You Are a Success

In a world where men, women andchildren are increasingly becoming confusedin their quest for success, searching for it inthe wrong places, provides useful pragmatic guidelines. Itsprinciples are drawn from the eternal word ofGod, the Bible.

YOU ARE A SUCCESS

CHUKWUNYERE CHUKWU is a talentedindividual who through auto didacticismdevelops his authorial gifts. His books aim,chiefly, to motivate young men and women torealise their God given potentials irrespectiveof any prevailing circumstances around them.He is the author of several other books.

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Chukwunyere Chukwu

You Are A Success?Copyright© 2005

By

Chukwunyere Chukwu

ISBN: 978-065-911-0

Published in Nigeria bySilas Chukss Global Publishers

All rights reserved.No portion of this book may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrival system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

For further information or permission, address:Silas Chukss Global PublishersNo. 1, Block, Javy Shopping centreIbereko, BadagryP O. Box 379, Badagry, Lagos StateTel: +2348037233917, +234807833906E-mail: [email protected] chukwunyere2013gmail.comWebsite: www.chukwunyere.com

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I will continue to serve God and participate more in the upliftment of His Kingdom. I appreciate all members of Living Faith Church (Winner Chapel International), Badagry. This book is the Lord's doing and the best benefit I have derived from the Ministries of Pastor Yemi Joseph, the Senior Resident Pastor and Pastor Bimbo Toyibo. I also appreciate the entire people of God who have assisted me in one way or the other. I am grateful to Mr. Pius Ahimen and Dr Gab Osoba for the editioral assistance. My profound gratitude also go to Mr. Emeka Wohley Obi Okereke (NAFDAC), Mr. S.G. Omikunle (NAFDAC) and Al-Hassan Sudiq (NAFDAC)

I also express my gratitude to members of my Unit, the Evangelism Unit of the Winners Chapel Badagry, especially the Unit Leader, Deacon R.H.M Macaulay for the goodwill shown towards this project.

May Good continue to bless Bishop David Oyedepo and his family and all men of God who are working tirelessly to bring the best out of the youths in our society.

DEDICATION

Tel: +2348037233917, +234807833906E-mail: [email protected] chukwunyere2013gmail.comWebsite: www.chukwunyere.com

I dedicate this book to God Almighty, who revealed to

me in Isaiah 29:11-12 and Isaiah 30:29 what my

potentials are and gave me the grace to write this

book .I also dedicate this book to my future wife and

children.

Trust in the lord with allyour heart and lean not onyour own understanding'

Prov.3:5NIV

"Many things are known to man, but very, very little things do man know their value". The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law Deut. 29:29 NIV

*Note: All Scripture quotations are taken from New International Translation (NIV) and the King James Versions of the Bible except otherwise stated.

CONTENTS

Page

Introduction ................................. vi

Chapter 1: Prayer ..................... 1

Chapter 2: Fasting ...................... 22

Chapter 3: Faith .......................... 29

Chapter 4: Wisdom........................ 37

Chapter 5: Courage .................... 52

Chapter 6: Success ........................ 64

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INTRODUCTIONTHE SUPREMACY OF GOD

In today's world, and as a result of

the quest for success, many have

become confused. They begin to seek

answers to the question of success in the

wrong places. They go to great lengths

including entering into covenants with

Satan, in search of success. Even some

believers, who have been given the

power to succeed and powers over Satan

and his angels on the cross of Calvary

over two thousand years ago, also get

into the confusion to the ire and anguish

of their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

True, some may obtain some

semblance of success from the devil

CHAPTERONE

he word, prayer according to the

fifth edition of Oxford Advance

Learners Dictionary means, “To offer

thanks and make request to God”. The

act of prayer, from the Christian

perspective is the total submission to

God in body, soul and spirit. It is a

communion with a creator in

appreciation for protection, provision,

PRAYER

T

1vii

but it is only a semblance; thus, it fades

away as quickly as it comes. Real success

can only come from the one who owns

the heavens and the earth and the

fullness thereof. He is the only one that

gives success and adds no sorrow.

This book teaches the principles of

success from above, a source that has no

sorrow as attachment. The principles, as

contained in this booklet, are: prayer,

fasting, faith, wisdom and courage, each

is treated as a chapter. The ultimate

chapter deals with the principal focus of

the text-success giving the reader some

pragmatic steps towards success.

PrayerYou Are a Success

promotion, power and mercy. In

Christendom, an unbeliever is a person

who does not believe in Christ. The

soul, body and spirit of an unbeliever is

affected by his mind, environment, and

circumstances while a believer is

renewed by the word of God. His body,

soul and spirit is under God's

protection.

With body, soul and spirit polluted

by sin, an unbeliever lacks confidence

and spiritual motivation from God. He

lacks God's guidance and direction.

The spirit of an unbeliever is always

anxious. His soul reacts to and is

subject to or is influenced by

environmental stimuli.

The implication of prayer to

believers is that believers are

influenced by the word of God and

prayers make them to be renewed.

Their soul acknowledges the existence

of God through the word of God. They

study the word of God daily. Their

body becomes the medium through

which God works and exercises his

power which is call miracle. It is only a

fool that says God doesn't exit PS 53:1

or that God does not perform wonders

Romans 8: 3 &11 .

