Dr Daniel Olukoya, the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, has cautioned Christians against becoming overly dependent on pastors, urging them to develop spiritual discernment rather than blindly following every instruction from religious leaders.

Olukoya gave the warning during a recent sermon shared on YouTube while speaking about what he described as the declining connection of some Christians to genuine Pentecostal power.

According to the cleric, the inability of some believers to develop a strong spiritual connection has created room for manipulation, allowing some pastors to make questionable demands of their members.

He said some Christians had become so dependent on their pastors that they followed instructions without first considering whether such directives were morally or spiritually right.

Using financial demands as an example, Olukoya said some members would give money simply because their pastors instructed them to do so, even when the request was questionable. “If the pastor say bring money, you bring the money. Go and steal. You go and steal,” he said.

The MFM founder stressed that Christians should not surrender their personal judgment to religious leaders. He said genuine spiritual growth should enable believers to recognise wrong instructions and reject them.

Olukoya also criticised pastors who, according to him, have turned to traditional spiritual practitioners and magicians because they are unable to demonstrate the power of God. He argued that such practices contradict the Pentecostal power that should distinguish Christianity from other religions.

The cleric further attributed some of the challenges within the church to what he described as a scarcity of genuine divine power among Christians. He argued that if more believers and ministers demonstrated God’s power, churches would attract more people because of the spiritual impact of their activities.

Olukoya, however, said church members also bore some responsibility, arguing that their failure to develop spiritual discernment had contributed to unhealthy relationships between pastors and their followers.

He therefore urged Christians to deepen their relationship with God and develop the spiritual discernment needed to make sound decisions. He called on believers to reject blind obedience and refuse to follow instructions that conflict with their moral and spiritual convictions.

Olukoya challenged Christians to move away from what he described as a powerless Christian life and seek genuine spiritual power that would enable them to recognise and reject wrongdoing.

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