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MAXIMIZING

OPPORTUNITIES
WHILE YOU ARE

YOUNG.

Emmanuel Idowu

© 2023

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 Table of Content

Chapter 1.

Remember God

Chapter 2.

Discovering your purpose and having a constructive vision for your life

Chapter 3

The Gift of a Man

Chapter 4

The power of preparation

Chapter 5

A good character secures your destiny.

Chapter 6

Don't downplay the advantage of God`s favor in your life.

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Chapter 7

Destiny needs relationship and partnership.

Chapter 8

Be humble to serve with your gifts.

Chapter 9

Living a disciplined and orderly life

Chapter 10

Becoming a friend of Jesus

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 INTRODUCTION

The scriptures say it is good for a man to bear his yoke in his youth (Lamentation
3:27). If you waste your youthful season today, you will cry in old age. You are in a
season of your life where opportunities are boundless and limitless. How you maximize
this moment of opportunity will determine what the next phase of your life will be.
Your youthful season is a planning and preparation phase for the next phase of your
life. It is the phase where you build principles and develop a mindset for a superior way
of living. It is the period when you build a road map for your destiny. I want you to
know that not every opportunity a man encounters in life can be called common or a
coincidence; some are divinely orchestrated by God, but when a man is barren of
knowledge, he will suffocate all divine opportunities on his way and recycle a season
of pains all through the journey of his life on earth.

In this book, you will learn how to make the best use of your life for God and for the
benefit of humanity. Your life will become a tremendous asset, not only to yourself but
to the world at large. The wisdom in this book will make it impossible to live a
frustrated and unfulfilled life. The wisdom of God in this book will break every
limitation in your life and make your life a sign and a wonder.

Be blessed.

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 CHAPTER 1

REMEMBER GOD

Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before
you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” Ecclesiastes 12:1

“Remember your creator in the days of your youth” (Ecc. 12:1).

The Bible is saying to us, ‘Remember God now,’’ not when you have finished
partying and ruining your health with drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, so that you say,
“Well, I’m sick now. I’d better go find God.” God wants you to remember your
creator early so that He can set you on course for your entire life. Some of you know
what I’m talking about because you’ve been there and now regret it. Others might
not be using harmful substances, but you know how you are ruining your life by
making all manner of wrong decisions.

Put God first, and He will take care of everything else. What do I mean when I say
to put God first?

Give your life to him. Spend time talking to him. Let him be your best friend. Read
His Word, fellowship with Him, and let Him make you the kind of person He
designed you to be.

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You will discover at the end of your life, after you have chosen to run after
everything, that God is the center of everything. You will discover that a life without
God is a total waste and emptiness. You must always remember that in the beginning
there was God, and after you leave this earth, there will always be God who rules
over the affairs of men. Let everything in your life revolve around God. Don`t pursue
that career and drop God behind; don’t pursue that marriage and drop God behind;
don’t run after money and push God behind. You will soon discover that you are
pushing aside the most important factor in your life.

I will round up this chapter with this word of God, particularly for you:

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given
you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his
laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied,
when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your
silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you
will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery .

Deuteronomy 8:10-14

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 CHAPTER TWO

DISCOVERING GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE & HAVING A VISION

FOR YOUR LIFE

The richest place in the world is not South Africa’s gold mine; it’s not the Nigerian
oil wells; and it’s not the United States of America’s silver mine. Rather, it’s the
cemetery.

The cemetery contains millions of ideas, visions, and dreams that were not fulfilled,
books that were not written, songs that were not sung, cars that were not
manufactured, buildings and towers that were not constructed, and so on.

God’s will for your life is for you to die empty, leaving this world fulfilled as Jesus
did on the cross and saying,” It is finished.” As Apostle Paul said, “I have fought the
good fight, I have run the race, and I have kept the faith.”

In discovering God’s purpose for your life, there are five basic questions you must
find answers to:

Who am I? Identity

Where am I from? Heritage

Why am I here? Purpose

What can I do? Potential

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Where am I going? Destiny

If you are yet to find answers to these questions, your life is only an experiment
without a clear future or end.

Let’s analyze the questions.

“Who am I?" is a question of identity. Many young people who don’t know their
true identity. They live the way others live, talk the way others talk, and do the things
others do. You need to find out who you really are.

“Where am I from?” is the question of heritage. You have to find out where you
are from. This does not refer to ethnic background but the source where came from.
If you don’t know where you are from, you will never know where you are going.
You are of God, sent to the earth to fulfil the agenda of God on earth.

“Why am I here?” is a question of purpose. You need to find your purpose in life
so you can live a purpose-driven life

“What can I do?” is a question of potential. Unless you discover your abilities and
potential, you will never maximize them. God has deposited something in you for
you to impact the world around you, but you’ve got to bring it out. One of the ways
you can discover your potential is by discovering what you love and enjoy doing.
What do I mean by this? I mean discovering what brings you pleasure and
fulfillment.

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“Where am I going?” is a question of destination. You have to know where you are
going. If you don’t know where you are going, every way will look like the way to
go. The greatest tragedy in life is not death; the greatest tragedy in life is a life
without a purpose. A dead man is no longer accountable for why he is living. God’s
greatest desire is for you to discover your purpose for life.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand (Proverbs
19:21).

To God, this verse means three things:

Purpose is more important than plans.

Purpose is more powerful than plans.

Purpose precedes plans.

