PRINCIPLES FOR A BLESSED MINISTRY

Bro.Joe. Bavuma

God desires to bless us with more tremendous blessings than before.  If we have experienced His presence, His blessings of peace and love during the beginnings of our Christian walk with the Lord, then God promises to do more.  But there are principles that must be realized and followed for our ministry to be doubly blessed by the Lord. Deuteronomy 28 

1. Covet to honor the Lord“For those who honor me I will honor and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed,”
(1 Samuel 2:30)  

No honor can be so great than the honor that comes from the Lord of lords and King of kings.  But God honors only those who give Him honor.  Imagine a friend, who does nothing for you but disgrace, do you think you will honor such a man?  In the same way, God shall esteem lightly those who despise Him and His cause in the ministry.    

The first step for us to honor the Lord is to have that passionate love for Christ.  This kind of love for Christ is being reflected in the manner we live our lives as well as in the manner we take care of God’s ministry.  We should develop the habit of giving honor to God by properly handling and managing the ministry.  Be reminded,  “curse is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully,” (Jer. 48:10).  Every form of deceit in the ministry of the Lord is a strength and soul if we struggle in doing even the littlest task in the ministry.  If we have that passionate love for Christ, we will be cheerful in everything that we do to serve our Master – the Lord Jesus.

To have this kind of love for the Lord, we have to ask Him to fill our hearts with a passion to love Him.  If we have this, there will be no hindrance that we cannot overcome.  God can use us in a mighty way.  Let us covet to honor the Lord as long as we live.God needs you to add one more day in ministry so that he may give you more steps in your live both spiritual and normal life.

Let us develop a passionate love for God.  We should love God more than anybody else and even more than our own reputation.  The ministry of WSHP where we belong is no ordinary ministry.  This is not a ministry established by men.  It was not born in the heart of any man, not even in my heart but only in the very heart of the Lord.  That is why we have to be extra careful in caring for God’s ministry entrusted unto us.  Anyone who will try to harm us, if we are faithful to the Owner of this ministry is harming the very apple of God’s eye.

If we remain faithful to God, He is obligated to help, support and equip us with all the necessary “ammunitions” as we finish our assignments from Him.  We can be assured of His assistance if we continue to depend on Him for anointing and grace in ministering to the people.  No one has the right to boast of anything.  We must never be tempted to share or touch even an iota of the glory that exclusively belongs to God.

Personal, family, business and political decisions must be motivated by our passionate love for God with an obsession to please His heart and to glorify His Holy Name.

2. Seriously establish integrity in the MinistryA person of integrity is closest to God’s concessional blessings.  This character is what Joseph possesses (Genesis 37-45).  He was then the object of envy of his brothers who attempted to kill him.  But then they thought of selling him instead as a slave in Egypt.  When Potiphar bought him and brought him into his house, he saw the hand of God upon Joseph.  So he promoted Joseph as head over his entire household and field.

Potiphar’s wife tried to entice Joseph but he refused saying in Gen. 39:8, “My master does not concern himself with anything in this house but has entrusted it into my care.  No one is greater in this house than I am.  My master has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife.  How then can I do such wicked thing and sin against God?”

No wonder God exalted Joseph to be the most powerful man in Egypt, second to Pharaoh who was then just a figure head.  He was a real man of integrity.

If we do not have integrity, God cannot entrust to us this ministry and the anointing that goes with it.  A person of integrity is one who can be entrusted even with small things.  “He that is faithful in little is faithful also in much,” (John 16:10a).

For us to be used by God to the fullest, we have to live and serve in the Ministry with integrity.  When we enter eternity, all our deeds in service of the Lord will be tested by fire (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) and the reward we will acquire is based on what we did here on earth.  We must desire therefore to seriously establish integrity in the ministry.

Moses, when he was heir to the throne of Egypt, “refused to be known as the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter.  He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.  He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead in his reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26).

Moses denied himself of the pleasures in this world to obey the purpose of God for his life.  He was also a man of integrity.

3. Faithful stewardship of one’s calling

The fact that God has called us into the Ministry of WSHP, it is undeniable therefore that we have become stewards or trustees of His purpose and calling in our lives.  And “it is required in stewards that one can be found faithful,” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

If we will not nurture and take care of the calling or ministry where God has called us into, it will surely die a natural death.  Remember the parable of the talents (Matthew 25) where the first two servants used their talents and gained more in the end.  But the third servant who was so afraid and thought evil towards his master dug into the ground and buried his single talent.  In the end, that servant was punished for being a foolish steward of God’s talent or calling.

We must therefore have a program for self-improvement and personal spiritual growth.  Aside form reading the Bible, we must also read different good books that can nurture our relationship with the Lord.  Remember, to the level that we want to know God, that will be the same level that we will truly know Him.

Surely, “a faithful man shall abound with blessings” (Proverbs 28:20a). God will never fail to bless, even to doubly bless, the work of a faithful steward of His gifts, calling and mandate.

4. Willingness to pay the price for God’s anointing

Many Christians are saying, “Lord give me the anointing, give me more anointing.”  But they are not willing to pay for its price.

Katherine Khulman, an anointed woman of God, was once asked by Christian educators and researchers about her formula or secret as to why many that are sick got healed and many were blessed by her ministry.  No doubt it is the anointing of God in her.

It has been told that when Khulman was ministering in Japan, she preached for five hours and after that she still wouldn’t pray for the sick.  Some people urged her to start praying for the people are already exhausted.  But she answered them, “there is no anointing yet.”

But when the Holy Spirit began to move, the people got healed even without Khulman praying first.  Many got healed during her ministering that a truck behind the stage was reportedly seen to be filled with crutches of those who were formerly lame.

Khulman had no credentials.  She had been an object of ridicule.  Yet one no one was used by God in the same way she was used.  To get the anointing that she had, she said with tears in her eyes, “It costs me everything.  I always die daily.  Before I preach I have to die first.”

