ISHMAEL MUST GO (1)
JULY 28, 2026
TEXT: GENESIS 21:8–14
KEY VERSE: “And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” (Genesis 21:12)
As believers, God certainly tends to promote or elevate us from one level of purpose to another. In this process, God sometimes requires us to let go of certain things that can serve as inhibitions or impediments in our lives. Unfortunately, the promises of God cannot flourish in such an atmosphere.
What majorly led to this teaching was the circumstance surrounding the birth of Ishmael. Abraham and Sarah, having waited for ages to have their own child, all to no avail, decided that they might as well help God. In view of this, Sarah offered Hagar, her Egyptian housemaid, to Abraham so that they could possibly raise children through her. She had her way, and baby Ishmael was born. Unfortunately, these people never, for once, asked God before embarking on that decision (of course, God would have disallowed it). Ishmael was born not because God failed, but because man’s patience failed. God already had a laid-down plan for them, but unfortunately, the devil tried to trick them out of God’s agenda. Ishmael was a child of fleshly effort, while Isaac was the child of promise (Galatians 4:23).
One of the worst mistakes a believer can make during a period of expectancy or while waiting for a promise is to be double-minded. Many of us are looking unto God for divine visitation in certain areas, and we sometimes feel that God is not responding as promptly as we desire. Because of this, we try to help Him with our own wisdom, forgetting that the greatest human wisdom is sometimes foolishness in the sight of God.
“Ishmael,” in this context, refers to anything that has taken the place of God’s original intent for your life. Your Ishmael is your carnally conceived backup plan for God’s plan. Whenever human effort begins to replace your absolute dependence on God, then there is trouble.
EXAMPLES OF ISHMAEL-LIKE CASES
✅ Some pray for examination success but still proceed to sleep with lecturers or even sneak “microchips” into the examination hall.
✅ Some of us are praying for children but also visit occultic sources to see if they can offer any help.
✅ Some believers are waiting on God for marital breakthrough but are busy sleeping around, trying to use human wisdom to identify those who love them.
✅ Some believers want a job but proceed to sleep with the head of recruitment because they doubt the power of God to give them divine job settlement.
Thus, Ishmael is anything in our lives that competes with God’s promise. It may also take any of the following forms:
- Pride: You know you have a problem, and it is hindering God from manifesting Himself in your life. Naaman was a leper, and he took his time to go down to Israel to Prophet Elisha in order to receive his healing from God. Unfortunately, pride almost got the better of him (2 Kings 5). Pride can make you shut your heart against divine help because you feel you can cope on your own.
- Bitterness: You are always bitter and melancholic, sometimes over the achievements of others.
- Past successes: This can easily cause complacency to set in, and one suddenly begins to feel that he knows the right buttons to press to achieve anything. Moses was instructed by God to strike the rock in order to get water for the Israelites when they complained at Rephidim. The second time they complained, God changed the instruction and told him to speak to the rock. Unfortunately, Moses (perhaps out of frustration) struck the rock instead. Perhaps he might have thought within himself why God was changing the instruction that had gotten them water some years earlier under similar circumstances. Many believers unconsciously get carried away by previous achievements such that their minds become sealed off to present realities.
According to (Romans 8:7), the carnal mind is enmity against God. The carnal mind is not just weak but also in opposition to God. This is why we are to constantly fortify ourselves against the activities of the flesh (Galatians 5:24). The flesh is always in competition with the Spirit.
SEARCHLIGHT:
Any “Ishmael” that is not gotten rid of can get rid of God’s agenda for us.
PRAYER:
O LORD, order my steps and let me not make a life- and destiny-threatening mistake, in Jesus’ mighty name.
BIBLE READING:
Psalm 72–74, Revelation 19
PASTOR MICHAEL OMOLE
