The founder of Encounter Jesus Ministry International in Abuja, Apostle Michael Orokpo, has revealed how the death of his mother in 2010 shook his faith and made him turn away from God for a year.
The cleric spoke in an interview posted on the PriesthoodTv Facebook Page and seen by our correspondent on Friday.
Speaking about some of the most difficult moments in his life, the cleric recounted that he was deeply devoted to God at the time, actively preaching and participating in church activities before the sudden loss of his mother shattered his convictions.
According to him, his mother, whom he described as an intercessor, fell ill briefly and died—an experience that left him heartbroken and angry with God.
The cleric said the incident left him bitter and led him to abandon his spiritual commitments for about a year.
“I loved God passionately; praying. We were going from church to church, preaching, doing all forms of choreography and everything. But my mum, whom I knew to have been an intercessor all her life, suddenly fell sick briefly and died.
“It broke me so much that I became bitter with God. I went back into the world because I wanted to do something that would pain God. I went into alcoholism and started clubbing. It was a terrible one year from 2010 to 2011,” he added.
Orokpo also recounted another painful episode in 2017 when his brother died despite intense prayers and spiritual interventions.
He said he prayed, fasted, and invited other ministers to pray for his brother, but the efforts did not prevent the death.
The loss, he noted, left him emotionally shattered for months.
“The second discouragement was in 2017 when my brother died. I did all the praying, I did all the fasting, I sowed seeds and brought men of God to pray for him, but he still died.
“It was like an arrow thrust into my soul. I wept for months. The scriptures did not make sense to me. I would go to lonely places, play some songs and just cry because that was the only thing I could do,” he said.
The cleric said he later experienced what he described as renewed encounters with God that gradually helped him recover from the grief.
He also revealed that about three years ago, he faced another challenging period marked by controversies and accusations against him while he was actively serving in ministry.
“At a point, it started affecting my messages until the Holy Spirit warned me that my priesthood would be corrupt. That was when I began to pray again,” he said.
The cleric, however, said the experiences made him stronger and rekindled his faith and belief in God.
“What I came out of those encounters with is that all I live for now is to please God, do the will of God and get back at the devil,” he said.
