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OPPORTUNITIES:

Discovering and
Maximising them

Emmanuel Ayensu
Copyright © 2016 Emmanuel Ayensu

All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise identified, scriptural quotations are from the New


King James Version of the Holy Bible. Other versions that you
may read are New International Version (NIV), The Living Bible
(TLB), Good News Bible (GNB) and others

ISBN: 978-9988-2-4179-7
DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to everyone who is determined


to succeed.
CONTENTS
DEDICATION iii

CONTENTS v

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS i

FOREWORD iii

1. UNDERSTANDING OPPORTUNITIES 5

2. DISCOVERING OPPORTUNITIES 13

3. WHY PEOPLE MISS OPPORTUNITIES 42

4. MAXIMIZING OPPORTUNITIES 90

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 96

OTHER BOOKS BY EMMANUEL AYENSU 97


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am much grateful to God for the wisdom and


orchestrating all things to work in my favor.

I really appreciate all those who have worked tirelessly


to make this project a success.

God richly bless you Rt. Rev. Dr. Hilliard Dogbe for
your wonderful work on the manuscript and fatherly
counsel.

To my mum and dad, Rev and Mrs. Ayensu, I say you


are more than a blessing.

vii
FOREWORD
Benjamin Franklin is noted to have said, “To
succeed, jump quickly at opportunities as you do at
conclusions.” In Opportunities: Discovering and
Maximizing Them, Emmanuel Ayensu offers us nuggets
of gold that not only allow the reader to jump at
opportunities, but also to be ready for it when it comes
and to recognize it so as to seize it. The gems of
wisdom described in this book does not only provide us
with practical tools for daily living but are also
grounded in strong biblical reflections that persuades us
to reach beyond ourselves into becoming who God
created us to be – developing our potentials and
maximizing them.

Throughout this book, the author emphasizes the


uniqueness of each individual and articulates clearly the
inherent value of each person, which must be nurtured
and exploited to the maximum in ways that do not
allow us to miss open doors of opportunities that
confront us daily in this world. Opportunities,
according Emmanuel Ayensu, are often camouflaged as
hard work so most people do not recognize them. He
therefore delineates clearly the nature of opportunities,
and helps us to understand that inherent in every
problem is an opportunity.

While it is usually said that the reason most people


do not recognize opportunities is because they usually
EMMANUEL AYENSU

go around wearing overalls, William Arthur Ward is


noted to have said that an “opportunity is often difficult
to recognize; we usually expect it to beckon us with
beepers and billboards.”However, Emmanuel Ayensu
helps us in this book to understand the nature of
opportunities; why people miss opportunities, and how
to maximize an opportunity when it comes our way.

We are indeed blessed in this book with sound


biblical and practical reflections that is informative,
educative and provides guidance for many of our youth
to become all that they can be. Adults, the aged, the
churched and un-churched will all find this book useful
and relevant for their daily life of embracing
opportunities in life and maximizing them in ways that
enable them to find joy and fulfilment in life. I
therefore commend this book without reservation.

Rt. Rev. Hilliard K. Dela Dogbe, Ph.D.


Bishop, Western West African Episcopal District of
the A. M. E. Zion Church

iv
1. UNDERSTANDING
OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunities abound everywhere, everyday. Some


say opportunity comes, probably, just once. This is
because there are opportunities that you may never have
again if you miss them. Do not be desperate for
opportunities but seeing opportunities should be part of
your life. Many people travel far and near seeking
opportunities, and then get disappointed when they
seem not to find any. Others locate opportunities that
they are not desperately seeking yet are not able to use
them. Opportunities abound everywhere. It is primarily
your focus, interest, understanding, discernment, your
assignment and your uniqueness that help you locate

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them.

I remember walking into a particular church in a


town to which I had just moved. As they were singing
praises to the Lord, I realized everybody was jubilantly
involved. However, the music was bad to my ears as a
musician. The person who was playing the piano was
playing one key (the only key he knew to play
somehow) and the singers were singing in different
keys. I have always loved to raise great musicians so I
went to them after the service and asked to see the
music team. I was told there was no team. Those who
could sing well were those who got the microphone
during the session. I took that as an opportunity to set
up a vibrant music ministry in that church. Now the
singers and the instrumentalists are well trained. I did
not have to look for a great team. As I established this
one, many great musicians in the town located me and
we had a wonderful ministry together.

If you know what you want, you will easily


recognize it when it is around. The problem is that most
people think that what they need are very far from
where they are. Hence, they travel all over the world
trying to locate this one thing, which probably was in
their neighborhood. You might have read or heard the
famous story “Acres of Diamond”. Someone was so
desperate to get diamonds that he sold his land and
properties to search for diamonds. He travelled round
the world and got nothing. He ended up broke.

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EFFECTIVE MEDITATION

Meanwhile the guy who bought his land discovered


diamond on this very land which the other guy sold
because he thought the diamond he was looking for
could not be so close to him.

Get your focus right, and believe that what you are
looking for may not necessarily be far from where you
are, then go work on your job. You may miss an
opportunity when you become too desperate for it.

Preparation should precede opportunity


Success comes when adequate preparation meets
opportunity. You might have being desiring to be a
great musician for some time now, but if you do not
work on your music skills, you may not be qualified
when the opportunity comes. There is much to music
than opening your mouth to sing. You need to work on
your breath control, diction, arrangement, singing style,
keys, pitch range, modulation, ad-libbing, riffs, etc. If
you do not work on some of these basic skills, you may
waste the opportunity you have been longing to have
for years.

Almost every opportunity comes with a minimum


require qualification. Hardly will you find an
opportunity at which everyone can jump. Such
opportunities do not have a great future. Make sure you

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work on getting the minimum qualification first, and


then you would be eligible when you meet the
opportunity.

David was qualified to fight Goliath because he


was able to fight a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
You will not get anywhere haphazardly. Joseph did not
ascend the throne of a prime minister because they
needed a foreigner in that office. He did not get there
because he had stayed in prison and obscurity for too
long and needed to come out. He ascended the throne
because he was accurate in interpreting dreams and was
very wise in giving counsel to the king, Pharaoh.
Genesis 41:37-40

“So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh


and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh
said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as
this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" Then
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has
shown you all this, there is no one as discerning
and wise as you. "You shall be over my house,
and all my people shall be ruled according to
your word; only in regard to the throne will I be
greater than you."

Even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had to be


qualified to deliver His mandate on earth. Before He
started his ministry, He went to John to be baptized.
John did not want to but Jesus told him it was to fulfill

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EFFECTIVE MEDITATION

all righteousness. That is, until He went through that He


was not qualified to continue in His assignment on
earth.

“And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need


to be baptized by You, and are You coming to
me?" But Jesus answered and said to him,
"Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us
to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed
Him”
Matthew 3:14-15

Be determined to see opportunities


“The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD
has made them both.”

Proverbs 20:12

There are different opportunities and how they can


be realized. You may think, as Nathaniel thought, no
good thing can come out from where you are. However,
you may be wrong. Good things abound everywhere.
There are rejected lands on which gold and oil were
discovered. People thought they were not extraordinary.
Remember that everything extraordinary had the
ordinary there. The extra made the difference. Nature
has added extra to ordinary sites to make them

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extraordinary. Beyond that, many people have turned


ordinary things into extraordinary things.

You need the eye to see what people are not seeing.
You first have to be a man or a woman on a mission.
You should know what you want; and beyond that, see
with your mind‟s eye that it is possible. You may be
standing in your acres of diamond now and yet not
know. Walt Disney saw his mountain in Disneyland
where everyone saw bush. He told people he was seeing
this mountain in Orlando, Florida, and they thought he
was losing his mind. He saw what others did not see.
He worked with engineers to make it possible. It was
rather unfortunate he passed on before the
commissioning of the place.

A musician sees the errors in a musical rendition. A


mechanic hears the sound that is not familiar and
detects that problem with your car. The beautician
knows how to make you look better than you look now.
Every problem is an opportunity. So if you see
countless problems everyday then it means there are
countless opportunities every day. Your obsession in
life determines what you pay attention to.

Open your ears to people. Some people may be


complaining and criticizing, others may be sharing their
problems. If you have the ability to meet their needs,
then you can profit from them. The opportunity is
bigger when it is a concern for lots of people. It makes

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it a great business opportunity. Business is simply


solving problems for reward.

To every expectation there is an


opportunity
“For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope
will not be cut off”

Proverbs 23:18

One funny thing in life is that you normally have


what you expect. Sometimes you see people who pray a
lot and do not seem to have anything. You easily realize
their expectations when you speak with them. Many
people do not expect to have what they have been
asking in prayer. They just pray as a religious practice.
Your expectation is crucial to your realization.

It is easier to recognize opportunities when you


have a strong expectation. Joseph was in the prison with
the king‟s officials but had a strong expectation to come
out. This is seen in how he easily discerned the changes
in their countenances, solved their problems and
requested that the one who would be restored to his
position would remember him.

We see so many immigrants succeed and become


very rich in the United States not because there were no

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opportunities in their native countries, but because they


came to the United States with a strong desire to
succeed, hence they succeed.

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2. DISCOVERING
OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunities are seasonal

“Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call


upon Him while He is near.”

Isaiah 55:6

“To everything there is a season, A time for every


purpose under heaven:”

Ecclesiastes 3:1

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An opportunity of a lifetime should be seized in the


lifetime of that opportunity. Someone rightly said a
door opened by God does not stay opened forever. In
the various football leagues around the world, there are
particular seasons in the year where players can be
transferred from one club to another. It is called the
transfer window. If a club is in need of a player, it
works around the clock so the transfer can be done
during an opened transfer window. If the deal is not
done, the player and club have to wait for the next
transfer window to make another move. Most players
who seem to be needed by some clubs in a particular
season may stand the lost when the club is no more
interested in them when the next transfer window is
opened. That is life. Your transfer window will not be
opened forever. Those interested in you now will not be
interested in you forever. You may not be in this form
forever so learn to maximize the seasons of your life.

