Pillar 7

Success
Contents

Introduction 405

1. What is Success? 409

2. Information—The Highway To

Success 419

3. Covenant Keys To Success 427

4. Divine Guidance Is A Must 437

5. The Place Of Opportunity 445

6. You Need Endurance 451

7. Fundamentals of Success 457

Pillar 7

Success

Introduction

Success can be defined as the satisfactory realisation of a given goal or set objective. Success is not
a destination, but the satisfactory accomplishment of a given purpose. Success in life is a life-long
adventure, as no one actually graduates from the school of success. The amazing thing about
success is that we all, whether white or black, educated or illiterate, free or bond, have equal
opportunities to either succeed or fail in life. But why do we all not succeed?

True and lasting success is rooted in God; and His Word, the Bible, is the compass that points out
the way. God gives success and the grace to enjoy it as well. That is why a truly successful person is
not only successful in the works of his hand, but also in his family, health, mentality, etc. True
success guarantees all-round rest and security; it makes rich and adds no sorrow (Prov. 10:22).

Revelation is the foundation for lasting success. Every true revelation (heavenly information) from
God’s Word on success establishes a revolution, which ignites faith in you for accomplishment.
Success is a covenant. When you discover the secrets of the covenant of success and do them,
nothing will be strong enough to stop you from succeeding.

Remember I said earlier that faith is an expression of confidence in God’s Word. That is, faith is
doing God’s Word. So, when you discover the secrets of success and do them, what you receive is
the product – success!

As you read some of my teachings on the subject of success, I pray you will discover whatever
missing link that is standing in the way of you achieving lasting success from them, and mend it.

Here is a list of some books I have written on this subject. They will bless you:

Success Systems

Success Strategies

Born to Win

Making Maximum Impact

Maximised Destiny

Success Buttons

Exploring The Secrets of Success

Success in Marriage

All You Need to Have All Your

Needs Met

Towards Excellence In Life and

Ministry

Exploits In Ministry
Chapter 1

What Is Success?

I began to examine a very interesting truth lately. Everybody knows what he or she is looking for.
The problem, however, is that most people do not know how to get at it. Ask any man in his right
mind, and he will tell you that he wants to become successful. The problem is that most people do
not know what success looks like, so they never find it. Rather, they are busy all over town passing
by the thing they are looking for and not knowing that that is what they are looking for. But a
reasonable search begins with a detailed description. Because of the wrong descriptions of success,
many have been searching for it in futility.

It Is Not Possessions

Most people mistake success for possessions. They think one is successful when one has houses,
lands, cars, etc. They say, “Oh, that man is a big success!” Then a thief says to himself, “If that is
success, I am going to get it.” So he arms himself with a gun without training on how to shoot, and
on the first night he is climbing somebody’s wall, they give it to him in the forehead and he
“succeeds” into hell, all because of a misconception of what true success is!

Possession is not a correct description of success. Jesus said a man’s life does not consist in the
abundance of things he possesses (Lk. 12:15). “O man of God, flee these things…” (1 Tim. 6:10-11).
God cannot be telling you to flee possessions if it is actually a correct description of true success.
God who teaches us how to make our way prosperous and have good success cannot be telling us
to run away from success. All He is saying is that having money is not an accurate description of
success, as many moneybags in town are abject failures, having failed in their families, careers and
communities. They are bywords and proverbs, yet they have plenty money.

Some people also think success is defined by the position one holds. Until recently, for instance,
coup planning and execution was the order of the day in the armed forces of some African nations,
because the coup planners mistook position for success.

What then is the accurate description of true success? Let us hear it from Jesus’ mouth. There was
a strife among His disciples about which of them would be the greatest, leading Jesus to give them
an accurate description of true success. He said:

…The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon
them are called benefactors.

But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is
chief, as he that doth serve.

For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat?
but I am among you as he that serveth.

- Luke 22:25-27

Jesus said to them, “I am the most accomplished personality on earth, and this is the secret of my
exalted accomplishment: I am among you as one that serves.” No wonder we are told in scriptures,
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name”
(Phil. 2:9).

So what is the description of true success? It is accomplished stewardship towards God and men,
serving God’s purpose and promoting mankind’s welfare here on earth.
Examples of successful people in the Bible include Moses and Nehemiah. Though he was living in
the comfort of Pharaoh’s palace, Moses could not ignore the affliction of his brethren. He would
leave the comfort of the palace and would linger in the camp, and one day he saw an Egyptian
afflict and buffet a Jew, and he could not stand it. He had a burning passion for the liberty of his
people. And God said, “I have found someone to lead My people out at last.” It was his passion for
his people that qualified him to be the leader of the people.

Nehemiah was also living in the comfort of the palace, but had an unusual passion for the
restoration of the colour and beauty of Israel. And we were told that the good hand of God was
upon Nehemiah. When you have a good heart towards God’s purpose, His good hand will be upon
your life. So, true success expresses itself in true service to God’s plan and the needs of mankind.
When that is established on your inside, your destiny is established with God.

The Law of Discovery

Success is the result of doing something; it is the result of doing the right thing by choice. It is not
about sitting around and bemoaning your situation, but is about waking up from your slumber and
doing the right thing. Success implies satisfactory progress. The Bible in Proverbs 4:18 reveal God’s
success agenda for His people:

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Success is not merely about getting results, but about getting results in successions, one result
coming after

the other, because God has programmed you and me for success without limits. We are destined
to go from one level of success to another and one level of exploit to another. No wonder Psalm
92:14 tells us that, “They shall still bring forth fruit in their old age.”

Note, however, that success anchors on certain fundamental laws. There are laws to discover and
engage in order to succeed. Here is the fundamental law of success:

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and
night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt
make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

- Joshua 1:8

Certain laws must first be in place before you can enjoy success. Another law of success is found in
Deuteronomy 28:1. There is a command to obey before you can be set up above all nations of the
earth. In order to succeed, therefore, you must first know what these commandments are and
apply yourself to them, before God’s integrity is committed to confer success upon you. This is
because no one succeeds by accident.