Saint Paul in the same way gave his all, just to fulfill God’s purpose in his life and even forgot to marry for the sake of the Gospel.  He said, “woe to me if I preach not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”  St. Paul paid the highest price to get God’s precious anointing.

In the same way, we too should be willing to pay the price. It is no ordinary price.  As long as we live on earth, we must continue to pay the price for the anointing of God.  If we will stop, the anointing will also stop flowing and manifesting in our lives.

Don’t hesitate to take the sacrifice.  We should not cease in following Jesus’ footsteps faithfully.  This is the common mistake of those who had been in the ministry for a long time already.  They have stopped paying the price and taking the sacrifices necessary in receiving God’s anointing.  We must not allow this to happen lest our ministry become futile on the sight of men and of God.

If we live by these principles, only then can God’s promise in Ezekiel 36:11 be a reality to us and to the ministry He has entrusted to us.

“… I will do better for you than at your beginnings, then you shall know that I am the Lord.”

7 Principles To Release Blessing In And Around You 

What kind of principles do you live your life by? Blessed people do not become that way by accident. They have chosen intentionally to live according to the truths in God’s Word. The following 30 principles are ones which, when put into practice, will help you to live a life that is truly blessed. 

1.ThePrinciple ofKnowingThatGodOwns It All

The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the LORD Almighty. Haggai 2:8‐9 NIV Not only is the silver and the gold the Lord’s, but everything belongs to God. So why not give it all to Him? Paul says in I Corinthians 4:2 that it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. A steward is simply a manager of someone else’s money and possessions. We give it all back to God and manage it as He would have us to. For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. Psalm50:10 NIVA successful businessperson by the name of R.G. LeTourneau was in the business of manufacturing earth-moving equipment. 

As his business grew and prospered, he decided to increase his tithe over and above the tenth. In time, he eventually increased his giving to ninety percent of his income and lived on the rest. Instead of giving the tenth, he lived on the tenth. God blessed this man bountifully and used his inventive God-given genius and creativity to reach the world for the gospel. While there are many great giving scriptures in the Bible, none seems more specific than the directive that every person should give what is in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. Mr. LeTourneau certainly recognized the value of  2Corinthians 9:7 and that it was God who gave him the power to gain wealth. 

2.ThePrinciple ofGiving from the Top

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Genesis14:20 NIV Abraham tithed the tenth before any other commitment was made. Jacob paid a tithe. Joseph instructed the people to prepare for years of famine by tithing 20 percent on their current abundance of harvest. Zaccheus gave one half of all his money. Barnabas gave a parcel of land. 

The widow gave all that she had. Whatever we give, either the tenth or beyond the tenth, it should be given from the start, off the top, before we commit to anything else. Proverbs 3:9 directs us to honor the Lord with our wealth by giving the first of all our produce. The Jews were told to dedicate the first-born son and the firstborn beast to God. It was all to be given from the top. 

3.ThePrinciple of Supernatural Provision

So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah. 1Kings17:15‐16 NKJV Supernatural provision happens when the natural is not enough. If we can make it happen on our own, there is no need for faith. No need for trusting God. And it follows that if we do not have faith and have no need for God, He will not step into areas that we 

have reserved for our own self-control. The principle of supernatural provision is that He is strong when flesh cannot be. 

4.The Principle ofBeingProactive

Go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth. Matthew17:27NIV We are to take action—to be pro-active. The abilities and gifting that He provides motivate us to action. Sometimes, it takes our persistence in doing the same things faithfully with the heart of a servant. Other times, it is useful to try new things or new methods and seek after new opportunities. Sometimes, it is the steady plodding that brings the success of the blessed life.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, “The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all” (NIV). 

Hebrews 12:1-2 advises, “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on 

Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” (NIV).

 Proverbs 21:5 instructs us that, “Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty” (TLB). 

“If we can make it happen on our own,there is no need for faith.”Taking action, being proactive and not giving up are principles for living the life of a blessed person. 

5.ThePrinciple ofKnowing HowtoBe Content

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1Timothy6:8‐9NIV Millions of people today are on a quest to accumulate possessions and even wealth. It is hard for all of us to be content with what we have when the world’s entire system is geared toward making us unhappy with everything we don’t have. From advertising to attitude, we face a discontented culture. How much money is enough? Usually, just a 

little bit more. Money cannot buy contentment or happiness. We need to strive for contentment and contend for happiness. 

There is certainly nothing wrong with making money, as long as we do not violate the laws of our land and the principles of God’s Word. The all-for-me and none-for-others way of man’s thinking is immoral. The person of principle who subscribes to the values of the Bible will be a good steward who obeys the law of giving. This person will find happiness in exact proportion to his giving. He will be content with his life and all that it affords.  

6.ThePrinciple of Resisting World Views

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you. 

Romans12:2TLB We must resist the world’s view of wealth, happiness and possessions. We do not have 

to have it all! Our culture and society have sold us a bill of goods. They teach us that in order to be happy, we have to have certain things. We must resist the world’s view of wealth, happiness and possessions. We do not have to have it all! We don’t have to wear just the right clothes, drive that certain brand of car, have the latest model available, buy a bigger home, own six televisions, possess the latest camera and carry a 

dozen credit cards in our wallet. We must not allow the world to dictate to us their view of what things our life should consist of.

The world should not be allowed to determine our lifestyle. The world should not tell us what success is and what the picture of affluence should look like. Success is doing what God wants done. It is having only what you need to exist on. Wealth is more than money. It is having a local church that inspires you to draw close to God. It is having a loving spouse and the blessing of children. Wealth is enjoying great health, great relationships and friends. You can experience great success and great wealth as long as your giving is in proportion to your getting. 

7.ThePrinciple of Plenty Left Over

God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others. 

2Corinthians 9:8‐9TLB It’s not about God making you rich just because you tithe regularly. However, God has promised to meet your needs. That promise may come by way of a job so that you can work hard and provide for your family. 