God says your plans for life—your ideas, dreams, desires, career, business, and what
you want to study in college—should come after discovering His purpose for your
life. God is therefore only concerned with your purpose and not your plans.

WHAT IS PURPOSE?

Purpose is:

The original intent of a thing.

The reason why something was made.

The cause of creation.

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Purpose is the reason why a thing exists; it’s the desired result for a thing, and it’s
the source of destiny. The intent of God is the will of God. God is pleased when you
discover your purpose for life and get busy doing it. God is only committed to His
purpose, not your plans. Whatever God calls for, He provides for. Whatever you
were born to do is already paid for.

Finding God’s purpose for your life equals finding lasting peace and fulfillment.

The goal of life is not to become rich but to be faithful to your calling.

A successful man is not a rich man; a successful man is a fulfilled man. Wealth
provided for your assignment will surely come your way when you pursue the
project of God for your life; hence, your money should be used to as a tool to execute
God’s project for your life.

Until you find out why God made you, you’ll never have meaning in life. Purpose is
your life.

Ephesians 1:3

“The Father has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavens." The only issue
here is that it is trapped in the unseen realm, but you must know how to tap into those
spiritual blessings and release them on earth.

Whatever you need to succeed has already been made available. Our spiritual
blessings in the heavenly places will only come when we see the reason why they
exist: because God has chosen you to fulfil His mandate on earth.

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Purpose attracts provision!

When you look into what you’re born to do, God releases the required resources you
need to do it.

If you discover the reason why God chose you, then everything you need will surely
find you.

Your provision comes when you discover your assignment.

What you’re born to do will attract what has been hiding from you. Your purpose is
the key to the wealth of your country.

Your past or present don’t depict your future. You don’t need to leave your country
to find God’s will for your life or to finance it. There is a reason why He’s placed
you in that nation. You can start changing the world right from where you are. When
you find your purpose, the world will come to you.

HOW CAN YOU DISCOVER PURPOSE?

1. Look in God’s manual. The manual contains the skeletal structure of how a
device works. When you look in the manual, you find the intent or reason why
the creator created the product.

Then what is the manual for men? The manual for man can only be found in
scripture. As you fix your eyes on God’s Word, you will find the purpose of your
life.
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“He has set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

2. Partnership with the Holy Spirit

You’ve got to understand that the work God has given you is a baby (pregnancy),
and you’re a virgin because you have never done it before. You therefore need His
leadership and guidance.

You have to involve the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit). God will never give you an
assignment that does not involve Him. If you can succeed in what you’re doing
without God, then it’s not a God thing.

3. Association

You need to be around people who will make your baby leap (Mary and Elizabeth).
Don’t keep company with barren people who are trying to talk you out of your
dream. “Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you your future." Choose people who’ll
help you get to where God wants you to be. Keep company with people with
vision—people who are also carrying a dream. Make a choice to be purpose-driven
today.

4. Fulfilment Matters

What is that thing that brings you fulfillment when you do it for yourself or for the
benefit of others? It can be found in your purpose. Purpose is the stream of pleasure
found in your heart and expressed by your spirit to others. It’s something you could
die doing, even if nobody is ready to pay you. When you understand all that is written

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above, your purpose will come alive. Your purpose will keep you busy and focused,
and it will bring you value and differentiate you among the crowd.

HAVE A CLEAR VISION FOR YOUR LIFE

Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits
its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely
come; it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:2-3

When you don’t have a vision for your life, everything becomes an open door. When
you don’t know where you are going in life, people will take you where you don’t
want to go. Many people have become escorts of other people's destinies because
they have no vision for their own lives.

Vision brings stability to your life; vision brings focus to your life. When you have
a vision for your life, you will discover that there are certain relationships that just
need to leave your life, and you will discover there are certain places you will never
want to go again. You will discover that you begin to get uncomfortable with
mediocrity and laziness. Vision keeps you awake in the night. Vision allows you to
be time-sensitive.

Remember that a vision is not the same thing as a goal, such as building a house,
buying a sports car, or having a million dollars in the bank. Having a purpose and
vision has to do with your life's existence. It enables you to answer the question,
“Why was I born?” While you can’t know all the ramifications of your life, which

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God may reveal to you in eternity, you should have a good idea of the purpose He
has given you to accomplish on earth. Without it, all you’re doing is existing.

Your vision is a clear conception of something that is not yet reality but that can
exist. It is a strong image of a preferable future. This means that the present is not
enough; something else is needed. You should never settle for what you currently
have. In fact, a true visionary irritates those who want things to remain as they always
have. Vision is always pushing the envelope. It demands change by its very nature.

When you don’t have a concrete vision for your life, you may not even recognize
some opportunities that God will bring into your life. Having a vision for your life
helps you maximize times and seasons. You begin to think ahead of your peers. Your
vision will surely determine the kinds of friends you want to have around you. When
people have no vision, they submit to whatever comes their way. Gossip, envy, and
jealousy are the common parameters of people without vision. Now that you are
young, Have a concrete vision for your life and a clear direction for it. Don’t be a
confused young man; don't be a confused lady. When you have a vision for your life
and you are committed to the vision, you become a man or a woman of value. In
fact, having a clear vision for your life can tell you the kind of person you are to
marry. Vision distinguishes you from others; it puts a mark of honor and dignity on
you. Whatever God has called you to be and whatever purpose you have been called
to fulfill, make sure you have a clear direction for how to make it a reality. It is your
vision that gives you the strategy to fulfill your purpose.