Imagine what would have happened if Joseph was


not able to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh and give
him godly counsel. He would have died and rotten in
prison.

You may be the best ice cream producer in the


world, but you cannot make great sales during winter.
That business is seasonal. You may be a farmer of
seasonal crops. You know for sure that some of these
crops will not do well if you sow then in some season.

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The message of salvation we preach is seasonal to


individuals. There is coming a time where it may be too
late for people. Noah preached so many years and the
people did not believe nor repent until the flood came
and destroyed them. This may be your opportunity to
give your life to Christ. Grab it. Know the season and
maximize it.

“of the sons of Issachar who had understanding


of the times, to know what Israel ought to do,
their chiefs were two hundred; and all their
brethren were at their command;”

1 Chronicles 12:32

“For man also does not know his time: Like fish
taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.”

Ecclesiastes 9:12

Opportunities come as challenges

To every major challenge, there is a major


breakthrough. The confrontation of Goliath was a
horror to the entire Israeli army. They were scared to
death whenever he roared. When David saw him, he
knew that Goliath was too big a target to miss yet to
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others he was too strong to overcome. David did not


just confront him because no one could stand him. He
clarified everything to see whether the battle was worth
fighting. Though it was a great challenge, he made sure
it was a great opportunity worth maximizing. David
was an opportunist here. Let‟s read the account in 1
Samuel 17:25-27,

“So the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this


man who has come up? Surely he has come up to
defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills
him the king will enrich with great riches, will
give him his daughter, and give his father's house
exemption from taxes in Israel." Then David
spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What
shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine
and takes away the reproach from Israel? For
who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he
should defy the armies of the living God?" And
the people answered him in this manner, saying,
"So shall it be done for the man who kills him."

Most challenges have rewards. The reward is what


makes a challenge an opportunity. If you are not
interested in the reward then it is obvious you are not
interested in overcoming that challenge. It is your
responsibility to discover the reward, which are
normally hidden, in overcoming any challenge you
encounter in life. Some of the greatest rewards are not
what you receive but who you become after your

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victory.

People with great challenges have turned them into


great opportunities and most of them are celebrated
today. Yours will not be different. Nick Vujicic, an
Australian Christian Evangelist and a motivational
speaker, was born without limbs yet he pressed on to
live a fulfilling life. He learnt to write and he is now
celebrated everywhere. He overcame this challenge of
ever living a normal life. Now he is a top public
speaker, giving hope to so many people and challenging
them to overcome the obstacles in their lives as he has
overcome his. Turn your challenges into opportunities.

Sir Richard Branson had dyslexia. Because his


teachers did not know much of such disability in his
early days, he had to struggle in his academics up to
high school where he chose not to continue his formal
education. To his teacher he was not smart enough, but
he has proved to the entire world that he is indeed one
of the greatest businesspersons and entrepreneur to live.
He is the founder of Virgin group of companies, a
conglomerate, with hundreds of companies. Challenges
are meant to be overcome.

Jack Ma, Alibaba Creator and 22nd World fortune


according to Forbes in 2015 with $29.8 billion, says:

“I failed 3 times in college. I applied 30 times to


get a job but I was always rejected. When KFC

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came to China for the first time, we were 24 to


apply and I was the only one to be dismissed. I
wanted to go into police and five postulants, I was
the only one not to be accepted. I applied 10 times
to return to Harvard University USA and I was
rejected.”

Albert Einstein could not read until he was four.


His teachers said he would never amount to much. He
proved them wrong by becoming the greatest scientist
of the last century. Your challenges are to bring the best
out of you. They are not obstacles, but steppingstones
into your glorious future.

Opportunities come by encounter

Encounters are real. Though we plan our lives,


many things happen in our lives that we cannot control.
God is the chief orchestrator of the events in one‟s life.
That is why we have to open ourselves up to
encounters. Such encounters can terminate a lifelong
issue in your life, can lead you into super prosperity in
no time, can make you live like a king the rest of your
life, and can bring you into limelight.

Saul never thought of being a king before he

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became one. I am sure about this because there had


never been a king in Israel before he became one. He
was searching for his father‟s donkeys when he
encountered the man of God, Samuel. He became the
first king of Israel after an encounter.

Jacob was a son of prophecy. He was the second


son and the first son was to serve him. Yet he struggled
a lot in life. He served fourteen years for his two wives.
His wages were changed ten times. He had nothing
after serving for twenty years. He encountered an angel
of God in a dream and his story changed. He became
richer than his boss was in a year. He had another
encounter that changed his life. He wrestled with God
and He changed his name. That is when he began to
rule like God, Israel.

When I speak of encounters, I am not only referring


to visions and seeing angels of God. You can encounter
a person that will change your life. You can encounter
an idea that will change your life. Jamie-Grace Harper
used to cover songs by Kirk Franklin, TobyMac and
others and then upload on YouTube. TobyMac
discovered her when he watched her videos on
YouTube. She is now a music star.

People used to laugh at Ben Carson in his early


years in school because he was not smart enough. He
did not see himself to be smart, but light from the words
of his mother illuminated his mind and turned him to be

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one of the greatest Neurosurgeons the world has ever


known.

Even in the secular world, ideas make people rich.


You may need an encounter to step into your glorious
destiny or future. Put what you do before the world so
you can be discovered. Study the Bible to encounter a
light from heaven. Read books and listen to people.
Information does not always come from above your
status; it may come from beneath your status. The first
person who told the famous story “the Acres of
Diamond” was not a business tycoon but a humble
attendant to visitors/ pilgrims yet the story is now
famous because someone learnt from it and his life is
not the same. Your life will never be the same if you
choose to listen.

Opportunities come as responsibility

Responsibility is the foundation stone in living a


fulfilled life. You will only be happy to the degree to
which you feel responsible in life. People are frustrated
because others control their happiness; they are
dependent on others. People respect those they see as
responsible.

David was the youngest of his brethren, yet he was


not idle in the house. In fact, he was the one taking care

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of his father‟s sheep. The eldest were home. They were


tall, good-looking, presentable in the sight of men, but
they were home. It will interest you to know that God is
always interested in responsible or working people.
David has learnt to be so responsible for his father‟s
sheep that he would not run away even when a lion
shows up to prey on them. He fought for the lives of the
sheep by killing a lion and bear. That was the
convincing part of his resume. That made King Saul
believed in his ability to humble Goliath.

Being responsible is very important that is why the


positions you have served are an important part of your
résumé. A story is told of a rich old farmer who had
sons who refused to get themselves involved in their
fathers work. They had always thought their father was
hiding some precious jewels from them that made him
rich. They knew they were the heirs and that they
would inherit their father‟s wealth. On the father‟s
dying bed, he called these two sons and told them he
had his precious jewels hidden, buried under the roots
of one of the numerous trees on this large acres of land
so they could search for it if they were interested. Not
long afterwards, the man passed on.

Those men who were desperate to be rich searched


so hard and found nothing. They then hired people to
fell all the trees and uproot the stumps in search for the
hidden treasures. After all these, they found nothing. In
their worries, the elder told the young that now that

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there is no tree in the land, the land is almost ploughed


so they can sell the timber to make money and use
some of the money to buy seeds and cultivate the land
so that at least they may have something to eat. Then
they went and did likewise. By the time they realized,
they had a large plantation that made them very rich.
That was when they realized the meaning of what their
father told them. Choosing to be responsible made them
wealthy.

Lack of opportunity is not the problem. People are


not interested in taking their destinies in their hands to
make things happen. They say they do not have job to
do, not because there is no work, but rather because
what they see is not their desired work.

One of the best things you can ever do is to teach


your children to be responsible from their tender years.
They will grow to be very responsible, lovely, rich and
successful people you would even dream of having. If
you leave them to develop anyhow they want, you may
regret how they may turn up. Deliberately raise them to
be responsible

Opportunities may come as failures

Nature punishes naivety. Ignorance of the law is no


excuse. Failure may come with punishments, but

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beyond that, great lessons. Anywhere you find yourself


is an opportunity to learn and build on your experience.
If everything you did was perfect in the first instance,
there would be many lessons you might have missed in
the school of real life. Some people say there is much to
be learned from that which works than that which does
not work. That does not necessarily mean that you don‟t
learn from failure. Failure can teach you a thousand
lessons that success may not teach you.

I have seen people who have many challenges in


their marriages that you would have thought they would
never have any success in their marital life. Some of
these become so successful in their marriages that they
help struggling couples to build better marriages. Some
of these who go through divorce learn so much that
they treasure any chance they have to marry again. It is
true that many people do not know what they have until
they have lost it. That is why most people who break up
with their first love normally have glorious marriages
when they learn enough from their failures.

Failure is just an opportunity to try something out


again, more intelligently. Sometimes it is as though you
are not even sure of what you are after until everything
fails, then your senses come alive. Most of the
wealthiest people we know of failed one way or the
other before they finally made it. Some of them even
became wealthy and lost everything. That was when
they took great lessons in life on how to maintain

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success. Some lessons are too easy to be ignored that


the school of hard knocks is the only place some people
master them.

Failure is in the path of success. The path of


success is filled with hills, valleys and rough road.
Thomas Edison is noted for saying he has not failed so
many times but rather has found out thousand times
why his devise would not light up.

Opportunity may come through act of


kindness
Every act of kindness you do is to be appreciated.
Yet some people are not thankful.

“a present is a precious stone in the eyes of its


possessor; wherever he turns he prospers”

Proverbs 17:8

Every service you render to people and care you


show people opens a door for a relationship. Some
people choose to do acts of kindness to secure favor,
others act kindly because they understand it and have
grown to live by it. Kindness is a seed you sow and you
certainly reap it because God is not mocked. When the
prodigal son went his way with his portion of his
inheritance, he went and spent all by himself. Never did

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we read of him giving to anybody. So when he became


poor nobody gave him anything. He desired even to eat
pig‟s food and he would not have it.

It is amazing how God recognizes acts of kindness.


Cornelius used to pray to God always and give alms.
His prayers and alms became memorial before God.
God sent him an angel with a message that led him to
salvation because of his acts of kindness.

