Prayer Alone Won’t End Poverty, Hard Work Is Key — Bishop Olaoluwa

By Lekan Lisoye 

The spiritual head of Jerusalem City Transformation Church, Ita-Oshin, Bishop Olaoluwa Olusanjo Oluwadare, has urged Christians to embrace hard work and sincerity, saying prayers alone cannot end poverty, hardship and affliction.

Bishop Olaoluwa made this assertion while interacting with journalists in his office, stressing that while prayer is essential, it must be complemented by diligence and purposeful living to overcome economic challenges.

According to him, “Poverty, hardship and affliction are like twin brothers. They can be defeated, but not by prayer alone. Hard work, knowledge and sincerity are required.”

The cleric cited Hosea 4:6 — “My people perish for lack of knowledge” — to underscore the need for believers to understand biblical principles of prosperity, warning that ignorance often makes Christians vulnerable to what he described as “ATM prophets and pastors.”

He cautioned prophets and pastors to exercise restraint in delivering prophecies to individuals and nations, noting that reckless predictions could earn them the label of “prophets of doom.”

“Prophecy is good. It awakens and strengthens the weak, empowers the feeble and energises the hopeless. But it should be meant to encourage, not to instil fear or be commercialised,” he said.

Bishop Olaoluwa also admonished Christians to practise contentment, quoting 1 Timothy 6:7 on godliness with contentment as great gain.

He linked this teaching to the Lord’s Prayer — “Give us this day our daily bread” — arguing that a focus on spiritual values and honest labour would curb crimes such as robbery, banditry and kidnapping.

“If people align with God’s principles and work diligently, society will be more contented and peaceful because God has made provision for our daily needs,” he added.

The cleric further lamented what he described as declining moral standards in some churches, particularly excesses associated with prosperity preaching and inappropriate dressing among worshippers.

Calling on church leaders to rise to the challenge, Bishop Olaoluwa said such issues should be addressed through sound doctrine and transformational teaching, not exploitation.

Quoting Psalm 107:20, he said, “He sent forth His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions,” noting that the Church must return to the power of the Word.

He explained that Jerusalem City Transformation Church was established to preach the gospel, bring liberty to the captives, transform lives through God’s Word, heal the sick, deliver the oppressed and empower the less privileged within the church and its host community.