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 Chapter 3

The Gift of a Man

A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. Provb 18:16

There is nothing that gives me such a mind boost as reading this part of the scripture.
The Bible says the gift of a man makes room for him; do you really know what that
means at all? It means no matter how tough the situation of life or the economy of
your nation, regardless of your location or tribe, if your gift is discovered, developed,
and deployed in an excellent way, it will create a room (opportunity) for you, and it
does not finish there; it will also make you stand before great men.

Look into your Bible; you will encounter men who discover the power of what is
lying within them and make use of it to change circumstances in the face of the earth.
What do you want to say about Joseph with his gift to interpret dreams, Daniel with
divine intelligence, David with excellent skill in leadership, Solomon with the gift
of creative wisdom, and the Apostle Paul with the gifts of intelligent writings that
the body of Christ depends upon today? Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 13
or 14 are traditionally attributed to Paul.

The easiest way to find your way in life is to find your area of gifting. There is a
special gift that God has given you to wow and bless the world. Our individual gifts
are an indicator of our purpose, and until they are discovered, nurtured, and
developed, we will continue to travel another man’s journey. Of all the paths that
can take a man to high places in life, there is only one that seldom fails, and this is
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the path of our gifting. Against popular belief, our gifts and passion, not our degrees
or certificates, are our tickets to high places in life.

Rev. Sam Adeyemi said, “You will only shine in the area of your gifting.’’ Education
can never take the place of your gift; an individual gift is an indicator of our purpose
and calling in life. Any education that does not teach us to discover, develop, and
deploy our gifts and uniqueness to solve problems is a waste. Education will never
make you wealthy; it will only provide a platform to express your gifts. Real wealth
lies not in your educational qualifications; real wealth lies in your gift.

The Place of Competence and Excellence

Just as the Bible says the gift of a man makes room for him, I want you to know that
a discovered but undeveloped gift is just as useless as an undiscovered gift. You can
never become a profitable servant with an undeveloped gift. Just as gold in its raw
state is not really attractive until it passes through fire, so is an undeveloped gift.
Until gold passes through fire and the refining process, that is when it commands the
attention of men, so a man with unsharpened skills and potentials cannot stand before
great men and kings until he diligently educates his callings, sharpens his giftings
and potentials, and develops himself to deliver with his giftings and skills
excellently. Serving kings requires a level of competence and excellence with a high
level of precision. The quality of your competence in serving your gifts will
determine the quality of the people you serve. So, discovering your gifts is not
enough in the competitive market of today’s world and reality; they have to be
sharpened and developed. That is why you see that not every gifted person is
successful.

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The difference between them and those that are successful is just the mercy of God
and the kind of training these people exposed themselves to on a daily basis in order
to refine and educate their gifts. Are you on the downside of life today? Are you on
the verge of giving up on yourself? I

want you to know that your life is not useless; you were not created as an empty
vessel. There is something great lying deep down inside you, calling you to breakout
into becoming what God has called you to be. You came into this world highly
loaded, and you must empty all that God has put inside you here before you leave.

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 CHAPTER 4

HAVE A SOLID PREPARATION FOR YOUR LIFE

Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.
Proverb 24:27

Sometimes ago, in one of my speaking engagements, I spoke about the importance

of preparation, and I have decided to put it in this book.

Nothing good can happen by itself. Success cannot happen by itself; success is not
accidental; it has to be intentional. Anything of value, of course, comes with a price.
You cannot make predictable progress in life without attaining the posture of
sacrifice.

Looking at the above Scripture, it says, ‘Prepare thy work without’’

Even the scripture cannot neglect the word ‘PREPARE’. The scripture says, Prepare
your work without... This is due to the fact that preparation is a work.

Many times, I hear many believers’ quote: ‘Time and chance happen to them all’ but
this kind of confession is not balanced.

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If I say time and chance happen to them all and I sit down all through my life doing
nothing, that will make me the most miserable man on earth because time does not
change anything but only reveals. Time either reveals your preparation or lack of
preparation. Don’t be deceived all through your lifetime and say “Time and chance
happen to them all’’.

When the scripture says ‘time and chance’ what it means is that ‘’OPPORTUNITY’’
will come to everyone, but when opportunity cannot meet preparation in your life,
the outcome will always be a season of recycling of pains and disappointment.

A future you didn’t prepare for cannot manifest by itself or by magic.

Preparation is a seed of manifestation; the tougher your preparation, the brighter

your manifestation. God has actually given you His word that you will be great, but
it won’t happen by magic; it will only happen through partnership. God has His own
responsibility to perform; you also have yours to perform. The fulfillment is in His
hands, but the preparation is in your hands. God operates in the realm of the Spirit;
you operate in the physical realm.

I have seen many anointed, gifted, and skilled men who are full of potential but
disappointed in life because of a lack of preparation. Actually, you cannot rush
preparation, but you may decide to short-live your manifestation. Many times, God
has answered our prayers, but our lack of preparation hinders the manifestation of

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our prayers. Anyone in life who will stand the test of time must go through a season
of preparation.