Abigail became the wife of David because she was


wise enough to be kind to him and his men when her
husband was wicked. Rebecca became the wife of Isaac
because she was kind enough to give water to his
servant and the animals that were with him.

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for


in due season we shall reap if we do not lose
heart. Therefore, as if we have opportunity let us
do good to all especially to those who are of the
household of faith.”

Gal 6:9-10

Opportunity may start as rejection and


hatred
We all long to be liked, loved, and celebrated by
people. We do not like to be rejected and despised. It

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makes us feel less important, less human, incompetent


and sometimes useless. The truth is that being rejected,
ridiculed, despised and sidelined sometime in life is
okay. It may seem very painful, but you are not the only
one to suffer that. It is part of life. If you know it will
come someday, you will not be surprised and will not
be hurt much when it comes. In fact, you should
anticipate that. The important thing is what you will
make of these moments.

People have risen to greater heights in their fields


of endeavors after suffering from major rejections or
being sidelined. We have their stories as examples so
we can maximize these moments as well. Michael
Jordan is a legend in NBA and his achievements will be
read by generations, yet Michael had his share. His
elder brother was preferred to him as a better player and
people would recognize Michael as only a brother. He
was denied access to the university first team because
of his height. He has proved to the world that you may
be despised and sidelined, but you can work your way
to the top that those who rejected you will come and
celebrate you.

Myles Monroe of blessed memory will forever be


remembered. He said it, and it has happened that he
would go to the grave empty. From a small country of
Bahamas, he has made an impact in this world that has
made people recognize that island. He was not a bright
student in his early years in school. A white teacher

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used to call him a monkey. He felt so useless he told his


mother he was not going to amount to anything. The
mother encouraged him with Ephesians 3:20 that she
made him read six times. After the seventh time, he
discovered something that changed his life forever. He
realized that he is not what that teacher told him he was.
He realized that God is able to do what he imagine and
think. As far as his imagination could see, God could
bring it to pass. He also saw that the power to be who
he really wanted to be was not in anyone or outside, but
was inside him.

From that moment, he did not wait for anyone to


teach him. He took books of algebra, biology and others
and studied them himself. Prior to this, he had been an
F student. By this he became a C student. He went
ahead to become a B student and finally, an A student.
He gained scholarship to high school in a different
school and excelled. After graduating from high school,
he came to his former school on government
scholarship as a teacher. The teacher who used to call
him a monkey now became a colleague teacher. After
many years, Myles Monroe was having a book signing
after a leadership conference in the UK and
encountered an old man who told him he had read some
of his books and they have changed his life. This old
man was the teacher who used to call him a monkey.
Through the books of this “monkey” this white man
encountered light and gave his life to Christ.

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Of Jesus, it is said;

“He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of


sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as
it were, our faces from Him; He was despised,
and we did not esteem Him.”

Isaiah 53:3

The Master Himself suffered rejection. His own


people rejected him in His hometown. All these
happened on His journey of fulfillment. Finally, He was
given a name that is above all names because He
endured.

People‟s view of who you are should not make you


feel less human or less important. They may despise
and reject you, but stay focused on your purpose in life.
Your greatness will make them submit to you.

Opportunities come through association


and recommendation
“Yet I considered it necessary to send to you
Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and
fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one
who ministered to my need”

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EFFECTIVE MEDITATION

Philippians 2:25

People are the greatest assets you have. If you


know how to treat people right, God will sponsor the
rest of your life, said Dr. Mike Murdock. God works
through people. The answers to your prayer may come
through people.

Your network is your net worth. That is a true


business philosophy. If you have right people in your
network then you would have great opportunities.
Somebody should know you to speak well of you. A
servant of Saul spoke to him about David when nobody
knew him. That was what brought David to the palace.
The butler spoke to Pharaoh about Joseph. Some people
say it is who you know that matter, but I rather say it is
he who knows you that matter. People recommend
those they know and trust. Daniel was captive in
Babylon and he had three close friends. When
Nebuchadnezzar, the king had a dream and demanded
that his magicians and wise men tell him the dream and
give the interpretation to the dream or they die, Daniel
petitioned the king to give him time to wait on God for
it. He made the matter known to these three friends of
his. When he told the king the dream and the
interpretation, the king promoted him. Daniel spoke to
the king about these friends of his, and they were
promoted as well.

“Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the


affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat
in the gate of the king.”

Daniel 2:49

Jesus Himself worked with this philosophy. When


Peter asked what they would get for leaving everything
and following Him, He revealed it.

“So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you,


that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits
on the throne of His glory, you who have followed
Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel”

Matthew 19:28

People recommend people, product and services. It


is said that the best kind of advertising is through word
of mouth from satisfied clients and customers. Few
satisfied customers are worth more than millions of
television advertisement if no one can honestly testify
of you, your product and services.

A servant recommended Elisha to the king of Israel


and king of Judah. People see your good works. A
servant of Saul described David vividly. He was
seriously taking care of his father‟s sheep and playing
music for them, yet someone recognized what was in
him. Timothy was well spoken of by the church. This

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made Paul take him and raised him as his son in


ministry.

Always pour your heart into whatever you do.


Strive to excel in what you do. Be a man or woman
with integrity. Treat people well. You may not know
who is watching you. Let your attitude and personality
do the speaking. People read you as a book. Let your
story be inspiring, and they will recommend you to
others.

Opportunities come through service


Every opportunity you have to serve is an
opportunity to show your brand. Serve others with
delight, not just for money or because of their position.
Your good service will always be recommended. Elisha
served Elijah for years. Before Elijah met Elisha, he
had a servant whom he left somewhere when he was
running away from Jezebel. More than once Elijah
wanted Elisha to leave him, yet he would not. He
wanted to serve him until the end of his life and he did.
After Elijah was gone, the kings of Israel and Judah
needed a prophet to inquire of the Lord from. This is
what was said of Elisha;

“…Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured


water on the hands of Elijah.”

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

2 Kings 3:11

Joshua served Moses so many years. He was


always on post. After Moses was dead, he was the one
God asked to lead Israel into the Promised Land.

Opportunities come by asking


Some of us have been raised to be independent to
the extent that we find it difficult to ask for help and
things.

“…Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”

James 4:2

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you


will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
"For everyone who asks receives, and he who
seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be
opened.”

Matthew 7:7,8

It does not matter how hard you work to be


independent, you will have to ask people for so many
things. I remember a friend telling people to kill their
pride because even rich people borrow pens in the
banking hall. There are so many instances in your life

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EFFECTIVE MEDITATION

that you will need something from others. You may


need something that the poor can give you, so don‟t
despise them. You may need something that the young
can give you, so do not overlook their potential. You
may need things the lost and unsaved can give you.
This is the reason we have been told to live in peace
with all people.

“Pursue peace with all people…”

Hebrew 12:14

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be


called sons of God.”

Matthew 5:9

There are many instances that Jesus, the Master


Himself, asked for things because He needed them. If
the Master did it, then there is nothing wrong with it.
The only time asking is wrong is when you ask because
you are irresponsible and become an encumbrance.

In the beginning of His ministry, Jesus asked for


Peter‟s fishing boat to use as a platform for His first
crusade. After the crusade, people saw the power of
God demonstrated and they believed in Him. Jesus did
not just wish that these fishermen will leave their
lucrative business and follow Him; He called Peter,
James and John to follow Him. When He needed bread
to multiply and feed the people, He went for a small

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

boy‟s lunch. When He needed a place to have the


Passover with His disciples, He sent them to ask for a
room someone had prepared. When He needed a
donkey to ride on, He sent for someone‟s donkey.

You cannot, and should not, pay for everything in


life. In my small experience, I have come to realize that
poor people pay for so many things the rich do not pay
for. Build better relationship with people and you may
not have to pay for many things.

When you are in need for a recommendation, ask


for it. Jesus may not have staged His first crusade and
won His initial disciples if He did not ask for Peter‟s
boat. Most of us know about the famous chicken recipe
of commander Sanders. He travelled to so many
restaurants before he was accepted by one to have a
contract for his great recipe.

The fact that you live with someone and have a


need does not necessarily mean he will help you.
Sometimes you assume they know what you want
whereas they have not paid attention to it. That is why
we have been admonished to ask. You may never
receive many things if you fail to ask. A blind man
came to Jesus one time. Jesus knew that the guy could
not see yet He asked what he wanted Him to do for
him. God knows that you have a need that He can meet,
yet He says ask. If you don‟t ask, you may keep on
suffering for nothing because “everyone who asks

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receives,” not everyone who wishes.

You may be very talented in what you do and yet


people may never know you. Ask for the opportunity
that can make people recognize what your capabilities
are. That may bring you from obscurity into limelight.
Why should you die in darkness when you can ask for
opportunity to step into destiny just by asking for it?

Prayer works! God can bring great people your way


if you ask Him to. He can open great doors for you. He
can turn the hearts of kings to love and favor you.
Never forget to pray about your needs.

Opportunities come through the counsel


you give
Whenever people come to you with their problems,
they present you the opportunity to make impact in
their lives and subsequently, those around them. You
are just a conversation away from those they know.

“He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.”

Proverbs 24:26

God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding yet


nobody knew it until he gave a judgment that made
everyone know what was in him.

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

“And all Israel heard of the judgment which the


king had rendered; and they feared the king, for
they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to
administer justice.”
Kings 3:28

That was the beginning of his greatness that you


and I have been reading about. One good counsel you
give can land you a career that is so reputable that
people from different nations will long to work with
you.

“And men of all nations, from all the kings of the


earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear
the wisdom of Solomon.”

1 Kings 4:34

Serendipity
Serendipity from the Oxford Dictionary means the
making of happy and unexpected discoveries by
accident. God in His infinite wisdom has made us in a
way that everyone will have opportunities. The wise
and the fool, the intelligent and the ignorant all have a
chance to succeed. Nabal was rich. It does not matter
your race, tribe or gender, you still have a chance.

“I returned and saw under the sun that-The race

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is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong,


Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of
understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time
and chance happen to them all.”

