Since 1974, I have tutored myself to sleep for just four hours a day. So, if I close my eyes like this, in four hours’ time, it will open without any alarm clock. So, I only sleep for four hours a day

Our respectable and adorable father in the Lord, DR. DANIEL KOLAWOLE OLUKOYA and his amiable wife and MUMMY G.O, PASTOR (DR.) ELIZABETH FOLASADE OLUKOYA obliged our readers the opportunity of glancing into their private lives and their ministries through this first of its kind interview in the annals of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries. Kindly read and enjoy excerpts from the no holds barred interview, held as part of the 35th Anniversary of MFM.

I would like to congratulate you on the tremendous growth of MFM ministry under your leadership in the past 35 years. Looking back at the milestones that MFM has attained, can you share with us the key factors that have contributed to the growth of this ministry?

The MFM ministry is an institution brought about by the Almighty God. God is the founder. I’m just a senior servant in the ministry. As I always tell the pastors, all of us are houseboys. I’m just the senior houseboy. So, it is God that decides what happens in MFM ministry.If anybody, including myself, tells you that they are responsible for the growth of MFM, it is a big lie. Everything is in the hands of God. But if we are talking about the contributory factors, the factor that I can point out most is being focused. Being focused when you know you are being distracted; being focused when people are saying things against you;being focused in spite of all the conspiracies around you. And being focused inspite of being labelled as strange. It is not easy to be a lone ranger, but the truth is that eagles fly alone. They don’t fly in flocks. So being focused is our main agenda and because we remain focused on prayer, deliverance, solution evangelism, teaching the word of God, holiness, those are major factors.And so those who have been criticizing us are now coming back to us because we remain focused.

Sir, how have you handled scandals that have arisen over the years? How have you navigated the ministry through times of scandal and what lessons have you learnt from these challenges, sir?

The truth is that we haven’t really had scandals. We don’t have scandals. What we have is what the Bible calls counter-attack. You cannot expect to be firing live bullets at the enemy and he is firing rubber back at you. What we are facing is the enemy reacting to our prayers and what we are doing. The enemy is employing people that he thinks will pain us to attack the ministry. And that is expected.You don’t fire live bullets at the enemy and expect the enemy to fire rubber bullets back at you. So, all the attacks and the things that look like scandals are not really scandals. I guess they are counter-attacks or reactions of the kingdom of darkness against the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries.

Sir, a lot of people have wondered and asked, how does Dr Olukoya cope with his crowded and busy weekly counselling sessions that he sometimes closeslate? They wonder, does he eat at all? Does he have any hobby? What does he do in his leisure time? Will you like to answer these questions, sir?

My major occupation is the work of God. I read. I listen to music. If you attend our music seminar, you will be able to see what I do at my leisure time. I put music together, and so on and so forth. My daily routine is quite simple. From home to the church and from the church back home. From home to the airport and programme venues and back home. That is all.

Sir,looking back at the journey 35 years from now, what are the significant challenges you faced and how were you able to overcome them?

Our biggest challenge so far has been putting round pegs in square holes.One of the greatest challenges that MFM had was that its growth caught us unawares.

When we got to OlasimboStreet, from where we celebrated our 30th anniversary recently, the first service had around 640 people in attendance. Within a year, the 640 people had become 5,000 and we didn’t have enough manpower on ground to handle the growth.The revival caught all of us, including me, unawares. So, if I were to do things differently now, I would first of all train people, so that when the growth starts, we can have men to manage them. So, because we didn’t have men to manage them, we just put square pegs around them, and they gave us headache and hassle.

Another challenge is disloyalty. But that is expected. There was even a Judas in the company of Jesus.Those are the challenges. But if I were to do things differently, I would concentrate on developing the men first before we push them out to work, or not allow the work to catch them unawares.

So, we have had to put some people in charge of things that they were not qualified for or made to do because there were no persons to do those things.

What do you consider to be the landmark achievements of the Ministry under your leadership, sir?

One of our landmark achievements is that, whether they like it or not, whether everybody enjoys it or not, we have changed the prayer temperature in the whole world. Recently, somebody called me from Puerto Rico. There was an unfortunate incident.The husband sank in the sea and they couldn’t find his dead body. So, the wife stood by the beach, crying.And an old man went and asked her, “Why are you crying? ”She told the man that her husband got drowned in the sea and they couldn’t find his corpse. The old man asked, “Do you know Dr Olukoya?” She said she did not. Then the old man added, “Go and buyDr Olukoya’s book titled, “Deliverance from Marine Powers.” The woman

started looking for the book. She eventually bought it and read it. The old man went back to her and asked, “Have you now read in the book that there is a prison in the water? Your husband did not die; He is being held in the prison in the water. Go and contact Dr Olukoya and he will help you to bring your husband out of that prison.”

Somebody also travelled to Russia and found Prayer Rainin the airport in Moscow. So, one landmark achievement is that we have changedthe prayer atmosphere and temperature worldwide.

Everywhere now, people are praying MFM ministry’s prayer. So, that is our main joy. Prayer is the key. If we are able to affect prayers positively, we affect many things. Glory to God.