Sometimes what we call delay in our eyes is not delay; it is God trying to prepare us
for the great journey we have ahead of us. God is so righteous in delaying us because
He knows that when these opportunities and events unfold, we are most likely to
blow everything out because there is not enough capacity to enhance the opportunity,
so He introduces a season of delay. Don’t misquote me; I don’t mean all delays come
from God; the devil (demon spirits) and human interference and cooperation can
also introduce delays into someone’s life. But if all these are cast out by prayers and
the authority of God’s words, and delay still remains, it could be a message from
God that you need to use that season to prepare for greater opportunities that will
soon unfold in your life.

Stop guessing about life; you cannot confront life with boldface alone; you need to
sit down and prepare for the journey ahead.

If you remember the dream of Joseph, he talked about the seven years of plenty and
the seven years of famine. I think this really relates to us as young people, because
the first season of our lives is full of abundance of strength, vigor, and vision that
we can use to work, plan, and think and prepare for the later season of our lives
(famine season). Famine season is a night of your life where you can hardly work
because your strength is no more strong like before, your mobility is reduced, and
your work rate has been grossly reduced because your body is getting older. Now,
what determines your survival in this season of your life is actually what you use
your abundance season to do.

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The season of abundance in your life is not a season to play away time; it is a season
to build capacity.

Are you building capacity at all?

Are you building your spiritual capacity?

Are you building your emotional capacity?

Are you building your mental capacity?

Are you building your relational capacity?

Are you building your financial capacity?

Some of us need to stop buying clothes and start investing in our minds. You need
to start buying and studying books on leadership, finances, spirituality, relationships,
entrepreneurship, and how to communicate effectively. It is unfortunate that today
we have graduates who don’t know how to communicate their thoughts and ideas.

You need to educate yourself about your calling so as to maximize every moment of
your destiny. A transformed life is always a product of a transformed mind. You
must make sure that at every stage of your life, you are always upgrading and
updating yourself. Sometimes, you may need to attend personal development
seminars, master classes, and conferences. You may also need to pay for a class.
Whatever is going to make you experience personal growth and whatever is going
to add value to your life, make sure no day passes without doing it.

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One of the things you must not joke with in your life is financial education. Finance
is one of the reasons why many destinies are crippled; it has made many lives and
visions handicapped. Money is a resource tool that can help us be efficient in
fulfilling our destiny, while a lack of it can cause a big distraction for you for the
rest of your life. Unfortunately, this is not taught in school, so you need to take
responsibility for your life by going out of school walls and learning how to make,
manage, and multiply money by buying necessary books, getting necessary
information, going to different finance conferences, or paying for a master class in
order to stay updated and know what is expected of you in this current world to make
money.

Financial education is the development of financial intelligence; it is the

understanding of money and the inner workings of it. It is understanding the
principles, strategies, and laws of wealth creation, entrepreneurship, and financial
freedom.

Sometimes, you may need to give yourself some time off from the pressures of this
world and find a proper place to invest in your life. Never underestimate what
personal growth can do for your life. Growth is like a magnet; it can attract many
good things into your life. When you are spiritually, emotionally, and mentally
sound, you are always ready to maximize every opportunity that comes your way.

While you are young, whether you are on campus, serving, or already a graduate,
maximize the moment by learning skills that can give you an edge in the digital age.
Skills like software development, motion graphics design, animation, content
creation and management, website development, social media marketing and

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management, copywriting, virtual assistants, and so on in today’s world, don’t be a
youth without any skills; always be adequately prepared. Don’t let your destiny
helper meet you in emptiness, doing nothing. Always be prepared.

Let me round up this chapter by sharing this short story just to inspire and motivate
someone reading this book.

In the year 2018/2019, I was led to write a book titled “Rescue the Teenagers” and
give it out for free to youth and teenagers all around the world. The book went viral,
and many lives were blessed, touched, and delivered by the hand of God. In 2021, I
got a message from a non-profit organization in the United States stating that they
would love to sponsor the republishing of the book in the United States with an
estimated thousands of dollars for publishing and marketing. That was how “Rescue
the Teenagers” became an international book and is found on different global
platforms today. Why? This is because the season of preparation encounters the
season of opportunity. Assuming I gave an excuse when the Lord was leading me to
write the book or procrastinating from year to year, I would have missed the season
of my opportunity. May you not miss a turning point in your life and destiny, in
Jesus’ name.

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 CHAPTER 5

GOOD CHARACTER SECURES YOUR DESTINY

Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust proverb 11:6

I want you to know that your character can either be a blessing to yourself and others
or a curse. Character is like a magnet; it can attract good people and good things into
your life, and it can also repel great things away from you. That is why having a
great destiny is not enough; you must have a good character. A great destiny without
a good character is like a crack in the wall. It is just a matter of time; it will soon
crash.

As Dr. Myles Munroe says, ''A person of character does not live with popularity but
with principles. Leaders must have character because people won't follow you if they
can't trust you. character attracts loyalty’’

Character is a commitment to a set of values.

A CHARACTER is a commitment to a set of STANDARDS.

Character is a self-imposed discipline to a good moral standard.

A good character has integrity.

A person of character locks himself in the prison of his own conviction. Your future
depends on your character, not on your charisma. The only thing that protects your
gifts and destiny is your character.
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You can be gifted, talented, intelligent, and excellent at what you do, but if you lack
character, nobody will want you in their lives. Nobody wants a gifted rebel in his or
her life. In every organization, more than being excellent at what you do, people
want to see your faithfulness and loyalty. If you lack the virtues of integrity, honor,
respect, discipline, and humility, don’t blame people if they stay far away from you.

