The R’s to Unlocking the Power of Knowledge

In the first post on The Power of Knowledge, we looked at the meanings of knowledge and power, and how knowledge translates to power.

In this continuing post, we’ll look at how to unlock the Power in Knowledge.

To unlock the power of knowledge, it must have the attributes described below.

1. Relevant Knowledge

Text: Esther 2:1-18 Ruth 3:1-18

Esther had divine endowment of beauty; she also had divine favour by being favourably treated by the Eunuch in charge of the harem where virgins were kept before going to see the king. Hegai had knowledge of a special diet that he gave to Esther and a special beauty treatment that she received. All the other girls received a general beauty treatment for one year, but she surpassed them all. In addition, when it was Esther’s turn to go see the king, there was secret knowledge that Hegai gave to only her. Hegai knew some deep secrets of the appetite of the king that the other girls did not have, hence, she became the Queen and subsequently saved the nation of Israel.

For Ruth, she was coached by Naomi on what to do when she goes to see Boaz at night. Many graduates, just like professors, in Nigeria and several third world nations, need to know the secrets of the operations of winning in the streets. If you don’t know these, all your university education and degrees will be useless.

• Your knowledge must be relevant to your generation.

• Your knowledge must be relevant in your environment.

• It must be relevant in achieving set objectives.

• Your knowledge must be relevant to current times.

If you possess general (or specific) knowledge, you must update and upgrade your knowledge above your contemporaries and according to present times; if you don’t, you will lose the ability to influence and control.

In John 4:39-42, the Samaritan woman ran into the village and was able to move people to the outskirts of the community. However, when the people heard from the Master, she lost her authority and relevance; she became history.

I told them at Ama-Ebimo, Zion, Kunukunuma (Center of Excellence), in Gbramantu Kingdom of Delta State, where this message was first preached, that I could see (and I inquired from a few kids and elders by the shoreline) that nearly every Ijaw person can swim very well, but how many Ijaw persons have won gold medals in swimming in the Olympics. Chad le Clos knew that Michael Phelps, who won 8 gold medals in the Athens Olympics, swims 8 hours every day. He watched all his videos and swam 8 hours daily for 12 years. He defeated Michael Phelps in the 2012 Olympics. Joseph Schooling met Michael Phelps some years later and decided to train like him. He also won an Olympic gold medal in the last Olympics. Until you get knowledge that can release your potentials and update your skills, the power in your knowledge will not be released.

2. Relief Knowledge

Knowledge that cannot release you from your fears or superstition, or make you a better person, is useless. We have many of our citizens and leaders that go to Jerusalem, Europe, and America and come back and still behave like savages.

The power of knowledge must make you do one of the following:

• Save lives and situations from degenerating

• Save time for people

• Release stress for people

• Improve on what has been the status quo

• Save people money

• Increase the safety of people

3. Replicable Knowledge

When people can understand, appreciate, apply, and replicate results from the knowledge you impact on them, then you will be relevant.

4. Revolutionary Knowledge

One of Newton’s Laws of Motion states that everything stays in a position of rest or constant motion until a force is applied. Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Alfred Nobel, Mikhail Kalashnikov, Jeff Bezos, etc. introduced revolutionary ideas into the world. Once you can bring in a revolutionary idea into circulation, you will satisfy all the conditions of the power of knowledge in Imam Ali’s postulation about knowledge.

5. Revelational knowledge

Jesus, Joseph, Jacob, Daniel, Paul, and every person in the Bible, who had revelational knowledge, exhibited control, influence, and power over people and circumstances.

How do you get revelational knowledge?

• Prayers; especially when you pray in the spirit

• Studying

• Meditation

• Visions and dreams

6. Rare knowledge

Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel. Proverbs 20:15.

When what you know is known and practiced by so many people in your locality, then, it loses its significance. I suspect that’s why noble professions deliberately set high standards for people to gain entrance such as the army, navy, marines, seals, doctors, engineers, lawyers, architects, accountants, and pilots.

7. Knowledge for Revenue

Any knowledge that will not generate revenue for you is useless.

8. Knowledge that brings Respect

You must acquire knowledge that will earn you respect. Knowledge that earns no respect is a waste of efforts. When people respect you, it will invariably translate to worship for your God, if you direct the admiration to Jehovah.

Why do many Christians not excel despite all their enthusiasm and church activities? Why do Africans pray so much and achieve less than their Caucasian contemporaries? Proverbs 19:2 states that, “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge”. Most African Christians are very zealous, but they lack knowledge about basic issues of life. Many of them are echoes of multi-generational ignorance. When the church says that “Prayer is the master key, and Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer”, they are displaying gross ignorance. Jesus did not start with prayers. He started by defining His purpose first—Don’t you know I should be about my Father’s business—and ended by knowing that He had accomplished His purpose.

And all things work together for good to them who love God and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28.

Many Africans do not know what purpose stands for in self-actualization. They live lives based on probability, predestination, and fear of demonic activities. That is one of the reasons you hardly see very successful, influential, or rich prayer warriors.

Secondly, the Bible says, “A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord”. Proverbs 19:3

When you see Africans and, particularly, Nigerians pray with so much sweating and shaking of their bodies, you would expect that our continent and nations, particularly, Nigeria would have developed. When you see Muslims very enthusiastic about their faith, with readiness to behead any infidel that insults their faith, and when you see where Islamic fundamentalism is rife, backwardness is more prevalent. From Yemen, Mali, Northern Nigeria, Sudan, Niger, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. The simple reason is that religious enthusiasm and stupidity is a very explosive mixture.

Most problems, religious people expect spiritual results from, can be solved with mental effort (considerably less than the physical efforts they exert in spiritual activities).

There is power in knowledge and we must strive to have knowledge; most importantly, we must hunger to have the power to acquire relevant knowledge independently.

I will conclude by quoting my Geography teacher who influenced me greatly.

“Valuable as knowledge is, the power to acquire it independently is more valuable.” Mr. Bamuza, 1974.