelsa).
He flew over to resolve it & reconcile the Warring Parties.
At the Reconciliation Meeting, one name kept popping up: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaban Borgu!
Jonathan was SHOCKED...
Asiwaju had been involved in the Reconciliation Process BEFORE the President flew in!
When he got back to Abuja, he had a meeting with Asiwaju & asked: "What's your business with the Local Politics in Bayelsa State?"
Asiwaju replied, "I'm building ALLIANCES, Your Excellency!"
This was BEFORE the APC was formed, when PDP was still very much in Power and on Ground Nationwide.
Asiwaju had been spreading his tentacles all over the Country for about 20 years BEFORE he ran for President.
Look at the case between Fubara and Wike in Rivers State...
During Buhari's Administration, a man did a job for an APC State Government & was being owed a few Billions of Naira. He decided to reach out to Asiwaju to help him get his money.
It took a while to meet him because of his busy schedule, but when he eventually met him...
Asiwaju asked him if he had ever met the Governor of that State one on one.
He hadn't.
Asiwaju said, "How did you get this contract WITHOUT meeting the Governor? Go & meet him & call me when you're with him, lemme talk to him on your phone!"
Asiwaju gave him his number...
The man later met the Governor, put a call across to Asiwaju & gave the Governor the phone.
They had a talk & he was paid a few days later.
He got back to Asiwaju to inform him he'd been paid- & asked what percentage Asiwaju wanted for helping him get the money...
Some years ago, I was introduced to a new client, Alhaji Isa by a friend.
Alhaji had a plot of land in Asokoro in Abuja he wanted to develop.
He sent me the CofO & I checked on the Abuja Master Plan on my laptop to confirm the Land Use: it was a Low Density Residential Plot...
In Abuja, every plot has a LAND USE: Residential, Commercial, School, Park, Church, Mosque, Market, Hospital, Hotel, etc.
If it is RESIDENTIAL, it is further divided into Low, Medium or High Density.
The Density determines how many units/families you can have on the plot...
As an Architect, I ALWAYS confirm these things BEFORE I design. These are pictures of the Abuja Master Plan on my laptop.
If you zoom in, you'll see the Plots are tagged MD, LD, HD, CD, etc.
That's Medium Density, High Density, Low Density, Commercial Development, etc.
I worked on a site in Abuja years ago.
An Okada guy would drop off his wife on the site with her food to sell to the workers in the morning & come pick her later in the day when she's done selling.
He would hug her before leaving after dropping her in the morning...
Many years ago, I sat in the car with my then girlfriend around 10pm.
I just drove her home after we hung out that day.
This was about 2 weeks before we got married.
We were just gisting, laughing & enjoying each other's company...
Then I asked her a question:
"Babe, if we ever get into a fight & you feel I have gone MAD & you can't reach me again, who do you think you can call to talk to me?
Who do you KNOW that no matter how MAD I get, I will ALWAYS listen to because of the RESPECT I have for him/her?"
She responded with a name...
She didn't even THINK about it: she just mentioned the name as soon as I asked.
Her response gladdened my heart: she KNEW I had a RESTRAINER.
She knew I was not a headless man who had no RESPECT for AUTHORITY.
She was comfortable knowing her man was under CONTROL...
Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007.
From the time he left office, his next ambition was to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It took him 16 years & 4 Election Cycles to get there.
He understood TIMES & SEASONS...
That IS wisdom, folks.
Now, look at Atiku Abubakar who had been running for the same office since 1992.
He has been on the Ballot several times, but he NEVER won it.
Why?
He does NOT understand TIMES & SEASONS!
That IS foolishness.
He lacks the capacity to THINK & STRATEGIZE!
Atiku Abubakar ALWAYS throws his hat in the Ring, crossing from one Party to another in search of a Presidential Ticket.
And whenever he gets it & is on the Ballot, he LOSES.
He WILL get the ADC Ticket in 2027.
But he WILL lose as he always does.