2 3

4 5

1.2 WHY SHOULD BELIEVERS PRAY?

Prayers, we have explained is a

communion with God. Believers pray

for the following reasons:

a. To be protected by God: Having

belief in God who abounds in

power-supernatural powers

believers pray for protection.

God, their heavenly father with

limitless power protects them.

The Bible is full of people who

prayed for and got God's

protection. David, the three

Hebrew young men, Shedrach,

Marshack and Abednego and so

on. If you would pray today, you

wil l surely received God's

protection.

b. To Gain Promot ion: God

promotes believers through

prayers. Believers pray to enhance

their body, soul and spirit.

Promotion could be physical as

in their places of work; spiritual

that is for spiritual growth and or

even progression from one level

of faith to another. Jabez, for

instance prayed to God for

promotion and the bible records

that Jabez became the most

successful in his family.

c. To Realize Their Potentials:

Prayer enables believers to see

And ascertain the great deep

PrayerYou Are a Success

6 7

things that are beyond man which

are necessary for the realization

of their potentials. The Bible says

“call unto me and I will answer

thee, and show thee great and

mighty thing, which thou knowest

not? Jer. 33:3 (KJV), Joshua 1: 8.

God is the only being that every

believer should look unto. A

believer begins to realize his

potentials when his body, soul and

sp i r i t i den t i f y w i th God.

d. To Overcome Temptation:

Temptation is bound to come but

real bel ievers wi l l always

overcome due to their faith in

God and prayer life.

Believers have been given the power to

overcome temptation 2 Peter 2:9, Ps.

66: 16-20 and 65:2. Prayer activates

the minds of believers to actualize these

powers and overcome temptation.

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the

godly out of temptations and to reserve

the unjust unto the Day of Judgment to

be punished. 2 Peter 2: 9 (KJV).

Mourning, crying and murmuring

are often the results of temptation.

When I started writing I found it mind

bogging. Through prayers, I confronted

my problem which was more of

You Are a Success Prayer

8 9

sleeping induced by laziness. I

had to wake up and pray and write

before doing any other thing.

Later it becomes a habit and I

could write from morning to

3:00am the next morning and not

break down. It was a temptation

and God gave me victory over it.

e. To be Prosperous: You are the

sons of the most high God the

owner of heaven and earth and

everything therein Ps 1: 6. Prayer

propels bel ievers to have

adequate access to all facets of life

Matt. 7: 7 says ask, seek and

knock and 1 Pet. 2: 9 says you are

a royal priesthood and a chosen

gene ra t i on . Praye r i s t he

ingredient that activates the forces

of prosper i t y and became

prosperous. 1 Chro. 4: 9-10

b. For Compassion and Mercy:

God abounds in mercy and

compassion therefore, when

believers sin against Him and ask

for his compassion in prayers, He

grants it. However, to obtain

God's mercy and compassion, a

believer must come with a contrite

spirit. Secondly, a believer must

sincerely ask for compassion and

mercy. The Bible is replete with

stories of men and women who


10 11

e n j o y G o d ' s m e r c y a n d

compassion through prayers. For

example, King Hezekiah had

fifteen years added to his life as a

result of God's compassion and

mercy which he obtained through

prayers.

ATTITUDES WHICH ENHANCE

PRAYERS

There are four attitudes that

enhance prayers: these are Love,

Courage, Care and Cheerfulness.

LOVE:

Love enhances prayer and activates

the body, soul and spirit to work

according to God's instruction. A

believer who loves is not only obeying

Christ instruction to love God and his

neighbor but is also activating the

godliness in him because God is love.

COURAGE:

Prayer gives courage and propels

believers to be expectant of what they

have not seen. Prayers make believers

to be courageous in order to

demonstrate God's supremacy in the

spiritual realm. It is a force that

Enables them to take bold steps

Against the forces of darkness. The

resultant effect of courage is


12 13

determined in the life of a believer

through prayer.

CARE:

Care enhances prayer. People don't

care how much you know but how

much you care about them. Care

encourages and allows unbelievers to

accept God. Care renews the spirit

mind and enhances the soul which

expresses the kindness of God's love.

CHEERFULNESS:

Prayer makes believers to be cheerful,

happy and willing to express

themselves having belief in the

redeemer, comforter and providers.

A cheerful heart does well as medicine

but a crushed spirit dries bones. Prov.

17:22. The spirit of joy is absolutely

controlled by God and the soul and

body express the abundance of God's

possibilities. When believers pray,

irrespective of the physical realities,

they become happy. In order words,

they activate the spirit of cheerfulness

through prayers. They no longer live

by sight but by faith.

1.4 BENEFITS OF PRAYER

(a) Prayer makes believers to see

issues in the right perspective.

Prayers enable believers to


14 15

determine the implications and

consequences of decisions. John

16: 13, 14:26. Therefore,

prayers give a believer the spirit of

self control.

b. I t makes be l ievers to be

courageous directing the spirit of

believers against unwanted

circumstances. It gives them the

boldness to confront the devil and

his agents . Abraham was

courageous and prayerful before

he could obey God. Gen. 22: 1-4,

26: 5. Isaac and Jacob were prayer

warriors.

c. Prayer exalts believers and

distinguishes them in their

Endeavours. Beloveth if my

memory serves me right, and I

know it does, you will find out that

the ladder of success is also prone

to distraction and fear. Prayers

k e e p t h e m f o c u s e d a n d

ultimately, distinguish them from

unbelievers. Abraham's intention

to sacrifice Isaac his son exalted

him and makes him stand out

Among the people of h is

generation. Gen 22: 1-5. Daniel

and Elijah prayed and the Bible

records that both men were

exalted a b o v e t h e i r

contemporaries. If you would pray

today, you shall surely be exalted

and distinguished.