Could it be that the reason why favor and some good things in life are far from some
people is because they lack character despite being prayer warriors? Do you know a
man can get a good job and promotion just by displaying the virtues of honor,
respect, and humility? When you greet people, you greet them well. You don't greet
in a mannerless way and expect people to answer you. Pride repels good things and
good people away from you, but practicing honor attracts favor into your life.
Nobody has an antidote against honor. When you honor people with your heart
genuinely, they will find themselves just being attracted to you for no reason. Why?
Because honor is a magnet, it pulls good things into your life.

Sometimes, I hear people complain about how they chatted with someone online and
the person saw it and never responded. So, my most available answer is: What is the
content of the message about? Does the communicated honor, especially when you
are chatting with someone who is older than you. You can't chat with someone in a
mannerless way and expect to get a response. Nobody has that expensive time to
allow uncultured people into their lives. You are chatting with someone who is
supposed to be your boss at work or older than you early in the morning, and you
are saying something like "Hi". "How far" and "What's up" are the first greetings,
and you get angry when they don't respond to your message. This alone has actually

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revealed a lot about who you are to them and how you will misbehave when they
give you a little position of influence. When you want to greet people, greet them
well. Words like "good morning" and “good afternoon" should not be far from your
mouth.

Another thing you must learn is the importance of integrity in building a good
character. Integrity is not who we are when people are watching us; it is who we are
when no one is watching us. This can be achieved with the help of God. Without
integrity, people cannot trust you, and when people don't trust you, they can't commit
great things to your hands. Integrity with time, integrity with money, integrity in
business, and integrity in every important aspect of life really matter.

In addition to integrity, you must add loyalty to your life as a virtue. No matter how
great, skilled, or gifted you could be, when trust and loyalty are lacking in your life,
no one will be able to trust you with something of worth. I have discovered that in
this kind of decaying world, loyalty, trust, and integrity are getting very scarce.
People hardly trust anyone because they have once trusted people who betrayed them
and almost destroyed them. Nobody wants a gifted rebel in their life. There are great
people who don’t really care how skilled you are; all they want to see is stability in
your

character; they want to see trust, loyalty, and commitment over the years. They want
to see if you are not going to mismanage their money; they want to see if you are not

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going to disclose their secret pains to other people when they open up their wounds
to you. They want to know if you are not going to stab them in the back after they’ve
fully opened up about their lives to you. They want to know if you are not going to
take them for granted for who they are.

If all these virtues are lacking in your life, men will only hire you to solve problems
for them but will never commit something great to your hands. Build yourself up to
become someone people can trust and confide in. You must build yourself up to be
dependable; I am not necessarily saying you should be perfect.

It was said of Joseph:

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is
no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my house, and all
my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be
greater than you.” Genesis 41:40

People can only commit great things to your hands when they can trust you. Have
you developed enough capacity to handle great things intelligently? Do you have
those virtues that can make you stand before kings and serve unashamedly?

Can God trust you?

Can people trust you?

Finally, learn appreciation. One of the characters that has destroyed so many
Africans is entitlement mentality.

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In life, you must early discover that nobody owes you anything in this life; the earlier
you discover this, the earlier you rise up to take responsibility for your life, and you
must also understand that nobody is responsible for your predicament in life.

Our outcome in life is a result of the choices and decisions we make, and decisions
decide destiny. If peradventure people go out of their way to help you or assist you,
count it as divine privilege and don't take it for granted. You must learn to eradicate
entitlement mentality; it has destroyed many lives. Entitlement mentality is a very
bad life to live. Learn to show deep appreciation and gratitude to God and to men.
Learn to say thank you.

Gratitude and appreciation bring multiplication, while a lack of gratitude brings

demotion, stagnancy, and backwardness. I believe you are blessed.

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 Chapter 6

DON’T DOWNPLAY THE ADVANTAGE OF GOD’S FAVOR IN YOUR

LIFE

There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on
him. Luke 2;40

This is a very powerful topic I want to discuss with you here, and I don’t want you
to take it lightly.

Have you ever looked not far from you and observe to see people who are educated,
skillful, intelligent, hardworking and diligent and even backed up with good
character and attitude and yet it seems nothing is not just happening with them, it is
as if all doors are close against them. They labored from morning to night, only to
eat the bread of sorrow. And if you also look not far from you, you will also see
someone who hardly managed to graduate from school, who failed different courses,
and even has an extra year in school or a repeated class and after leaving the shores
of the school world, ten years later it is as if they move forward in life with a speed
of light. Dear friend, I want you to know that there is this grace called favor. Not
everybody is a thief, not everybody is a yahoo, not everybody is a scammer, and not
everybody is a ritualist. There are people living their best lives on earth today who
are products of God’s mercy and favor, not fraud. It doesn’t matter the background
you came from or the economy of the country you reside in when the favor of God
is upon you; it makes life unfair because it changes your life like day and night. You
become the envy of men, and everything you touch prospers.

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 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Romans 9:16

What is Favor?

Favor is an unusual access, favor is an unusual acceptance, and favor is an unusual

kindness and benevolence. Favor is when people are really ready to sacrifice their
time, commitment, giftings, connections, and resources to that which will contribute
to your lifting, visibility, and fulfillment of your destiny in life. If this is your
experience in life, you are highly favored by God. It is not enough to find favor
before God; you must find favor before men, because men are the direct channels
through which God reaches out to you to help you.

