“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Quit praying and GET THE PEOPLE MOVING! FORWARD, MARCH!” – Exodus 14:15 Living Bible.
A Turning Point of Divine Revelation
About 23 years ago, while still a medical student, I attended a meeting that became a turning point in my life. Under the ministration of one of our generation’s great patriarchs of faith, Bishop David Oyedepo—the President and Founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide—I gained a deeper understanding of God’s vision. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he unveiled a practical approach to discovering the vision of God for our lives.
Credibility in Action: Living the Message
What set Bishop Oyedepo’s approach apart was his credibility. Having received God’s vision for his life during an 18-hour encounter in 1981—a vision validated by infallible proofs witnessed worldwide—he spoke as a practitioner, not merely as a philosopher. As Dr. John C. Maxwell’s Law of Credibility in The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication reminds us, “Your most effective message is the one you live.” Credibility matters, and who we learn from is just as important as what we learn.
Divine Revelation: Instant or Sought For?
Bishop Oyedepo shared that the vision of God can be revealed at God’s own instance—as seen in the lives of Apostle Paul (Acts 9, 22, 26), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1), and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1). Yet, if God does not speak to you in that instant, you are not without hope. The Scriptures encourage us to receive God’s vision through earnest inquiry:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” [Matthew 7:7 NKJV].
Jeremiah 33:33 [NKJV] “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
Passion: The Unquenchable Flame
If you receive no clear voice from God after sincere inquiry, Bishop Oyedepo revealed that two factors come into play: passion and gifts. Passion is that burning desire within—a compelling force that drives you to find solutions and change the world. Consider the vivid imagery of passion in Scripture: “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it…” [Song of Solomon 8:7 New Century Version]. This real, unyielding passion is like a fire that no water can quench, urging you to pursue the vision God has placed in your heart.
Mother Teresa [a modern example] and Nehemiah [a Biblical Example] both became renowned for their passion to abolish the suffering of humanity. For Mother Teresa, her passion was for the poorest of the poor which led to her founding the Missionaries of Charity, a Catholic religious congregation founded in 1950. It is dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor, irrespective of social class, creed, or color in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, and has grown to over 5,000 sisters working in over seventy countries around the world.
For Nehemiah, it is the rebuilding of the shattered wall of Jerusalem and the task of reviving and reforming the people of God within the rebuilt wall that demands years of Nehemiah`s godly life and leadership. [See Nehemiah 1-13].
Gifts: The Divine Endowment
Alongside passion, your God-given gifts play a crucial role in your divine mission. As the Bible affirms in Romans 11:29 (Amplified Bible): “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
Your gifts set you on a mission—opening doors and place you before great opportunities. Proverbs 18:16 (AMPC) reminds us, “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.”
Living the Vision: A Call to Action
You are either running with a vision, burning with passion, or going on a mission. Whether God reveals His vision instantly or you discover it through dedicated inquiry, embracing your vision is essential for fulfilling the destiny He ordained for you. Stay tuned for next week’s message as we continue to explore this great subject. [To be concluded next week]