Ecclesiastes 9:11

It is real to stumble on an opportunity that can


change the rest of your life. Though we operate under
the law of cause and effect, serendipity let us
acknowledge the fact an unforeseen force that can alter
the happenings in our lives.

Saul was searching for his father‟s donkeys when


he had an encounter that made him ascend the throne of
Israel to be their first king.

“Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were


lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, "Please, take
one of the servants with you, and arise, go and
look for the donkeys….Formerly in Israel, when a
man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus:
"Come, let us go to the seer"; for he who is now
called a prophet was formerly called a seer.”

1 Samuel 9:3,9

“Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on


his head, and kissed him and said: "Is it not
because the LORD has anointed you commander
over His inheritance?”

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1 Samuel 10:1

David was sent by his father, Jesse, to give food to


his brothers and check how they were doing. He had an
opportunity that would make his family free in Israel
and make him the son-in-law of the king in that
journey.

“Then Jesse said to his son David, "Take now for


your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and
these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the
camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain
of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare,
and bring back news of them….So the men of
Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has
come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel;
and it shall be that the man who kills him the king
will enrich with great riches, will give him his
daughter, and give his father's house exemption
from taxes in Israel.”

1 Samuel 17:17-18, 25

I believe strongly in taking instructions. I have had


so many blessings and experiences when I was obedient
to things I was asked to do by senior ministers,
colleagues, parents, etc. I have had so many encounters
and blessings that I was not pursuing. Just open up to
God and people and learn to take instructions. What
you need may be one instruction away.

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Adversity
God schedules enemies in our lives to change our
seasons. Change is inevitable. People love change but
do not want to change. I remember a friend saying, “it
seems babies in diapers are the usual people who
always love change.” Some people bring change, but
everyone is affected by change. There are times God
wants us to leave where we are to where He wants us to
be but we are not willing to make a move. Sometimes
we know where we are is not good for us but we fail to
make a move. God is so gracious that He consciously
schedules events in our lives that will bring change and
help us fulfill destiny.

God told Abraham his descendants will be slaves in


a foreign land for four hundred years. When the four
hundred years were almost up, there were no signs the
Israelites were leaving Egypt, so God stirred the heart
of the Egyptians against them. The Egyptians killed
their male babies and the Israelites cried out to God.
That was when their deliverance began.

Sometimes you may find yourself working in an


institution or an environment where you are not
supposed to be. It may be so clear to you that you have
to leave this place and yet you do not because of the
personal reasons and benefits you may be receiving

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

there. Then something happens between you and your


boss, and almost all the people you love to work with
begin to rise against you. Sometimes you may not know
what really happened, but all you realize is that
everyone is against you now and it causes you to leave.

God schedules adversaries in our lives for our own


benefit. God called Abraham to leave his family and
leave for a land that He would show him yet he took
Lot with him when he left. God has to let a dispute
come between them so they would separate. That was
when God‟s plan for Abraham began to unfold.

If you understand the purpose of the adversaries


God bring your way, there are so many battles you will
not fight because they maybe telling you to just make a
decision.

Tips
Your imagination may run wide but your reality is
always shaped by your focus and your actions.
Discovering should not be difficult. As far as you can
see, read and listen, you are good to discover every
opportunity you want if only you master these facts.

Brian Tracy rightly said that life is the study of

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attention. Where your attention goes, your life goes. Set


your focus right and pay attention.

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3. WHY PEOPLE MISS
OPPORTUNITIES

The fact that we all need opportunities does not


mean we all have the opportunities we long for. It is not
that opportunities do not come, but rather most people
keep missing them. There are various reasons why
people miss opportunities and we would be considering
a number of them here.

Despising People and Opportunities


“For who hath despised the day of small things?
for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in
the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are
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the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro


through the whole earth.”

Zechariah 4:10 KJV

People despise small things and celebrate great


things. They fail to realize that most great things started
small. We live in an environment where people mock
others who seem to have very humble beginnings. They
make most of them develop inferiority complexes.
People ridicule young pastors and young ministries. It
is common to hear people call newly planted churches
one-man churches just because they do not belong to an
already established denomination. Every church started
like that. Bishop Dag Heward-Mills has been telling his
own story. When he started his church as a campus
students‟ ministry, people used to laugh at him as he
carried drums to the place of worship. He had to part
with his associate pastor he had been working with for
years because the guy did not believe in him. Those
who used to laugh at him have changed their minds
because he is not just a national figure, but a prominent
evangelist in the current global revival. That associate
pastor that would have been the major assistant to such
a great man of God has lost his opportunity forever
because he despised the man of God.

Appearance can be deceptive. There are people you


encounter today that you may think they would not
amount to anything. You may be surprised at their

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

greatness tomorrow. I heard of a testimony of a lady


who was a graduate and unemployed. She felt God
leading her to sell firewood. She thought of what people
would say, knowing she was a graduate and now selling
firewood. She shut her mind to people‟s opinions and
started gathering firewood from the forest and selling
them to food vendors. She began to make profit and
employed people who gathered the firewood while she
did the distribution with her truck driver. She is now
rich. Never despise an opportunity.

First Impression
It is said that you do not judge a book by its cover.
However, the reality is that most people do. God who
created man knows that we are quick to judge by what
we see. That is why He told the Prophet Samuel,

“… for man looks at the outward appearance, but


the LORD looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

God is the one who looks at the heart, not the


average outward human being. Your good heart and
right intentions may not be seen in your appearance, but
your appearance make people have a perception of who
you are. There are many places you may not be given
access if your dress code does not match the occasion

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or even the environment.

I remember Prophet Kakra Baiden of Lighthouse


Chapel International relating an experience he once
had. While he was an architectural student in Kwame
Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
(KNUST), he went on vacation abroad. There was an
opportunity to work on a construction site so he bought
boots and some things he may need and came to the
place where they picked the laborers every morning. He
was not picked the first day. He came the second day
and was not picked as well. Then he sat down to think
about the possible reasons why the supervisor kept
passing by him while picking others. Then he realized
that his boots and outfit looked new whereas the other
people looked like experienced workers in their used
outfits. He put some things on his boots and had his
outfit look like that of a regular worker on a
construction site. When he can to the same place they
have been passing by him the next morning, he was one
of the people to be picked first.

People have just five to ten seconds to make their


mind about you the first time they see you. Let your
appearance carry the message you want to send to
people. Though it takes just few seconds to make an
impression, it may take years for people to change their
mind about you; above who they think you are.
Something comes to people‟s mind immediately they
hear your name. That can open or close doors for you.

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

There are many experiences I have had myself.


There are places I have been where I disguised myself
because I wanted to understand how people relate to
different people. In most places, I realized that people
despised those they do not know their worth. Some
even treat people worse than the average person on the
street when they do not see any “commanding feature”
in them. It happens even in churches. Those who
despise and look down on you the first time struggle to
relate well with you when they realize who you truly
are with time. There is power in first impression. Have
a commanding personality. Look the way you want to
be addressed.

There are great people in my life that came to like


me just the first time they saw me, even before we met.
Most of them have told me what they saw in me
immediately they set eyes on me. Doors keep opening
for me because of the power of first impression. Relax
and be yourself. Let your true self find expression in
your appearance. Some people may not like you but
those you are called to will celebrate your uniqueness.
People read you like a book; make sure they get the
right message so they may recommend you to others.

Impatience
“But the ones that fell on the good ground are

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EFFECTIVE MEDITATION

those who, having heard the word with a noble


and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with
patience.”

Luke 8:15

Impatience robs people of great opportunities. It


takes patience to spot great opportunities and maximize
them. Saul was humble in his own eyes before he was
chosen by God to be the first king of Israel. That was a
very great opportunity to be the head of the nation that
is known to be the chosen one of God yet he did
something in his second year as king that made him
lose his grip over the kingdom forever. The kingdom
was never established in his hands. He was supposed to
wait for the prophet Samuel for seven days who would
come and offer burnt offering unto the Lord before they
would fight the Philistines who had risen against them.
On the last day, he was not patient enough to wait for
the man of God. He went ahead and offered burnt
offering himself that was against the instruction of God.

“Then he waited seven days, according to the


time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to
Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
So Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering and peace
offerings here to me." And he offered the burnt
offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had
finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel
came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

might greet him.”

1 Samuel 13:8-10

“And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done


foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of
the LORD your God, which He commanded you.
For now the LORD would have established your
kingdom over Israel forever.”

1 Samuel 13:13

Procrastination
“Procrastination,” we say, “is the thief of time.”
There is no better moment than the present. Tomorrow
may never come. Even if tomorrow comes, you may
not be there. Many people who started the year with us
are not alive. We do not live forever on earth. Open
doors do not stay opened forever. If you procrastinate in
starting your business, career or ministry, you may
wake up one day and realize you are old and incapable
of accomplishing those things you have planned.

If you ever want to do something, today is the best


day to begin. It doesn‟t matter the thing you want to do,
start working on it today. You will have new ideas
every day. So many ideas can lead to indecision. That is
why you should focus on the one thing that is set before

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you and work tirelessly to make it happen. Work


tirelessly on it so much today that you only rest when
you are exhausted and can no more focus on it. Then go
back to it early the next morning after having a quality
time with God. Be much focused and work so
passionately that you have no time to idle or make any
other thing distract you.

We all have the tendency to procrastinate every


now and then. I have lost great opportunities by
procrastination, so I know the pain it can bring. The
painful side is not the opportunity you lose but the fact
that you knew better and thought you have control over
such an opportunity only to wake up one day to realize
that you have miscalculated the timing, minored on the
major stuff while majoring on the minor things, or just
wasted time procrastinating.

We get bored in doing routine task. When you


know that what you are working on will not produce
immediate results, you may be tempted every now and
then to relax and lag every now and then. This is so
common among students. Most students start studying
seriously when they have exams. Majority of students
do not even go through their notes in the early days of
the academic semesters until they have a quiz at hand.
Then the problem comes when there is an event that
makes it seemingly impossible to study during these
periods. People who do not do well in their academics
are not necessarily those who are not brilliant. Most of

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

them are excellent students who keep procrastinating


until they have no time left.

