Johnson Suleman, general overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, has urged women not to compromise their self-respect during dinner dates.
In a recent sermon to his congregation, the cleric advised women to eat before going on dinner dates and ensure they have enough money to pay for whatever they order in case their date refuses to.
He also urged singles to avoid rushing into marriage, saying it is better to wait for the right partner than settle for the wrong person and hope they eventually change.
“As you are placing orders for things, please, as a lady, eat very well before leaving home. Have money in your bag to pay for what you order in case he doesn’t pay,” he said.
“You can’t marry the right person when you are dating the wrong one. If you believe God to marry the right person, then you had better date the right person. Many of us are open to marrying the right person, but we are dating the wrong person. It is either you wait for God to bring the right person, or you pray for Him to change the wrong person you married because you couldn’t wait for the right one.
“Either you wait for Him to bring the person who is His will for you, or you pray for Him to change the person you married, who is not His will, because you couldn’t wait for the one who is.”
Suleman said that desperation often clouds people’s judgment, leading them to ignore obvious signs that a relationship is not right.
The cleric also urged women not to see dinner dates as an opportunity to satisfy hunger, describing them instead as a chance to get to know someone while maintaining their self-respect.
“Desperation destroys discernment. Once you are too desperate, you cannot discern. There are people who are so desperate that every sign around them shows the person they are with isn’t the right choice. Once I see people who are so eager about marriage, my first fear is desperation,” he added.
“There is a difference between God’s blessing and Satan’s bait, and we have a way of testing God’s blessing: once there is sorrow involved, it’s Satan’s bait.
“For the daughters, let me beg you: going on a dinner date is a platform for familiarisation; it is not a cure for starvation. What are you doing taking food out? Don’t you have respect for yourself?”
