“Because you took away my sweat, you will NEVER sweat in ministry” was the prayer that Archbishop Benson Idahosa used to pray for Bishop David Oyedepo in his closet, according to Archbishop Duncan Williams.

Now I think we need to straight some records straight in our generation. There are many things, to my mind, that sometimes we think we know but we need to know on a deeper level.
Most fathers that I know in ministry are men with a large heart, and most sons you see do great things for their fathers did not start, as it were, with big seeds; they were sincere and genuine and they were able to stretch themselves, hence they’re able to do bigger things today.

Most sons with resources who heavily support their fathers in ministry grew under the wings of the fathers’ grace to become great men of substance today.
The fathers never discriminated against any of their sons in terms because of “seeds” but the sons were sincere and consistent with covenant practice.

This word is not for everybody, hence there’s no need to knock it if you don’t flow with it. So far it’s not against the principles of the Bible, then no qualms.
One of the recipes for offences in ministry for a young minister is to think that his spiritual father discriminates against some of his sons.

The moment you begin to misinterpret some of your father’s steps with the consciousness that he’s discriminating against you because your own seed is not “fat”, then the devil has always gotten hold of your mind.

Anybody can criticize the likes of Bishop David Oyedepo (they’re entitled to their opinion) but you see, these are men who have been consistent with covenant practice for many years in ministry.
Many years ago, Archbishop Benson Idahosa was in Makurdi and he called Bishop David Oyedepo to come down from Kaduna.
Bishop didn’t argue; he suspended what he wanted to do and “zooooooooom”; he was in Makurdi.

Archbishop asked him to kneel down and then he prayed for him, “My son, today I impart unto you the gift of ON TIME; before the needs arise, resources are waiting”. Mehn!!!
See fatherly declaration!!! Bishop David Oyedepo said till date, that word is working like fire
and he also said he didn’t know where their ministry would be without the input of Archbishop Idahosa.

Fathers are not USERS; they’re BUILDERS. At another time, Bishop David Oyedepo went to preach in a couple of meetings in the United States of America and when he came back to Nigeria, he brought all the honorariums that he was given to Archbishop Benson Idahosa as a seed.
Archbishop collected it, prayed for him and gave it back to him. You see, stop thinking that your spiritual father is discriminating against you; a genuine father is first preoccupied with the success and progress of the son.

In followership, your HEART matters. People like Bishop Oyedepo have a HEART. In their days of little beginnings, they gave and were committed to covenant practice.
Archbishop Duncan Williams said when they all used to attend Idahosa’s meetings, he would overhear Archbishop’s prayer in his bedroom for Bishop David Oyedepo, “Because you took away my sweat, you will not sweat in ministry”, and of course he prayed for other sons too.

You see, in those days, according to Archbishop Duncan Williams, Bishop Oyedepo would clear a sizeable portion of the budgets of Idahosa’s meetings.
At a period, Bishop David Oyedepo singlehandedly paid the staff’s salaries of Benson Idahosa University for a long time until there was enough stability in the system.

So, if anyone is knocking the Bishop, they should take that into consideration too.
There are sons that make the father sweat in ministry and there are sons that take away the father’s sweat.
Stop saying you don’t have anything to give to those who have laboured over you. That your father is not demanding doesn’t mean you should take him for granted.

Learn to minister financial and material substance to him. This is perfectly scriptural unless somebody wants to put sentiments into it – Gal.6:6, 1 Cor.9:11, Heb.13:7, 1 Thess.5:12-13, Phil.4:15-19.
Stop saying you don’t have anything. No father is asking you to kill yourself. Start from where you are. Have a new vision. Have a different approach. Do something about your life and ministry.

By God’s Grace, I know how much we used to pay as ministry tithes when we started and I know how much we pay now.
I know how much we used to give as honorarium to ministers when we started and I know how much we give now, and IT CAN ONLY GET BETTER AND BIGGER.

I know some young ministers don’t like to hear stuffs like this. But it absolutely makes no sense to be playing to the gallery.
Giving is scriptural. For instance, this is the beginning of a new year; can you just send a seed (at your level) to your spiritual father, your pastor, your mentor, or that man or woman whose life and ministry has been a blessing to you?

Can you just appreciate them? Let me share one of the greatest secrets of ministry exploits with you that God taught me some years ago; ALWAYS MAKE THE HEARTS OF YOUR FATHERS AND LEADERS GLAD – it is good and profitable for you.

This perfectly agrees with the spirit of the New Testament:
HEBREWS 13:17
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, THAT THEY MAY DO IT WITH JOY, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

I know some ministers don’t like to talk along this line for fear of criticism but I have discovered that I can’t please everybody – THE BURDEN OF THE CALL IS WEIGHTIER THAN THE SENTIMENTS OF MEN.

Last year, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome constructed a faculty at Benson Idahosa University to the tune of one billion naira – COVENANT PRACTICE!
Kenneth Copeland has given out many jets as “seeds” to help facilitate the preaching of the Gospel – COVENANT PRACTICE.
Dear friend; don’t let anyone deceive you; it is right to HONOUR your covenant linkages through covenant giving.

Never entertain the thought that somebody is despising or discriminating against you in ministry.
In ministry, people like to do to others what they cannot accept themselves.
If you’re a son that appreciates the father and communicates at your level and you’re consistent with it, you CAN NEVER remain on the same level. Never!!!

YOU CAN NEVER REMAIN ON THE SAME LEVEL – I say that again and again!
Don’t be a son that makes the father sweat; take away the sweat of your father and you will NEVER sweat in ministry.

My sincere prayer is that you find this truth early in ministry. It is not good to find this out after one has spent 50 years in ministry.
May the Lord help us all!
Amen!!

I trust this meets us well Sirs and Mas!!!
Shalom!!!