When you give, it is with complete confidence that God is faithful to His Word. You can trust Him to take care of you. You can trust him with your whole heart and your whole mind; you can trust Him with your life. Some of us find it easier to trust God for eternity than for today’s bills and tomorrow’s problems. When it comes to giving, we must do so in complete confidence that our God will not only meet our needs, but allow us to have plenty left over so that we can joyfully share it with 

others. 

My Living God bless you guys as you get to read this, Amen, Please if having any comments don't hesitate to post

GIVING PRAISE TO GOD

Psalm 100: 1-5: Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us , and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

As followers of Christ we should never take lightly or forget that we should come before God daily in worship and praise. Many of us “faithfully” check our email on our phones or log into Facebook many times a day, but how often do we pause to check in with the creator of our universe, the redeemer of our souls, the one who sustains our very lives?  If we honestly answer that question, we would probably be embarrassed.

God created each of us to come before Him daily in worship. Psalm 106:1 instructs us to“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” God wants and deserves our praise and He wants to fill our hearts and our souls with all of the good things of His kingdom.

Praising God for me comes through in my love for music, that somehow spiritually connects me in a closer way to God. We sang a beautiful version of “Great is thy Faithfulness” this past Sunday in church. My heart was stirred as we sang that great old hymn. I feel and draw closer to God through not only the great old gospel hymns of our faith but also through many modern performers and contemporary Christian music.

I urge you to commit yourself to drawing closer to God each day. God greatly desires to draw you into a closer relationship with Him. There is nothing that you can do to draw closer to God, except to have faith and ask Christ to come into your life and restore in you a fullness of His grace, which will draw you into a more intimate and personal relationship with your Saviour.

Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Michael W. Smith says is perfectly for me as I consider the great sacrifice and love that Christ demonstrated for each of us and that He is most certainly worthy of our worship and adoration. I encourage you to listen to the song, Here I am to Worship. I hope that it fills your heart with love and praise for God, our creator who loves us and desires our worship.

WHEN GOD IS SILENT

Psalm 102: 1-7: Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food. Because of my loud groaning I am reduced to skin and bones. I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof.

We live in a world where there is constant noise and very little silence. Noise is something that we are accustomed to and when there is silence, we become uncomfortable. When the pastor asks the congregation to pray in silence, before the pastoral prayer, I take notice of people moving around uneasily. Even in the middle of a church service, we are anxious when it comes to silence.

Silence is especially painful when it is the silence of God in our lives. And it seems that when we are going through a painfully long period of silence from God, there are many people that want to tell us about how God has “spoken” to them. That tends to trouble me, because I begin to wonder why God is speaking to them and not to me. The silence that I am feeling becomes agonizing and then uncertainties begin to settle in my mind, and I pray really hard for some kind of answer, and it seems that all I get from God is silence.

When God is silent we can simply become upset with God, we become confused, we start to doubt. The truth is that we just don’t know what to do with God’s silence. There is some sort of anguish in my life, I am suffering and in pain like the psalmist. And it seems that I have been praying to God for a very long time, to help me with my problems, and all that I am met with, is silence from God. Then I begin to question if God has given up on me or has stopped listening to me and my prayers.

The Old Testament story of Job, is a reminder of crying out to God for answers and receiving silence. Job cried out to God for the first thirty seven chapters of the book of Job and God finally answered him in chapter 38. God said, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?” (Job 38:4-5). That is God’s way of reminding us that God continues to be in charge of this universe.

The psalmist, in our scripture reading today, seems to be asking, “God, are you even listening to these prayers of mine that I am pouring out to you?” I’m hurting Lord, I’m in deep anguish God, please hear my prayers. The psalmist is reminding us that it’s allright to complain to God. We don’t have to hide our feelings from God because He knows what they are already.

It could be that God is not silent after all; it’s possible that we are not tuned into hearing God. We are surrounded by background noise and countless distractions. God is trying to communicate with us, but we can’t hear God because we have blocked him out. Our minds are tuned into the internet or the television instead of reading our Bible daily or a few moments of quiet prayer with God. It is in those moments that we can hear that still, small voice of our creator God. And it is in those moments that we can receive answers to our worries or concerns.

1 Kings 19:11-12: The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.


This is why it is crucial to have a daily quiet time with God, so that through reading the Bible, or through prayer, God can speak to your heart through the Holy Spirit, in that still, small voice. Don’t allow yourself to be too busy that you don’t take the time to listen.

There is a story that you may have heard about a man who once lost his valuable watch in an ice house. All of his fellow workers diligently searched the ice house looking for the watch. They combed every inch of it, but they couldn’t find it. A little boy, hearing about their search, slipped into the ice house and quickly emerged with the watch. All of the men were amazed and they said, “How did you find it?” And he said, ” Well I simply went to the ice house, closed the door, laid down quietly on the floor, and then I began to listen. After a while, I could hear the tick, tick, tick of the watch.” Are you training yourself to listen for that still, small voice of God?

What happens when prayers seem to go unanswered or not answered in the way that we wanted them to be? For me, it’s continuing to have faith and trust in God and His plan for my life. I have struggled lately with my calling and why things have not worked out in the time frame that I have wanted them to. I feel that I have been faithful to God and sometimes I just can’t understand why opportunities have passed me by and doors have been closed on me. Someone told me several weeks ago that God closes one door in order to open up another one. I don’t know about you, but I am getting tired of all those doors slamming shut in my face.Revelation 3:8  "

 ⁸ I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

However, I continue to have faith and hope, and I trust in God’s promises. I pray that you will continue to have faith and seek out some quality, quiet time with God. I believe, that it is in those quiet moments, that we have the opportunity to experience God revealing himself to us and making clear His will for our lives. We must train ourselves to be quiet, and to listen, and then respond, to our creator God.