Life without the favor of God is harsh; that kind of life is full of pain, anger, and
bitterness towards God and men.

Take a look at what the Bible said about Joseph:

The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian
master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him
success in everything he did,

Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his
household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.

From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD
blessed the household of the Egyptians because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on
everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. Genesis 39:4-9

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That is what the favor of God does in a man’s life; it distinguishes you, it brings
mighty promotion into your life, and the presence of favor in your life can add ten
years of speed to your life. Favor is an advantage in this cruel and wicked world.
Whatever makes humans forget their own personal needs and focus on your own
needs, it must be the favor of God because humans are naturally selfish.

I won’t be satisfy in this book if I tell you to get skills, get knowledge, educate your
calling, sharpen your gifts and talents, and prepare for opportunities, and then
neglect the favor of God. That will be a great disadvantage to you because it is
sometimes the favor of God that orchestrates defining moments in our lives that
result in our greater breakthroughs.

How to Activate God’s Favor in Your Life

1. Soaking yourself in the presence of God

When you carry the presence of God, you carry the favor of God everywhere you go
because the presence of the Mighty One within your spirit will always attract good
things into your life. When you carry the presence of God within you, bad luck will
be far away from you. You can’t carry God and experience bad luck at the same
time. Check this scripture out:

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the
keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners
who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not
look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority because the Lord was with him, and whatever
he did, the Lord made it prosper. —Genesis 39:21–23

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What does this tell you? If you refuse to bow to your circumstances and continue to
be conscious of the Lord’s presence, wherever you are placed and whatever your
environment, you will rise to prominence. You will have favor with your bosses, and
they will promote you to man-in-charge. And whatever you do will prosper!

2. Practice the Law of Honor.

Like we have discussed in the past chapter, you must learn how to honor all men.
When you practice honor, favor will always be looking for you, because no man is
immune to honor. One of the needs of man is to feel valued, loved, appreciated, and
honored. When you are practicing and living out all these virtues, people will always
be attracted to you for no reason. Practice honor for your parents, boss, friends, and
everyone else around you. Learn to greet people well, and learn the common
courtesy of saying thank you. Occasionally appreciate people in your life; appreciate
that boss who always pays your salary without delaying every month; learn to say
thank you. Sometimes buy cards and send them to people with words of
appreciation. This is not human worship, but acknowledging the value of people in
your life and how they remain so important to you. I tell you, if you are practicing
this with your life, there are no available opportunities that will come that men will
not first remember you before thinking about anybody. Hornor is powerful.

3. Be valuable and competent.

Nobody will look for you if you are not carrying anything of worth, and people will
ignore you because you have nothing to offer. You're alone because you're not
producing anything noteworthy. Competence is a booster; it will propel you beyond
your history, expectations, and constraints. Nobody will be loyal to you unless you

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trust God to be a master of something. There is a dimension of leadership that is
based on results; people want to see true and replicable results, and doing so requires
competence. Competence will pay you again and again; mediocrity only produces
beggars.

If no one places a demand on you, it is an indication that your value and contribution
are low or not there. When all men seek you out, then you’re making a significant
contribution that produces results. When all men seek you out, then you’re making
a significant contribution that produces results. (John 14:6). Nobody invests in your
life indefinitely unless it has value.

Skill and competence are the cure to a life of lack. Your value must match the level
of hunger and thirst that the people have. When you become valuable, those who
need you will find you. When you are valuable and competent, it will be easy to
enhance the opportunities God is going to bring your way.

4. Divine Relationship

Men are channels through which God sends help to help fellow men. Anytime God
wants to help a man, he sends a man. Men are conduits of God’s blessings and favor.
You can’t live your life alone; you need a relationship. Relationships are ladders by
which men rise to the top. Both good and bad things flow through relationships. A
relationship ordained by God can channel favor into your life.

You have to realize that relationships are the foundation upon which everything
grows. A relationship is an investment; if you don't make any, don't count on returns.
A man who faces difficulties alone is doomed.

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I would like to round up this chapter with this Scriptural reading.

I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the
race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go
hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t
always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the
right time. Ecclesiastes 9:11

5. Sow Favorr:

In other words – show favor toward others. Psalm 112:5 says, “A good man sows
favor, and lends: he will guide his affairs with discretion.” You will reap what you
sow. (Galatians 6:7). Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain
mercy.” So be merciful to other people. Sow favor into the life of those that don’t
deserve it and you will receive favor that you do not deserve. Look for those that
cannot necessarily repay you and show them favor and you will activate the favor of
God over your life. If you want to activate the favor of God in your life, start giving
favor to others.

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 Chapter 7

THE ASSIGNMENT OF DESTINY HELPERS

One good connection can provide you with everything you've ever desired out of
life. It is not enough to have skills and talents; you must comprehend the power of
constructing relationships with people who are useful." You must constantly ask
yourself these questions: Who am I around? "What exactly are they trying to do to
me? What are they trying to get me to read? What do they think I'm trying to say?
Where exactly do they want me to go? What exactly do they want me to believe?
And perhaps most importantly, what do they envision for my future self? Then you
need to ask yourself the important question, "Is this acceptable?" Put yourself in the
company of individuals who have a vision of where God is taking you and who are
as addicted to your success as you are to seeing them succeed. The trip to the
fulfillment of your destiny will involve passion, self-discovery, gifts, talents,
prayers, and hard work; nevertheless, the ability to associate with the appropriate
people will put the highest demand on your ability to fulfill this journey.

