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I rise, I flourish and excel on every side through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit
As we step into 2026, let us determine to navigate wisely by the help of the Holy Spirit.
This year, here are 15 things to avoid.
Avoid stupid mistakes
I was unmindful water was still in my hand while trying to raise the fan and it dropped in the fan and blew it up. I found out too late that the fan was already at its highest. It is fixable but it will cost me money. Avoid stupid mistakes in 2026. Proverbs 14:8 says, "The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways." Think before you act. The heat was a lot and I wanted to solve the problem but the solution I chose became a bigger problem. I who was teaching my mentee's daughter to think before acting did not think in that instance.
Avoid nonsense friendships
I carried on the friendship because this was the only man still living I had taken to my parents. One day I asked a question as a friend expecting something worth holding on to as excuse not to remarry, he assumed I was insinuating marriage and he said, "you had your time". It hit me hard and there and then I realised this friendship had different definitions for me and for him. I was holding on to friendship as first woman (he never married) or first friend, he was holding on to an old flame. Understand that if such a friendship is with sexual benefits, it is an exercise that will profit little and may end up closing you spiritually and socially to better option. Thankfully I chose the path of righteousness. Avoid nonsense friendships or redefine your friendships in 2026. Proverbs 13:20 warns, "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. Choose your circle of friends wisely this year and let go of any Jonah that can make your boat sink.
Avoid silly errors
I once gave a mentee letter of invitation to enable him travel to the USA but in his excitement he left his application form at home when going for his visa interview. Of course he was denied! Money, time and talent went down the drain. Avoid silly errors: Proverbs 22:3 says, "The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple, keep going and pay the penalty." Be alert and cautious.
Avoid regrettable disobedience
This was years ago; I told God if you could bring someone to tell my husband he offended me, I will not take laws into my hands. God did but because he refused to sincerely as for forgiveness, I took laws into my hands. The price of the disobedience is one that could take a lifetime to pay but God's merciful kindness came through. Avoid regrettable disobedience: Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Stay rooted in God's word.
Avoid terrible omissions
In 2015 December when I told my husband I was heading to camp to spend the rest of 31 and 1 of January 2016, I omitted the fact that I was inviting him because I loved him and wanted him to be divinely covered. I may have omitted the fact that it was by divine instruction... He said no and I let him be. But that was the beginning of the end of the enemy sealing his coffin. If only I knew, I would have told him clearly this was divine instruction and I would knelt down to beg him. He is dead and I am still suffering homelessness in America. Avoid terrible omissions. James 4:17 reminds us, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, commits sin." There is sin of omission and sin of commission; do NOT neglect opportunities to do good.
Avoid senseless arguments
A man God led to a lady started their journey in courtship. He was NOT born again but he had to find Jesus because he loved her. One day, they argued about who would name their child and the lady insisted his unbelieving Muslim mother will NOT name their child. They were neither married nor have a child on the way; they were not even having sex! That was the beginning of the fight that tore them apart. Years after they went their way neither of them had a child. That was an insensible argument caused by satan. Avoid such this year as it could rob you of divine connections.
Avoid obvious pitfalls or crashes
Some pitfalls are NOT obvious but some are. You see a vehicle bigger than yours submerged in water and you say, I am a child of God, I will swim through. That is foolishness. I learned from a channel last year that Myles Monroe of blessed memory was warned of an impending storm or hurricane before he flew. He flew believing God will navigate the plane without issues died. Sadly he died with his wife and others. He was also at a conference ahead of the crash where the Holy Spirit showed me something and I said to my husband that it appeared his ministry was hinged on him, his wife and his children. I remember saying that if anything happens to him, the ministry may NOT survive. Normally he should have been in retreat before the invitation to the conference he honoured and he would likely had gone to the Bahamas earlier and missed the storm. The question is, did God led him to accept the invitation or he couldn't say no because of the calibre of people that invited him. Be sure it is God before you enter obvious pits of the enemy.
Avoid subtle repression
It is big that you gave up your marital surname as a woman; I never did legally. Though I still carry my husband's last name proudly, I have NOT allowed the burying of the family name God positioned me into. If you are married and all the time he or they write Mr and Mrs or his first name without your first name, you are being subtly repressed and this can lead to you being edged out of blessings. David was a child in the family yet his name was NOT presented.
Avoid silent depression
Moodiness, "I just don't 'feel' like talking" or "I don't 'feel' like praying", is subtle depression that is satanically wired to slip in silently but can become a monster. Break the ground depression wants to breed in.