Hope you're blesses please send you comments....tell me how do you respond when God doesn't seem to hear you........Be blessed

FAITH, HOPE & LOVE

Despite all devil's plans in our lives mostly to make our lives a living hell still there is hope, faith and love for us. God Him self says that "He will never leave or forsaken us let us have faith in Him, love Him..The following selection is taken from Holy Living mostly concerning about Hope, Faith and Love. - Joe Bavuma

The Acts of Faith Are:


1. To believe everything that God has revealed to us; and when once we are convinced that God has spoken it, to make no further inquiry but humbly to submit; ever remembering that there are some things that our understanding cannot fathom, nor search out their depth.
What Is Hope?
The Acts of Hope Are:
About Love
The Acts of Love of God Are:

2. To believe nothing concerning God but what is honorable and excellent. Faith is the parent of love, and whatever faith entertains must be apt to produce love to God; but he that believes God to be cruel or unmerciful, or a rejoicer in the unavoidable damnation of the greatest part of mankind, or that He speaks one thing and privately means another, thinks evil thoughts concerning God. We would hate a man for such things, and therefore such thoughts are great enemies of faith, being apt to destroy love. Our faith concerning God must be as He Himself has revealed and described His own excellencies. In our discourses we must remove from Him all imperfection, and attribute to Him all excellency.

3. To give ourselves wholly up to Christ in heart and desire, to become disciples of His teaching. It means standing in the presence of God but as fools, that is, without any principles of our own to hinder the truth of God; but eagerly drinking in all that God has taught us, believing it infinitely, and loving to believe it. For this is an act of love, reflected upon faith; or an act of faith, leaning upon love.

4. To believe all God’s promises, and that whatever is promised in Scripture shall on God’s part be as surely performed as if we had it in possession. This act makes us rely upon God with the same confidence as we did on our parents when we were children, when we had no doubt but that whatever we needed we should have it, if it were in their power.

5. To believe also the conditions of the promise, or that part of the revelation that concerns our duty. Many are apt to believe the article of remission of sins, but they believe it without the condition of repentance, or the fruits of holy life. To do so is to believe the doctrine other than God intended it. For the covenant of the Gospel is the great object of faith, and that supposes our duty to answer His grace; that God will be our God so long as we are His people. Anything other than this is not faith, but flattery.

6. To profess publicly the doctrine of Jesus Christ, openly owning whatever He has revealed and commanded, not being ashamed of the word of God, or of any practices enjoined by it; and this, without complying with any man’s interest, not regarding favor, nor being moved with good words. Not fearing disgrace, or loss, or inconvenience, or death itself.

7. To pray without doubting, without weariness, without faintness, entertaining no jealousies or suspicions of God. Rather, faith means being confident of God’s hearing us, and of His answering us, whatever the manner or the timing may be. Faith believes that if we do our duty, His answer will be gracious and merciful.

The servants of Jesus maintain these acts of faith in varying degrees. Some have it but as a grain of mustard seed; some grow up to a plant; some have the fullness of faith. Nevertheless, even the smallest amount of faith must be a persuasion so strong that it moves us to undertake all the duties that Christ built upon the foundation of believing.

Faith differs from hope, in the extension of its object, and in the intention of degree. St. Augustine describes their differences this way: Faith pertains to all things revealed, good and bad, rewards and punishments, of things past, present, and to come, of things that concern us, and of things that concern us not. But hope has for its object only things that are future, are good, and that pertain to ourselves. The certainty of hope is less than the adherence of faith. To illustrate, faith tells me that it is infallibly certain that there is a heaven for all the godly and that heaven will include me if I do my duty. However, to believe that I shall enter into heaven is the object of my hope, not of my faith. It is only as sure as my perseverance in the ways of God.

1. To rely upon God with a confident expectation of His promises, ever esteeming that every promise of God is a storehouse of all the grace and relief that we can need in the instance for which the promise is made. Every degree of hope is a degree of confidence.

2. To esteem all the danger of an action, and the possibilities of failure, and every mishap that can intervene, to be no defect on God’s part, but either a mercy on His part, or a fault on ours. For then we shall be sure to trust in God, when we see Him to be our confidence, and ourselves to be the cause of all failures. The hope of a Christian is prudent and religious.

3. To rejoice in the midst of a misfortune or seeming sadness, knowing that this may work for good, and will, if we are not found lacking. This is a direct act of hope, to look through the cloud and see a beam of the light from God. This is called in Scripture, rejoicing in tribulation,” when “the God of hope fills us with all joy in believing.” Every degree of hope brings a degree of joy.

4. To desire, to pray, and to long for the great object of our hope, the mighty price of our high calling. Hope is to desire the other things of this life as they are promised-that is, only so far as they are necessary and useful to us in order to further God’s glory and the great end of souls.

Love is the greatest thing that God can give us, for He Himself is love. Love is also the greatest thing we can give to God, for in it we also give ourselves, and carry with it all that is ours. The apostle calls love the bond of perfection. It is the old, and it is the new; it is the great commandment, and it is all the commandments. For love is the fulfillment of the Law. It does the work of all other graces. The love of sin makes a man sin against all his own reason and all the advice of his friends. Similarly, the love of God makes a man chaste even without the laborious arts of fasting and exterior disciplines. It makes him temperate in the midst of feasts. It is a grace that loves God for Himself, and our neighbors for God. The consideration of God’s goodness and generosity, the experience of those profitable and excellent gifts from Him, may be, and most commonly are, the first motive of our love. But once we have entered into God’s love, and have tasted the goodness of God, we love the spring for its own excellency, passing from lust to reason, from thanking to adoring, from sense to spirit, from considering ourselves to a union with God. This is the image and little representation of heaven; it is beatitude in picture, or rather the infancy and beginnings of glory.

