The most popular reason for the participation of millions of people in the monthly Holy Ghost Service of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is for the touch of God. With the participation of many people from other churches, the services have now become interdenominational.

But despite the varied expectations of the congregants, they are unified in the belief of the presence of God at the Redemption Camp.

Hundreds of people gush out during alter calls by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the church; and millions accept his prophecies announced as “words of knowledge,” with thunderous enthusiasm. They also believe in the efficacy of his prayers, which have birthed many miracles.

But don’t worry about the presence of the 77-year-old cleric who shows no signs of aging at work – prolonged fasting, traveling around the world for ministrations and standing for hours to preach.

He has always attended the Holy Ghost Services since it started in 1986 anyway.

In the language of his earlier career as a mathematician, he is a “constant,” at the services.

But long before he appears on the altar, the two expansive auditoriums at the Redemption Camp go into a joyous mood with people dancing ecstatically to praise and worship songs.

Rendered with the latest of musical instruments and by gifted lead singers backed by a massive choir, aptly described as the “Mass Choir” the songs are rich and body-moving.

The sight of millions unified in singing and dancing would have been scary in another setting but in the Camp, it is jubilation time in the city God promised him years ago when he lived in Mushin, a suburb in Lagos as General Overseer of the church.

Elders of the church believe the phenomenal growth of the church is a miracle.  Like every big thing in God’s plan takes time. The church, which was founded in founded in 1952 by Pastor Josiah Akindayomi has had its difficult moments.

Pastor Adeboye was living big as a lecturer at the University of Ilorin when he succeeded Pastor Akindayomi as General Overseer and had to move to Mushin.

From 40 parishes then, the church has spread to 198 countries and it is now the largest Pentecostal Church in the United Kingdom. From all these countries, people share in the mood of the Holy Ghost Services beamed live to their parishes and homes. And despite the distance many people have testified of miracles received from their participation in the services.

The June Holy Ghost Service typified recent ones in mood and size. It was the sixth of the Swimming in Glory Series, with the theme “Born to Sing God’s Grace.”

And the congregation did sing; and dance!

From four other zones of the church choristers came to join the Mass Choir, forming a large dancing lake of people.

The service started with congregational prayers, followed by a long praise and worship in which the congregation participated excitedly with dancing and singing.

Many people, even some elderly men were seen dancing aggressively, not just gentle swings. More songs came later from the choirs from the zones and a solo performance of a fourteen-year-old

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With so much energy on display during the praise and worship, it is obviously becoming one of the high points of the services.

Other highpoints are the prayers for nations, led by the wife of the General Overseer, Pastor Folu Adeboye; the alter call, which is another constant; and testimony time, when people testify to the touch of God. Many of the amazing testimonies are greeted with more praise to God by the congregation.

There is always another round for the Mass Choir to sing at the end of which the mistral, showers in Pastor Adeboye for his own sermon. The Congregation goes into a prayer mode as wind instruments rent the air and people go down on their knees when the Pastor kneels by the altar to pray in exaltation to God.

The sermon for June dwelt on the need to praise the Lord, which the church emphasizes.

Reading from Psalm 34, he said man was created to sing God’s praise as was all His creations and that there are really songs for every situation.

“If you want God to draw near, sing His praise because He inhabits praise of His people,” he said.

He later highlighted some of the benefits of praising God as:  Divine visitation; open doors; earth-shaking miracles; destruction of yokes; silencing enemies and even making them servants.

Also, like in the case of Solomon, some level of praise could be rewarded with a blank cheque.

The General Overseer explained the many ways through which God can be praised:

Praising Him with the mouth:  We have to praise God at all times and in all situations. We have to sing His praise. It is not possible to be praising God and be complaining at the same time. When you are complaining, you are not praising. When you are murmuring, you are not praising God.

Some people feel too big and proud to praise God, but those who know where they are coming from, who know how far He has taken them find it easy to sing joyful songs.

Praising God with the hands: When we lift our hands up (to the Lord) we are saying «I surrender.» By surrendering, we show God we have no strength of our own to face our challenges and He intervenes. The elders have a saying: that when a child lifts up his or her hands, he or she is carried.

When you lift your hands to the Almighty God, He will look down from Heaven; He will carry you in His mighty hands and no devil can touch you.

We also clap while singing His praise. Psalms 47:1 says “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”

When the Bible says Clap your hands, it’s actually saying, put your enemies or your challenges between your hands and jam them together – crush them.

Clapping for Jesus also means you will cooperate with Him.

Praising with the legs: It is done by bowing our knees or dancing. When we bow, we are admitting His superiority.
Praising God with the whole body: This is done by prostrating. By doing that we are telling God, He made us and without Him we are nothing.