THE SPIRIT OF THE CHICKEN

Dr. D. K. Olukoya

This week we are looking at what I call,“Thespirit of the chicken.” Mathew 23:37-38 says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. (They refused to be gathered). Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

This was the Lord’s final prophecy on Jerusalem. Those who read news stories and follow world events would discover that there has never been peace in Jerusalem. Jesus said that peace would not come until that day of His appearing and they would say, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

Very often in Jerusalem people put bomb in their own bodies, not minding to die. Sometime ago, a man walked into a market place in Jerusalem where there was a large crowd, ignited the bomb in that large crowd, and destroyed himself and many others.

Jesus had already said it, “I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings and ye would not.”

The Lord’s care is compared to that of mother hen for her young chickens when they are in danger. It is the wonder of wonders that sometimes people choose to abandon the cover of the wings of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1 says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” It can be a terrible thing when someone now moves out. The Psalmist says, “Be thou my strong habitation where I may resort continually. Thou hast given commandment to save me.”

The Lord cares for us but sometimes, as foolish chickens, some will not hide under the mother’s wings. God’s people are always safe. All His saints are in His mighty hands. The hand of God is a place of safety and nothing can hurt a person who has made God his refuge. Whether it is famine, flood, riot, fire or war, nothing shall hurt the righteous. Psalm 71:3 says, “Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort; thou has given commandment to save me: for thou art my rock and my fortress.”

Though this earth may be rocking beneath the feet of man and the heavens are rolling up and the firmament is passing away, God’s people need not fear because they shall be saved. If they cannot be saved under the heavens, they shall be saved in the heavens. If there is no safety for them in time of trouble upon the earth, they shall be caught up in the air. That is why it is said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”

God may tear His enemies like a lion but would protect every one of His children. As long as you hide under the cover of the blood of Jesus, you are saved. The enemies may fire their arrows but God will always spare His people. The reason God spares His people in time of calamity is that He sees the mark of the blood of Jesus upon their foreheads; so nothing can hurt them because the blood is upon them. Every evil thing must of necessity pass them by. The Bible says, “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shall thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord which is thy refuge even the most High, thy habitation.”

Please, pray like this: “Anything that will remove me from under divine protection, get out of my life, in the name of Jesus.”

Paul was in a ship, but before he set out for that journey, the most powerful prophet around told him that he was going to suffer on that journey, that he should not go, but Paul said that he was going. When he then got into the ship, he told the people there: “Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage not only of the lading and ship but also of our lives.” But the captain of the ship did not listen to Paul. He must have said in his heart. “An ordinary prisoner cannot tell us what we shall do here.” They felt that they knew better than the Almighty and went into the sea. The Bible says that the storm arose and for weeks, they did not see the sun. They threw their luggage into the water. They could not eat. Later, Brother Paul stood up. The prisoner then became the controller because God had already said that He had given commandment to save him. Paul said to them, “Sirs, did I not tell you not to set sail, but however, since it has become like this and you people are not eating, cheer up, eat food, none of you shall die. The angel of God, whom I serve, stood by me this night and said that none of you shall die, but you have to remain in the ship even if the ship is scattered into pieces.” Everybody in that ship was saved.

What is the spirit of chicken?

1. Chickens are of different kinds. There are also different kinds of sinners. There are tall sinners, short sinners, slim sinners, fat sinners, rich sinners, poor sinners, white sinners and black sinners. There are different kinds of sinners just like chickens. The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

2. Another character of chicken is that they all taste the same. Before God too, all sinners are the same children of perdition, going to the same way, preparing to be roasted in hell fire.

3. The third thing, which you will notice about chicken, is that they always follow motion. When they see another chicken running to another place, they go after it, not caring where it is going. They run around aimlessly. When somebody runs aimlessly, he will soon leave the cover of the Almighty. What we are saying is that the chicken follows the crowd. For example, when you take some pieces of corn and go near the chickens and jingle them, they will go running and will become easy prey. Christians should not be following the evil multitude or evil crowd to do anything. As a Christian, you don’t do a thing because others are doing it.

One of my teachers in years past used to say that what killed people most was their ability to do things the way others were doing them. You don’t have to follow the crowd. Others may be doing a particular thing, but you should not do it.

Please, pray again like this: “I bind every spirit of aimlessness, in the name of Jesus.”

Don’t follow the crowd, but follow the Book of life. Follow what the Bible says. If the whole crowd is doing the wrong thing, don’t follow them. Take a stand on what you should do.

Many years ago, a certain man prayed to God for promotion. He prayed aggressively and God sent somebody to him. The person said, “God is going to bless you, but when He blesses you, will you take your stand as a Christian? Will you serve God whole-heartedly?” The man shouted, “O yes. How can I be coming here to pray and when He blesses me, I will not appreciate it.” Eventually, God blessed this man abundantly. After the blessing, he clocked 50 and the first thing he did was to organise a big party to celebrate his 50th birthday. He invited a musician and hired a whole container filled with alcohol and all kinds of hot drinks, and another one filled with soft drinks which he served people. God was watching. After he finished that he had a stroke and was bed-ridden. He could not move his hands and legs. God warned him.

As a believer, you don’t follow the crowd. As Christians, we tell unbelievers what to do. They don’t tell us what to do because we are the children of light. A child of darkness cannot dictate to a child of light what to do or how to live his or her life. We tell them the standard and requirements of the Almighty. Many people come to church now and pray for breakthrough. As soon as God blesses them, they stop attending prayer meetings until may be somebody steals their money. Then they will come back asking for prayers. Do not follow the crowd.