The attainment of success begins with a discovery. “You shall observe to do all that is written
therein…” You must first be able to find what it is to be done. A wise man once said the best place
to begin is at the beginning. In the school of success, discovery is the foundation. If you will
diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and observe to do all that He commands you,
He will set you up on high above all nations of the earth. If you want to make your way
prosperous, look out for the book (the Bible), find out what is written inside and then apply
yourself to it, and you will make your way prosperous and have good success.
From scriptures we understand that we only excel by light. “Arise, shine, for your light has come
and the hand of the Lord is stretched forth upon you” (Isa. 60:1). We rise by light not by strength or
struggles, for by strength shall no man prevail. So the first law in the school of success is the law of
discovery of who you are, what you are worth and what you can do; a discovery of your mission on
earth. That is why every success story is traceable to certain discoveries. A discovery of the
fundamental laws of success and the application of the same is the only way to taste the grapes of
success.

What you do, how you think, what you say and what you do are all informed by the discoveries
you have made. Discovery is the foundation of every enduring, lasting and growing success. Our
financial success as a family and ministry is as a result of the discovery I made on finance. I went on
a three-day journey with Kenneth Copeland’s book, “The Laws of

Prosperity”, Gloria Copeland’s book,

“God’s Will is Prosperity” and my Bible. I said to God, “Show me the secret of kingdom prosperity.”
And on the third day the heavens opened, and I stood up in my shorts and screamed, “I can never
be poor!” That singular discovery broke the yoke of poverty mentality, which is responsible for the
poverty in Africa.

The people that speak into your life determine what becomes of you. The Bible says, “And the
spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet” (Ezek. 2:2). If you want to
be successful, then listen to successful people. Read books of successful people and listen to their
teachings, as no one can give you what he doesn’t have. Every success story stems from making
discoveries from the right sources. In the academic world, the quality of your references is what
determines the quality of your paper. Therefore, businessmen should look out for materials of
successful Christian businessmen who have made outstanding marks in their various pursuits.

The discoveries you make and engage are what make men discover you. Paul the apostle was a
man of discoveries; he couldn’t be separated from his books and parchments (2 Tim. 4:13). Daniel
was another man of discoveries. He is quoted as saying, “I Daniel understood by books.” His
understanding through books made for his outstanding result even in the land of captivity.

Check every true success story; it is traceable to fundamental discoveries. The more discoveries
you make, the higher you fly. The law of discovery is the number one law in the school of success.

Discover Your Purpose

Another discovery you must make is a discovery of purpose. Success is not a function of position or
possessions, but a function of fulfillment in life. You can never be fulfilled until you locate and
begin to pursue God’s purpose for your life. Many stars have refused to rise because they have
applied themselves to wrong purposes. They are busy doing what they are not created for, so they
look like dummies.

We will all never be pastors, no matter how much Bible one reads. Neither will we all be lawyers,
no matter how intelligent one may be. You need a well-defined purpose to fly high in life. When
Jesus came, He said:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;
he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering
of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

– Luke 4:18-19

That was His purpose defined, and He kept to it all through the days of His earthly ministry. I would
like to introduce you to three avenues through which you could locate God’s purpose for your life.

Calling

This is a divine revelation that defines God’s purpose for your life. In this case, God exercises His
right to assign anyone (via revelation) to any assignment of His choice. It has nothing to do with
your abilities but God’s abilities at work in you, because “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also
will do it” (1 Thess. 5:24). Every divine calling naturally enjoys divine backing.

Gifting

This is when you discover the natural endowments inherent in you, the productive abilities that
flow out of you naturally.

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants,
and delivered unto them his goods…to every man according to his several ability…

- Matthew 25:14-15

There is no ungifted being on the earth. Everyone is divinely endowed for a profitable life. In case
you have not heard a voice and have not seen a vision, look inward and identify your gifting. There
is enough inside you to occupy you till He comes.

Gifts and callings are equally potent; either one can get you to your throne in life (Rom. 11:29).

Choices

…I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou
and thy seed may live:

- Deuteronomy 30:19

God respects your choice. Not everyone must have a divine calling, and there are some who may
not be able to point to any outstanding gift in their lives, but can still be established in a
purposeful, fulfilling life based on their choice.

God made you a creature of choice, and as long as your choice is not contrary to His covenant
provisions for you, you have His backing. The power of your choice in locating God’s purpose for
your life covers areas like academics, business, professional practices, but not ministry which is
given strictly by divine callings.

So, whatever you have discovered, either by calling, gifting or your choice, nurture it and do all you
can to develop yourself in it, because the brightest stars in the kingdom are those who know
where they are going and give it all it takes to get there.
Chapter 2

Information — The Highway to

Success

Success speaks louder than words! It commands greater attention than the greatest oration
anybody can make. Success is self-inviting and selfattractive. No wonder the prophecy in Zechariah
8:23, where ten men will hold on to the skirt of a Jew, saying, “We will go with you: for we have
heard that God is with you.”

God’s agenda for the end-time Church is to engage the supernatural lifting of His people as the
force of attraction to the dying world. He wants to make you a resounding success! God has
programmed to reap the end-time harvest through the outstanding, rewarding success of His
people. That is, the enthronement of the saints will be a weapon in the hand of God in reaping the
end-time harvest. They will look at you and say, “I am following you,” because God would have so
decorated your life within a short time of following Him.

We are not smarter than the past generations; we are only a people born in due season. Success
must be the garment of the saints, thereby attracting the dying world to their Saviour and bringing
them to the city of refuge. But there is what we must do to attain to this height.

Information Brings Transformation

Information is a very great asset in the world of success. That is why the end-time Church will be
given such an unusual access into heavenly information for earthly manifestations. They will have
unusual insights; they will see what the vultures’ eyes have not seen.

Information is power! You must be informed in order to be transformed. Therefore, you must
crave for information, as you cannot get any higher than you are informed. When God was giving
the formula for everlasting success, He said:

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and
night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt
make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

— Joshua 1:8

That means you will draw from it and operate by it; then will you make your way prosperous and
have good success. This is because every outstanding transformation and resounding success is
traceable to discovered secrets. Certain information is handed over to you, and when it is properly
traded, it brings you your desired end - success.
Richard Branson who owns Virgin Airlines is one of the wealthiest Britons alive today. How did he
get there? Richard Branson dropped out of school at the age of 19 and started business as a
newspaper vendor. He encountered a vital information from a little economics book titled, “Small
Is Beautiful”. That book provided certain vital information, which became his trade secret. He built
his entire business empire on that principle — each department becoming autonomous, and the
heads of each department becoming a co-president with him. The information he contacted from
that little book paved the way for his great heights in business.

