In this coming months now, we will be making Anouncements in my brands, and they will be things done in business by faith… and not by money we have or didn’t.
But let me share a back story of how I developed Faith for business.
I started learning faith practically in 2006, I had given my life to Christ, though I backslid and finally committed to Him in 2007…
But my learning of faith happened in a manner that till today made me strong and able to take the best risks ever without looking back.
In other words, as of today, i could jump into an Empty / dry pool, if I was certain that this is God asking me to, and he gave a sure word on it, that water will be there when I land.
The Beginning
So, this was 2006/7, I remember that I had just started coming out of intense poverty (largely self-inflicted) and I decided I would always give to the needy.
And I always did.
Then one day, I asked God a question that was eating me up.
I said, “God, why is it that I’m the only one who gives to people, nobody gives to me nor remember me” and He responded.
He said “because you chose to be your own father, and not experience me as a father”
I was shocked, and angry and happy at the same time
Like how would God say that to me without mincing words?
So, He led me that same day to Matthew 6:22-33
And He said, if as a father, I clothe the birds not as great as you… how much more you?
He was right. I had taken God’s place, in fact, I did that in some people’s lives.
And I remember cutting a deal with Him. I said, “okay God, as from today, I won’t only know you as God… I will know you as Father, promise me, you will always be there for me”
And He said “Yes, I will”
The following weeks were a marvel.
He provided for me in very “crazy ways” and practically got the Holy Spirit to teach me Physics and Maths that i struggled with
I moved from having Ds and Es, having 2.2 CGP to having 5.0, 4.52/7 GPs etc
I remember years later, strolling around NEPA junction, in Akure, lifted up my eyes and saw 2 Chinos trousers in a shop. One brown, one milky color
Then I told God casually that I won’t mind having these trousers
A week or two after, out of the blues, my brother called and said he wanted to visit me. He was serving at the time. And we had not seen In years. He was coming from ebonyi or Enugu or something like that where he was serving.
Lo and behold, he arrived, and what gift did he bring?
2 Chinos, exactly the same color as what I saw.
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I also remember during my masters, 2014 thereabouts, on a certain night, after weekly church service, my wife and I – favour Excellence – who was just a friend then – were going home and I mentioned i needed a new bag.
She chuckled and said I should just buy another one – and I said clearly – “I believe God will give me one”
The next afternoon, a client I worked with on his project called me to say he’s so happy with all
I did for him… and he wants to give me extra compensation. He said by himself that feels I needed a bag but wasn’t sure of what type. Now, I had not spoken to him about any need, I wasn’t carrying a
So, I met him, he drove me there and I picked one of the best laptop bags on the gallery…
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Now, these were acts of faith for natural life matters and I have also taken that to Business
Faith in Business
However, this is one I’ll share.
In 2022 December, as the year rounded up, the team at Salesplat asked me what about our physical office? And I told them we don’t need one yet. Maybe sometime 2024, we would need.
But January 1, 2023, as I was meditating and asking God about the year, I heard Him say “you intend to have global partnerships this year, where will they meet you physically?”
I struggled and reverted with “even if I want to build an office, we’ve invested all our money into tech solutions” – but He won’t have it. And to make it more difficult, He said it can’t be a small office. I then opted to build a hub.
So, I wrote on my wall that I needed a large space in Akure.
At this time, we had less than 1 million Naira cash in the whole company account.
I remember setting out with agents to go get the building and this particular day, I nearly got angry because they were showing me very bad buildings
Then I told an agent that I was discharging him.
I saw a flash in my spirit, a building on the side of the road, towards Northgate.
Then I stopped a bike and told him … let’s just be going
He asked where I was going, but really, I didn’t know. So I had to confess that I was looking for buildings for a Hub.
This was basically doing like Abraham did.
As we left, minutes into the trip, he became the one fashioned against me, telling me “there is no building here jare” I had to caution him.
Then I saw one building that was largely uncompleted, I was drawn to it.
That building could make your faith disappear… like “this definitely can’t become a hub” – so so uncompleted… only plastering, tile and PoP done. No wiring, no finishing- so crude.
I’ll cut the stories short
Then one morning, I got a prompting in my spirit saying “GO AND PAY FOR THAT PLACE NOW”
It was so loud and heavy on my heart.
I called the agent and told him I want to see them NOW
I Called Favour, our accountant just to let her know I’m about stripping the company of its reserves… but she joined me by faith
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I made the payment that morning.
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Now, how we took the next flat beside us, will be another story
But here is the twist.
I travelled to lagos to facilitate a sales training the next day –
And then I came back by the weekend.
Lo and behold, there was now a church banner downstairs… a church had taken the space down stairs
The pastor saw me and said” oh, wow, you are the one who took this upper part… that was where we wanted to take, but we learnt you had paid”
Apparently, they came to pay a day after God moved me to pay.
Today we have the whole floor and gradually expanding Néw locations.
Now, the question is:
What if I looked at the account balance and ask God “how shall these things be?”
How will over 15/20 million naira come to set up the hub? Even though we had less than 1m at the time and we operated a “low ticket” business…
I would have missed the building. I likely would have missed purpose or timing.
But True Faith in God makes you seems like a “reckless risk taker”
Like my father, Rev Areogun says, the things of God don’t make Sense, rather they make faith
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Now observe where i was coming from, believing the Father for Trousers and bags … to believing in God for funding and delivering big projects.
I’ve believed in Him for multimillion projects… and He has always showed up
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Now, observe the three dimensions / parts of faith in this story
Dimension 1: my believe and faith in Him as a Faithful Father
Dimension; My listening to Him to be guided and Directed by Him to act
Dimension 3: my going physically to look for a very large building even when we didn’t have the money
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Faith is a mix of Your Belief, His Instructions & Directions and Your actions
In other words;
F = B + I + A
Manifested FAITH = Your BELIEF + His INSTRUCTION / WORDS + Your ACTIONS
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Now, I’m comfortable with you saying that Dangote doesn’t have to use this model
But little do you know that every single human that has built anything great, actually expresses their belief in something, a god, a cause etc..:
But We Choose to Believe in God, both for the littlest things and for the largest things. Dr Strive Masiyiwa and Dr Cosmas Maduka epitomize this.
Listen, having faith in God doesn’t negate your natural abilities such as ability to network, raise capital etc…
Rather faith enhances what God can do with those.
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Develop your Faith in God
And listen,
If you’re not a trust fund baby, born into wealth… It’s in your best interest to develop your faith in God. And no, this doesn’t negate you building your cashflow etc to be able to afford expansions.
You can have
– Faith driven marketing
– Faith driven fundraising
– Faith driven tech product development
– Faith Driven recruitment
So, let me ask…
1. What project are you trusting God for to deliver between now and the end of the year? What is your belief?
2. What instructions do you have? Or what word are you standing on?
3. What is the action you must take in the line of your faith?
Develop your faith for the minutest part of the Business, and you’ll be able to depend on Him for the Big Projects.
See you on the other side of faith – the side of manifest