Avoid enemy territory
The mercy of God will sustain you but avoid enemy territories. If you are pushed there or sent their by political decrees like Daniel was, God will shut the mouth of the lions for you. A woman is called a witch and God is NOT leading you to visit, please refrain from visiting to socialise.
Avoid preventable loss
I was in a tricycle and my money flew off, I mentioned it but the tricycle rider completely ignored me. That was NOT paper, that was money. If I had kept it well, it would not have been blown away by the wind. I was led to pay with the money I could see but insisted on paying for a lady who looked like a newbie in Redemption City. When the money flew off, she showed no concern when the money was blown away. I consoled myself by saying that perhaps someone prayed for money and mine would meet a need.
Avoid wasteful spending
If you are eating things that could make you sick, money will be needed to treat the repercussion. This simply means you are neither a good steward of life or body. If sugar or ice water does not work well with your body system, avoid it. Your body is the temple of God, take responsibility for wellness to avoid waste which could lead to life threatning issues. There is the also the example of buying what you do NOT need.
Avoid sinful gatherings
There are invitations to gatherings or events that you know are not right, say NO. It is NOT only songs people go to sing at Fela's Shrine. It is called Kalakuta Republic for a reason. The high level of rituals and diabolical that took place there is now being publicly revealed by a top ranking member who has now given his life to Jesus Christ. Avoid such places; being there could sell your soul to satan without your direct permission.
Avoid time wasting
Some people call it whiling away time... Rather than just sitting aimlessly, sit purposefully or prayerfully. Rather than walking with a blank mind, do a praise or prayer walk. In 1996 or 1997, I did a counselling project that won me a State Merit Award in Niger State. One of the things I taught the high school students and my co-corps members is that when we waste our seconds, we are actually wasting our lives because seconds translate to minutes, to hours, to days, to weeks, to months, to years and then to LIFE. God gave us abundantly so we can number our days and use them well but time wasted never returns. One day, different people kept me on phone for hours, by the time I checked my data, 1.5gig had gone! My husband and I used to use 3gigabytes of data in a month; both of us. I spent half of that in a day talking. Yes, I always find a way to make my phone conversations meaningful but when you review at times the bulk was spent on unnecessary things especially IF it started without an agenda. After I expended time with a counselled, she sent me 50 minutes of voice note, well I did NOT listen because such means I have to commit time and attention to hearing, listening and understanding. I already devoted time to counselling. If you want to pass a message to a leader, counsellor or mother figure take the time to schedule an appointment or send a typed or written message that can be read at convenience. I am led to add this: I visited someone and immediately I got there I became uncomfortable be arsed she was on a call for about 10 minutes. To pin me down, she served me drinks which I ignored while she continued with her call. I was there as a chaplain not for entertainment. Thankfully I had obeyed God and ate before going otherwise hunger would have turned to anger. Cut a long story short I found out the next morning that I had caught an infection. She was treating an ailment and I was unmindful of this in spite of God leading me to see the medications on the table. The visit was meant to be short and though God gave me a reason to leave early, I decided to stay so I can minister to her. Thankfully God led me to take things that healed the infection. Wasted time is costly. The visit and the length of stay was avoidable.
Avoid location or relocation unapproved by the Holy Spirit
Go only where God leads. Those who came with Anthony Joshua the celebrated boxer were coming to enjoy December or perhaps even "detty december" but two of them are dead; according to what my brother told me, those were his trainers and good friends. God saved his life by leading him to change his location in the vehicle. If God is NOT leading you to go to a particular location or to relocate, avoid it this year. Stay where God put you. While in Jamaica, word came from my mentor for us to go to Montego Bay in a bid to jet out but God led me to tell her it is better we stay in Kingston. Brethren, we may have lost our lives or have to stay in shelter in Montego Bay because it was worse hit and those there could not travel out from there; they had to come to Kingston. God weakened the hurricane where we were and directed the storm away from our location. Like God used the slave girl for Naaman, God can use anyone for you this year. God thereafter used my mentor to make provision for our stay as we all took on the assignment of intercepting for Jamaica and the Caribbean Island. Obedience is better than sacrifice, 1 Samuel 15:22.
Lamentations 3:22-23 in the King James Version (KJV), are well-known verses that reads:
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Brethren, cry out for mercy the mercy of God to bless you will wisdom to position yourself rightly this year.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
As we decide to walk wisely in 2026, leaning on God's wisdom, let us always remember to ask for God's mercy to keep us away from invisible fiery darts as we in Godled wisdom, dodge the visible ones.
I rise, I flourish and excel on every side through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
Dr. Omolola Omoteso-Famuyiwa is a minister who is passionate about sharing God's words for the healing of others.