The whole world is trading information. The role of information in the world of success
cannot be

quantified. But unfortunately, there are some in business today who do not know anything about
their businesses except for personal ideas, most of which are not working. Men have transformed
their lives and destinies by laying hold on information and

applying themselves to it. We can’t go any further than we are informed, as it is an idea that
begets another idea; a thought gives birth to an act, which in turn gives birth to results. Thus the
value you place on information will determine the level of transformation you will enjoy.

To be a resounding success on earth, you need a working knowledge of your assignment, no

matter what it is. If you are in business, strive to have a good working knowledge of that business,
so your work won’t be wearisome (Eccl. 10:15). You need to know what obtains in that business,
career or vocation, you need to know what makes it work, and apply yourself to them. In fact, you
have to go in search of information; don’t just seat there waiting for it to walk to you. If need be,
buy it! That’s why the Bible admonishes us to buy the truth, and sell it not.

Every candidate in an examination has an idea; but only those with facts pass the exam. You don’t
pass an exam with ideas, only with facts. Likewise, you need the facts of whatever you are engaged
in to succeed in it, as it takes facts to become fat. What facts do is to make you stand out among
your equals. If you locate the facts of life, you will be a high-flyer in life. So, locate the facts of that
assignment and put them to work! That’s the highway to success!

Lazy men believe in luck, but men of worth believe in facts. A wise man once said, “Success is a
matter of luck, ask any failure.” Rather than go for facts, the lazy man thinks people arrived at
success by luck. There is no accidental success, as no accident is a success. I love how the Living
Bible renders Proverbs 24:3-4:

Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits
wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts.

Facts are what make one profit wonderfully, so go for information!

Reading

The most effective avenue for information acquisition is reading. God places emphasis on the
printed page, that’s why He commanded us to, “Study to show thyself approved” (2 Tim. 2:15). In
fact, God is the first w r i t e r . He wrote the Ten

Commandments on graven stone before giving it to Moses. That shows the divine endorsement of
the printed page as the most effective avenue for information acquisition.

Paul told Timothy to give attention to reading, doctrine, and exhortation. He said, “Meditate upon
these things that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Tim. 4:13, 15). So reading makes living
successful. Most of the greatest minds in today’s world emerged out of a studious life. The quality
of the information that finds its way into your mind determines the quality of your mind. Anthony
Robbins has grown to become a consultant to big corporations such as IBM, the US Army, AT&T,
etc. by reading. By virtue of information, the capacity of his mind has been enormously enlarged.

We must never mistake schooling for education. Education is largely a function of information,
whereas schooling is a career. So it is possible to spend two years in school and still not be
educated. Great minds are not born; they are developed. Every great mind is personally
developed. There is no one born a success. Success is a conscious process that individuals subscribe
to.

Benjamin Franklin had only two years of formal education before he branched off to become a
printing apprentice. He spent his feeding money to buy books, and thus read himself to great
heights. Someone who taught himself how to read later successfully founded a university, built a
specialist hospital, and became one of America’s foremost philosophers. He did a study on
lightning and single-handedly negotiated the French government’s support for the America
Revolution, which enabled America gain independence from Britain.

Michael Faraday was also an apprentice in a book binding centre. Though uneducated, he taught
himself to read. He spent his money to attend scientific seminars, and grew to become an inventor.
Nothing dignifies life like light, nothing enhances dignity like information. So settle down to
consciously acquire relevant information for your life.

Your dream for transformation is rooted in information. There are many people who went to
school, earned degrees, but can’t even talk sense. Such fellows only had a schooling career; they
don’t have any information that is relevant to life. Many have left school many years ago, but have
not read a single book since they left. If a book binding apprentice can emerge a great inventor in
the scientific world, and a printing apprentice can emerge a foremost philosopher in America, and
they are still being celebrated today, then you have a hope.

Information makes the difference in the school of success. Every reader is a successful leader, and
every successful leader is an avid reader. To be a leader means to be ahead, to see ahead, to see
before, and to stay above the others. I think one of the reasons for the leadership problem in
Africa today is because a lot of undeveloped minds are in charge. Most of the people in charge are
mostly uninformed military administrators that have never read any book on administration sit
over a council meeting to direct what they know nothing about and

Presidents who have no reference to any government of any nation, even the government of their
own nations. As a result, we have largely undeveloped people embarking on the task of developing
nations. Can you imagine somebody who failed the School Certificate Examination trying to teach
others how to pass it?

Information must be consciously acquired. I once said every vision rides on the wheels of
information. No matter how authentic your vision, your level of information determines your
speed and overall accomplishment. Every purpose is brought into effect by information. Iron
sharpens iron. What reading does is to enable you rub your small mind with greater minds, so as to
sharpen it and make it sound. I have never seen a generation that has so many books pouring out
from the

Church like ours. We are in the age of success, so let’s invest; let’s spend and be spent to acquire
information, because it will determine the colour of our destiny.
Chapter 3

Covenant Keys To Success

Success is the heritage of the last days’ Church, as every child of God is set apart for success. From
the day you step into the kingdom of life, success becomes your inheritance. But the success of
every man in the kingdom is a function of the light in which he walks. The last days is the era of the
Church; but she will not take charge by rigorous prayers or exhaustive fasting, but by the divine
secrets that shall be delivered to her.

I will be showing you some of these keys in this chapter.

Favour

Success is a direct function of divine favour. Thank God for hard work, but if it were equal to
greatness, a lot of men would have been great today. What hard work could not accomplish for the
children of Israel in their 430 years of enslavement in the land of Egypt, favour did in one day when
they turned on this covenant key. “Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand
strong...” (Ps. 30:7). Favour, and not your strength, is what makes you stand out in life.