16 17

d. Prayers make God to love

believers as friends. God allows

Abraham to intercede on behalf

of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Because God believes that

Abraham is a friend. Abraham

interacted with God which led to

the rescue of Lot and his children.

Gen 18: 17. With God's love,

you can do anything. Who could

believe, that I would be privilege

to write and tell you my story. I was

worse hit, at the age of eight (8),

I was emotionally and mentally

devastated. Although my parents

are still alive, I had a broken

home, I made God my friend

And today, He is my God and one

of the evidence is this book.

Prayer makes God to identify with

believers as friends. Ps 65:2,

Ps 66: 16-20.

e. Prayers gives believers wisdom.

The Bible says that any one who

lacks wisdom or desires it should

ask God for it. James 1:5. For

example, Solomon asked God for

wisdom and it is recorded that

God gave Solomon wisdom and

very great insight, and a breadth

of understanding as measureless

as the sand on the seashore. 1

Kings 4: 29 NIV. It is only prayer

that gives you wisdom which


18 19

makes you live an exemplary

lifeworthy of emulation.

f. Prayer guides the attitude of

believers and enhances their

protection. Ps. 35: 1-2, John 16:

13. Believers are aware of God's

guidance and protection. As a

result of prayer, certain principles

guide believers. Prayer motivates

believers to be anxious about

nothing. Prayer guides the sprit

and motivates the soul and

propel the body for protection.

God protects, quickens the mental

body and allow the spirit to be

filled with renewed strength. Rom.

8:11

g. Prayer makes believers to be

steadfast. Prayer motivates

Believer and make them to

exercise patience.

1.5 POSSIBILITY OF PRAYER

In prayer, God expresses his

magnificent prowess and awesome

powers. When the Spirit of God is

connected to that of the spirit of the

believer in prayers miracle has no

bounds, and it will be beyond human

comprehension. The possibility is

produced through the depth of mind.

The spirit dwells in a positive body

and begins to move like ball. The


20 21

possibility point is the miracle

manifestation point. Rom. 8:11, Job

5:17, Gen. 15: 1-3, Act 22: 12, Deut.

29:29, Ex 14:14, Jer. 33:3, Matt.

15:13

1.6 IMPOSSIBILITY OF PRAYER:

Prayer is not determined by your

emotion, mental state or by the time

of the day. Whether a prayer will be

answered or not is not determined by

how sad or happy you are; how rich

or poor you are. It is also not

determined by your level of education

or political connections. It is

determined by God based on how

right you are with him.

1.7 WHY PRAYERS ARE NOT

ANSWERED BY GOD.

I t should be noted that not

everybody that prays to God is for

God. Some believe that praying is like

a normal daily exercise that must be

conducted in a quiet environment or

done in specific times of the day such as

in the morning, afternoon or night.

To such people, praying is like a routine,

a mechanical act rather than

a communion with their creator. No

wonder such prayers are not

answered. How you prepare yourself

and how faithful you are determine

How your prayers are answered. The



22 23

fact that a believer prays for

something and there no answer

doesn't mean that God is not able to

answer. He does all things at the best

time. Man cannot force God to work

according to man's time table. God's

time is always perfect believers

should be steadfast in prayers and

should exercise the highest love and

patience for their prayers to be

answered. Even Pharaoh recognizes

the fact that only the prayers of a

righteous man would be answered by

God; hence, Pharaoh summoned

Moses and Aaron and said pray, pray

to the Lord to take the frogs away from

me and my people, and I will let your

people go to offer sacrifices to the

Lord. Ex. 8: 8

25

understanding mine. Fasting goes

with encouragement and atonement

of sin. It must be a continuous process

preventing believers form being

distracted. God appreciates fasting

which is not polluted with negative

thoughts. Fasting must be seen as a

motivational spirit that enhances

prayer. The power level of fasting is

praying, and the effect comes from

God. Fasting must be done according

to time with love, dedication and

steadfastness. Fasting is an expression

of believer's belief in the power of

God.

24

CHAPTERTWO

asting is a period of eating a little

or no food especially for religious

purposes. It is a time for total

consecrat ion to God. Fast ing

Quickens the answering of prayers by

God. Fasting enables believers to be

steadfast, dedicated and courageous

in spirit, body and soul. Believers must

fast with pure heart and an

FASTING

F

You Are a Success

26

2.1 WHY SHOULD BELIEVERS

FAST?

People fast for reasons such as

reduction in weight, spiritual uplift and

other positive and negative reasons but

that of God promotes and enhances

the relationship between believers and

God. Ex. 13:1-2, 6-7.

Believers must fast, to prosper and

take total control, of all the challenges

of life. These challenges could be

physical, mental or above all, spiritual.