We need no incentives to move us to the love of God. There is in God an infinite nature, immensity or vastness without extension or limit, immutability, eternity, omnipotence, omniscience, holiness, dominion, providence, bounty, mercy, justice, perfection in Himself, and the end to which all things and all actions must be directed, and will at last arrive. Our appreciation of these things is heightened when we consider our distance from all these glories: our smallness and limited nature, our nothingness, our inconstancy, our brief age, our weakness and ignorance, our poverty, our mistakes and lack of consideration, our disabilities and disaffections to do good, our harsh natures and unmerciful inclinations, our universal iniquity, and our necessities and dependencies.

God is a torrent of pleasure for the voluptuous; He is the fountain of honor for the ambitious; and He is an inexhaustible treasure for the covetous. Fulfillment of our vices can truly and really be found nowhere but in God. [That is, true love of God will replace our earthly vices.] How much more so, then, will our virtues find a proper object in love of God. It is certain that this love will turn all into virtue. When all has been summed up, and it is asked whether someone is a good man or not, the answer is not found in what he believes, or what he hopes, but what he loves.

1. Love does all things that may please the beloved person. It performs all his commandments. “This is love, that we keep His commandments.” Love is obedient.

2. It does all the intimations and secret significations of his pleasure whom we love. Great love is also pliant and inquisitive in the instances of its expression.

3. Love gives away all things so that the lover may advance the interest of the beloved person. It relieves all whom the loved one would have relieved. He never loved God who would quit anything of his religion in order to save his money. Love is always liberal.

4. It suffers all things that are imposed by its beloved, or that can happen for his sake, or that intervene in his service. Love does this cheerfully, sweetly, willingly-expecting that God will turn them into good, and instruments of joy. “Love hopes all things, endures all things.” Love is patient and content with anything, so long as the lover can be together with his beloved.

5. Love is also impatient of anything that may displease the beloved person, hating all sin as the enemy of its friend. For love contracts all the same relations, and marries the same friendships and the same hatreds. Any fondness for a sin is perfectly inconsistent with the love of God. Love is not divided between God and God’s enemy. We must love God with all our heart; that is, give Him a whole and undivided affection, having love for nothing else but such things that He allows and that He commands or loves Himself. 

Prayer of Confession

Pray these words heartily and believe in them, for God is going to work on you right now as you start praying following these words.Say

God of hope and safety, like sheep who go astray, we have wandered from your paths of life and light. We have heard the Shepherd's voice calling us by name, but we have turned instead to our own way. Show us your tender mercy; restore us in the security of your fold. Lead us back to still waters, seat us again at your bounteous table. Fill us with your Spirit, that we might bear glad witness to your saving mercy, revealed to us in the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Read more: http://www.beliefnet.com/Prayers/Protestant/Comfort/Prayer-Of-Confession.aspx#ixzz24jw7jyw7

DO GOD'S PROMISES COVER WHAT YOU WANT...?? - Joe Bavuma

Bible faith is based on the Word of God. It comes by hearing the Word of God.Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” If you get out beyond the Word of God, you have no basis for faith-and you will get into trouble.

It seems to me people ought to have a little sense. In other words, I do not understand how some people can go around spouting off things, endeavoring to believe and calling it faith when it is merely presumption and folly.

Christians need to have enough sense to know where faith will work and where it won’t. Never get out beyond the Word of God. You get into trouble when you move beyond the Word of God and have no basis for faith.

To have a foundation for your faith, be certain that the promises of God cover what you’re believing for. You have a right to believe for anything God’s Word promises you. But if you get out beyond that, you are out in presumption or foolishness. For instance, sometimes single people, because “you can have what you say,” will pick out someone and claim him or her as a mate.Make these confessions aloud today:
I am not a doubter.
I do have faith.
My faith works.
My faith is in God the Father.
My faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
My faith is in the Holy Bible, the Word of God.
God’s Word is true.I believe the Word of God.
Therefore, I believe God. God’s Word works!

Single people have a right-because there is scripture for it-to claim a wife or husband. But they do not necessarily have the right just to pick out a particular person and say, “I’m going to claim So-and-so.” That other person has a say in the situation! Singles have the right to believe God for a wife or husband, but they should let the Lord send them one.

A young graduate from a denominational seminary was in some of our meetings in Texas. He had been filled with the Holy Spirit and had been kicked out of his denomination. He took my wife and me out for lunch one day where he announced, “I’m getting married.” “Oh,” my wife said, “who is the lucky girl?” He proceeded to tell us about a woman who sang in the choir at the church he attended. He did not even know her name. He had never met her. He just liked the looks of her sitting up there in the choir.

He said, “I claimed her. Brother Hagin preaches you can have what you say. I’ve already said it.”

My wife asked, “And you never even have had a date with her?”

“No. I never have shaken her hand or even seen her up close.”

Well, when he got up close, she might not have looked as good as she did from a distance! Kidding aside, the woman has a say in the matter! He cannot override her will. He has a right to claim a wife. The Bible says, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord” (Prov. 18:22). He has a right to claim a wife-but he should let God bring him the one He wants for him.

I started preaching when I was 17. It seemed as if someone was always trying to make a match for me. One girl came and told me that God showed her she was supposed to marry me. “Well,” I said, “when He tells me, I will accept it.” God never did tell me. Such things would be funny if they weren’t so pathetic. Lives have been ruined over things like this. Be sure the Scriptures cover what you are believing for. Don’t get out beyond God’s Word.

Through the years, many people have asked me to pray with them, saying, “Brother Hagin, I want you pray with me about such-and-such.” I purposely ask them, “What scriptures are you standing on?” Eight out of ten times-and I kept a record of it for years-they looked at me with a blank expression and said, “Well, none in particular.” I told them, “That’s what you’ll get then-nothing in particular. You have no foundation for faith. Faith is based on what God said. Faith in God is faith in God’s Word.”

Many times we use terms loosely. Recognize that when talking about faith, we’re talking about faith in God-and faith in God is faith in His Word. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). You’re not going to have faith for something if you don’t hear the Word of God on it.

