You cannot out-pray or out-declare the HOLY SPIRIT! I remember the first time I was just minding my own business, walking down the street and I started repeating in my native tongue- “Mari yese yakatsakatika irikudzoka!” The translation comes out as ‘all the money that was lost or disappeared inexplicably is going to be restored. Pretty deep language that I would have never used in my own vocabulary prior to this moment. I spoke the statement repeatedly, continuously that I had to study out what the word kutsakatika means. A scripture that sums it up Joel 2 vs 25.
Time is money and the enemy steals your productive years by bringing you sorrow, ill health, trouble. When God is restoring you, He is talking about every delaying sabotaging scheme the enemy has ever played on you, He is going to recompense you and bring you into the place that you should have been by catching you right up!I remember the words flowing out of my mouth on numerous prayers with people and soon the testimonies started coming- “I got a cheque of £8k ppi refund, I got a big contract, I landed an incredible deal! Someone owed me money for years and I had given up on it and they have just deposited the money back into my account.” Wow! I was in awe of what God was doing and many times these testimonies brought tears to my eyes. I was as amazed as they were and started realising the power in allowing the Holy Spirit to lead in prayer.
In different seasons in my walk I have noticed different repeated utterances that simply welled up from within me repeatedly such as “Jesus is Lord- God you are good- Marvellous God- Hallelujah- MaLevels levels levels!- Minana nezvishamiso!” I particularly remember when I was proclaiming God you are good- nothing good was actually happening around me but I was going through a particularly trying time and my mind actually got confused as the words came out. Needless to say it was not long after I physically witnessed and could confirm God’s goodness towards me in a real tangible and practical way. All these words that when received bring about shifts that often leave me simply amazed at how Jesus loves us all so much. I have experienced His goodness and love in ways that left me scratching my head confused what I did to deserve such kindness. God is Good.
We have God the Father- God in Jesus Christ(whom we live inside as believers) and God the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.I always get perplexed at the numerous arguments, debates and offenses that arise in the body of Christ because of the gift of speaking in tongues- “It is for personal prayer- you should not use it in public- the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet- you need to control it!” Granted it is not compulsory and everything in the bible is there for the taking and if you choose not to engage in some of it, it will not take away you place in heaven but will simply shift your experience whilst you are here on earth. When I read Romans 8 vs 26-27 which reads- In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.I do not know about you, but if I am going to pray, I would love to be praying the will of God more because in the Lord’s prayer we are taught by Jesus to actually say not my will Lord but yours be done. Praying in the Holy Spirit is the best way I know to pray God’s will, the One who has thoughts and ways that are much higher than my own thoughts.
My encounters with this resistance in the body of Christ has been so bad to an extent that I was once asked to come and speak at an event but hold back on the tongues and know many people get nervous when tongues are spoken. It troubled me and I went back to God and asked what I was to do. What have these believers who are scared of such a beautiful gift been taught about tongues? This is how our conversation went.
Me- God is this a place I need to be speaking. I know what can happen when I am asked to address such topics as I have been tasked with. Please help me to not speak in tongues when I present there.
God- Ok, when you speak in tongues, who is leading the utterance? Do you decide that you are going to speak in tongues mid sentence?
Me- Well no- I have my script and just open my mouth and allow you to fill it. It can be quite distracting though for those listening so I kind of understand what they mean.
God- Ok- so if the Holy Spirit is releasing those tongues through you and it is divine intercession for 100 people in a crowd of 1000, would you go and speak and let Him flow?
Me- Yes Lord- I would go.
God- Ok- If it was a crowd of 1000 and it was only for 1 person and the rest would be annoyed with you, would you still go and let Him flow?
Me-Yes Lord I would.
God- Ok- so do you want to go to this place without me? You are an expert in your field and I’m sure you can deliver great.
Me- No Lord, if your presence and solutions are not going with me, I do not want to go. I cannot solve anything.
God- Ok then. You know what to do. Allow Heaven to disrupt the kingdom of darkness through those utterances? Cut your head off and forget about your personal reputation but be focused on your assignments and why I send you anywhere. Remember that the weapons of your warfare are not carnal but they are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. The original apostles faced resistance and persecution based on how I was using them but they carried on. I want to pull down strongholds with you. Keep going and do not get tired. I will strengthen, revive and encourage you. Go!
The freedom and insight that conversation released me into was incredible. I sense God speaking these very same words of encouragement to someone today. You are not for everyone and what you carry is not either. It is not a popularity contest but it is a heaven touchdown assignment! It is easy to stifle your authentic identity in Christ by desiring to please people around you too much. You are a supernatural being, wired to live a supernatural experience seated in heavenly places whilst existing here on earth. You need to keep asking Lady Wisdom to help you navigate the terrain of this world because it is your gifts that will make room for you. Room for you to release the sweet fragrance of Heaven into the lives and places where He sends you.
1 Corinthians 12vs 1- 11 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You know that at one time you were unbelievers. You were somehow drawn away to worship statues of gods that couldn’t even speak. So I want you to know that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “May Jesus be cursed.” And without the help of the Holy Spirit no one can say, “Jesus is Lord.” There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given to believers by the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord. There are different ways the Spirit works. But the same God is working in all these ways and in all people. The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.
The enemy will want you to shut your gifts down and stop using them, keeping you trapped in a life beneath your full potential. Everyone is given different revelations and insights based on their mandate and assignment but in it all, Jesus Christ needs to be glorified. I am sure that there are some who have had it highlighted in their ministries to hold back on speaking in the language of the Holy Spirit whilst others are simply ignorant about it and therefore the lack of knowledge and understanding or negative experiences have given them the stance they hold. They have decided to throw the baby out with the bathwater.God is not limited or restricted to how He moves and works through people and He has wired each of us to fulfil certain tasks in the Body of Christ! My oh my do we need Him to move more than ever before in the day and age we find ourselves living in!
My encouragement for someone today is that you open yourself up to the ways that God is wanting to use you and allow yourself to submit to the process. As with any gift, it will go through stages but allow it to grow. Jesus is the alpha and the omega and knows your end from the beginning. Some of the places He will take you based on your purpose need certain strengths and gifting he has preordained for you to carry. Imagine having the type of faith that Noah had where everyone around him was probably laughing at him before the flood came whilst he diligently toiled over a seemingly pointless project. Manifesting into your original identity in Christ is often a lonely and painful journey where God regularly refines you for your purpose in Him. He always brings you into a family though that will ensure that in the season that you are carrying your divine gifting, it will not be aborted and you will carry to full term. Your job is to discern these moments and people/mentors and choose to move with the Glory cloud. Your gifts will not be stifled or shut down- In Jesus Mighty name!
Tongues of Fire! Pray in the Holy Spirit and let him flow!