In the realm of spiritual, it is believed

that “man is the architect of his desire”,

so believers should be serious while

Fasting

27

fasting and to accommodate only

genuine purpose. Fasting weakens

the body but strengthens the soul,

activates the spirit and empowers the

inner-man of a believer to take bold

steps that move him above

circumstances that are beyond

human comprehension.

The body, soul and spirit are

prone to temptation in the period of

fasting. Believers should avoid such

temptations in order to realize the

purpose of the fasting. God

recognizes fasting because it is a

means of showing submission to Him.

So it is important to identity with the

You Are a Success

29

fasting. Love God and be sincere to

make people around comfortable.

Extending hands of fellowship and

love to others make God answer

prayers in al l c ircumstances.

Remember that Jesus himself said

man doesn't live on bread alone, but

every word that comes from the mouth

of God. Matt. 3:7. Love worketh no

ill towards his neighbor: therefore,

love is the fulfillment of the law-

Rom. 3:10

Forgiveness: Believers should fast

according to the laid down principles

and not at the same time mock God.

It should be understood that,

forgiveness is very important while

You Are a Success

28

efficacy of fasting. Fasting is very good

and i t helps us to overcome

temptations.

There are two important elements

that catalyze the action of fasting: love

and forgiveness.

Love is one of the elements in fasting

The love of God and of one another

makes believers to repent of their sins

and to look forward to God for

blessings. That love helps believers

to subdue the body, overcome the

spirit of hunger in order to elevate

the soul and the spirit. Believers must

love one another before they can

sincerely achieve the purpose of

Fasting

31

CHAPTERTHREE

aith means trust, complete

confidence in God. Faith is a

complete belief and total submission

To God. Faith empowers believers to

see, feel and understand the principal

things and the dynamics of God. It

produces the efficacy and the

unexplainable activities in God - Heb

11:1 it is be sure for what we do

not see. Heb 11: 1. (NIV).

FAITH

F

30

Fasting

fasting. It places the body, soul and

spirit in a perfect order. Forgiveness

gingers and motivates believers to see

spiritual issues correctly, 2 Cor. 9: 17.

If anyone has caused grief, he has

not so much grieved me as he has

grieved all of you to some extent not to

put it too severely 2 Cor. 2:5 NIV.

Fasting should be done in the

Following ways:

(1) Must be timed Matt. 4:1-2

(2) With dedication and love 1 Cor

13:1

(3) Believers must be prayerful while

fasting (Phil. 4:6)

33

3.1 TO WHAT EXTENT CAN

FAITH BE DETERMINED?

Faith can be determined when its

purpose is achieved. People have

continued to misunderstand faith for

idea. Faith comes when God is trusted

to the extent of acknowledging him

in all things despite all things. Your

faith level is your extent of believing,

trusting and waiting on God to direct

you, to a point where the spirit, soul

and body are positively motivated. It

d i s t ingu i shes be l ievers f rom

unbelievers. This is why believers are

different from unbelievers. Faith

inspires the spirit, gingers the soul to

a realm that the body becomes

You Are a SuccessFaith

32

Faith produces joy, peace, and

understanding and enhances the body,

soul and spirit. It is a motivating

sp i r i t that i s beyond human

comprehension. Faith must be seen

as the principal reason that engenders

a genuine love to serve God. Faith,

in all ramifications, is a very important

to determine the quality of a believer.

It encourages and propels believers

in relationship with God Heb 11: 2-

13. You will find out that in the

scripture great fathers like Abraham

succeeded by faith. Therefore, faith

is the principal thing. Without faith,

no man can please God.

35

d. B y f o r g e t t i n g t h e p a s t circumstances. Isaiah 43:18

e. By telling others about His faithfulness. Isaiah 38: 19

f. By understanding the principles of God. Isaiah 5:12.

(B) There are certain factors that enhance and motivate believers to have faith in God. These are:

a. When prayers is answered. Ps 5:2.

b. Divine encounter. Ps 66: 19-20.

c. Overcoming temptation. 2 Pet 2:9

d. Courage . Deut 31: 6.

You Are a Success

34

admired and it enhances the love

believers have in God.

Faith can only be justified when its

purpose is achieved. It is derived from

believing God, in His omnipotence

and omnipresence, steadfastness,

and above all, His loving kindness of

God.

3.2 HOW TO HAVE FAITH:

FAITH COMES

a. By hearing the word of God. Rom

10: 17.

b. By doing everything that is written

in the Bible. Gal 3: 10-12.

c. By believing God's words. Gal.

3: 6

Faith

36

Praying, thanksgiving and praises

are the ingredients that determine

faith. It is faith that made Abraham

to almost offer Isaac for sacrifice-

Gen 22:1-3. Faith made Joseph to

resist Potiphar's wife. Gen. 39:7 etc.

Faith also was the reason the three

Hebrew boys disobeyed Kings

Nebuchadnezzar.

3.3 WHY IS FAITH NOT OBTAINABLE

IN THE LOVE OF SOME

BELIEVERS?

