Give kidnappers my number if they pick you - Oyedepo tells congregation

In a striking directive during a recent service at Living Faith Church Worldwide's Canaanland headquarters in Ota, Ogun State, founder David Oyedepo urged members to offer his phone number to potential kidnappers should they be abducted. Oyedepo asserted his spiritual authority to guarantee their freedom, a message that quickly gained traction on social media.

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If anybody picks you, give them my number, give them my number.

The cleric backed his unusual instruction with accounts of what he described as past divine interventions. He recounted an instance where a pastor affiliated with the ministry was kidnapped, and Oyedepo claimed he directly confronted the abductor via phone. "In 24 hours, if you don’t take him out, you are dead," Oyedepo stated he warned, alleging the situation was resolved immediately.

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One time, one of our pastors was carried by, what do you call them, kidnappers. “I said, give them the phone. I said, in 24 hours, if you don’t take him out, you are dead. “The place was vibrating. On the spot.”

In another narrative, Oyedepo described a female church member who, despite being held captive, confidently declared her imminent release. According to Oyedepo, her abductors began harming themselves before freeing her, even though no call was made to him. These stories were presented as evidence of the spiritual power available to believers.

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She said, ‘My father said, I’m getting out of here latest by 7 a.m.’ They didn’t call. They started cutting themselves,”

Oyedepo concluded by empowering his congregation, emphasizing that they possess the same spiritual authority and should recognize and utilize it. He stressed that the church's ability to overcome such 'devils' is a testament to divine support, implying a broader spiritual battle against negative forces.

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You have been raised far above the devil. If the church does not conquer these devils, God has left heaven,”