The reason we discipline ourselves and do what we


do is the bitter experiences we have had because of
procrastination in our lives and that of those around us.
Most opportunities come once in a lifetime so do not
waste time when you can use it to your advantage.
Remember: Productivity is not magic. It is discipline.

Do something about that desire, dream, vision,


goal, job, before you lose interest in it.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when


the desire comes, it is a tree of life.”

Proverbs 13:12

Inconsistency
Consistency is the key to your breakthrough. You
may be doing the right thing but not long enough.
Consistency pays. Many people can‟t wait. They want
to have everything overnight. Such people do not get
anything in the long run. You need to be consistent in
executing the task set before you. Many people are
praying and longing for the opportunity that you have.
You cannot maximize such an opportunity with a
lackadaisical attitude.

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EFFECTIVE MEDITATION

You may not be able to break a rock by hitting it


once with a hammer. However, if you would be
consistent in hitting it, you will see the results after so
many times. People keep changing their directions and
goals every now and then because they do not seem to
realize them in their set time. Their problem is not that
they could not achieve them. Most of them cannot just
follow through consistently.

“and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward


the sea." So he went up and looked, and said,
"There is nothing." And seven times he said, "Go
again." Then it came to pass the seventh time, that
he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's
hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up,
say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down
before the rain stops you.'"”

1 Kings 18:43,44

You cannot trust someone who is not consistent in


what he does. Success, like growth, is gradual and
consistent. You would miss many opportunities if you
are known to be inconsistent in what you do. No
football club wastes money in buying a player who is
not consistent in delivering on the pitch of play. Your
consistency will pay off.

Jacob served his uncle and master, Laban, for seven


years. When Jacob negotiated his wages with him, they

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

all agreed that Jacob would have the spotted and


streaked goats. Immediately after the negotiation,
Laban took all the streaked and spotted goat and gave
them to his sons. This did not make Jacob resign. He
kept on tendering the rest of the goats. He was so
consistent in doing his job that God recognized and
came through for him. (Genesis 30:3-43; 31:6-13)

Disfavor, Demonic Oppression and


Opposition
Many things we overlook and say „it doesn‟t
matter‟ really matter. Most of our struggles are
unnecessary. You would be able to solve most of your
problems if only you would pay attention to your life
and ask yourself the reasons for the happenings in your
life. Things do not just happen. They are made to
happen. So if your desired thing is not what you see in
your life then you have to sit down and analyze whether
you are doing all you are supposed to do to have what
you desire.

It is normal to go to school, study, write exams,


pass and graduate. But it is not normal for you to fall
sick every time you have an exam. It does not matter
the explanation that you may have, consistently falling
sick in all your major exams period is not normal. I
struggled with such a challenge from childhood till my

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EFFECTIVE MEDITATION

early days in the university until I encountered a light in


the word of God and was able to bring that oppressive
ceremony to an end.

Likewise, life can be full of struggles for no


particular reason. The fact that you are in the right place
does not necessarily mean you cannot have such
challenges. There are people that, in spite of where they
are, what works for everyone does not work for them.
Even if there is an open door that others are accessing,
that door closes immediately they want to access it.
They may be burdened so much that they despair. Some
people call them lazy but they may not really be lazy.

I have encountered so many people and handled so


many problems to understand that many of our
perceptions about people are wrong. People face
challenges we have no idea about. It is rather
unfortunate that we judge and condemn people. Some
issues are difficult to perceive from afar. Most issues
that seem to weigh people down and cause them to
despair are things that they usually of which they have
no idea. They may be handling so many major things
that they think may be causing their problems, and yet
have no results.

If you have ever been in such a situation before


then you would probably understand what I mean. It
may be a problem of disfavor. Favor attracts people and
opportunities. It makes people want to help you. The

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

issue of disfavor can be very serious and dangerous. It


makes people commit suicide all the time. Never take it
for granted.

Favor breaks protocol and opens doors for you.


Mike Murdock said

“A day of favor is worth a thousand days of


labor.”

God blessed the works of your hands. Without


favor, you may be frustrated with the products of your
hands. For it is neither by might nor by power. Favor
will bring you great opportunities. I have seen great
doors opened to many people, yet some people are
never able to go through simply because they lack
favor. Favor is what makes people overlook you lack of
qualification and still promote you. There are lots of
people who are better, more qualified and well known
than you are, yet favor can put you over.

There are agents of disfavor that can make you


miss opportunities. Zeba was a physical agent of
disfavor. He made sure Mephiboseck lost favor in the
sight of David. As it is with the physical, so it is with
the spiritual. There may be forces that are causing the
people that can favor you to change their minds about
you. Sometime it becomes so obvious that you perceive
it. In most cases, you may not even know what is
happening. I have seen people with great opportunities

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who encountered their helpers. Someway somehow,


these helpers begin to lose almost everything they have
immediately they started helping these people. The
demonic agents of disfavor can make people have
wrong perception about you.

Do not keep on telling yourself your time will come


when you experience such abnormalities in your life.
Nothing will happen if you do nothing about it. There
are demonic forces that do not want you to get better
than you are today. Many beautiful women and
handsome men have never had good relationships,
marriages, or even succeeded in their careers because
they lack favor. Sometimes tears fill my eyes when I
hear some of them speak. The devil is a bad devil and
thrives on our ignorance. He knows that in all labor
there is profit that is why he frustrates your business
relations so you become disoriented, lose focus and
unproductive.

Some Opportunities Are Covered and


Hidden
Treasures are not found everywhere; they are
normally kept in secret or hidden in common things so
that the average person is likely to overlook. Most
people know how refined gold looks like but may never
recognize a crust of gold. It takes the initiated/oriented

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to recognize them. That is how most glorious


opportunities are. You may pray and crave for one, and
yet may never see some. It is not that they are not
necessarily common; but may not be oriented to
discover.

You ask for what may be given you not what is


hidden from you. You search for what is hidden. The
seeker is assured the opportunity of finding.

“…and he who seeks finds…”

Matthew 7:8

Seeking does not necessarily guarantee finding if


you cannot recognize it when you come by it. That is
why you need training, knowledge and mentorship. All
these things have their different roles to play in helping
discover your great opportunities and excelling in them.
Your training does not take the place of a mentor
neither does the reading. We will discuss theses
different elements subsequently.

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the


glory of kings is to search out a matter”.

Proverbs 25:2

There is the famous story, The Acres of Diamond,


wherein we read of the opportunities that may be very
close to us and yet are hidden. Someone who was so

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desperate to get diamonds so he would be rich sold his


property and started on a journey to get diamonds. He
exhausted all he had and yet could not get any. To his
surprise, the guy who bought his property discovered
diamonds on it. The original owner of the land never
thought he would have diamond on this land.

“Take away the dross of silver, and it will go to


the silversmith for jewellery”.

Proverbs 25:4

It is very crucial to begin your search for


opportunities from your immediate environment before
you ever search somewhere else. Make sure you
understand and explore what you have or you may trade
it for something less significant. Uncover what is
behind the things that you do. You may be surprised to
discover some glorious opportunities around you. I read
of a woman who had to do something to support herself
when she lost her husband. This woman visited the man
of God, Norman Vincent Pearle, to seek counsel. He
asked her what she was good at doing. The woman
thought she was not talented in anything. When the man
of God asked her what she could do with ease, she
recognized that she could make pastries. That was her
turning point.

If you cannot discover what is close to you, you


may struggle for nothing. Pay attention to the things

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

you have and the things you do. They may seem so
ordinary, but never forget that extraordinary things are
normally refined ordinary things that find themselves in
the right place at the right time.

Unwillingness to Leave the Present State


Everyone speaks about change yet people do not
like to change. We get familiar with stuff and addicted
to things. Pain does not bring change. Hurting people
long for change but not all of them want to bring or
embrace change. This is because crises normally
happen at the curve of change.

The Israelites were slaves for about 400years.


Moses showed up one day with the mandate to bring
them out of Egypt into the Promised Land. When they
had a problem on the wilderness, they wanted to go
back to Egypt. They loved the garlic and onions and
were prepared to sacrifice their future to satisfy their
taste buds.

The Israelites had this problem after they have left


Egypt, but most people who imagine having such
problems never leave their “Egypt.” They cannot
imagine setting off on a journey and not knowing where
their next meal may be coming from. Freedom is very
expensive that is why people love to be servants all

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their lives. You have to feed yourself, buy your own


clothes, pay the bills, take care of your family etc. it is
easier to serve someone all your life if you are
guaranteed your feeding and other basic incentives than
treading an unguaranteed path.

There are always opportunities out there. You have


discovered some of them. You know these
opportunities are glorious and they will lead you into
prosperity yet we all find it difficult to leave the where
we are. It takes lots of courage to lose sight of the shore
and step into the sea of your glorious future.

Whenever you are tempted to hang around,


considering and answering the following questions will
help you make up your mind and stick with your plan.

What is the best thing that will happen if I let go that


opportunity?

What is the worst thing that will happen if I let go that


opportunity?

What is the best thing that would happen if I seize that


opportunity?

What is the worst thing that would happen if I seize


that opportunity?

Why should a go for that?

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

Placing Other People’s Interest above


Yours
People would always love to use you to accomplish
their goals. They monitor your talents and capabilities.
It does not matter how anointed or talented you are,
others may use you to get what they want done
repeatedly. The unfortunate thing is that they leave you
when they do not need you. Someone rightly said, if
you do not build your dream, someone else would hire
you to build his or hers. This does not mean you do not
work with or for people. It may be your dream to work
in a bank as a bank manager whereas someone may be
dreaming to own the bank that you may be working at.
You will feel fulfilled working for that bank because
that is what you have desired. However, if you want to
be a broker outside that bank but your services are
needed in the bank, you may be dissuaded by the bank
from pursuing your goal because they need you to work
for them. So sacrificing the dream of owning a
brokerage firm, you may end up serving this bank and
helping them advance in their vision course. You would
wake up one day in regret because you never lived your
dream.