Faith is not what you can see with

physical eyes. It is a spiritual deposit

in a believer. So, patience must be

subjected to faith. Here are the

You Are a Success

37

reasons why faith eludes some believers:

a. Some believers do not trust God, Pro 3: 5.even though they may pretend outwardly.

b. S o m e b e l i e v e r s d o n ' t acknowledge God. Prov. 3: 6, Job 36:11

c. Lack of patience -Rom. 12:12

d. Lack of consecration - Ex. 29:1

e. Some believers lack courage. Deut.36:6

f. Some believers don't speak the right language - Prov. 18:12

.

Faith

38 39

g. Some al low the i r present

predicament to determine their

future.

h. Some believers are not prayerfully

committed. - Rom. 12:12,

Jer. 33:3

i. Lack of Love.

j. A lack of consistency in praying,

offering of thanksgiving, praising

and worship of the Almighty God.

CHAPTERFOUR

ISDOM is the ability to make

good and serious judgment

because of one's knowledge and

experience. (Oxford Advanced

Learner's Dictionary, fifth Edition). It is

the ability to apply your knowledge to

solving practical problems. The

ordinary man may see wisdom as the

ability to be smarter than others in

WISDOM

W

You Are a Success

40 41

any given endeavour. Wisdom, to a

businessman may be the ability to

transact business and make profit.

Wisdom, to a Christian or believer, is

a great insight from God which is not

measured by man's ability. An

example of this type of the Wisdom of

Solomon. - 1 kings 4:29NIV.

God gives wisdom and very great

i n s i g h t a n d t h e b r e a t h o f

understanding as measureless as the

sand of the shore. It is credited

To Solomon as the only man in the

Bible that has three thousand proverbs

and songs numbering up to a

thousand and five. -1 kings 4: 32,

James 1:5, Prov. 4:7 and Job 7:4.

These are acts of wisdom. His wisdom

was known throughout the ancient

world.

Wisdom is wrongly seen by

unbelievers as the ability to excel in the

physical. This is very wrong. It should be

seen as a divine empowerment and

uplift from God. It is an understanding,

which exists in the spiritual realm. It is

the commitment of the body, soul and

spirit to enhance believers towards

physical and spiritual prosperity.

Believers prosper over and above

unbelievers, in terms of wisdom

because of the following reasons:

You Are a Success Wisdom

42 43

(a) Believers are always guided by

divine empowerment. Ps. 33:8,

John 14: 14, Ex. 29:1

(b) T h e s o u l o f a b e l i e v e r

acknowledge God in praises,

even in time of temptation. This

enables believers to see and ask

for God's direction. Isaiah 30: 29,

Deut. 29:29, Isaiah 29: 4-5

(c) The spirit of a believer operates

beyond the physical realm. Any

committed believer sees beyond

human comprehension. - John

3:6, John 1: 5, Gal. 6:17, John

1:12, Matt.28:18, Rev. 12: 11.

Thus as a result of the above, a

believer remains c o n s i s t e n t l y focused undistracted leaving him better off than an unbeliever.

4.1 BENEFITS OF WISDOMa. It exalts and honours believers -

Prov. 4:8

b. Wisdom instructs and guides believers - Ps 32:8, Prov. 4:13

c. Wisdom enhances understanding and knowledge. Prov. 4:7, 1 kings 4:29, James 1:5

d. Wisdom encourages. Prov. 4: 4, Deut. 32:6

e. Wisdom is life and good health-

Prov. 4: 22-23


44 45

f. Wisdom leads to righteousness - Prov. 4:18

g. Wisdom is a spirit. Isaiah - 11: 2.

h. Wisdom makes believers to be committed and devoted to God - Joshua 1:8

4.2 TYPES OF WISDOM

Wisdom is basically divided into two: Divine and Human Wisdom.

Divine Wisdom:

Divine Wisdom is one that is beyond human comprehension. It bears the dynamics of divine principles and great insight from God. It is beyond

human expectations and projections

and transcends all the pros and cons

of the body, soul and the spirit, to

make one accepted beyond the

ordinary. It dwells in the body and

saturates the soul. The spirit expresses

its greatness through keeping God's

laws. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were

men of great wisdom. But that of

Solomon is outstanding beyond

comparison and worthy of emulation

- king 4: 29. James 1: 5, Prov. 4:1-7,

Isa 11:1-3, Joshua 1: 8, Gen 39:7.

Human or Worldly Wisdom:

Human or Worldly Wisdom is

physical knowledge which man uses


46 47

to enhance his comfortability on issues

and circumstances. It is mostly

determined by observations and other

external stimuli such as learning. Set

in the mind, the effect could be great.

This type of wisdom comes from the

world and Satan. It is mostly found in the

lives of sinners and its by-products

include: cultism and ritual killing,

fraud etc. Any wisdom that bears

sorrow is from Satan. Believers should

be patient and abstain from negative

acts and thoughts to be successful.

Ego and greed are some of the by-

products of the worldly wisdom. Ego is a

spirit that enhances negative thoughts,

while greed is a spirit that motivates

that soul. Be careful in choosing

friends and associates or business

partners.

Wisdom, in human concepts, is

based on experience and knowledge.

In the Christian perspective, it is divine

direction. Wisdom is the activating

force that ignites the spirit man and

motivates leadership. Prov. 24: 4-5.

Leadership is a trust conferred upon

a person based on character worthy of

emulation. It is the ability to manage

humans and bring out the best in

them. It is also a process where

resources are used to enhance the life

of a people. Wisdom ignites the ability


48 49

in a person to become successful.

