How to Easily Know Your Ministry Location as a New Testament Preacher
By Prophet Joel Ogebe
Ministerial location is one of the easiest things to discern once you understand the purpose for which you were sent into the body of Christ. We are sent for the perfecting of the saints. The first question to ask yourself is: what kind of ministry do I have? What service does my ministry provide? Then ask, in my country or region, where is this kind of ministry most needed?
Where there are lapses or deficiencies in the type of ministry you carry, that is where God is sending you. When ministry shifts from perfecting the saints to merely organizing programs, struggles arise. It’s like a doctor setting up a hospital in a city where no one is sick—though knowledgeable, he won’t be relevant. Ministry works in the area of need.
When God wants to do a significant work in a generation, He calls people. Not all who are called are chosen, but all who are chosen are sent. The chosen ones are the sent ones. When God calls His servants, He distributes the work according to their capacity. That is why building capacity is vital—you qualify yourself to become a man approved of God for your generation.
Look at the young apostles God has raised in the last ten years. Each one has a different part of the work—one given 40%, another 20%, another 15%—but all contributing to the fulfillment of God’s plan. The one with the greatest capacity becomes the arrowhead of that generation. To him who has more will be given more responsibility.
For example, when God called me to start the prophetic house of Africa in 2022, we spent two years sharpening ourselves, focusing on building a teaching ministry in the prophetic because that was lacking. Many claim to prophetic inspiration, but divine inspiration must be subject to sound doctrine. Without proper teaching, many fall into error and deception.
Capacity determines relevance and influence. If you can handle ten people, God may add one more. But if you are not serious about cultivating your gift, God may redistribute what was meant for your destiny to others who are serious. Many start with passion but only a few emerge as champions—just like there were many mighty men in David’s time, but only a few are remembered.
My move to Lagos was one of the hardest decisions, but it was by God’s leading. I didn’t come for comfort but because Lagos needs the ministry I carry. Sometimes God calls you to start in one place but wants you to build elsewhere first. God’s timing and strategy are perfect.
In knowing your ministry location, focus on where your ministry’s service is needed most, build your capacity, and position yourself as a man approved for your generation.
This blog post distills Prophet Joel Ogebe’s teaching on discerning ministry location and fulfilling God’s calling in the New Testament ministry context, stressing capacity building, relevance, and divine timing.