By Anthony
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Worshippers at Acts of Restoration and Compassion Church were treated to an atmosphere of intense worship, faith-building testimonies, fervent prayers, and a life-transforming message on Sunday, June 14, 2026, as God’s faithfulness and power were once again demonstrated in remarkable ways.
The service began with testimonies that stirred faith and reminded the congregation that God remains a present help in times of trouble.
One of the most touching testimonies came from Bro. Dan, who recounted the miraculous release of his wife’s younger sister, a university student who had been kidnapped.
According to him, while he was at work, his wife called in distress after receiving information that her sister had been abducted. The young lady had reportedly followed a self-acclaimed prophet who promised to take her for spiritual work but eventually led her into a bush path where kidnappers struck. She was singled out and taken captive, with her abductors initially demanding a staggering ransom of N60 million.
Faced with the frightening situation, Bro. Dan sought spiritual intervention and informed Rev. Paul Chikwem of the ordeal. He recalled that after listening to the story, the cleric simply continued praying in tongues without offering any elaborate response.
“I felt peace in my spirit and left the matter in God’s hands,” he testified.
During the church’s “11th Hour Prayer” session led by Rev. Paul, special prayers were offered. To the glory of God, the following evening, the kidnapped student regained her freedom unharmed.
The testimony sparked loud praises throughout the congregation as members celebrated God’s intervention.
Another testimony was delivered through a voice note from a church member whose sister was involved in a frightening road accident while travelling. According to the testimony, the vehicle she was travelling in somersaulted three times. Remarkably, she emerged from the wreckage without a single scratch.
The congregation erupted in thanksgiving, as the testimony served as another reminder of God’s preserving power.
Flowing from the testimonies, Rev. Paul released several prophetic declarations over the congregation.
He declared: “Any voice assigned to disorganise your joy at the point of your breakthrough shall be silenced forever.”
Drawing from the biblical imagery of the voice of God that breaks the cedars of Lebanon, he prayed that every contrary voice working against God’s promises in the lives of believers would be shattered.
The man of God himself also testified to a financial breakthrough after a prolonged delay in receiving funds. The transfer, which had encountered unusual obstacles throughout the day, was eventually released after prayers and prophetic declarations.
Rev. Paul decreed that every blessing belonging to God’s people would arrive intact and unhindered.
He further announced a prophetic word, saying: “God wants me to tell someone that He is about to do something for you when you least expect it.”
Speaking from Genesis 7:17-18, Rev. Chikwem delivered a deeply insightful sermon titled “Rising With the Storm.”
Using the story of Noah and the flood, he challenged believers to change their perception of adversity.
“The flood was designed to destroy the earth, but it was also the very thing that lifted the ark,” he declared.
He explained that while everything outside the ark went down, the ark rose higher because of the same flood.
According to him, many believers wrongly assume that every storm is evidence of defeat, whereas some storms are divinely permitted to elevate God’s people.
“Where you are going is greater than what you are going through.”
The preacher emphasised that God often prepares His children for challenges long before those challenges arrive.
“Noah did not know why God gave him those exact specifications for building the ark. The ark was prepared before the flood came. In the same way, God has already made provision for whatever challenge you are facing.”
He reminded worshippers that great capacity is usually revealed under pressure.
“The strength of a ship is not known in the harbour but in the storm,” he posited.
Drawing lessons from Jephthah’s life, Rev. Chikwem noted that rejection and discomfort often become instruments of destiny.
He said: “Jephthah’s brothers rejected him because of his past, but that rejection eventually positioned him for greatness. Your capacity is not discovered in comfort.”
The man of God further observed that if Jephthah had remained comfortably at home, he might never have become Israel’s deliverer.
The preacher stressed that many people pray against every difficulty without realising that some trials are divinely permitted to reveal hidden potential.
“It takes the flood to reveal the ark,” he said, citing examples from Scripture, including Joseph, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and explained that their greatest revelations came through seasons of adversity.
“The flood did not come to expose the weakness of the ark. It came to reveal its capacity,” Rev. Chikwem noted.
He urged members to avoid negative influences and remain connected to people who inspire and strengthen their faith.
“Go away from anyone who constantly discourages you and despirits you,” he counselled.
A major highlight of the message was his emphasis on remaining within God’s will.
Noting that God instructed Noah to enter the ark and then personally shut the door, he taught that divine confinement is often a form of divine protection.
“When God shuts you in, stay there until He opens the door.”
He cited the example of John the Baptist, who fulfilled his assignment in the wilderness but encountered trouble when he stepped outside God’s ordained place for him.
“Don’t break the door when God shuts you in. What looks like restriction may actually be preservation.”
The minister explained that the difference between life and death during the flood was not the storm itself but whether one was inside or outside the ark.
“When you are in the ark, the flood becomes transportation. When you are outside the ark, the flood becomes a burial ground.
As he concluded, Rev. Paul encouraged believers not to abandon God’s process simply because it is painful.
“Don’t pray against every process. It may be painful now, but the end will be joyful,” the cleric reasoned.
The service ended with passionate prayers, prophetic declarations, and renewed hope as members left with a deeper understanding that some storms are not sent to destroy them but to lift them into their next level of destiny.
For many in attendance, the message was clear: when God is in the ark, even the flood becomes a vehicle of promotion.
