Pastor Peter Nnamdi Okereke Jr. is the Senior Pastor of The Living Word Ministries in Evanston, Illinois, USA. A devoted husband, loving father, and faithful servant of God, he is passionate about equipping believers to live victorious lives through the truth of God's Word.

Pastor Peter is also the author of Living Victoriously, Marriage: A Gift from God, and Praying the Scriptures, inspiring readers to deepen their faith, strengthen their families, and grow in prayer.

Welcome to 12 Minute Converse with Jesus Believers.

God chose first to have a conversation with us, his creation. Our prayer is that this listening

space brings growth and transforms your life forever. Praise God for you Pastor Namdi. It's

a great pleasure to connect with you. For those that are listening, what part of the world are

you in today? I'm in Chicago, Illinois. How long have you been in Chicago? Over 27 years now.

Your accent is still there though. Was it tough keeping your accent or could you switch

it if you needed to? I can switch but I prefer to have this accent. It identifies me with where

I'm from. Yeah, I get that. And again, for those listening, where are you originally from?

I'm from the United States. You wouldn't say Nigeria? You wouldn't say that you're

originally from Nigeria? Yes, my parents are Nigerians. We never give up our children to

any foreign country. I love that. What was your journey in becoming a pastor?

After my graduation, my basic study was geology. I had a BSc in geology and a master's in geophysics.

Worked in the oil company. But I know the voice that kept telling me,

you're gonna serve me, you're gonna serve me. Which became more amplified when I read the Bible

and became born again. So a time came when things were rough and tough.

Because I've run enough, I've given excuses enough. So one day I met somebody who told me to

my face, why are you running away from God? And that voice stood with me.

And I realized one day I was driving in Chicago on Broadway Street. And there was a church there.

Actually, it was a Catholic church. So I went into that place. Because I felt that there is

an eye watching over me. So I went into that church and I fell on my face. I cried. I said,

I can be a good Christian, but to be whatever you want to use me for, I don't want to do that.

And the voice of the Lord said to me, who do you think you are? I am God. I can use whatever,

whoever I want to use. I want you to serve me. So that was personal. And when I got out from

that place of prayer, I was led to a place, a small church about a hundred people,

where I rededicated my life to Christ. Because I was already born again, but I never followed up.

So this time I rededicated my life to Christ. And the instruction the Holy Spirit gave me that day

I went to the church was to stay away from the congregation. So I started a media ministry,

which is just like what you're doing. And from there, that is how my journey started. I can tell

you that I stayed behind the camera, started the website for the church, started their media

ministry, television programs for 13 years before finally I was released to get into the world for

the ministry work. But I thank God today I'm a pastor of a church.

That's amazing. Are you married?

Yes, I'm married with three children, three daughters.

When along the path did you meet your wife?

I met my wife in the church, that church that I dedicated myself to, where I served. So I met my

wife there. Our first child is 23 years old, 18 and 16.

It's been a while. So all along the path of you journeying, your experience, the media,

was it a distraction or was it the thing that you needed to do to get where you are today?

It was God's instruction. He told me to do that. And actually, I was happy I did it,

because one, I wouldn't have survived the church rancor. There's a lot of jealousy and

misbehavior in the church. It takes somebody who is not part of it to stay.

So I was able to survive and I was able to be trained by what I observed. Certain things I

wouldn't have tolerated, but through not getting directly involved in the church activity, I was

able to stay in the church doing what I was doing. I learned a lot from being behind the camera.

I learned so much. I learned so much. And today, what I did for somebody is what is moving my

ministry forward, because all I needed is somebody in the church and I would train them what to do

behind the camera too. So it really helped me a lot.

It's an interesting parallel or connecting concept where Jesus was, to say the least,

behind the scenes, right? Before he really launched out in his ministry, let's call it full-time

ministry at age 30. As a matter of fact, most of us can be in denial, but everybody amongst us

hears the voice of God, but the fact is that we mix it up with the noise. I was 12 years old when

I heard the voice of God for the first time in my pain, you know? So that voice, like today,

if I hear that voice tell me to do something, I will not, never, never, I will do whatever he

asked me to do, because that voice has proven to be the voice of God. The Bible confirmed that for

me and have put me away from so many troubles. Yes, he was involved in every area of it.