Though success is a product of favour, enjoying favour places a demand on those who desire it, as
you do not wait for God’s favour; you work it out. How then do you provoke God’s favour?

Be Kingdom-Minded

Psalm 102:13-14 reveals that favouring God’s kingdom was what triggered the favour they
enjoyed. God will only favour you when what matters to Him matters to you. When you are
passionate about God and His kingdom, then you are set for success.

No matter how hard you preach, if you do not love God’s kingdom and favour the dust thereof,
you will never succeed. Devotion, dedication and yieldedness to God and His kingdom are the ways
to secure God’s favour. I am not in any trade, neither have I ever invested a dime in any business;
yet I will never beg till my time on earth is over, because I favour His kingdom. I enjoy His special
favour that forbids that I lack any good thing. Moreover, when I have favour with God, I am bound
to have favour with men (Prov. 16:7).

When you sow a seed of favour, you are set for a harvest of favour, so do not scorn kingdom
projects. Rather, develop a new and positive attitude to the kingdom of God. Consider it a privilege
to be involved in whatever affects the kingdom in whatever way you can, as God is watching from
heaven to reward His diligent seekers with success.

It Is Entreated

And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat
thy favour.

- Psalm 45:12

Favour can also be entreated; and a gift is the instrument with which you entreat it. The Bible says,
“A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men” (Prov. 18:16). You can
entreat God’s favour with your gifts. I gave God something one day, and He said to me, “My son
David, even if you do not want to be rich, it is too late.” The summary of my story today is that I
am highly favoured. So be determined to retain God’s favour by constantly provoking it. Whenever
you see toughness and hardship around you, organise your way out of it by giving a favour-
provoking seed as the people did in Psalm 126.

Favour is not to be prayed or fasted for, it is to be entreated; and God enlarges your room in
proportion to your gift. Favour is the pathway to fortune and success. It does not happen by
chance or luck; it is taking conscious steps towards a conscious end.

Another way of entreating favour is by showing favour to others.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

- Matthew 5:7

In other words, “Blessed are they that give favour, for they shall obtain favour in return.” The level
of favour you enjoy is a function of the level to which you favour others. In the book of Esther,
Mordecai got wind of a plan to kill king Ahasuerus and leaked it, thereby sparing the king’s life. A
time came when Mordecai was also to be killed, but his earlier seed of favour will not allow it.
Instead, the king could not sleep for his sake that night, and the man who was to kill him was killed
in his place. No wonder Jesus said in Luke 6:36, “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is
merciful.”

The law of seedtime and harvest controls the issue of favour. Do you want to walk in favour? Then
be a man of favour.

Be Grateful

And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of
hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them
already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

- Malachi 2:1-2

Ingratitude is a character crisis that stops the flow of favour. Watch every ungrateful man, he
hardly smells success. David came into favour with God because of His lifestyle of gratitude: “I
slept and I awoke because the Lord sustained me.” “Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all his
benefits…” Others would probably not see anything in what he was saying, but his gratitude
caused him to walk in favour before God.

A man of gratitude will perpetually walk in favour. But this is a missing ingredient in the life of
many

Christians. A businessman who is not grateful for the one thousand naira sales he made today may
not make such profits tomorrow. Do you want to walk in favour perpetually? Then become a man
of gratitude. Let gratitude become a way of life with you. Teach your children to be grateful.
Ingratitude has cost many their great destinies, so learn to show gratitude to both God and man.
Show it in words and in deeds also.

Some other covenant keys that lead to true success include:

Goal
Success begins with having a goal; that is, a defined target. That is why successful men are usually
referred to as “goal-getters”. You do not get a goal except you set one. Where there is no target,
you never hit one. So a life without a goal is sure to suffer frustrations and setbacks. Have you ever
seen a football match without a goal post? The match will end in frustration, as no winner can
emerge. The same way, if you start any day without a set target, that day is likely to be wasted,
because you are going to lose time and end up frustrated. That is why any successful executive
plans his day before he moves out.

But it is not enough to set longterm goals; you also need to have daily goals, because the farthest
journey begins with a step. What you are doing today is a pointer to where you are heading
tomorrow. Jesus, our perfect example, was a great goal-setter. He said, “To this end was I born,
and for this cause came I into this world, that I should bear witness to the truth” (Jn. 18:37). That
was His goal, and He achieved it.

Grasping

It is not enough to have a goal; you must have a good grasp of the details involved in achieving that
goal. An understanding of the details of your goal enhances the quality of your out put . The Bible
says, “Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of the ignorant is hard” (Prov. 13:15).

A good understanding will not only place you in high demand in your field, but will also grant you
speed for accomplishment. Every outstanding result is a product of good understanding. But you
must know that understanding is not a gift. It is a task that you undertake out of a strong desire
and desperate search for knowledge. Daniel was a man blessed with the gift of wisdom. Yet he
said, “I Daniel understood by books” (Dan. 9:2). Therefore, understanding does not come without a
search.

Growth

Growth talks about a maturing process; that is, growing into your desires. Your level of maturity is
what determines your placement in the race of life, as you do not take command until you have
been certified mature enough for the position.

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their
senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

- Hebrews 5:14

It follows that growth is a function of mental maturity. It is having your senses exercised to the
level that you have a firm hold of secrets and details which puts you in command. God does not
entrust great things into the hands of amateurs. No matter how much you cry, God will not commit
something beyond your capacity and maturity into your hands.

Grinding

This is the investment of time, energy and resources into the goals you believe in. No matter how
colourful your goal, it will never be accomplished without a grinding or working process. The
setting of a goal, grasping, and growing are all preparations behind the scene, which set the stage
for the actual work.

There is dignity in labour, but the talk of the lips only tend to penury (Prov. 14:23). The Bible says,
“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat”
(Prov. 13:4). Fatness is a function of hard work. No amount of certificates you acquire can
substitute for hard work. The world of yesterday celebrated certificates, but today’s world
celebrates results; and there can be no result without hard work.

“He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread...” (Prov. 12:11). Your destiny is determined by
what you do with your hands, so put them to work. Do not watch life pass you by; you must make
it count. There is no substitute for hard work if you want to succeed. If any, the only substitute for
hard work is a hard life; so make your choice. No one will hear your story tomorrow without you
working hard today.

