By GhanaNewsPage 
In an interview with Accra-based Kingdom FM, Prophet Bernard ElBernard, General Overseer of SpiritLife Revival Ministries, revealed a personal struggle with anger during his youth, which he says could have led him to commit a serious crime.
Reflecting on his past, the preacher recounted a pivotal moment during his time in secondary school when he was consumed by rage after being denied a scholarship he believed he deserved. The scholarship was awarded to another student, an injustice that filled him with an intense desire for revenge. In his anger, ElBernard admitted he had even contemplated killing the headmaster.
“There was a scholarship that I thought I deserved, but my school gave it to someone else, and that made me furious. I had the thought of killing the headmaster,” he confessed during the interview on October 14.
The prophet shared that his anger pushed him to begin saving money with the goal of purchasing a weapon to carry out his deadly plan. However, his savings fell short, preventing him from following through with his original intent. Instead, his anger drove him to another dangerous course of action.
Frustrated by his inability to buy a weapon, ElBernard devised a plan to set fire to one of the school’s science resource buses. Armed with petrol, he made his way to the bus at around 3 a.m., determined to destroy it in retaliation. However, his plan was thwarted by a school security guard, who happened to spot him.
“I had petrol in my hand around 3 a.m. and was on my way to set the school bus ablaze,” ElBernard recounted in Fante. “But the security man asked where I was going, and I lied that I was going to fetch water. That’s how my plan was disrupted.”
The preacher acknowledged that this narrow escape from committing a serious crime was a turning point in his life. He credits divine intervention and the “grace of God” for stopping him from making a decision that could have landed him in jail.
“If not for God’s intervention, I could have easily gone down a path that would have destroyed my life. I might have ended up behind bars for the rest of my life,” he said, reflecting on the consequences of his anger.
Although ElBernard admits he still battles with anger today, he has learned to manage and redirect it. Instead of letting it consume him, he channels his anger into more productive pursuits.
“Over the years, I’ve realized that anger itself isn’t the problem; it’s what you do with it. Now, I focus on using my anger for productive things,” he shared.
His story is a powerful testimony to how unchecked emotions, particularly anger, can lead people down destructive paths. However, with personal growth and spiritual guidance, ElBernard has been able to transform his anger into a force for good, helping others and serving his ministry.