03/02/2026
How God Tested Me When I Desperately Needed a Breakthrough – Archbishop Benson Idahosa
In June 1976, my wife and I traveled to the United States to visit mentors we considered spiritual parents. We'd been in ministry for years, but the breakthrough I now enjoy hadn't come yet. We were struggling. Every effort we made seemed to hit a wall. We tried everything to achieve financial stability. We had souls, we had growing church membership, we had people coming to services, but making ends meet was nearly impossible.
It was difficult to reconcile the contrast: preaching at home versus what I witnessed in America. There, organizing a meeting for 2,000 people cost $200,000, while back home I could gather 20,000 people for just $200. It troubled me deeply—America had abundant resources but people were resistant to the Gospel, while Nigeria had eager listeners but no money to reach them effectively. We prayed constantly about what to do.
That June, my wife and I visited our spiritual mentors, whom I'd known since 1960. While we were there, my spiritual father felt led by the Lord to take me aside. "Benson, come to the car," he said. My wife and I got in, and he drove us around the area. "The Lord wants me to bless you and your wife," he explained, "and that's the one thing you can't refuse. When God asks me to bless you, don't make it difficult. I will never say no to being a blessing to you".
So he took us to three different neighborhoods: the well-to-do area, the wealthy area, and the most affluent area.
"Choose any home that's for sale," he said. "Our foundation will purchase it for you and give you a few years to pay us back." I knew the Bible says "lead us not into temptation," but this felt like genuine Holy Spirit-led temptation, and I was ready to give in.
My wife and I didn't initially realize which neighborhood was which. We started in the well-to-do area. The first home we saw had four bedrooms and a basement. It looked absolutely beautiful compared to the modest house we lived in. "We choose this one," we said.
"Don't choose yet," he replied.
He drove us to the next area, which turned out to be the wealthy neighborhood. This home had four bedrooms, two guest rooms, two living rooms, a music room for children, and a swimming pool. "I choose this one!" I declared.
Then he took us to the most affluent area. We got out of the car, walked inside, and my wife whispered to me in our native language, "We don't need the first two." The house was absolutely stunning.
"We choose this one," I announced. "How much is it?"
"$1.2 million," they said.
My heart sank. Our entire ministry's annual income was $3,000. I broke into a sweat—I loved the house but was terrified of the price.
"Don't worry about the price," he assured me. "The foundation will pay for it."
The house had everything. I could already envision where our bed would go. That evening, we had dinner and went to sleep.
At 2:00 AM, I heard a voice: "Son..."
"Who's there?" I responded.
"I am your Heavenly Father."
"Devil, I bind you in Jesus' name! I rebuke you!" I shouted.
"Are you finished?" the voice asked.
"Yes," I said.
"Go home. If you stay here, I will kill you."
I began crying and praying in tongues—"I shall not die but live." I shook my wife awake. "The Lord said we need to go home. We can't take this house. If we stay, He'll kill us."
"Tell Him to speak to me directly," she said.
"The Lord is serious," I insisted.
"He didn't tell me," she replied. "If He's going to kill you, let Him kill you. He's not going to kill me."
I got up and went to our host's bedroom, knocking urgently. "Papa!"
"Yes?" he answered.
"The Lord told me to leave or He'll kill me."
"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.
"Yes, I'm fine."
His wife chimed in, "Benson, go back to sleep. The excitement is overwhelming you."
"No, it's not excitement," I insisted. "It's the Lord. He says He'll kill me if I don't leave."
I went back to my wife. "Honey, let's go! We'll die in a few hours if we stay here."
"You may die, but I won't," she said.
I immediately left for the airport, convinced I would die by 6:00 AM if I stayed. By 5:20 AM, I caught a taxi to the airport. When I reached New York, I called our host, T.L. Osborn, to check if my wife was still alive.
"Would you like to speak with her?" he asked.
"Yes, please."
He handed her the phone, and I was relieved to hear her voice. Then T.L. Osborn said to me, "Benson, if you obey God—having seen everything you saw and choosing to leave anyway—the Lord will honor your faith."
I flew from New York to London, then from London to Lagos. Somewhere between New York and London, the Lord spoke to me again: "Everything you saw in America that you liked—if you go and do what I called you to do in Africa, I will give you all of it and more."
I began to cry because I'd never seen a house like that before, and I couldn't imagine how I'd ever own something similar.
"Lord, how will I ever have a house like the one they wanted to give me, especially after You told me to leave?" I asked.
"Preach Me to the world, and I will give you more than you ask for," He replied. "Go home, do what I raised you to do, and you will have more than you need."
When I arrived home, I called America from the telephone company to check on my wife - she was still alive.
"When are you coming back?" she asked.
"Just bring my luggage when you return," I said.
The following month, I held a crusade. Before that experience, our crusades typically drew 2,000-3,000 people. But the first crusade after returning home? 10,000 to 20,000 people attended. A year later, we had 100,000 people at our crusades. To the glory of God, I've now preached to crowds of one million people multiple times.
And just a few years after that experience, the expensive house that would have "killed me" spiritually became equivalent to one of my guest houses. God gave us far more than we ever asked for.
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