“Pastor, I went to a church and they gave me two candles to pray with. They said if I believe in it, everything I ask for will happen. What do you think?”

I don’t have any issue with the substance they gave you to pray with, it’s probably their church doctrine. However, if that doctrine or pattern wasn’t captured from scriptures and if Jesus wasn’t the subject of focus, then I recommend that you ask for clarity. Clarity is important in matters like this because some people engage in traditional worship under the cover of “church”.

Any doctrine that doesn’t have a pattern from scriptures and doesn’t glorify the name of our Lord Jesus should not be administered in church.

Speaking of giving church members a substance, it’s not for them to idolize that substance, but to act as a leverage for their faith. There are many Christians who act like Thomas, they won’t believe the word preached except they have something they can physically hold on to. Teach them the power of the name of Jesus all you want, if you don’t give them a wrist band they can wear that represents power from Jesus, they won’t believe you. Either way, they believe in Jesus; whether directly or through that substance.

Jesus also used substances like sand and His saliva to heal a blind man. He concluded the miracle in the pool called “Siloam” – where the man washed off the substance on his face. This was clearly to reveal to us that substances can also be used to transmit the anointing or the power of God to those who believe. The danger however is when Jesus is taking out of the equation.

I’ve attended Anointing and Mantle services in Winners Chapel several times, and Bishop David Oyedepo would always take his time to explain the mystery behind those substances before he releases them to us. So when we use it, our faith would not be in the substance, rather, it would be in God’s ability to reach us through that substance.

I’ve had situations where I didn’t know what to do, and since I understood how God works through mantles or even the anointing oil, I quickly engaged them. This isn’t different from what Elisha did when he was confronted with the river. If you’d recall, he didn’t call on Elijah to save him, he called on the God of Elijah. Which meant that he understood that the subject of glory was God, not his prophet.

In Acts chapter 19, we’re told that God did great miracles through Apostle Paul, such that handkerchiefs and aprons that were used to touch him were used to administer healing to people who were sick.

That said, there’s a higher place, and it’s called a place of maturity. If we Christians will just gain maturity and take God’s word for what it says, then we may no longer need candles, holy water and the likes. Unfortunately, most Christians want a physical substance to believe in – despite the heavy sermon preached by their pastor.

Faith is all the substance we need. Didn’t the Bible say, “faith is the substance of things hoped for…”? But no, believers need holy sand, holy oil, holy cream, holy perfume, and possibly holy face mask. That’s why I don’t blame some of these men of God, they sometimes have to go extra miles to satisfy the cravings of their members.

If I look at you as a Christian, I shouldn’t be able to tell what church you attend, yet I shouldn’t be able to doubt the fact that you are a true Christian. Honestly, many Christians need to be delivered from church doctrines, especially if it limits the operations of the doctrines of Christ.

My investment on a daily basis is that Christ should be revealed in me and those I mentor, and I’m willing to destroy any doctrine I adopted in church just to make that happen.

As I conclude, it’s okay to hold on to those church doctrines at the start of your Christian journey, they’d help you in one way or another, but don’t settle down with that. Invest in knowing God for yourself. If God can reach you through a substance, then imagine what He can do without that substance.

I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.

Remain ever blessed, in Jesus precious name!

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