A friend of mine told me of his life experience that


taught him a great lesson. He was preparing for a
particular exam in school and his friend asked him to
teach him a particular topic. The friend of mine who

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was very generous sacrificed his time to study the topic


he had not studied to teach his friend. When he went
into the examination hall, he realized that it was the
topic he could not study because he was helping his
friend that he was examined on. He did not do well in
the exams because he put a fellow‟s interest above his.

We all have different assignments, purposes,


destinies on earth. We set goals based on the direction
of our lives. These goals and desires are magnets that
attract opportunities to us. You have to learn to grab
such opportunities. The person you are sacrificing your
future for may not be there for you tomorrow. You
should learn to be a little bit selfish when it comes to
pursuing your vision in life. Jesus fed the hungry. These
people came to him the next time to make Him king so
they can have free lunch every day. Jesus who was so
conscious about His assignment fled from them. When
He healed Peter‟s mother-in-law and some other
people, they expected Him to stay there for a while and
minister to the people. Jesus was so focused in fulfilling
His ministry on earth.

“Now when it was day, He departed and went into


a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and
came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving
them; but He said to them, I must preach the
Kingdom of God to the other cities also, because
for this purpose I have been sent”.

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

Luke 4:42-43

People can predict where you are going. That is the


reason they sometimes try to get you busy and keep you
with or under them. They do not like to see you rise
above them. You have to understand this and discern
when people want to keep you busy somewhere
because they are afraid you may rise above them.

Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, the founder and the


Overseer of the Lighthouse Chapel International told
his story. He began the church as a student in the
university. When he was going to marry his wife, his
church was meeting in a classroom. He talked to a man
of God to let them do the wedding ceremony in his
church. The pastor told him he would only do that if
Dag Heward-Mills would close down his young
ministry. Brother Dag knew God called him and he
refused to close down the church. He is now known
everywhere and heads one of the fastest growing mega
churches in Africa.

People will keep you preoccupied with stuff just to


dissuade you from seizing the glorious opportunities
that are coming your way.

Indecision
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of

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decision.”

Joel 3:14

Indecision is a decision to do nothing. Every


opportunity has an expiring date. You may have an
opportunity to be the fastest runner by age 25 but you
may never have that opportunity after you have turned
60 years. Learn to decide what you want, what to do,
who to be and how to do all these. The average human
being makes hundreds of decisions a day. Decisions are
very difficult to make because choosing to do
something means not doing something else.

Your priorities affect your daily decisions. You


have to set your priorities right. Priority may change but
your purpose is always the determining factor or your
priorities. You should recognize the opportunities when
they come as for as your priorities are set.

Indecisive people do not ascend or excel in


leadership positions. You would recognize what you
want when you see it because you have decided on
what you want and seek. When the opportunities come,
that is when most people become indecisive in
snatching it. People really plan well on what to do with
money when they do not have the money. The
unfortunate thing is that most of these people do not
stick to the plan immediately they get the money. They
seem to become indecisive and have more options that

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

they do not commit to any of them. They start putting


of some major tasks and relaxing until they wake up
one day to realize that they have wasted/spent the
money on things they cannot even account for.

Many people seem indecisive not because they do


not know what they are after, where they are going, or
the value of the current opportunity that they can see
but their problem is that they just cannot say no to other
people and activities. Some of us are so accommodating
that we just do not want to hurt people or make people
feel that we do not care. We know that we have to say
no to some people and yet do not ever master courage
to do it. Someone who seems to care for you so much
and helping you in so many things is trying to dictate
the course of your life for you. You know that is not
what you want to be or do but you cannot afford to
move on without their help. You keep on letting go of
great opportunities for which you have longed and
prayed. You have to decide what to be, master the
courage, and do it.

Bill Gates wanted to set up his own company to set


up his own company ever before he went to college.
His parents told him he has to graduate from the
university to be able to do that. While in Harvard, he
came across an opportunity to go into the IT business
and eventually set up his company. He dropped out of
college before his senior year to seize that opportunity.
This was against his parent‟s plan. His parents tried to

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convince him to go back into college and complete the


undergraduate program because they have planned and
budgeted for him and he has to do it their way. Bill who
was obstinate about getting things his way was able to
convince his parents to let him pursue his dream. That
was the beginning of his greatness.

Sir Richard Branson, one of the world‟s renowned


entrepreneurs has to be decisive in such many ways to
be able to pursue his dream. He was so much bright in
his academics but he wanted to do something
significant and succeed. He started by being the editor
of a student magazine, The Student, to give his peers a
voice. He struggled a lot in his academics that made
him decide on what to pursue in his life early. He was
able to convince his parents to allow him to pursue his
vision.

Most people are indecisive because they feel


compelled to do something they are not inclined to do
and yet they cannot say no. Take the bold step about
your future. Be decisive!

Dishonor
“Honor is the seed of access. What you respect
moves toward you. What you disrespect moves
away from you”.

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

Mike Murdock

People create opportunities. They present


opportunities. They recommend others. Someone can
connect you to that glorious opportunity. This is the
basic reason we learn to treat people well in spite of
their age, ethnicity, academic background etc. Mike
Murdock rightly said, “God will not promote you
without a recommendation of the man He has placed
above you”. This does not mean God comes and consult
your leaders on personal level to find out about you.
Brian Tracy said, “If you do more than you are paid to
do, then you would be paid more. If your current boss
will not do it, someone will come who will do it.” Your
attitude toward people speaks volumes of who you are.

You honor people and honor instructions. Your


next breakthrough may be one instruction away. If you
do not honor the instruction you are given, you may
struggle forever. Naaman was a Syrian army
commander/general who had leprosy. An Israelite
servant in his house spoke of the man of God that can
handle his issue. This top military official took a memo
from his king to the king of Israel him demanding to be
cured. The man of God intervened when he realized his
king was troubled. He issued an instruction for Naaman
to dip in the Jordan River seven times to be healed.
Naaman was expecting the man of God to lay hands on
him and heal so he despised the instruction and got
angry. One of his servants persuaded him to do it. He

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carried out the instruction and was completely healed.

It is easy to honor people when their dignity and


authority is obvious and well established. What we
normally struggle with is the instruction from them.
You demonstrate disrespect anytime you refuse
carrying out an instruction especially when the
instruction seems trivial or “not sensible”. Before
Naaman came to Elisha, there was no record of a man
of God healing someone of leprosy. There was no
record of people being healed by dipping in a particular
river. Though the instruction was questionable, it
brought the result. That was the only opportunity he had
to be free from leprosy.

When the angels of God came to destroy Sodom


and Gomorrah, Lot and his family took the opportunity
to save their lives by following a simple instruction.
The instruction was to move to the designated place
without looking back. Lot‟s wife had a problem
following the instruction. She looked back and became
a pillar of salt.

Reuben lost his opportunity of walking in the


dignity of the first-born because he slept with his
father‟s concubine. (Gen. 49:3-4; 1Chr.5:1). One
attitude of disrespect can make you lose a lifetime
opportunity. Your disrespect can make you lose your
position forever. If a whole queen could lose her
position because of a single disrespect, then you should

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never take disrespect lightly. (Esther 1:10-22)

Failure to Negotiate
Problems are opportunities. That does not mean
that you solve just any problem you come across. Jesus
did not heal everyone. He did not preach to everybody.
A problem becomes an opportunity if there is a reward
for solving it. Almost every problem has a reward for
solving it. However, that does not mean you will be
rewarded for solving it. There are problems that you
may have solved for people that they did not reward
you, or the reward was less than what you anticipated.
This is because people are not under any obligation to
reward you just because you solved a problem for them.
This is the reason you have to negotiate on the reward
for solving problems before solving them. I would
thank you if I come and see you mopping my floor. I
will not pay you if I did not give you the job.

Human beings have the tendency to forget you


when they do not need you. They seek for you when
they have problems you can solve best. They forget to
reward you when the problem is solved. Everyone who
ever became rich walked with this rule. This is the
principle that made Bill Gates one of the richest people
in the world. When he started developing software for
computers, he realized that people paid for the

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hardware but were not paying for the software. People


preferred sharing software for free. He knew he has
dedicated his life to produce software and he has to
make money from that or he would waste his life. He
got aggressive and fought all the way to get people pay
for the software he produced. That was his starting
point into great riches.

I remember how a friend of mine got angry because


Emmanuel Dei-Tumi in Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology (KNUST) urged them to make
money out of their music because they performed at a
top class level. To him, the music ministry was
honoring God in worship and that should not be turned
into a moneymaking business. However, the truth is
that everything is business. Jesus said ministry is
business (Luke 2:49). Someone has been endowed with
the talent to play football and is making millions of
money out of it. Why do they have a problem with
someone talented and anointed in music making money
with the music?

The gifts and talents are to profit all. Exploitation is


bad, but making legitimate profit from laboring with the
ability God has given you is Scriptural (Matt. 25:14-
30). Being a blessing to others while you struggle with
your life is unscriptural. Whatever God has given you is
to bless/help people while you profit from them. The
worker is worthy of his wages.

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

“…for the laborer is worthy of his wages…”

Luke 10:7

“In all labour there is a profit…”

Proverbs 14:23

This is why we pay pastors. In some churches, the


pastor has to work and make enough money for his
upkeep and sustain his family. Because the church feels
pastoring is a service to God and so they do not see the
need to be financially responsible for the ministry and
the pastor. Such ministries never cease to struggle. This
is because it is against God‟s principle.

“Even so the Lord has commanded that those who


preach the gospel should live from the gospel”

1 Corinthians 9:14

The other unfortunate thing is that most pastors of


such ministries are not committed to the ministry. Some
of them even prepare their Sunday messages in the
church on Sunday mornings. How do you expect such a
minister to bring you a fresh word of God?

You would die in penury if you do not learn to


negotiate for what you want to with what you have.
Everything you need has a price so you learn how to
trade with what you have in order to get what you want.