A Gallup poll in America came up with the statistics that 80 per cent of the children of successful
people do not succeed. This is because they are not exposed to the major ingredient that makes
for success - hard work. Everything is done for them, so they are never able to maintain what is left
to them. Living without working is like dying without knowing. Be identified with your job or
studies, and do it with all your heart. Do not see it as a punishment or burden, for it is the access
road to where you are going.

Gaining

Profit is the motivation for hard work. “In all labour there is profit” (Prov. 14:23). The benefits of
labour are comprehensive, covering material, physical and mental dimensions of life. The founder
of the Daewoo industry said, “Hard work enhances creativity. Not only that, it keeps you physically
fit and mentally alert.”

However, to retain the profits, you have to embrace change. But what we have is that some
welcome change as long as it doesn’t cost them anything. But that is impossible! If you must
maintain whatever success you have attained, then you must be adaptable to the demands of
change. Robert

Schuller told the story of a young man in the Middle East, who had studied in Cambridge but lost
everything he had during a crisis. He got to the desert one day and said, “There must be water
under this ground,” and everybody laughed him to scorn. But he went ahead and got some of the
war refugees to start digging by hand. They dug until the ground started getting wet, and they later
came across portable water. That was the beginning of irrigation farming in the Middle East.
Somebody was set for a change and got it.

If you want a different result, then change your approach. If you want to maintain success, then
you must be adaptable to change.

Challenges

There is no freeway in the pursuit of any goal. You must expect roadblocks and get ready for
challenges, which can come in the form of mockery, oppositions and persecutions. If you must
reach your goal, you must understand that such challenges exist and be prepared to confront
them.

In 1992, God said to me, “I am going to bless you and cause the work to blossom, but persecution
will come to authenticate the blessing.” That is why I always respond to oppositions with a smile.
Have you not heard? “There is no man who has left house, mother, wife, children or land for my

sake and the gospel, who shall not have hundredfold of each one with persecution” (Mk. 10:29-30).
If you do not expect those challenges, they may drown you when they come. You may give in to
discouragement, which may make you lose or miss your attainment. Therefore, be determined to
keep going no matter what comes your way. The
Bible says, “Offences must come, but woe unto him, by who it come”

(Lk.17:1).

May God help you to fulfill all that is required of you to attain success, so that your life will not be
a waste, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Chapter 4

Divine Guidance Is A Must!

Success is a choice to which you must be truly committed before it can be actualised. It is also a
choice that operates on laws which you must obey consistently, excitedly and tirelessly. One of the
fundamental laws of success is the law of divine guidance. That was how Abraham’s journey to
success began in Genesis 12:1-3:

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from
thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou
shalt be a blessing:

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families
of the earth be blessed.

The Lord said to Abraham, “I’m moving you forward as you follow My guidance. I will show you the
land of your unending success.” Speaking about how God led Israel through the wilderness, the
Bible says in Deuteronomy 32:10&12, “He lead him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the
apple of His eye…So the Lord alone did lead him...” The Bible also tells us:

Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth
thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

- Isaiah 48:17

In the non-Christian world, hard work is considered the principal asset for success; but it is not true
of the Christian faith. Before Peter met Jesus, he had been working hard, but without success. In
fact, he had toiled all night and caught nothing. But as soon as he obeyed the voice of divine
instruction given by Jesus, he caught so much fish that he had to call on others to help, as his net
began to break (Lk. 5:1-7).

Every true and lasting success in

the kingdom is traceable to divine guidance. You cannot afford to keep struggling as a Christian.
Hard work alone is no guarantee for true and lasting success. That is why the Psalmist said in Psalm
127:1-2:
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the
watchman waketh but in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his
beloved sleep.

In your walk with God, you need to be sensitive to divine signals, as it is what will enable you
locate from heaven the provisions that will move you on to the next phase in your business,
career, family, relationships, etc. If you study everyone that was divinely lifted in the Bible
(Abraham, Moses, David, Paul), you will discover that their lifting by divine guidance was
absolutely a personal affair. You need a personal encounter with God; you need to be alone with
Him to discover what is required of you. You do not have to wait for a message on the pulpit;
rather, wait on the Lord, and He will direct you.

Just as there were fishes in the sea waiting for Peter’s net, so also is success waiting for you, if only
you understand and appreciate the divine guidance factor for becoming a success. Many business
people have taken some regrettable steps time and again because they were not divinely led. You
can’t be led and still lose, as God never leads His people backwards, He leads them forward. He led
Israel about until He made him to ride upon the high places of the earth. When God is leading, He
leads you higher and higher, not higher and lower.

According to scriptures, there is a land appointed for your success; there is a place where your
success is guaranteed. But every dislocation will lead to frustration. Many have thought their
success lie in Europe or the United States, and they have gone there looking for it, only to end up
being frustrated. They led themselves there; they were not divinely led. You can’t be truly led and
not take the lead. God led Abraham, showing him which way to go, and then suddenly Abraham
deflected in Genesis 12:10. Because of the famine in the land, he went down into Egypt, where he
lost his integrity and was eventually sent packing. When Abraham traced his way back to God, the
Bible records that he became rich in cattle, silver and gold (Gen. 13:1-2).

Benefits of Divine Guidance

Whereas the world is guided by scientific facts, feasibility studies, dreams, etc, believers are guided
by the finger of God. When you are divinely guided, God goes before you to make the crooked
paths straight.

Thus saith the LORD to his anointed…

I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass,
and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest
know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

- Isaiah 45:1-3

God also sends His angel to go before you, to keep you in the way and to do warfare against
opposing forces in the spirit realm.

Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place
which I have prepared.

- Exodus 23:20
God commits His angels who excel in strength to guard you until you get to the place of promotion
prepared for you. They are equipped to deal with any dragon on your way to the top. That’s why
the going goes great when God is leading you.

Divine guidance is very important in a Christian’s life, because it ensures divine backup. God is
committed to ensuring the success of whatever He directs you to do. The Bible says, “Faithful is he
that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thess. 5:24). God, being the good Shepherd, always goes
ahead of us to silence all opposition and dismantle all obstacles on the way to the top (Jn. 10:4). So
when you walk in divine guidance, only the forces that can stop God can stop you from being
successful.