It is not so much the things that you have in your life that matter as compared to the
people that you have in your life. The core secret behind exceptional people is that
they put in a lot of effort to develop strong relationships with other people. While
it's easy to blow away money, cultivating meaningful relationships is a never-ending
process.

God is the lifter of men, yet He accomplishes it through the efforts of other men.
Someone else is in charge of providing you with the assistance that

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you require at this time. It is essential to the fulfillment of your destiny that you have
the ability to recognize, accept, appreciate, locate, and celebrate the people that God
has allocated to aid you in your journey through life. Some people have difficulty
navigating life not because they are lacking in abilities or talent but rather because
they are disconnected from the people who can assist them in fulfilling their destiny.
There is no such thing as a man who has made his own success. The path to achieving
our destiny will place a very high demand on the participation of those individuals
who are essential to the fulfillment of our destiny.

There are a lot of people who aren't doing so well as a direct consequence of the fact
that certain relationships in their lives are lacking. The same is true for everyone's
ability to attribute their success to particular healthy connections in their lives. There
are different kinds of relationships or destiny helpers that are extremely important to
the accomplishment of one's destiny. They each contribute to our lives in unique and
important ways that are complementary to one another. You need discernment and
a keen eye to identify these kinds of destiny helpers and then position yourself in
such a way as to make the most of the opportunities they present.

1. Destiny Connectors: These are the individuals that can provide you with the
connections and contacts that are essential to the accomplishment of your
destiny. They are the pinnacle of your connection points. They have the ability
to connect you to people and resources in a way that your degree and
certificate will never be able to do in your lifetime. These are exceptional
relationships that can open doors in an instant that your education and
experience will never be able to open for you, no matter how long you live. It

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 has come to my attention that there is a significant correlation between the
caliber of your interpersonal connections and the variety of life experiences
to which you will be exposed. I want you to know that you need a discerning
spirit to identify these people, because sometimes they don’t always come in
the form you may think of. A destiny connector may be your cleaner at work,
your gateman, your housekeeper, or anybody you may never think of. That is
why you must be very humble in every season of your life, because pride
always closes doors against destiny. A destiny connector may be someone
who is not as educated as you are or as rich in knowledge or money as you
are, but one word or piece of wisdom from them can change your life forever.
If you are in doubt, read the story of Eli and his servant (2 Kings 5). It was
just one idea from this slave that changed the entire life of her master. Never
look down on men because you may pay for it for the rest of your life. Destiny
connectors still exist on earth today.

2. Mentors of Destiny: These are the individuals who have the experience and
access to opportunities that you require in order to realize your destiny. The
simple fact of life is that having a father would get you much further in life.
Isaac Newton quoted; "If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was
standing on the shoulders of giants." Every successful person had a guide or
an advisor who helped them along the path to achieve their goals. Some of the
most prominent people in history have had some of the most well-known
people of their day pave the way for them to achieve their goals and become
successful. Socrates served as a mentor to Plato, who in turn served as a
mentor to Aristotle, who in turn taught Alexander the Great. Henry Ford was
guided throughout his career by Thomas Edison. William Hewlett, one of the
people responsible for founding the HP Corporation, served as a mentor to
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 Steve Jobs. Maya Angelou, a well-known author and poet who has since
passed away, served as a guide and mentor to Oprah Winfrey. Steve Jobs, who
had previously served as CEO of Apple Inc., was a mentor to Mark
Zuckerberg, who is currently the CEO of Facebook.

3. Destiny Sponsors: The individuals whom God has chosen to provide

financial support for the realization of your goals are known as "destiny
sponsors." Your salary is insufficient to support the vision that God has given
you. The funds that you require to continue working on the project that God
has given you responsibility for are not in heaven; rather, they are in the bank
account of another person.

4. Destiny Prophets/Pastors: There is a spiritual altar behind every successful

enterprise. To operate at your full potential, you need to be under the blessing
of another person. Every person has a prophet in their life who is crucial to
where they are going. Be wary of impostors claiming to be prophets, but at
the same time, you must put yourself in a position to identify and make the
most of the prophet that God has put in your life. Your prayer alone is never
sufficient for the fulfillment of God’s plan and purpose for your life. Your
dreams need to be powered by other people’s prayers. In the Bible, the devil
wanted to make a mess of Peter’s ministry, but Jesus told him that he had
already prayed for him. We all need a ‘prayer bank’ that can fuel and power
us towards the fulfillment of God’s purpose for our lives.

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I pray for you that, in the name of Jesus, you may encounter the right people who
will push your life forward in the right place. May the Lord uproot wicked people
from your life. You will not miss destiny-defining moments in Jesus’ name,
Amen.

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 Chapter 8

BE HUMBLE TO SERVE WITH YOUR GIFTS

When you serve others with your gifts, you are serving God. When you do it for
humanity, you're doing it for Him. Jesus said, "If you give a cup of cold water to
someone in need, you will surely be rewarded". Every time you serve, God sees it.
Every time you help others, you go out of your way to pick up that friend, you come
early to sing in the choir, you stay late to train that co-worker, God is keeping the
records. Nothing goes unnoticed. He says, "You will surely be rewarded". That word
"Surely" means you can count on it. Have no doubt.