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To see the relevance of this principle of negotiation


for our lives as we seek to embrace opportunities, let us
consider the following biblical personalities.

Jephthah

His brother cast out Jephthah because they did not


want him to inherit anything of his dad. He went and
allied himself with some worthless fellows and went
raiding with them. When the Ammonites attacked his
people, the Gileadites knew that Jephthah was the only
one who could save them. He knew his people and the
experience he has had with them so he did not go with
them immediately they came to him. He negotiated his
reward first.

“So Jephthah said to elders of Gilead, “ If you


take me back home to fight against the people of
Ammon and the Lord delivers them to me, shall I
be your head” And the elders of Gilead said to
Jephthah, "The LORD will be a witness between
us, if we do not do according to your words."”

Judges 11:9-10

That was how he became a judge in Israel.

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

Joseph

Joseph was a dreamer and a faithful servant. His


dreams did not take him to the palace until he learnt this
principle. He knew that being faithful alone is not
enough to secure your position with people. He was a
faithful brother yet he was sold. He was a faithful
servant /steward in Potiphars house, yet he ended up in
prison. He knew that your gift of leadership and the
presence of God would not guarantee your position
with men. Potiphar knew God was with him and
everything he did prospered. He was the only prisoner
that prospered in prison. He knew that interpreting
dreams, discerning the mood of people from their
countenances and solving problems for people do not
guarantee your position with people or ascending your
throne. He even knew that asking those you have
helped to remember and help you does not mean that
they would. Until you find the right key, the door
remains closed. After all these lessons, Joseph learnt the
power in negotiating to have the right deal. He put forth
a very nice bid that pharaoh could not reject. He knew
he was the most qualified person to do the job he
described. That is how he became a prime minister and
minister of food and agriculture in a foreign land.

Now therefore, let pharaoh select a discerning


and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt
Let pharaoh do this, and let him appoint 0fficers

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over the Lord, to collect one-fifth of the produce


of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years”.

Genesis 41:33-34

“And pharaoh said to his servants „Can we find


such a one as this, a man in who is the spirit of
God?‟ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, „In as much
as God has shown you all this, there is no one as
discerning and wise you”.

Genesis 41:38-39

Jacob

In spite of the anointing on your life, the prophecies


that you have received and all the gifts and the talent
you have, you may struggle forever until you learn this
principle. You see the hand of God in your life to help
you when you decide to negotiate. God will never
negotiate for you. At best, He will present you an
opportunity to negotiate. If you fail to negotiate, you
may miss your opportunity forever.

Jacob served his wicked uncle for twenty years.


During this period, Laban changed his wages ten times.
God gave the wisdom to negotiate. When they agreed
that Jacob should have the brown, speckled and spotted
sheep and goat as his wages, Laban sent him away and

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

took all the brown, speckled and spotted sheep and goat
and gave them to his sons. This means that Jacob had
nothing. Yet God honored this principle of legitimate
negotiation. He showed him in a dream where the ram
that were leaping on the flock were speckled and
spotted. That was how Jacob got more flock than Laban
his master. If you can negotiate right in all honesty,
God will help you prosper.

David

The fact that David was anointed and strong


enough to kill a beer and a lion does not mean he took
up any fearsome enemy. When he saw Goliath on the
battlefield, he did not go and kill him immediately. He
negotiated for the reward first before he went to battle
Goliath. He did not receive any reward for killing the
bear and the lion. The worst part is that his father even
forgot about him when Samuel asked of his sons. He
was only remembered when the prophet insisted that
there may be one else there. That was when the father
remembered David. David knew that even after the
prophet of God anointed him he had to go back to the
sheep. That is, taking on such a giant today is no
guarantee that he would not have to go back to his
father‟s sheep tomorrow. He knew his ability to
negotiate could change his life forever, and that was his
major turning point.

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“Then David spoke to the men who stood by him,


saying, "What shall be done for the man who kills
this Philistine and takes away the reproach from
Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine,
that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

1Samuel 17:26

All the people on the battlefield were soldiers who


were only speaking of the reward but were not really
motivated and courageous enough to take on the
challenge. David who was desperate to leave the
sheepfold saw the reward to be too good to let go.

“So the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this


man who has come up? Surely he has come up to
defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills
him the king will enrich with great riches, will
give him his daughter, and give his father's house
exemption from taxes in Israel.”

1Samuel 17:25

The poor man in Ecclesiastes 9

Recognizing a great opportunity does not


necessarily mean you will maximize it. A fool can be
rich. Nabal was rich. Your wisdom is no guarantee for
becoming rich if you do not know how to negotiate
your way up.

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EMMANUEL AYENSU

“There was a little city with few men in it; and a


great king came against it, besieged it, and built
great snares around it. Now there was found in it
a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered
the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor
man.”

Ecclesiastes 9:14-15

The poor man in this scripture was presented with


an opportunity similar to that which Jephtha had. It was
even similar to the opportunity David had, yet this poor
wise man did not maximize it to his advantage. He
thought like how many poor people do, “I am part of
the people in this city so if they die, I will die as well.”
It never crossed his mind that David was living in Israel
when Goliath showed up. The difference between the
rich and the poor is in their ability to recognize and
maximize opportunities. The poor pay for so many
things and do so many things free whereas the rich
know how to negotiate to maximize profitability.

It might have been God‟s idea to end this man‟s


poverty by presenting him such a glorious opportunity.
He was living in a city, not a village. In spite of the
number of people in that city he would have still make
profit because some people were rich there. As we learn
to sympathize with people, let us open our eyes to the
various opportunities that situations present. When
someone dies, a wise carpenter can sympathize with the

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deceased family while securing a job to make the


casket.

The needs of people are your opportunities. Learn


to empathize with people so they will be close enough
to entrust you with the opportunities of solving their
problems for them.

Peter

Peter was a little skeptical of how he would take


care of himself and his family because he was a married
man. John was younger so that may not have been an
issue of concern to him, but Peter was old and bold
enough to discover the opportunities in following Jesus.
Jesus knew it was a right enquiry. He told them the
benefits.

“Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we


have left all and followed You. Therefore what
shall we have?" So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly
I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the
Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you
who have followed Me will also sit on twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. "And
everyone who has left houses or brothers or
sisters or father or mother or wife or children or
lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a

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hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.”

Matthew 19:27-29

If you desire to serve God, it is important to


understand the opportunities that will come with it. It
does not make you canal. Jesus came to the earth for a
purpose. That is why He went to receive glory. He had
the reward in mind that is why He went through all the
things He went through. You will labor with joy if you
are interested in the opportunity.

“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of


our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and has
sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:2

“I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of


the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, 'Seek
Me in vain'; I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I
declare things that are right.”

Isaiah 45:19

God forbids people from serving Him in vain.

“It is a Babylonian mentality to worship God and


not expect anything from Him”

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EFFECTIVE MEDITATION

Emmanuel Makandiwa

Your inability to negotiate may be your biggest


undoing in life, business and ministry.

Ungratefulness
The small things that happen in our lives really
matter. We are tempted to take many things for granted
every now and then, especially when they seem
mundane. Appreciating a single act can lead to
countless opportunities. There are many people in the
world that we all have the right to choose whom to
befriend. You should appreciate those who care enough
to know how you are feeling. Be grateful for that
person who spent some time just to listen to you. We
normally take for granted those who are close to us and
care a lot about what we do. You may even get upset
sometimes at the people who just come over and sit by.
Having someone to sit by you is a blessing you should
not take for granted. There are many lonely people in
this world.

There are people offering similar products and


services like what you offer. You are not the only
person on earth with the solution to the needs of
humanity. So it is crucial to appreciate every
opportunity to offer people what you have. They pass

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by people to come to you. You are not the only option


they have, so appreciate them. A single attitude of
gratefulness can open countless doors of opportunities.

Not having enough customers can be frustrating,


but being unemployed is worse. A person who used to
complain about his job often never saw the import of
his attitude until sometime passed. This person had an
issue and took some time off. In his absence, a graduate
who has been searching for job for years without
success was employed for some few months on
contract. The new person who was very grateful for
landing his first job for years brought a new spirit of
gratitude and dynamism into the company. The guy
worked tirelessly without complaining in a way the
boss could not overlook. He was given a permanent
position in the company. He climbed up the ladder
quick. The old man who mentored the new man for a
while struggled at the bottom for years.

Jesus directed ten lepers who came to him to go to


the priests. While they were going, they were cleansed.
One came back to give thanks. He was the only one
who was made whole.

“And one of them, when he saw that he was


healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified
God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving
Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus
answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?

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But where are the nine? "Were there not any


found who returned to give glory to God except
this foreigner?" And He said to him, "Arise, go
your way. Your faith has made you well."”

Luke 17:15-19

Fear of Failure
Fear can cripple your life. We all do not want to
fail. The only person who has never failed is the one
who has never tried anything new. Failure paves the
path to success. Henry Ford is noted for answering
someone who asked him how to succeed,

“Double your rate at failing”

Fear is tormenting. It can make you lose your


dignity. You can lose your throne easily to someone
who is courageous. Saul was too fearful to face Goliath
that is why the women sung and celebrated David to
make him Jealous.

“…because fear involves torment. But he who


fears has not been made perfect in love”

John 4:18

All the soldiers in the army of Israel were presented


with the opportunity of marrying the king‟s daughter,

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receiving riches and having their families exempted


from paying taxes. They all talked about this
opportunity but David was the only one bold enough to
take the challenge. He had no fear.

The fearful are condemned with sinners, and they


all will have their share in the lake of fire. People miss
their place with God because of fear.

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the


abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers,
and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall
have their part in the lake which burneth with fire
and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Revelation 21:8 KJV

Fear can make you deny your potential and give up


on opportunities and positions. Peter had a glorious
destiny. Jesus prophesied about it. Peter was faithful
and committed to his Master and His purpose yet a little
maid made him deny his Master.

There are people who resign from their positions


because they lack the courage to undertake the task they
have been asked to.