Since there are different voices giving instructions (Jn. 10:5), it is important to know how to
recognise God’s leading.

How To Recognise God’s Voice

The Bible admonishes us to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21). There
are four unique characteristics of divine guidance. The first is that it is accompanied by peace (Ps.
85:8). God will always speak peace. When He instructs you, there is a deep-seated peace of heart,
eliminating all inner turbulence.

Secondly, there is ease whenever God directs (Ps. 25:12-13). You operate in a tension-free
atmosphere. When God shows you the way to go, you are at ease. Also, when the Lord is leading,
you are endued with strength (Judg. 6:14). An unusual type of energy comes upon you to move in
the way you have been directed.

Finally, the Bible says wherever the Spirit of God is, there is liberty (2 Cor. 3:17). There is no feeling
of being bound or choked when you are doing what God has directed you to do.

Rather, you enjoy spiritual freedom.

Now that you know the benefits of divine guidance and how to recognise God’s voice or leading,
you also need to know how to be divinely led.

Securing Divine Guidance

The Holy Ghost is the principal agent of divine guidance, and He can only relate with you via your
spirit (Rom. 8:16). Therefore, in order to be divinely guided, you must be in the spirit. But the
problem with many Christians today is that they are more often in the flesh than in spirit, so they
cannot pick the voice of divine guidance. You cannot be in the flesh and expect to hear God. So you
have to constantly tune in to your spirit man, to hear the voice of the Spirit of God.

In addition to being in the spirit, you must be joyful to secure divine guidance (Isa. 30:29-31). The
voice of the Spirit is a joyful sound, so it takes an equally joyful spirit to hear it. That is why
depressed people end up oppressed, because they cannot hear the directives they need to go
above their situation. No wonder, Paul, a man of many revelations, kept on emphasizing the need
to be in a rejoicing state (Phil. 4:4).

Apart from being joyful, you also need to be still (Ps. 46:10). The voice of God can hardly be picked
in a rowdy atmosphere, whether internal or external. Elijah’s encounter with God in 1 Kings 19:11-
13 is an illustration of the need for stillness. It takes a still spirit to hear the still, small voice of God.

A fourth requirement for securing divine guidance is through prayer (Ps. 32:6). You can know the
details of God’s programmes and purpose for your life through prayer. David, a man who was
highly lifted by God, often secured divine guidance through prayer, his excellent war record
notwithstanding (2 Sam. 5:18-25). At every crossroads, rather than depend on your own
understanding, go to God and ask for His way (Jer. 33:3). Note that God said He would show, not
give answers. Most people pray to get; very few pray to see, not knowing that if you can see what
He is showing you and hear what He is saying, you will get what you desire. It is important to note
that the purpose of praying for divine guidance is to receive answers from God.

This brings us to the final means of securing divine guidance, which is by being watchful (Hab. 2:2).
There are many misguided prayer warriors, who do not know anything about watching. You cannot
be talking and hearing at the same time. So, after talking in prayer, you need to stop and watch to
receive the required directions.

Divine guidance is what makes the journey to success great, not your expertise or skill, as one
wrong step or move can wreck a whole destiny. You must mind the law of divine guidance if your
goal is to be successful, as the anointing is no substitute for His leading. God already had a plan and
programme for our lives before we arrived; walking in the centre of His programme for our lives is
what makes us the envy of our world. May you never miss your place in God’s master plan.

As you put these factors to use, you will no longer miss your steps or invest time, energy or
resources in the wrong things and your success will not be denied, in Jesus’ name!

Chapter 5

The Place of Opportunity

A wise man is quoted as saying, “Success is a matter of luck, ask any failure.” That is to say, every
failure sees and believes that success is a matter of luck. But that is not the truth. Success is a
matter of light!

There are two words that are almost similar: one is opportune, and the other is fortune. When
somebody is fortunate, I believe it is because he is opportuned; that is, he is smart enough to grab
a productive idea and put it to work. He was smart enough to know what would work and how to
make it work.

What is Opportunity?

Opportunity is a discovered avenue for profiting. It is locating what will work and making it work. It
is knowing what will produce. I consider opportunity as the mother of all fortunes, and to lack it is
to be unfortunate. A wise man once said, “Opportunity is missed by many because it is dressed in
overalls that look like work.” Many don’t like the word “Work”. They think opportunity is merely a
chance to enjoy what they don’t earn.

Taking advantage of situations by the gifts of God in your life is another definition of opportunity.
Seeing the situation around and knowing what abilities are inherent in you, you then look for
where those things will sell and put them to use. Nigeria is a country blessed with great reserve for
great exploits. In fact, an Indian once said, “Nigeria is so blessed that you can literally pick Naira on
the road; but Nigerians are so blind that they cannot see it.” May God open your eyes!

Stop seeking short cuts to success. You can make the most of where you are by deciding to be
productive and not look for cheap money! Nothing stays with you that you have not earned (Prov.
13:11). There is no untalented

Christian; there is no ungifted child of

God. And every gift of the Spirit is for the profiting of the saints. You can engage the gifts of God in
you to locate opportunities that abound around you and make the most of them.

Some time ago there was kerosene and gas scarcity in town, and one of my brothers located
firewood in nearby villages, brought them to town and made great gains in six weeks by selling
them to people. That is opportunity! Our success or prosperity is not tied to a particular area of e n
d e a v o u r. Psalm 1:3 says, “Whatsoever he doeth, it shall prosper...” It is not tied to any
particular field, but to whatsoever thing he can make anything out of. That’s why God’s Word says,
“Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with thy might...” (Eccl. 9:10). Proverbs 14:23 also says,
“In all labour there is profit...” So, do not be imprisoned by your discipline or be tied down by your
certificates and qualifications. Do not give in to frustration because of your education. We live in a
land of great fortunes, and so there is no excuse for misfortune. We live in a land of great
opportunities; to be unfortunate is a shame.

