PART 37
“NWALA: THE BITTERSWEET STORY”
©️ Opeyemi Akintunde.
As Inspired by the LIVING WORD.
Growing up, there had been several prophecies about me. The prophecies were very constant and it all pointed to the fact that, someday I will own a massive church and do mighty wonders for God. I had seen revelations also confirming this.
I started ministry immediately after school and I thought I would get the same large audience of students, as I had them back in the University where I served as a Campus Fellowship President.
My first Sunday service had over Five hundred students, but as the weeks went by people started returning back to their home churches.
I became desperate for revival; I wanted the church to be full with people.
For three years, we had about fifty members and those fifty members were not very faithful. They were shuttling between their main church and mine. Most came to our church out of pity.
By the fifth year, we barely had fifteen committed members.
I decided to go to God in prayer, I literally shut down for three months. I went to a prayer mountain for three months, I only came to the city for Sunday services. I started feeling it in my spirit that my heaven was opening. People started joining gradually.
On the last day of the three months of retreat, I met an old friend on the mountain. Back in school, he was the campus fellowship president of another ministry as well. We spoke at length, He told me he had also started a church, and that his church was doing well. He showed me pictures of his congregation. I was wowed and I asked him about strategies he put in place… He told me in his words….
“The prayers of the Father”
“The prayers of the Fathers?” I asked very confused
“Yes, every young prophet needs an old prophet to show him the way to go”. He said and immediately my spirit man did not agree with it because, the scripture he was quoting about the old and young prophet was not a good one, the old prophet had directed the young prophet in the wrong way.
It felt like he was listening in to my thoughts
“Bro Acme, don’t liken what I just said to the scripture of the old & young prophet, that is not the kind of elders or fathers I am talking about. I am talking about Fathers who have retired from ministry and have sold their lives to God. These ones are not competing for members again, they are just releasing the power and oil that have accumulated over the years in ministry to young ministers”
“Oh!”
“I can introduce you to them, and my brother when they rain prayers on your head, the heaven of your ministry will blast open” he said convincingly
“That is interesting, that should crown up my months of prayer. I believe meeting you today is not a coincidence, God planned it. Can we go there now?” I asked impatiently.
“Are you serious my Brother?”
“Yes”
“Then you will give me few hours to pray and we will go there, it’s about two hours’ drive from here. It is another mountain”.
“He said to me and I can tell you Beauty, in those two hours the spirit of God told me to leave more than 50 times but I kept binding the spirit.” Bishop said to me as he took a break from recounting the story
“After two hours, he re-surfaced and I got into his exotic car. We drove for another two hours and by that time it was half past nine at night. My thoughts was that we would see the prophets and we would pray all night, but to my utmost surprise we were ushered into a beautiful white building at the entrance of the prayer mountain. The cold breeze of the air-conditioner that welcome us into the room was very relaxing. As we sat, we were served roasted beef and red wine, I rushed at it, poverty was my master at that time.
Fifteen minutes later, we were ushered into a white room. The moment we got in and I saw the Prophets, I knew I had come to the wrong place.
Three So called Prophets were seated on three thrones.
“Greetings my Father!” My pastor Friend said
“Who is the visitor?”
“He is my old school mate. I ran into him at a prayer mountain I went today, and as we got talking, I realized he needs the father’s prayer of open heaven over his ministry”
“Oh I see, have you told him everything about us”
The phrase “Everything about us” didn’t sit down well with me.
“Has he eaten with us?” Another prophet asked.
“Yes! He has eaten the flesh and drank the blood”
At that point, I couldn’t be quiet any more
“What are you talking about? Flesh & Blood?”
“Sh…Sh…” My pastor friend cautioned me
“Pastor, I don’t think I need these prayers, I am sorry Sirs, I am sorry for barging in, I will like to take my leave”
“Brother Acme, behave yourself, we can talk about what you are not comfortable with much later, let’s get the blessing” My pastor friend had walked closely to me to whisper to me.
“Pastor, I can’t stay here. I am sorry” I tried rushing out of the place, but there were guards waiting at the door. I knew it was time to apply wisdom. I turned and faced my friend..
“You didn’t tell me this was where you were bringing me”
“There is nothing wrong about this place” he said
“Is there something wrong?” One of the Prophets asked.
“No sir! “ He replied the Prophet and Faced me “ Brother Acme, this is a deeper spiritual realm, I can begin to count the men of God that visit here, ArchBishop Rufus was prayed for by these prophets. Listen as Benevolent as they are, they can be brutal. Don’t let us waste their time”
There was still a part of me that still had a little wisdom, so I decided to use that wisdom
“Ok, I am ready for the prayer”
“My child, Beauty, this men poured prayers on me intensely. We left there and in less than a month, my church started growing. I was convinced it was as a result of the three months in the presence of God, but my pastor friend would not let me be…
TO BE CONTINUED