Wisdom is a key that enhances the

positive and admired qualities in

leadership.

Leadership worthy of emulation is

divinely accepted by God and man

- Prov. 24: 4. Leadership built on

man's carnal trust, an embodiment

of man's wisdom and knowledge will

surely lead to disaster. Leaders should

trust God and lean not on their own

power. Prov. 3: 5-6 and Isa. 13: 14

Leadership is divided into two:

1. Transactional Leadership

2. Transformational leadership

Transactional Leadership: This is the

ability to direct and manage resources

and get the job done.

Transformational Leadership: This is

the ability to touch people emotionally

to empower them to make them reach

their performance zenith. Leadership

exalts in everything in the spiritual

realm. In the physical and economic

sphere leadersh ip, enhances

managemen t and he igh t ens

understanding. Abraham Lincoln

once said “I don't mind a man who is

not wiser today than he was

yesterday”.


50 51

Leadership is buil t on solid

foundation, which is wisdom. A

misdirected leader is as useless as an

undefined matter. Transformational

leadership is accepted as the best form

of leadership in the world.

To me, the best quote that enhances

leadership and wisdom is from Albert

Eistein. It says that “imagination is

more important that knowledge”. My

best friend is the person, who brings

out the best in me. Franclin Benjamin

Okkhan Razor discovered one of the

best laws that enables people to see

the bare bone of a problem. This

quality of wisdom leadership is

needed in our lives. Leadership

activates wisdom and enhances

encouragement. It is a quality that

places a man above others. These

qualities make a man to be

consistently courageous in decision-

making.

It should be understood that

leadership and wisdom are the height

and esteem of a man. You can do it

because you got the leadership and

wisdom prowess. Don't allow drop-

out, cop-out and burn-out people to

decide your fate. You must talk, work

and think. Would you allow them to

use you and dump you?

In every point of success, there is

An opportunity and adversity; so,


52 53

Gov. Chris NgigeAnambra State

Gov. Bola TinubuLagos State

Gov. Orji Uzo KanuAbia State

Vice President AtikuAbubakar

President MatthewObasanjo

Prof. Charles SoludoCBN Gov

Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Prophet T. B. Joshua

Mike Adenuga

Bishop David Oyedepo

Mrs. Dora Akunyili

Aliko Dangote


54 55

leadership and wisdom are very

important to excel. It is better to

choose them than to quit because

when the chips are down what will

you be remembered for? How many

opportunities have you allowed to

de te rmine your w i sdom and

leadership prowress? How much

impossibility have you allowed your

wisdom and leadership to define? You

will be remembered by the problems

you solved or created. You had better

take the bull by the horn. For you are

needed to lead.

CHAPTERFIVE

OURAGE is the ability to control

fear when confronted by

opposition. It is an instinct that

motivates the body, soul and spirit.

The bible tells us “Be strong and

courageous; do not be afraid or

terrified because of them, for the Lord

your God goes with you”. Deut. 31: 6

&14. Courage is an ingredient that

COURAGE

C

You Are a Success

56 57

saturates wisdom and inspires people

to reach their potentials.

5.1 MORE ON COURAGE

Courage can be obtained by:

(i) Courage can be obtained by

motivating your spirit with positive

conduct and positive thinking which

may be obtained from the

consecration of the body, soul and

spirit. It comes from God and it is

established by prayer.

(ii) It is a spiritual deposit which is

determined by individual ability. It

cannot be seen with the physical

eyes. Courage is one of the forces

that enhance spiritual, mental and

physical uplift.

(iii) Courage is based on the action

which an individual performs. It is

driven by faith and fear of being just. It

has been proven, to be the only spirit

t h a t l e a d s t o g r e a t n e s s .

(iv) Courageous men are great men

such as Abraham - Gen. 22:1-2

J o s e p h - G e n 3 9 : 7 . D a v i d

defeated Goliath with courage - I

S a m u e l 1 7 : 5 0 ; J o s h u a -

Joshua 1 :6 . Courage made

President Matthew Obasanjo of

Nigeria to warn the coupist in Sao

- T o m a a n d P r i c i p a t o

CourageYou Are a Success

58 59

relinquished power to the elected

government in 2004. The same

courage made him to declare

state of emergency in Plateau

State 2004. Courage made Atiku

Abubakar to grow to stardom.

Note he is an orphan and he

shared the same prospect with

G e r m a n C h a n c e l l o r. W h o s e

mo the r i s a s t r ee t sweepe r.

Courage made General

Abdusalmi Abubakar to

relinquished power to president t hObasanjo in May 29 2004.

Courage made Nelson Mandela

to serve 27years in prison in order

to empower his people. When it

is believed that England would

collapse during war, courage

made Winston Churchill to say it

isn't over till it is over Courage

made M.K.O Abiola of Nigeria

not to renounce his mandate.

Courage made the Abia State

Governor, Orji Uzor Kanu to win

the prestigious Champions cup in

2003/2004. Which has eluded

Nigeria for the past 38 years.

Which Eyimba Football Club Aba

won recently. Courage made Bola

Ahmed Tinubu to become the

only governor elected from AD in


60 61


the 2003 Election in Nigeria.

