LET'S TALK ABOUT HYMN - Min. Damilola Ashade Hilda aka Ojuoluwa

1.Can we meet you ma?

Resp:I am Damilola Ashade Hilda aka Ojuoluwa, A minstrel, gospel song minister and educationist.

2.Can you briefly tell us about your ministry ma?

Resp:My ministry(peniel ministries) was birthed from a personal encounter with God which I had in 2012 when I was called, chosen and anointed of God to show forth God's praises through singing,He anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.(Isaiah 61vs1-3).

In summary, my ministry is a prophetic, evangelistic and healing ministry.

3.You're a gospel minister, how well do you use hymn?

Resp:I use hymns often during personal retreats, communion with God and during ministrations.

4. What has been your encounters about Hymn. Tell us as you remember ma?

Resp:Hymns are supernatural, spiritual songs birthed from the Heavenly realm. I have had several encounters.

The first time I used hymns,I heard it supernaturally " Take my life and let it be" during a church program in secondary school .The chaplain as at that time was conducting an altar call for unbelievers(students) to come out of the congregation and suddenly I heard from an invisible being singing that song in my ears and suddenly I began to sing it. As at then, I was a very shy girl but it was as if something took control of my lips and they began to move. The Hymn unexplained drew people to re-dedication and consecration to God.

Another time I remember was when I was battling with an addiction and this hymn came to my mind, " I am thine oh Lord". After singing that song, I had a deeper understanding of the lyrics of the hymn, not only did the addiction die but through this same hymn, a song was produced titled Famimora

5. What are your testimonies about Hymn.? Either in your life or during ministrations.

Resp:As I said earlier, hymns are supernaturally designed songs from heaven. Whenever there is an encounter from heaven i.e heaven on earth,supernatural things are birthed.

I have seen deliverance taking place, I have seen healing taking place, I have also seen that through hymns, portals have been opened for humans to see the supernatural, people going into trance and higher and deeper realms.

6. So, tell us the relevance of singing Hymn in our daily praise to God..

Resp:Mmmmmm!Singing of Hymns is one of the fundamental building blocks of worship. They are the tools that helps us look up to Jesus alone as the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Singing hymns give our worship a sense of majesty and beauty.

The great hymns help us to lift our hearts to God. No thinking Christian could sing the hymn just quoted and not be moved toward the Lord. Such hymns take us out of ourselves, out of our problems, out of the pressures of the present moment, and into the throne room of God's majesty.

They excite the emotions, lift our spirits, and help release us to glorify the Lord. We also need to sing hymns because they expand our mind illuminate the understanding, and excite our soul towards God.

7. Has God ever heal you of any sickness by singing Hymns or any anyone during your ministrations?

Resp:Yes He has. In fact, there was a time I was in a program and our eyes were closed because we were all engrossed in worship only for us to discover God was miraculously working on someone in our midst.

I have seen God heal people while singing hymns through some great generals of the kingdom like Benny Hinn, Pastor Chris Oyahkilome and the likes.

I have seen and heard of creative miracles, signs and wonder take place through singing hymns.

8. Can Hymn be used as a weapon to fight in the spiritual realm ma?

Resp:Yes ma, it is. The Holy Spirit is our great hope against Satan. But how does the Holy Spirit fill and empower us? Ephesians 5:18–19 says, “Be filled with the Holy Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to the Lord with all your heart.” The fullness of the Holy Spirit is experienced as a heart filled with singing. So if we fight Satan by the fullness of the Spirit, we fight him with songs and hymns.It is no wonder that Satan hates the songs of God’s people. He does his best to keep a church from being a hymn singing church. And he does his best to keep you from being a hymn singing person.

9. English Hymns and Yoruba Hymns, which one do you prefer personally that move you?

Resp:I can't say I prefer one to the other because being "connected in the spirit" to hymns is directly propotional to ones Depth of understanding.

According to John 4:24, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Truth here didn't mean 'right way'. It meant understanding.. I like the way the amplified version more which says God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).

So as far as I get the understanding, both are easy to connect with.

10. what makes a song evergreen like the hymns?

Resp:What makes a song evergreen is the depth of the revelation gotten from the word of God. The Word influences the spirit, the spirit expresses what is gotten from the word.

11. What do you have for the pastors that have neglected singing Hymns in their Church?

Resp: Hmmn!

Please pastors, let's embrace hymns in our churches...Let's breakdown the fixed routines in our churches and let's allow the flow of the Holy Spirit to take over for He his a dynamic being.

12. We are into a Hymn campaign, where we want everyone to know the power in singing Hymn, and we want you to say something about it ma.

Resp:Please carry on! A lot of people are yet to hear this...Let's keep transforming by the renewal of our minds with this understanding and not conforming to the usual state of hymns now.

God bless us as we continually do this, Amen