Now here's the key. Don't look for people to pay you back. People may not say
"Thank you". You may not get the credit you deserve. Nobody may be giving you
an applause. Serve others, there is an applause for you in heaven. Almighty God sees
your sacrifice. You don't need people cheering you on. You don't need somebody
clapping for you. You're not doing it for people, you're doing it for God. He's the
one that matters. He sees every act of kindness; he sees you volunteering at the
hospital. He sees you working in the nursery each week. He sees you taking your
neighbor to their doctor's appointment on your day off. When you serve others, God
promises you will be great in the kingdom.

Also, People who don't have the same gifts as us shouldn't be put down or judged
for their lack of ability, and we shouldn't brag about our own abilities. All of the gifts

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that we have were kindly given to us by God. We do not merit their treatment.
Serving the Lord, who is responsible for our salvation, is a high honor and privilege.
You also need the gifts that others have to offer, so be sure to acknowledge their
ministry and thank them for doing it. With humility, you should serve the Lord and
His body.

Finally, don't be envious of the blessings and giftings that other people have. You
are exactly who God created you to be, and the tasks that He has assigned to you are
critical to the Body of Christ overall health and well-being. We ought to work
together rather than compete against one another.

If you want to be effective in serving your gifts to bless other people lives, you must
learn to separate title from service, title is actually different from service, service is
what really gives meaning to title. Leadership is not Title; service is the true essence
of leadership. Therefore, if you want to be great, your entire life must be dedicated
in serving God and serving humanity.

Remember, the words of Jesus

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, Mark
10:43

When you are serving, don’t serve because of money, let your motive be pure and
genuine. Don’t be addicted to money. Work to learn. Don’t work for money. Work
for knowledge.” Don’t be first looking out for money when serving with your gifts,
let your motive first be mastery. There is a dimension in life when you have attained
a level of mastery and you have been mastered how to make good use of your gifts,
skills and potentials excellently and efficiently, then you will stand before kings and
not obscure men. Then, a reward system will be measured unto you because you
diligently trained yourself and your gifts. Greatness is always tied to service.

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 Chapter 9

Living a Disciplined and Ordered Life

Discipline is a great resource for the fulfillment of your destiny. While you are still
young, you must work on yourself to be disciplined and live an ordered life. You
must know what to do at any time. You need to build a structure around your life
that allows for your effectiveness and efficiency. As you grow in life, you need to
build a system around your life that disallows and repels mediocrity, laziness, and
distractions.

A person who is well disciplined is on track and has orderliness in life. Discipline is
the bridge between goals and accomplishment; hence, it is the key to success.
Discipline establishes a good basis for being selective, independent, punctual,
focused, encouraged, and staying organized in life.

You must structure the right time for praying, studying, cooking, visiting friends,
cleaning your room, and attending church or fellowship. Being a young man or
woman doesn’t mean your room should be dirty; that shouldn’t make your plates
and kitchen dirty, smelly, and rotten. Wearing a boxer or underwear for a week is
not excellence. When we come to your room, we must meet excellence. Don't live a
scattered and disorganized life; it won’t help you. Some people are so fond of always
finding something important anytime they are going out because there is never a
right place to put things; everywhere is just scattered.

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Your toilets and bathroom are so neat that it is so convenient for deep meditation
any time you are using them; no wonder it is called a convenience room. There are
some toilets you enter; you run out of them immediately. Don’t live that kind of life.

Learn to be neat and organized. Learn to be responsible and composed.

Start looking like where you are going. Brush your teeth well, barb your hair, and
look hygienic. Being a serious Christian brother or sister shouldn’t be the reason
why you should have body odor and your armpits should be choking and smelling;
that is why we have roll-ons and perfumes.

Learn how to dress constructively and excellently; never keep on wearing dirty
clothes without washing. If it is one cloth that you have, learn how to keep it clean
and well ironed. Don’t look like a thief. Let the first impression of you always be
catchy and excellent.

How you spend your time should be purpose-driven. When you cultivate this habit,
it will make you distinct and unique. Don’t just be an ordinary graduate with
indiscipline and a disorganized lifestyle. Learn to be excellent in all things, not only
in your academics but also in your character. Let the culture of the kingdom
influence and affect whatever you do. Learn how to honor people regardless of their
status. Your outings must be purpose-driven; don’t just say anything goes. Let your
life be organized and well coordinated; don’t just roam about like a bird around the
street. Learn how to eat well and communicate constructively. Before you speak in

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a public place, think very well. Let’s stop marketing God like a beggarly and weak
being. Our God is mighty, glorious, excellent, and worthy of praise.

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 Chapter 10

Becoming a Friend of Jesus

If you do not know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, simply pray the following prayer
in faith, and Jesus will be your Lord!

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. Your word says, “Whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). I am calling on you.
I pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life according to

Romans 10:9–10:

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God has
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.”

I confess that Jesus is the Lord, and I believe in my heart that God raised Him from
the dead. I am now reborn! I am a Christian—a child of Almighty God! I am saved!
You also said in Your Word, “If ye then are evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children:
HOW MUCH MORE shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ?”

(Luke 11:13).

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I’m also asking You to fill me with the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, rise up within me as
I praise God. I fully expect to speak with other tongues as You give me the utterance
(Acts 2:4). In Jesus’s name, amen.

Now, start praying in tongues as the spirit leads.

For help, counseling, and prayer, you may contact me at: +2347033984333

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