So find scriptures that cover your case. Find scriptures that promise you the things you are praying for. Then you have a solid foundation for faith. If something arises-even though I know the scriptures which apply and can quote many of them from memory-I don’t pray about the matter immediately. I go to the Word. I read again the same scriptures I could quote. I go over them again and again sometimes for a day or two. (If an emergency arises, that is a different thing. In doing that, I am building the Word of God into my spirit. That way, when I get ready to act in faith, there is no doubt. I am solid.

I do not want to attract attention to myself-I tell this to glorify God and His Word-but not one single time in more than 50 years have I had a prayer go unanswered. (Now you understand I am talking about things concerning myself individually. When you are praying about someone else, that person’s will enters in.) As far as for me individually, I never prayed about anything without receiving the answer.

Sometimes it would take a little time. I just stayed in the Word every moment I could. I would meditate for hours on the scriptures that covered what I was believing for. Then I believed only what the Word said. I had a sure foundation for faith.

Sometimes I had to make adjustments before the answer could manifest. I made them in a hurry. For instance, in 1949, I left the last church I pastored and went out into a field ministry at the Lord’s direction. At the end of my first year of traveling, I spent three days fasting and praying. I reminded the Lord of something He said in the Old Testament: “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isa. 1:19).

(That Scripture belongs to us, too. We can prove from the New Testament that we are heir to it. It means that you will prosper and have a good life. It does not mean you will never have any tests-because the devil will put pressure on you.)

I told the Lord, “Lord, my children are not even eating right. I’ve worn out my car; now I’m out here on the field on foot. I’m sure not eating the good of the land-yet You promised that I would. Something is wrong somewhere.” (I knew the trouble was with me. The problem is never with God.) The third day of my fast, just as plainly as somebody speaking, the Lord said, “That text you keep quoting to Me says, ‘If you be willing and obedient.’ You were obedient, but you weren’t willing. You don’t qualify. That’s the reason it’s not working for you.” I kept trying to magnify the obedience part-He got on the willing part! Just as a child can obey his parents and not be willing, so you can actually obey the Lord and not be willing and therefore still miss it. I got willing in 10 seconds! Don’t tell me it takes a long time to get willing. It didn’t take me 10 seconds to make a little adjustment right down on the inside.

Then I said, “Lord, I’m ready now. You already told me I was obedient. Now I’m willing. I know it. You know it. And the devil knows it. So I’m ready now to start eating the good of the land.”

He said, “Yes, you are. Now I will tell you what to do.”

He told me, and I’ve been “eating the good” ever since!

The psalmist of old said, “The entrance of thy words giveth light . . .” (Ps. 119:130). The entrance of God’s Word gives light. When there is light in a room, it is no problem at all to walk around. As long as the light is there, you can walk fine. But with all the lights out on a dark night, you may stumble and fall over objects in that room. The entrance of God’s Word gives light. The reason many fall and fail is because they have left the light of the Word of God. They are walking in presumption or folly.

What does God’s Word say? Too many answer, “Well, I don’t know.”

Find out what it says. Find the scriptures that promise you the things you are praying for. You’re always on safe ground when you’re standing on the Scriptures. When you get away from God’s Word, you are in a gray area. Some people want to step over into the dark, and whether or not the Word of God promises it, they say, “I’m just going to believe.” Believing God is believing His Word. Oh, how necessary it is to know the Word of God. Thank God, He has given us His Word. We need not be in the dark. The entrance of God’s Word gives light.

What does it mean to walk in the light? It means to walk in the Word! Walking in the Word is walking in the light. To walk away from the Word means to walk into darkness.

I am a believer.

Hope you are blessed please send your comment on how you see God's promises in you working ..........

THE POWER OF PRAISE & WORSHIP

Acts 16:23-26 “And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
(24) Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
(25) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
(26) And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”

This Bible story begins the unjust arrest of Paul and Silas. Because they had cast a spirit of divination out of a girl, the local Philippian authorities beat them and then threw them into a jail cell. Besides the trauma of the severe beating, they were fastened in stocks which clamped their arms and legs in an immobile position, causing cramps and loss of circulation. The atmosphere there was depressing. According to the standards of that day, a prison was more like the resemblance of a dungeon. A dark, damp, stench-ridden place, with no facility for waste or comforts of any kind.

Yet, in spite of the throbbing pain in their bodies and the disheartening atmosphere, at midnight Paul and Silas were heard praying and singing praises to God! What a strange sound this must have been to the other prisoners, who were used to only hearing the groans or cursings of those who had been beaten.

Then suddenly, there was an earthquake that shook the prison! The doors flung open, and amazingly, the bonds of Paul, Silas, and every other prisoner were released! What caused this mighty discharge of power?

Praise Elevates us into God’s Presence and Power

Paul and Silas knew the secret of how to lift their hearts above their troubles and enter into God’s presence and power. Through praise and worship their hearts were raised into the joyous presence and peace of God,and provided God a channel for his power to operate in their circumstances.

The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). In other words, God “dwells” in the atmosphere of His praise. This means that praise is not merely a reaction from coming into His presence - Praise is a vehicle of faith which brings us into the presence and power of God! Praise and worship is the “gate-pass” which allows us to enter the sacredness of His glory. The psalmist writes, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalms 100:4).

This corresponds with Jesus’ teaching, that His presence will inhabit the gathering of believers who congregate in His name: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). A “gathering in His name” means that Jesus must be the focus, the center of the assemblage. He must be the one preached about, sung about — the one praised and worshiped. “I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12). Consequently, Christ’s presence, along with His virtue and anointing, is manifested in this type of gathering.

Have you ever noticed when “gifts of the Spirit” operate in a church service? The power and anointing of the Holy Spirit usually becomes evident, subsequent to a time of worship and praise. Some think that worship is a response after the Holy Spirit moves upon them. However, it’s the other way around. God’s presence responds when we move upon Him with worship! Lifting up Jesus Christ through praise and worship invokes the Lord’s presence and power to flow in our midst.