4. Chickens fight over things, and when they are fighting, they always wound themselves and do all kinds of evil things to themselves. That is why Ecclesiastes 6:7 says, “All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.” Just drop one dead insect in the midst of chickens and see what will happen. They will fight and nearly kill themselves. See how they will be jacking it from each other’s mouth. They will jump and peck each other on the nose and everywhere. If any starts bleeding, they may even peck the blood. Chickens will fight over anything until they have tasted it and found that it is not palatable, and they will all leave it.

5. The spirit of the chicken is an unbroken spirit. Some people fight over food, money and spaces and even over women or men. They can also fight over seats in the church. They fight over people’s inheritance. Sometime ago, one man died. As they were planning for his burial, suddenly, his family members started fighting. They fought and destroyed everything. They fought over the property of a man who had not even been buried. His children were there but nobody wanted to care about them. They were busy claiming their father’s property. The poor widow was there looking at them. They told her that since she had no male child, that she was not entitled to anything.

6. Chickens are easily frightened. That is why cowardliness is often associated with the chicken. They would say that a person has a chicken heart. The fear of others is the spirit of chicken. This is why some of us cannot witness to others. They are afraid of challenges. God has put you in a place for you to minister to those you find there, no matter how big or small they might seem to be; the important thing is for you to preach Jesus Christ. God forbid that, one day, the person will stand at the judgment seat of Christ and Jesus will say, “You were supposed to share the gospel with this your managing director and you did not talk to him about it because you were afraid.”

Most chickens would never try to jump over a fence. In the same way, the fear of taking challenges has made some people to remain where they are spiritually. I held a meeting several years ago at a School of Prophets. I asked those who had received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and those who would like to be prophesying to come. About 120 people attended. We went into prayer and fasting. After the first prayer point, about 40 people began to prophesy instantly. Others tried but due to fear, they could not. In their minds, they could be saying, “What if I say the wrong thing. Supposing, I speak out and my voice begins to shake, what will they say?” Some of them, who were looking at it scientifically, could not prophesy because of fear.

The man with a single talent went and buried it because he was afraid. That is why fear and torment go together. Fear is a spiritual force that kills. Fear would always anticipate the worst. Fear releases the power of the devil into the life of people. The Bible says, “They were in great fear, where there was no fear.” It also says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for.” So, fear is the substance of things not hoped for”. When fear comes upon a person, he will begin to meditate upon the lies of the devil. When the doctors say something, the devil would magnify it and then you will begin to meditate upon it and fear will come in. Fear would tear down the hedge of protection. The spirit of fear is the spirit of the chicken.

7. Unlike eagles, chickens find things in the dirt. That is why they are always scratching around in dirty places. There are many people who love dirty things. They scratch around too, trying to find things in dirty places. They find gossiping and spreading rumours convenient. They involve in dirty things. That is the spirit of the chicken.

8. You will notice that chickens are helpless against the enemy’s attacks. A single animal can kill all the chickens in a cage. The devil finds it easy to harass people who have the spirit of the chicken. The spirit of the chicken accepts anything from the devil, all kinds of evil things will be transferred to them. That is why Jesus said, “How often would I have gathereth thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not.”

What Makes People Run Away From Under Divine Cover?
Personal sins: When you know that you are living the kind of life God does not want you to live, you are a sinner. Sin brings in fear and then makes you get out from divine protection. If a child of God ventures to go outside the place marked by the blood, trouble will come. But if he remains inside, he is covered. If he goes to play with his friends, while the angel of the Lord is passing by, and the angel does not find the blood, where he his playing, trouble will happen. It is written: “Let no man trouble me for I bear in my body the marks of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:17).

Prayer Points

1. I refuse to leave the protection shield of the Almighty, in the name of Jesus.

2. Blood of Jesus, cover me perpetually, in the name of Jesus.

3. Anything that is disobeying God in my life, come out with all your roots, in the name of Jesus.

4. I bind and I cast out every spirit of tragedy, in the name of Jesus.

5. All my departed glory, be restored now, in the name of Jesus.

6. All my captured blessings, be released now, in the name of Jesus.

7. Anything planted in my life to oppress me, come out now, in the name of Jesus.

8. Anything planted in my life to demote me, come out now, in the name of Jesus.

9. My blood, reject the spirit of infirmity, in the name of Jesus.

10. You the owners of infirmity, carry your load, in the name of Jesus.

11. Let all those who hate my prosperity be put to shame, in the name of Jesus.

12. Every evil bird swallowing my virtue, fall down and die, in the name of Jesus.

13. Every arrow of poverty, go back to where you came from, in the name of Jesus.

14. Every oppressor of my comfort, loose your hold, in the name of Jesus.

15. Let my divine helpers appear and let my hindrances disappear, in the name of Jesus.

16. Every good thing that my hand has started, my hand shall finish it, in the name of Jesus.

17. My prosperity shall not die on any witchcraft altar, in the name of Jesus.

18. All my blessings confiscated by household witchcraft, be released now, in the name of Jesus.

19. Every stubborn vow of the enemy against my breakthrough, fall down and die now, in the name of Jesus.

20. Every ancestral decision affecting me negatively now, loose your hold, in the name of Jesus.

21. I dash every dream of failure to the ground, in the name of Jesus.

22. Spirit of success, baptize me, in Jesus’ name.

23. I refuse to carry any evil load. You, the owners of evil load, carry your load, in Jesus’ name.

24. O Lord, I want to be at the right place at the right time, in Jesus’ name.

25. Raise up your two hands and prophesy unto your hands that they shall be instruments of power, peace and prosperity, in Jesus’ name.