After all odds and forces courage

made Governor Chris Ngige to

r e m a i n a s A n a m b r a S t a t e

G o v e r n o r a n d t h e m o s t

celebrated Governor. Who has survived

m a n y a t t a c k s " i n t h i s

present democratic dispensation

in Nigeria since 2003. Courage

made Chinua Achebe to reject

the Commander of the Order of

the Federal Republic of Nigeria

in 2004. Courage made Gani

Fawehinmi (SAN) Took Federal

Government of Nigeria to Court.

And won the case concerning

multi-party system. Which paved

way for other political parties to

be r eg i s t e r ed be fo re 2003

election. Courage made Dora

Akinyili of National Agency for

Drugs Administration and Control

(NAFDAC) to be fighting drug

menace. Courage made Oby

Ezekwesili: In a period of 2 years

ending, July 2004 to have saved

over one hundred and two billion

( 102 billions) through “Due

Process Unit”. Courage made

Professor Charles Soludo the

Governor of Central Bank of thNigeria (CBN) in July 6 2004

to ask 25 billions as new capital

base for Nigeria Banks. Courage

N

62 63


made Aliko Dangote to remain

one of he highly respected

industrialists in Nigeria. Courage

made Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr. To

become a force to recon with, in

the phenomenal advance in

Nigeria telecoms.

5.2 COURAGE AND INTEGRITY

Integrity is the quality of being

honest and having strong moral

principles. One needs to be

courageous to accept or decline

certain tasks. Integrity lives in the

confines of courage. Courage is a

motivating spirit that entices and

modifies integrity. It is believed that

courageous men are men of integrity.

But certain principles enhance

integrity and courage which lead to

success.

They are as follows:

1. Prayer

2. Fasting

3. Offering, Thanksgiving and

Praises

4. Faith

5. Patience

6. Love

7. Care

8. Steadfastness

Courage and integrity made Bishop

David Oyedepo of Winner Chapel

in Nigeria to build one of the best

64 65


Churches with the biggest auditorium

in the world. Courage and integrity

made Pastor E.A Adeboye of

Redeemed Christian Church to have

the highest number of congregation

in Nigeria. Courage and integrity

made Prophet T. B. Joshua of the

Synagogue to remain focus and one of

the most prospered men of God.

Courage and Integrity made Pastor

Chris Oyakhelome of Christ Embassy

to be waxing strong. Courage and

integrity made Pastor Chris Okotie of

Household of God to seek political

post as a president in Nigeria in 2003.

With courage, Abraham Lincoln led

America to war in order to abolish

s lave r y i n Amer i ca fo r t he

empowerment of the blacks.

Courage and integrity is not

limited to anybody, neither is it

anybody right and no man has the

monopoly of courage. “An American

motivational speaker Zik-Ziklag,

failed seventeen times, he proved that

school of hard knocks won't fail

anyone who maintains positive

attitude.

5.3 MISCONCEPTION ABOUT

COURAGE AND WISDOM

Courage is an instinct of being

wise, it is package with love and

understanding. It is determined by

66 67

You Are a Success

sudden expression, circumstances

and conditions. Wisdom is an

expression that comes from the inner-

mind of a man. It is the positive

instinct a man develops which

qualifies his level of exposure,

u n d e r s t a n d i n g , d u r i n g p r e -

de t e rm ined o r unde t e rm ined

circumstances. Opportunities and

adversities are the factors that

determine the negative and positive

attitudes of a man which leads to

encouragement and steadfastness of

thoughts. Courage can be established

at home, office, business or in any

place that requires human greatness.

Wisdom is established in the mind

and it is expressed through character.

5.4 THE BEAUTY OF COURAGE

The beauty of courage lies in

thinking and its manifestation.

Good thinkers are those who release

their potentials, when it is due. It is a

definite aspect of life which is

determined by believers. Courage

and determination enhance the

releasing of potentials.

Courage

You Are a Success

69

the Christian perspective. It comes from

God and it abounds in Him and He

extends it to believers.

The Bible tells us that believers can

only have success through the

obedient of God's words and laws.

Specially, it states that Do not let

this book of law depart from your

mouth, meditate on it day and night,

so that you may be careful to do

everything written in it . Joshua 1: 8.

Then you will be prosperous and

successful. Success is a spinning

fragment that distinguishes a man

among his peers. It is a better way of

identifying with excellence. You could

68

CHAPTERSIX

UCCESS is the achievement of a

desired aim, fame, wealth or

social position within the human

construct. Success in Christian

perspective is the ability to allow the

body, soul and spirit to be driven by

the Holy Spirit in both the physical and

the spiritual realms. It is a divine state

of empowerment and uplift in

SUCCESS

S

7071

and serve him, they will spend the

rest of their days in prosperity and

contentment”. Job 36:11. NIV

6.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

Succe s s f u l be l i e ve r s do t he

following:

1. Fear God. Col. 3: 13

2. Trust God and acknowledge Him.

Prov. 3:6

3. Work hard

4. Serve God with their wealth. Prov.

36:11

No man cares about your success if

it is not well utilized. It is better tested

Success You Are a Success

be successful today just by living

uprightly and believing in yourself.

Success inspires, motivates and it is

caught through information and

understanding and built through

courage and wisdom.