What is the need for education? It is to broaden your understanding, helping you locate the
abounding opportunities around you that will cause your star to shine. It exposes you to a wider
range of choices. People with limited education do not know perhaps beyond what they are told
by people around them. But the educated have volumes here and there from where they can gain
and understand things. Utilize your education; don’t allow it tie you down in failure.

How To Locate Opportunity

There are three ways of locating the opportunities that abound around you.

By a Search

The Bible says, “He that seeketh findeth.” What you do not seek, you will never find. “Ask, you
shall be given, seek you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7). It is your
responsibility to conduct a search on where the gifts of God in you can produce good values and
results. Conduct a search and be sincere about i t . You must do that because opportunity is a man
that is ever in great demand; if he does not come to you, go for him.

There is something in you crying out for expression. Look for where and how you can express it
and profit by it as well. Opportunity abounds, but people are afraid of the labour it entails. People
don’t want to work, that’s why they claim that there are no opportunities. In the parable of the
idle labourers in Matthew 20, Jesus said, “Go and work.” That means there is something for you to
do. You must find it. You don’t get from life more than what you put in it. So, go in search of
opportunities.

Create Opportunities

If at the end of your search you cannot locate opportunity, then create one by creative thinking!
Tell yourself,

“It can be done. I can do something here. If nobody hires me, I will hire myself.”

Creative thinking helps to locate diverse opportunities. You have a Godgiven ability to create
things, because you are an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ. By Christ were all things made. So
you too can make things happen, because you have creative capabilities like Christ.

Catch Opportunities

At times, you do not even need a search, as opportunities present themselves. That is, there is no
search, there is no effort, there is no rigour, but you just find opportunity waiting for you. A wise
man said, “Eyes that look are many, but eyes that see are few.” David saw an opportunity in
Goliath.

He killed him, and by Goliath’s death David ascended the throne. Joseph saw an opportunity in the
cupbearer he met in the prison. After interpreting his dream, Joseph said to him, “Remember me
when you get to the palace.”

Note that opportunity must be utilized in order to bring profiting. The man by the pool of Bethesda
was sitting by the pool of opportunity for 38 years and could not utilize it. Worse still, even when
Jesus walked up to him to ask, “Would thou be made whole?” he almost lost the opportunity of
being healed by explaining away his situation rather than answering in the affirmative.

Opportunity has been described as a baldheaded man that must be grabbed quickly before it slips
by. A wise man said, “Many of us have heard opportunity knocking at our doors. But by the time
we unlock the chains, push back the bolts, turn the two locks and shut off the burglary alarm, it
was gone.” This is a very apt summary of Songs of Solomon 5:2-8. When opportunity is lost,
misfortune sets in.

So, it’s not enough to see and have opportunity; you must rise up swiftly to utilize it before it is
gone.

It is time to see the opportunities that pass by daily. May they not slip by you unutilized anymore!

Chapter 6

You Need Endurance

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

No man that warreth entangleth

himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

- 2 Timothy 2:3-5

The law of endurance is a cardinal law in the journey to success. It is the price you pay to ascend
your throne, as everything precious comes out of pressures. Proverbs 27:21 says, “As the fining pot
for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.” How much heat you are willing to
endure today determines how high you will fly tomorrow.
The Church is full of earthen vessels, but a few gold and silver ones, because not many people are
willing to endure the heat of the furnace and the pressures of the refining pot. But those who take
short cuts in life end up having their lives cut short, and those who dodge the heat miss the height.
Endurance is the identity of men of prominence. It is a required quality for distinction in life, for
unless a man strives lawfully in a race, he cannot win the prize. It is my prayer that you will receive
grace from heaven to give life what it takes, so you can make the most of it. You will not miss it, in
Jesus’ name!

Pay The Price

For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether
he have sufficient to finish it?

- Luke 14:28

Your place in destiny is not free; there is a price to be paid to secure it. Psalm 126:3 says, “The Lord
hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” But verses 5 and 6 tell us what provoked the
mighty acts of God:

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.

It takes a great price to secure a great destiny. Jesus was born of the Holy Ghost, and was sent
down to earth from heaven on a mission. Yet He had to pay the price to secure His place in destiny.
Today, He is still the most distinguished man that ever lived. He paid the price for greatness, and
the profit is everlasting. The Bible says, “…Of the increase of His kingdom, there shall be no end.”

In Matthew 20:21-22, the mother of

James and John came to Jesus to make a request:

...Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy
kingdom.

But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall
drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are
able.

In other words, enthronement does not answer to prayer, but to the payment of the required
price. Every tower has a price attached to it. Until you first sit down, count the cost and give it
what it takes, your dream of a tower will never be realised. This is because the desires of your
heart only answer to your input in life. If you do not pay the price today, you should not expect to
receive anything when the time for giving out prizes comes. Proverbs 27:21 makes it very clear that
a man’s praise never goes beyond the price he is prepared to pay. Whatever your desire in life is,
pay the price today, and it will be delivered into your hands tomorrow.

Sacrifice

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone:
but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

-John 12:24
The grace for sacrifice is the path to significance. The reason there are too many mediocres in the
Church is because most people sit down with folded hands, waiting for something to happen. We
are co-labourers with God, and until our part is fulfilled, God is not committed to doing His part.
For instance, there may be two individuals working in the same organization and earning the same
salary. But one has built a house, without stealing, while the other has built his stomach. The first
man knows the rule of game, so he regulates and disciplines his taste, sacrificing every luxury in
order to have a shelter over his head. But the other man is not willing to sacrifice anything. He eats
all and keeps wishing for one day when a building would drop from the sky with his name written
on it. Of course, that day will never come, because the Bible says every house is built by some man
(Heb. 3:4).

There must first be a dying, before living can be colourful. Therefore, get ready to give it what it
takes to succeed in life, so that you do not end up as a Prodigal Christian. Place value on your time
and every covenant resources at your disposal, and invest them appropriately as a man who is in a
race and is determined to get the prize. Psalm 126:6 says:

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.

Every great season of harvest is preceded by a great season of sacrifice. So, do not expect to reap
success until you are prepared to sacrifice whatever will qualify you for the harvest of success.
Remember, a man can only reap what he has sown.

Keep At It!