What is God showing you for this season, 2026?

Well, this is the time that anyone that wants to serve God effectively, 2026 is a very

precarious moment in the life of any believer. A lot is happening, and they are all rapidly

happening at the same time. Deception, backsliding, and a lot of people are going to be

tumbled upside down, because they will forsake Christ according to the scripture.

So what the Lord was putting in my heart is to tell believers, and even those who are not believers,

to be believers, because the time is going to be very tedious and very precarious,

and to tell believers to pick up the mantle of prayer, okay? Not just prayer like anybody, but

prayer as it's in the Bible, you know? If you have unforgiveness, let it go, so that the Holy Spirit

can lead you into the place God has planned for you. So prayer has become one of the things that

I mandate in people. You got to pray a lot. Pray for everything. Pray in every season. Encourage

people. If you say you're a Christian, your foundation must be love. Don't let nobody behind.

Pray. Ask God, this is what I feel like. What do you think? You know, those are prayers. You know,

I look at prayer as communion, communication, as fellowship, as worship in many ways. So

we need to pray. Pray for the nation, for the will of God to be done. I don't know about you, but

the way it is going in America today, this is the only country that if it falls,

the anti-crisis might take over everything. So this is time for believers to stand

on their shoulders and pray. Pray every kind of prayer, okay? If you love to sing, sing every kind

of song. If you like to decree, decree every kind of decree, whatever, declare every kind of

declaration is right in the Bible so that the will of God can be done. If as Christians we keep quiet,

trust me, the enemy will succeed, okay? I'm not going to say further than that, and that is what

I believe. Time for prayer, worship. Time for prayer, worship, and get involved so much in your Bible

studies because a little leaven, a little lie can change a believer's dynamics. So know what the Word

of God says so that when you go out, hear it on the news, see somebody using the name of God,

you can say this is not right because our mandate is to do what is right before God,

not what a friend said. Do the will of God, and that is all that makes you a believer.

Not to speak about God, but to do what God said.

Before we started recording, you talked about going over to Nigeria time and time again.

What has been the difference in what you're seeing there versus what you're seeing in

Chicago or the U.S. in totality? Generally, as a pastor now, I see in the eye of God.

Deception is everywhere. Nigeria has a lot of churches, but the churches are corrupted. I'm

sorry to say this. There are a few churches, and they are not the ones on the platform of television

and stuff. Most of the big churches in Nigeria are as corrupt as all the churches Jesus found

guilty in the book of Revelation, chapter 2 and 3. People are more into money, money, money,

money, money in Nigeria. Already the one in the United States already got the money, so they are

into politicking now. You see the church in America are into politics. Unknown to us that

the church and the state are not supposed to mix up. The church is a kingdom or the God hospital

on earth. Nigeria is about money, influence, position, control. America is about politics,

but the true churches are there. They are not loud. They are preaching the doctrine of Jesus

Christ. They are there, and it will take the Holy Spirit to lead a person who is crying out

for this revival to find a living church. Most churches, as big as they are, are compromised

because they will not stand on the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are doing it as business.

Let me use that language. Churches, both Nigeria and US, is like a business. The soul of men is

no more demanded, and that really makes me to stand deeper and go deeper in the world.

My job is not to criticize them by name. My job is to put out the difference, which is the truth

of the gospel, and that is what I see. They are corrupt churches.

What is a message you would leave for future you listening to this conversation?

I will say something. When you hear from God and you are convinced, do not waste time,

because if God says it, he must say it true. So do not waste your time running around and

realize that this is what you should have done. So go ahead and do it as you hear. Now,

if you don't understand, somebody will tell you. Somebody better will tell you. You might not like

them, but obey the voice that says, follow me. Read the Bible. Do what the Bible says.

That's the way to start. In closing, is there anything else you'd like to share, my friend?

God loves you. God loves you, and do not intend anyone to perish. That going to heaven or going

to hell is a personal choice. If you reject Jesus Christ, you're rejecting heaven where he is. And

if you receive him, you're receiving heaven. No matter what you go through on earth, you will

make it. Hassan Amdi, a pleasure. I treasure. Thank you for being on What is Inspired by 12

Columns.