By By Ebenezer Adurokiya
THE General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, on Monday night, opened the 2025 Holy Ghost Congress with a message centred on the power of praise, urging worshippers to abandon complaints and thank God wholeheartedly.
Speaking at the Redemption City of God, Ogun State, during the first day of the annual gathering themed “The God of All Flesh”, Pastor Adeboye recounted a personal encounter he described as transformational in his ministry.
He narrated a moment many years ago when he travelled to Abuja to establish the first RCCG parish in the Federal Capital Territory, lodging in a hotel and preparing to fast and pray for souls.
According to him, he had barely begun intense prayers when he heard God instruct him to “shut up”.
“Suddenly, I heard God say, ‘shut up!’ and I was glad,” he said. “At least I knew He had heard me. He said, ‘Save souls, heal the sick… Am I your house boy? All that I’ve done for you thus far, you haven’t even said thank you.’”
Pastor Adeboye explained that God then commanded him to spend three days doing nothing but expressing gratitude.
“For three days, I was doing nothing other than, ‘Thank you Jesus. Glory be to your holy name.’ And He was enjoying it,” he told the congregation.
He added that the outcome of that divine instruction marked a turning point.
“At the end He said, ‘All you have seen thus far is addition. Now I am about to begin to give you multiplication’—and a mathematician knows the difference.”
The revered cleric went on to state that the growth of RCCG in Abuja exemplified this “multiplication”. He recalled a period when a former government minister allegedly ordered the demolition of 15 RCCG parishes in the city within two weeks.
“But we didn’t notice because there were many others,” he said, noting the massive turnout at a recent Holy Ghost Service in Abuja. “The crowd there would be like a small Congress.”
Pastor Adeboye urged worshippers to believe that their season of progress had arrived, declaring that stagnation would end for those who choose to praise God.
“Even if you don’t want to praise Him for what He has done, something within you is telling you your time has come,” he said. “If you praise Him for just one hour, you might suddenly discover before the end of the year that where you have been stagnant, you’re already moving forward.”
He concluded the night’s sermon by directing the crowd to praise rather than respond to a traditional altar call: “If you praise Him like you ought to praise Him, He will do something about your life, your soul.”
The 2025 Holy Ghost Congress continues throughout the week with worship, teachings, prayers and special sessions expected to draw thousands of participants from within and outside Nigeria.
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