But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

- Luke 12:50

If you want to make it to the top, the law of endurance must be embraced. And the harder you are
on yourself, the higher you will fly in life. Do not give up in the middle of the race; you must endure
to the end in order to win the prize. Some people faint when they are just about to hit their
miracle. But the Bible advises us, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall
reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9).

Look at the case of a cocoa farmer and a tomato farmer for instance. In the first three years, the
cocoa farmer looks like a miserable man, because he has no harvest to take home. In fact, the
tomato farmer who harvests his crops every few months may even begin to mock him. But when
the cocoa farmer begins to harvest his crops, he becomes the centre of attraction. Even after his
death, his children’s children will continue to enjoy the proceeds from the cocoa farm.

The next phase of your life is waiting, but you can not access it without paying the necessary price.
Stay committed to that seemingly little career, and gradually you will begin to compel God’s good
hand to lift you. Hebrews 12:2 says:

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

If only you can see the colourful future that awaits you, you will never be discouraged. Even Jesus
went through a process to possess His possession. In Luke 12:49, He said, “I am come to send fire
on the earth…” and in verse 50, He said, “…How am I straitened till it be accomplished.” That
means He was stretched to the full, yet He had to endure to the end. Men who are able to set their
world ablaze by their impact are men of endurance. Every man of significance has a story of
sacrifice and endurance to tell. There will always be opportunities to turn back if you do not have
the grace for endurance. But I see that grace come upon you now, in the name of Jesus!

Success is your portion, and you will get there, in Jesus’ mighty name!
Chapter 7

Fundamentals of Success

Most teachings on success, promotion and divine lifting major on what people should do to
succeed. However, many are doing all the prescribed things, yet there is no positive change in their
status. Why is this so? I discovered the reason is that success or divine lifting is not so much a
function of what to do, but a function of what to be.

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

- Psalm 75:6-7

Many are excellent in their fields of endeavour, yet every opportunity for lifting passes them by
because they lack the necessary character to match the position they aspire to. Therefore, what to
BE is much more important than what to DO, because what you are is what actually determines
what you do.

God enacted the law of divine success in Joshua 1:6-9. A careful look at those verses shows that
God spoke to Joshua five times about what to BE, and just twice on what to DO; showing how vital
what you are, as opposed to what you do, determines how successful you are or will be.

The truth is that the future of every seed lies in its nature. The quality of your character is the
foundation for how great your future will be.

Unfortunately, awareness of this fact is greatly missing in the body of Christ today, so many are
struggling with doing, not realising that the fundamental requirements for divine lifting lie in
being.

What should you BE to qualify for lasting success?

Be Strong

Be strong and of a good courage…

Only be thou strong and very courageous...

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed...

-Joshua 1:6-7, 9

God kept reiterating to Joshua the need to be strong. The strength referred to in this context is not
physical strength. It means to be wise as we see in Proverbs 24:5: “A wise man is strong; yea, a
man of knowledge increaseth strength.” The essence of this wisdom in the school of success is to
offer divine direction. The Preacher tells us that wisdom is profitable to direct (Eccl. 10:10). When
you are wise and divinely directed, a sense of purpose comes upon you, which induces inner
strength and makes you unstoppable in your journey to the top.

The latter part of the scripture in

Proverbs 24:5 says, “A man of knowledge increaseth strength.” Knowledge here means to be
informed, to be adequately enlightened about your mission. God was telling Joshua to check out
everything He told Moses, because such information would help him on his journey to success.
Daniel also attests to this truth that strength comes from knowledge (Dan. 11:32).

Be Meek

Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.

- Numbers 12:3

Moses was one of the greatest men that ever lived on the planet earth. His lifting was not a result
of his intelligence or physical strength; it was a result of his meekness. The Bible tells us that God
resists the proud (1 Pet. 5:5). Meekness is a must if success is your goal. You require meekness (not
religious piety) to see true greatness.

Meekness or humility is not what you do; it is what you are. Be humble, and that will qualify you
for divine lifting, which ends in success. Our Lord Jesus Christ, despite the great and mighty works
He did, and heavens’ open declaration and public confirmation of His position, said, “…I can of my
own self do nothing.” He never arrogantly took up the glory for anything He did, but meekly kept
on acknowledging God as the Doer. No wonder He was so highly lifted by God (Phil. 2:5-9).

Be Faithful

Jesus gave a parable in Matthew 25, about some servants whose master gave different amounts of
talents to trade with while he went away on a journey. When he returned, he called the servants
to give account of their activities, and the first one said he had doubled the initial amount given
him.

His master’s glad response was:

…Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make
thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

- Matthew 25:21

Take note of the double emphasis here on faithfulness. It is a fundamental requirement for
success, divine lifting, promotion and increases. No wonder God said in 1 Corinthians 4 : 2 ,
“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” Here faithfulness is not a
suggestion, but a requirement.

Some Christians are going through hard situations today, not because they are not walking in the
covenant per se, but because they are not faithful, especially in money matters. I saw a statement
about father Abraham in Nehemiah 9:8:

And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of
the Canaanites...to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous.

Faithfulness was what qualified Abraham for greatness. Again in Galatians 3:8-9, we see how

faithfulness provoked divine blessings for him; and by covenant for all of us who follow his
example.

Faithfulness is, therefore, a requirement for success.

Be Grateful
To be grateful means to be thankful or appreciative. It is your depth of gratitude that determines
your altitude.

David said it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord (Ps. 92:1). That was one of the secrets of
his lifting. In Psalm 116:12, 17, the Psalmist said he would render unto God the sacrifice of
thanksgiving. Why did he call it a sacrifice? It is because there are times you give thanks for what
you have not yet received. Note that nothing shatters destiny like grumbling. It breaks down your
defences and exposes you to the oppression of the wicked one.

God’s will for every member of the body of Christ is for us to be thankful in everything. If you have
lost anything at all, God is the reason you have not lost everything. Therefore, follow prophet
Habakkuk’s advice and rejoice (Hab. 3:17-19). You cannot go down praising God, neither can you
remain empty.

These four fundamentals are things you deliberately and consciously choose to be. The choice to
succeed is in your hands. Take grace today to make the right choice, and your success will be
unending.