I used to participate in online sports betting. I mean, I could leave a church service and head straight into the betting centre. In fact, I could be browsing bet slips right in the middle of a church meeting.
But thanks be to God for how He delivered me. I now see that He truly saved me.
The Beginning of the Stronghold
Gambling was a stronghold that began one Sunday in 2014 — and it started innocently. I used to despise the guys next door in my compound who would place bets over a game and await the results like someone waiting for an exam result.
But later, I began to admire their new clothes and started thinking about having “other sources of income.” So I went to the very guy I once despised and asked him to show me how to play — and he did.
I can remember five games that almost came through, but I didn’t win. So I decided to start playing on my own. Almost every weekend, I would place different bets, and soon I was betting on weekdays too.
Then in February, just before Valentine’s Day, I won a five-digit figure! I got a new phone, paid off my electricity bill debt, and — sadly — spent the weekend committing fornication.
Before that win, I barely had enough transport money to get back home for the semester break. But with the sudden inflow of money, I found myself deep in sin. For the next three years, I was consistent in betting both during football seasons and off-seasons — on hockey, volleyball, and even virtual games.
The “Big Win” That Wasn’t
I had another major win after attending a tarry (a prayer vigil) that a friend invited me to. I had two betting slips in my pocket while playing the drums during the meeting when the pastor declared, “This week is your week!”
Of course, I shouted “Amen!” with all my heart — because the potential payout from the slips in my pocket was ₦250,000. By the end of that Saturday, I had ₦125,000.
I felt like a big man. Even during church meetings, I would be busy checking games and scores, telling myself, “White paper must pay o!”
Free data (or rather, data gotten through cheat codes) made things worse, and the betting office was right inside my compound. It became my second home.
The Turning Point
As time went on, I started losing — not small amounts, but in multiples of ₦100, and I didn’t win anything again. That was when I decided it was enough. Looking back now, I know that decision was God’s intervention, because I can’t explain how I made it on my own.
Since there were two entry points into my compound, I chose to stop passing through the one where the betting office was. That simple decision helped me avoid my clique of gambling friends who would always call me to help them select games or check scores.
And that was how my deliverance began.
Delivered and Free
After a while, the guy who worked at the betting office saw me one morning and asked if I had travelled because he hadn’t seen me around for a long time.
I can only imagine what would have happened to me during Nigeria’s season of recession if I hadn’t stopped. I might have resorted to begging or worse.
But glory be to God — He saved me, my money, and my body!
To Be Continued…
Miraculous Monday: 16th October 2023
Miraculous Monday 060
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