If you are just there waiting for

nothing, wake up as nobody has the

monopoly of success. Success is

appreciated, if it is motivated by love. I

have found that (60%) sixty percent of

successful men acquired education at

the peak of their success. Success

exists within the framework of life.

One could be successful physically,

mentally and spiritually. “If they obey

72 73

up your hands. Wakeup from

slumber, for you are born and made

great”. He was referring to the

congregation, of which I am a

member, I was hit like a thunderbolt,

and something inside me gingered me

up. Something said “you can write”,

but I doubted it. I said but I am not a

professor of English. But today I have

written this book.Success is extra-

ordinary thing, you must do

something. This pastor suddenly filled

our church book s to re w i th

inspirational and motivational books.

I started to buy and read them. Today,

I am a success. My dear you can do

something, I nearly dropped the idea

because I do not possess a degree in

than to be told. It is not like sleeping

and waking up. Mine is a blessing

unto my soul, body and spirit. It is

unexplainable, it is glorious and

profound and a privilege to tell you

that God gave it to me. Charlatans

could be successful in their ways but

it is not the real success. I was

motivated by inspirational books to

write. Today I am successful to have

written this book. It came through

motivational speech, it is the

handwork of God, using Pastor Yemi

Joseph to release my potentials. He

was Pastoring at Winners Chapel,

Badagry 2003. One day he said

“You are all geniuses of different

names top sitting down and folding


74 75

English. I began to interact with some

English icons, and I am grateful to

them for their encouragement and

guidance. Then, I built up courage to

face my today and tomorrow.

Something caught my attention about

Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the

Chairman of AIT. He is successful in

electronic media. He has written

his name in gold. And that is not his

area of specialization. Success is just

understanding yourself and exercising

your skills to enhance your today

against tomorrow; for the good of the

society. Man must be successful in one

thing. Nobody has the monopoly of

success. Wisdom, belief, love and

knowledge can motivate you to

success.

6.2 REASONS FOR SUCCESS

People want to be successful for the

following reasons:

(1) Success gives security

(2) Success distinguishes people and

s e t s t h e m a b o v e t h e i r

contemporaries

(3) Success exposes the bare bones of

Problems.

Once knowledge is applied, it

motivates and inspires people to

reach for their potentials. Depending

on the type of success, success is

the divided into two.


76 77

killing and other vices. It is diabolic

and frowned at by the society. “it is

based on the syndrome of get-rich-

quick”. People should remove the

culture and tradition of get-rich

without planning, it comes with tears

and weeping and it is from the devil

and should be avoided.

It includes:

1. Wealth or success made out of

bribery and corruption

2. Stolen and ill gotten wealth

3. Ritual killing and cultism

It is not easy to maintain the pace

of success, but people must know the

following as regards the pace of

success.

(1) Positive success(2) Negative success

Positive success

Positive success is associated with moral and good conduct. It is built on excellence, integrity and fear of God. It is accepted by the society at large, it motivate and inspires the younger generations. Believe in yourself, then think big and work towards your plans. You are already a success.

Negative SuccessNegative success is associated with

evil. It is built on immoral thoughts and beliefs such as cultism, ritual


78 79

physically and determinedly. You

are finished when you allow Ego

and pride to determine your

success. Abraham Lincoln said,

“he will study and wait one day

he will be chosen”, put away ego

and pride, and there are many

problems you can solve. Abraham

Lincoln failed eight time before

becoming America President. He

would not have become the

president if he had allowed ego

and pride into his life. No man

makes it, if ego or pride gains

control over his body, soul and

spirit. Look around, there are

many problems combined with all

(i) Ego and Pride

Pride goes before a fall, so say

the bible. Ego and pride are the

syndrome of failure. 60 percent

of successful men have failed

because of ego and pride. Ego is

an idea in relation to others or

out-side world. These are the

elements that contribute to the

retrogression of success. Pride is

a state of pleasure and satisfaction

for something that is admired.

Ego and pride can destroy success

if not checked by the right spirit

such as prayers and humility. They

must be checked prayerfully,


80 81

and become a failure, spending

wisely is highly demanded in

success. People must be able to

reason before embarking on

some projects, successful men ask

q u e s t i o n a n d t h e y s u b m i t

themselves to higher knowledge

so as to enhance their success.

Others fa i led and they are

gnashing their teeth because of

mismanagement.

(3) Greed: Greed us an irresistible

u rge to acqu i re even wha t

belongs to others. It is a very

determined and pre-determined

instinct that attracts failure rather

than success. Greed is a cruel spirit

sorts of disgrace. These are the

steps to success. Tyson, one time

heavy weight champion grew in

ghetto, Zig-Ziglar sold in the

street of America, Bill Gate is not

from a wealthy family. Abraham

Lincoln's father was a carpenter.

I dug well and was involved in

many social activities to sustain

myself.

(2) Mismanagemen t : I s a

destructive instinct that enhances

f a i l u r e . T h e m o m e n t , o n e

becomes extravagant, the pace

of success begins to go down the

drain. It is better to taste success

and remain there than to taste it



that dwells in the mind. It is

obtainable by merely working to

get something by immoral

standards, 40 percent failure

today is attributed to greed.

Today, you too can be successful.

just take the right steps enumerated

in this small book and you shall

become successful.

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You Are a Success