What is Praise?

Praise means “to commend, to applaud or magnify.” For the Christian, praise to God is an expression of worship, lifting-up and glorifying the Lord. It is an expression of humbling ourselves and centering our attention upon the Lord with heart-felt expressions of love, adoration and thanksgiving. High praises bring our spirit into a pinnacle of fellowship and intimacy between ourselves and God — it magnifies our awareness of our spiritual union with the most high God. Praise transports us into the realm of the supernatural and into the power of God. “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance” (Psalms 89:15).

There are many actions involved with praise to God — verbal expressions of adoration and thanksgiving, singing, playing instruments, shouting, dancing, lifting or clapping our hands. But true praise is not “merely” going through these motions. Jesus spoke about the hypocrisy of the pharisees, whose worship was only an outward show and not from the heart. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Genuine praise to God is a matter of humility and sincere devotion to the Lord from within. 

Unpretentious praise and worship pleases the Lord. He delights in the love and devotion of His children. According to the scriptures, the various expressions of praise bring blessing to the Lord. He eagerly awaits the fragrance of our affections, desiring to manifest His sweet presence and power in our midst. “...the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23).

Praise to God is a Lifestyle

All too often, praise to God is something that many people leave at church, an event that happens only when they come together with other Christians. However, praise should be a part of a believers lifestyle, inter-mingled as a part of their daily prayer-life. At work, in the car, at home in bed, or anywhere; praise to the Lord brings the refreshing of the Lord’s presence, along with His power and anointing. “...I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1).

Praise is an expression of faith, and a declaration of victory! It declares that we believe God is with us and is in control of the outcome of all our circumstances (Romans 8:28). Praise is a “sacrifice,” something that we offer to God sacrificially, not just because we feel like it, but because we believe in Him and wish to please Him. “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15).

                                                            Praise Sends the Enemy Running

Since praise manifests God’s presence, we also realize that praise repels the presence of the enemy, Satan. An atmosphere which is filled with sincere worship and praise to God by humble and contrite hearts is disgusting to the Devil. He fears the power in the name of Jesus, and flees from the Lord’s habitation in praise. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God” (Psalms 50:23).

When the children of Judah found themselves outnumbered by the hostile armies of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, King Jehoshophat and all the people sought the Lord for His help. The Lord assured the people that this would be His battle. He told them to go out against them, and He would do the fighting for them. So what did the children of Judah do? Being the people of “praise” (Judah actually means Praise), and knowing that God manifests His power through praise, they sent their army against their enemies, led by the praisers! 

So on they went, ahead of the army declaring, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever!” And the scripture says, “...when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten” (2 Chronicles 20:22). 

When God’s people begin to praise His name, it sends the enemy running! I challenge you to become a person of praise, and you will experience the release of the power of God! 

Surely if you take yourself deep into praising God you shall acknowledge His power in you ....there are different kind or ways through which people of God may use to Praise and magnify our Lord God, the King of Kings....                                  

                                                Seven Ways To Praise

Praise.  There are many forms of praise.  Praise is a very important

aspect of our relationship with God.  God inhabits our praise andwe should not be inhibited in our praise, for our praise glorifies God.Some people of the world do not always understand the different forms of our praise.  Some would label us, but in the Hebrew language there are seven words that are synonymous with the English word praise.  Here we would like to study these words and give you references to find in the Bible.

 1. Declaring of thanks (Heb. 13:15)Thank You, Lord, for all the wonderful things that You are and that You do. ... The second thing we mean when we say, “praise the Lord,” is not only that we exalt .... We will praise the Lord among all of them and declare His works among them; ...

2. Clapping hands and shouting (Psalms 47)

     This means that we can praise our Lord God by clapping our hands and shout to the world declaring the goodness of the Lord God we're saving, have you ever done such a thing before or you did it unknowingly .....!!!? now it is the time you do it because you know it already.
                         
                           [[To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.]]
              
                  O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
                                                             (Psalms 47:1)

3. Musical instruments  (Psm. 150:4)/Zamar

Playing any instrument that glorifies the Lord.

Psalms 150

Hallelujah!  Yes, praise the Lord!  Praise him with the trumpet and with lute
and harp.  Praise him with the drums and dancing.  Praise him with stringed
instruments and horns.  Praise him with the cymbals, praise him upon the
high sounding cymbals.

4. Singing praise songs (Psalms 9:11)/Tehillah

        This one is the best.  It is the combination of singing, shouting, 

dancing, clapping and rejoicing before the Lord.

Psalms 47:1
O clap your hands, all ye people: shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

Psalms 47:6
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

Psalms 144:9
I will sing a new song unto thee, O God:
upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.

5. Through Dancing/Halell

This means to rave and boast of the wonders of the Lord with
excitement through dance.

Psalms 149:3
Let them praise his name in the dance:  let them sing praises unto him with
the timbrel and harp.

II Samuel 6:16
And as the Ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter
looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord.

Psalms 30:11
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing:
thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.

6. Making a joyful noise (Psalms 98:4)

                                       

 4  Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
     break forth into joyous song and sing praises!      

That is we can make a joyful noise unto Him as a praise giving ....All we've to do is to make sure that what we're doing or when we're making that joyful noise unto Him we mean the business.....if only we're doing it meanly  surely we will see the power of Holly Spirit flows upon us and its when God will start ministering in our hearts....Now if we real want to praise God ,then its  our choice unto which ways should we use to praise Him....Be blessed as you pass through this and let it work in your life....     

7. Praising through speaking in tongues.     

                                               

                                               Speaking in Tongues

God has given us the gift to speak in a language we do not know by human means. This is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:10) and therefore of great help to us. Paul said: "Thank God, I speak in tongues more than any of you" (1 Cor 14:18). Through the gift of tongues, the Lord builds us up (1 Cor 14:4), enables us to utter "mysteries in the Spirit" (1 Cor 14:2), and empowers us to thank and praise Him (1 Cor 14:16-17). The gift of tongues is a sign, especially for unbelievers (1 Cor 14:22).