Some people also keep making excuses not because


they are lazy, but because they fear. They find it
difficult to admit their fear. Not everyone who keeps
making excuses is lazy. Most of them don‟t have the

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courage to do what they have to do. That is why you


have to kill your fears before they kill you. We all have
the natural tendency to fear something. Maturity is a
life of responsibility. It is not that we are bold enough
to handle so many things that is why we do them, but
we know that our fears can keep us in one place all our
lives. We dread being stagnant in life. Not to have any
option in life is disheartening. You cannot live in the
same place all your life. You have to move on. Do not
let your fear make you stagnant.

Glorious opportunities are lost because of fear.


Aaron was the first High Priest of Israel. He was an
anointed High Priest and a prophet (Exodus 7:1). He
was the second in command in the church in the
wilderness. Moses was waiting on God on the mount
when the Israelites insisted that Aaron make them a calf
image as god. Three thousand men lost their lives and
their opportunity to see the Promised Land because
Aaron was afraid to reject the voice of the people. He
himself missed his opportunity to see the Promised
Land.

Some people who are genuinely called by God


never step into their ministries because of fear. It takes
lots of courage to step into the ministry when God calls.
People will talk you out of it. Families will try to
protect you from answering the call because they may
think you are crazy. People will criticize you for going
into ministry because of money. All these things make

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the fearful give up. Do not be afraid to do what you


have been asked to do. Nobody would have discovered
the moon and the other planets if people were not bold
enough to search for them.

Rebellion
People usually change with power, so do they with
opportunity. Once a faithful guy can turn to be the
worst rebel you can deal with. Some people are so
deceived that they do not even recognize when they
start rebelling. They justify their actions with so many
reasons.

Everyone can fall from any position. That is life.


Thrones are not guaranteed for special people.

“For riches are not forever, nor does a crown


endure to all generations.”

Proverbs 27:24

“I have seen servants on horses, while princes


walk on the ground like servants.”

Ecclesiastes 10:7

A single opportunity may be a threshold of

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something great. This is why we appreciate every single


one. Every discerning person recognizes a rebel easily.
Nobody will recommend a rebel if he is not one. The
silent message people spread of them is “beware of that
guy.” You will not employ someone you cannot control
neither will your employ someone who has had
problems with all his previous bosses. They are deadly.

Ignorantly, most people develop rebellious attitudes


they are not even aware of. Anyone who comes out
with an excuse or objection every time he is given an
instruction is a suspect. Every rebel lacks the
opportunity to be recommended by non-rebels.

We fight rebels. People put up fights against every


attitude of rebellion whether consciously or
unconsciously. The same people who enthroned him
fought Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, who killed
seventy sons of his father to reign. (Judges 9:1-5, 22-
57)

Since they lack recommendation, rebels have the


tendency to fight for almost everything. It is a miserable
life to fight for everything in life. Since rebels are
despised and rejected, doors shut in front of them. They
may not even know why. They may attribute it to so
many things, but the truth is mostly hidden from them
because they don‟t like to admit it.

“God sets the solitary in families; He brings out

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those who are bound into prosperity; But the


rebellious dwell in a dry land.”

Psalm 68:6

Foolishness
“The foolishness of a man twists his way, and his
heart frets against the LORD.”

Proverbs 19:3

Good judgment is essential in discovering and


maximizing opportunities. Each one of us has the
tendency to make wrong and uninformed judgments
once a while in spite of how meticulously skilful we are
in executing our tasks. We are not far from making
mistakes.

Though we are all eligible to make mistakes,


foolishness is when the mistake becomes apparent from
the outset and could be avoided. Many things cloud our
minds and sights, and make us take such uninformed
decisions that lead us astray.

One single step you take can put you in a


disadvantaged position forever. Understanding the price
you may have to pay for missing an opportunity can
help you a lot. Any uninformed or deliberate decision

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that can twist your way can cost you more than you
may be willing to pay.

Knowing what it takes to maximize an opportunity


is far more important than just discovering the
opportunity.

“The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not


even know how to go to the city!”

Ecclesiastes 10:15

Expect more from yourself than anyone else. In this


way, you always put yourself in the better position to
excel.

Loss of Focus
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have
apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind and reaching forward to
those things which are ahead,”

Philippians 3:13

You should always focus your energy on one thing.


A jack of all trade is a master of none. Multitasking
does not help anyone. Computers and other machines
are better programmed to multitask, not human beings.
Someone rightly said “multitasking is another term for

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unfocused”.

How accurate are you in dancing and reading at the


same time? You should always put one thing ahead of
the other. Not all things have the same value so
prioritize to help you stay focused. No serious student
spends his time before a major examination preparing
for an excursion. If you are in the school for academic
excellence, you will not waste your time doing trivial
stuff.

Likewise, some people who are good in


discovering opportunities, and sometimes have all it
takes to maximize such opportunities do not really
make anything out of them.

“Now as the king passed by, he cried out to the


king and said, "Your servant went out into the
midst of the battle; and there, a man came over
and brought a man to me, and said, 'Guard this
man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall
be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of
silver.' "While your servant was busy here and
there, he was gone." Then the king of Israel said
to him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself
have decided it."”

1 Kings 20:39,40

Do not get busy trying to do everything. Failures


run in all directions. Focus on your one most important

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task per time.

“And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha,


Martha, you are worried and troubled about
many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary
has chosen that good part, which will not be taken
away from her."”

Luke 10:41, 42

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4. MAXIMIZING OPPORTUNITIES

Grow In Knowledge and Skills


“but grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the
glory both now and forever. Amen.”

2 Peter 3:18

There is no end in knowledge. There is more to


learn concerning almost everything. This is because we
are progressive in almost everything we do. We work
on innovating and reinventing every now and then to
produce better things for humanity, make profit and kill

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our ignorance. The guy who is not willing to improve


on his knowledge and his abilities does not have a
bright future.

It is true that your idea works, but as far as it can be


better you do not have to settle on what it is now. This
is because someone will rise sooner than later to
improve on what you do and hence have better
opportunities than you do. Constant innovation can
guarantee a better future.

Learn all you can about all you do. Then learn what
others are doing that may have an impact on what you
do. You may share a platform with people but you
should understand that they are likely to have better
opportunities than you do if they are better in
knowledge and skills than you are.

“Do you see someone skilled in their work? They


will serve before kings; they will not serve before
officials of low rank.”

Proverbs 22:29 NIV

Hard Work
“Hard work doesn‟t kill, it refines”

Bishop David Oyedepo

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The only way to maximize any opportunity is to


work hard at it through to the end. Advance preparation
is good. But that does not necessary guarantee success.
“Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your


might; for there is no work or device or
knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are
going.”

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Tenacity
“…There was in a certain city a judge who did
not fear God nor regard man. "Now there was a
widow in that city; and she came to him, saying,
'Get justice for me from my adversary.' "And he
would not for a while; but afterward he said
within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor
regard man, 'yet because this widow troubles me I
will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she
weary me.'”

Luke 18:2-5

I will rather take no for a question than take no for


an answer. This is a principle I learnt from my friend
Bernard Kelvin Clive. We all come to a stage in life

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that we learn this principle. You will learn it sooner or


later if only you want to get things done.

There are many times the best you may think of is


giving up. There are many times the road may be
clouded with lot of uncertainties that make it difficult to
take a step. You might struggled on a particular project
for so long just like Thomas Edison yet you still have to
keep at it so you will have your breakthrough just like
he had.

Self-Discipline
“Self-discipline is the ability to do what you
should do, when you should do it, whether you
feel like it or not”

Elbert Hubbard

Discipline is at the centre of every achievement.


Your gifts, talent, opportunities will not yield any great
thing if you lack discipline. The fact that you have
planned something does not mean you will necessarily
do it. The fact that you know why you should do that
does not mean you will do it. This is the reason you
have to renew your commitment you whatever is set
before you daily.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mysteries what

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you have is the present. Renew your commitment today


based on your decision yesterday so the future you have
planned may be in reach.

Listening
Good listening skill is one of the greatest skills to
have. It helps you to understand people and
opportunities. Communication is vital in every
environment. The funny thing is that very few people
have mastered good listening skills.

Everyone wants to be heard. We do many things to


crave attention. We are created to solve problems.
Listening is the best way to know people, understand
their philosophies and their needs. Good listeners are
good problem solvers and they are likely to discover
more about what is set before them. Since everyone
wants to be heard, people love to be around good listen.
Hence, they have opportunities.

Mentorship
A mentor is very essential to your success. Your
books and tapes do not replace your mentor. Those who
have never been mentored are those who understand the

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pain and struggle life may bring.

People have been through a lot to qualify to speak


into your life. Do not let pride kill you. Your mentor
may hold the key to your success so honor him and his
counsel. He can help you maximize those opportunities
you may not see great.

God richly bless you.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emmanuel Ayensu is a teacher of the word of God


with a focus on faith, healing, and wisdom. He is a
counselor, a conference speaker, an itinerant minister, and
the president of Emmanuel Ayensu Ministries. He
preached his first message at age seven. He has ministered
in different denominations and outreach events.

Called with a specific mandate to shepherd the flocks


of God, he works tirelessly to feed the children of God
with the unadulterated word of God. He has a passion for
souls, and he is deeply concerned with the things the
children of God go through. His materials aim to
empower people and help believers overcome every
challenge they may be going through.

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EFFECTIVE MEDITATION

Emmanuel Ayensu welcomes the opportunity to


minister to your church, in conferences, in retreats, or in
men’s women’s, and youth groups

Other books by Emmanuel Ayensu

1. Live beyond sicknesses and diseases: Discover the


keys to receiving healing, living in divine health
and healing the sick

2. Rule like God: Unveiling the mystery of walking in


dominion and commanding the supernatural

3. OPPORTUNITIES: Discovering and Maximizing


them

4. Effective Meditation

5. The Wisdom Factor in living a fulfilled life

6. Treasures of Wisdom

7. UNDERSTANDING YOUR UNIQUENESS:


Keys to harnessing your distinctive power of
excellence

Send all prayer requests, testimonies and inquiries to:

ayensuemmanuel@gmail.com

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