TONGUES AND PRIDE

However, many turn up their noses at God's precious gift, as if we couldn't trust God to give us good gifts. I myself, in my pride,ever since I received Lord as my savior i was to desperate to speak in tongue for I was told " there is no something so sweet than being in the spirit and speak in tongue , so i kept on seeking that Holly gift and so one day at my place i was living with my teachers who where also born again ,most of the time i was with them ,listening to their spiritual testimony, I loved the way they were spiritually connected as friends , Then i started asking them a lot of questions on how to speak in tongue...A week before attempting my exams at our home we were fasting and so we had a very God time for prayer ....what I remember , they  told if any words come out of my mouth a shouldn't stop them from coming out....For sure i enjoyed that day because the moment we started praying , my mouth started trembling and right away started to speak in Tongue ....That was the day I became proud being a born again ....and the night that i received Holly Spirit when i was sleeping .....i was singing a certain Swahili song called "Neno lako ni taa ya miguu yangu" it was an awesome night to me and a lovely night ever in my life...

I encourage you my fellow born again seek that Holly gift of speaking in tongue   and you shall see the work of God through Holly Spirit. God promised: "He who speaks in a tongue builds up himself" (1 Cor 14:4). Nevertheless, I didn't continue to pray in tongues but "prayed about it."

YIELDING TO TONGUES

I had accepted God's gift of tongues but was still confused about the interpretation of tongues. The Lord led me to an article that explained there are different "kinds of tongues" (see 1 Cor 12:10 in the Greek). Paul taught: "If there is no one to interpret, there should be silence in the assembly, each one speaking only to himself and to God" (1 Cor 14:28). Tongues are either interpreted for the upbuilding of the Church or are spoken only to ourselves and to God. This second kind of tongues is often called a "prayer language." It does not need to be interpreted since we are not speaking to human beings but to God, Who needs no interpretation (1 Cor 14:2).

I believe that any Christian can receive this personal prayer form of tongues (see Mk 16:17), although some do not because of ignorance and misunderstanding. The Holy Spirit, unlike the evil spirit, does not seek to manipulate us. He respects our freedom. Therefore, we must yield to His promptings. He will not force us to speak in tongues, just as He will not force us to speak in our native language. But the Spirit will take the lead and prompt us. We must respond by obeying and choosing to open our mouths. We speak in tongues the same way we speak in our native language. We speak in obedience to God.

For years, I did not speak in tongues because I had a double standard. I tried to speak in English in obedience to God, but I expected God to force any other language out of my mouth. I thought that, because I did not know what I was speaking in another tongue, God would have to make me speak rather than tell me to speak. God made it clear to me that whether or not I knew what I was saying was not the issue; obedience was. This was an important lesson for me to learn. It not only helped me pray in tongues but showed me the dynamics of life in the Spirit. The Spirit-filled life is not a matter of taking initiative but of obeying. Nor is it passively sitting there but actively responding. In the life in the Spirit, we never take the first step, but we should always respond to the first step of the Spirit.

HOW TO PRAISE THE LORD IN TONGUES

After we have given our lives to Jesus as Lord and received the Holy Spirit, we begin to realize that the purpose of our existence is to praise the Lord (Eph 1:12). Most of our earthly life will pass away, but praising the Lord will last forever. Although praising Him is our heart's desire and our eternal destiny, we have difficulty living a life of praise.

1) Giving thanks is the beginning of praising the Lord. We enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts (Ps 100:4). Those who are not familiar with praising the Lord should begin by thanking Him.

2) We naturally move to praise from thanksgiving (Ps 100:4). We move from focusing on the works of God to the God of works. We come to realize He is worthy to be praised (Rv 5:12).

3) After thanking and praising the Lord for a few minutes, we run out of ways to express ourselves. Not that there isn't more to say in praise of God, but our consciousness, memory, and vocabulary are limited. When someone or something exceeds our ability to communicate, we usually try to extend our powers of communication by shouting or singing. We may even get into non-verbal forms of communication, such as clapping, dancing, and liturgical actions such as lifting our hands, genuflecting, bowing, etc.

4) But even if we have the best Biblical vocabulary and are free and talented enough to shout, sing, and dance; we cannot sustain praising God for more than a few minutes. We need the Spirit's gift of praising the Lord in another language, the gift of tongues (1 Cor 12:10). As with our native language, we form the words but the Lord provides the motivation. We pray in other tongues in obedience, simply because we believe the Lord is telling us to do so.

5) Although praying and singing in tongues is a quantum-leap forward in our praise-power, it is still limited. Finally, our praise in tongues turns to silence (Zeph 1:7; Rv 8:1). We are so aware of God's glory that we are rendered speechless. This type of profound silence after praise in tongues is the ultimate praise of God by a person on earth.

LOVE AND TONGUES

"A man who speaks in a tongue is talking not to men but to God. No one understands him, because he utters mysteries in the Spirit" (1 Cor 14:2). When we speak in tongues, we utter mysteries to God. We communicate at a level which is beyond our human capabilities. Our prayer life is revolutionized, and our relationship with the Lord is appreciably deepened. To understand this, we can look at the example of communication in marriage. On some occasions, a married couple is able to communicate on a much deeper level. This transforms their relationship and is fulfilling for each of the marriage partners. Likewise, praying in tongues moves our relationship with the Lord into a deeper dimension. As we grow in His love, we realize more and more the need for the gift of tongues.

PRAYER FOR TONGUES

Father, fill me with love for You and a desire to praise You. In Jesus' name, stir up the Holy Spirit in me to pray in another language. Remove all obstacles in the way of receiving this gift. May I pray in tongues daily for several minutes. Thank You. Amen.

You have asked and received. Now, thank and praise the Lord in your native language. Then obediently extend your expressions of love by praying in tongues.