THREAD 2: PRAY… ESPECIALLY IN THE HOLY GHOST

 

Can we remember the first thread?

Can we remember why I call them threads? If no, please do check out my last post…

…so you can understand this post that’s all about thread 2.

 

Praying consistently… especially in the Holy Spirit

Talk to God about any and everything, whenever, wherever… give Him room to talk to you— this is the definition of prayer.

Now, we don’t have any issue with the first part of this definition. It’s easy to talk to God. So easy, sometimes we even play and joke with it. The problem lies in the second part.

Most people don’t believe God can talk to them. At a certain time I believed that too, but that’s a lie from the devil. God speaks to ALL His children (including me and you), and His desire is, we hear and understand Him. The Holy Spirit is always telling us God’s heart, but we don’t get to access it if we don’t pay attention to our spirits, because He speaks through our spirits.

Yes, the Bible is God speaking to us, but that’s not the only medium God uses to speak to His beloved children… Let me explain, if we want to know whether to cancel a particular trip or not, we can’t find the answer in the pages of the Bible, can we? We have to hear God speak to us.

I’ve never heard God speak audibly, but He impresses His will in my spirit, and if I pay attention to my spirit, I’ll perceive it in the physical, and there’ll just be this knowing that it is God. I feel and understand it like I feel and understand my thought, only it is better.

Earlier on, when I was still trying to understand and believe this process, I’ll be like “where are all these thoughts coming from” “why do I hear myself telling me not to talk back?” “How can I be thinking of doing bad and myself is telling me, strongly, not to”

One day, when I was an undergraduate in the university, while praying in the morning, I had same feeling.  A thought told me to preach in the taxi I’ll board while going to my sister’s. I had never preached in a taxi or bus before. So, I laughed and said “God is this You?” I asked because I had a strong feeling it was Him. He said yes, and went further to tell me that someone was going to pay my taxi fare. I was scared of preaching in a taxi, so I told God “I will, if I remember.”

Later that day, I was heading to the park to board a bus, and I literary heard “no don’t board a bus, board a taxi.” You’re supposed to preach, remember? Still scared, but willing to see if this was God, I boarded a taxi, preached, got to my destination, came down from the taxi, brought out money to pay, the driver took my money, was about to give me my change… that was when someone in the  front seat said “driver give her back her money, I’ll pay for her.”

That was epic for me! I was excited! I felt loved! I felt honored! I just went on, thanking God… years on, so many other experiences. I can confidently say God speaks to His children!!!

So I talk to Him and I get this respond in my thought that I know can’t be me, I feel peace about doing or saying something or I don’t feel peace about it. So I ask Him a question and I have an idea that turns out to be the perfect answer, or He leads me to the Bible and I see the answer there, or He leads me to someone or a place where I find the answer. Maybe I ask Him for help, and then someone shows up with the help I need etc… these are common patterns as to how God speaks to us. The more we practice the presence of the Holy Spirit and trust Him to come through for us, the more we learn to experience His presence and what He’s saying to us at every given time.

 

Create a face time with God… always

Let me also mention that as much as praying anywhere is acceptable and even encouraged. It is also important to always find time to have a one on one conversation with God, Where it is just you and God. No distraction, no one else, nothing else, just you and God. You don’t have to feel guilty if you don’t spend so much time, it’s not about how long, it’s about how well and how often… and if you keep yielding to the Holy Spirit, you’ll be surprise and very happy the days you’ll find yourself spending hours with God. Your consistent little time will turn to hours, and you’ll be like “how did this happen?” “How did I get here?” The Holy Spirit Himself will help you grow the amount of time.

If you believe it will make you late for work… wake up much earlier. If you think you’ll be tired at the end of the day… delete unnecessary activities that are not helping your spirit man. Whatever it takes, Make it a “CANNOT DO WITHOUT.” Do your best to create time. I say do your best, because the Holy Spirit will keep remaining you, but your flesh won’t let you… listen to the Holy Spirit. No matter your position, just start talking. Start thanking God, and keep going… the Holy Spirit will help you.

“Be unceasing and persistent in prayer
In every situation (no matter what the
Circumstances) be thankful and continually
Give thanks to God; for this is the will of
God for you in Christ Jesus
Do not quench (subdue, or be unresponsive
To the working and guidance of) the Holy Spirit
1 Thessalonians 5; 17-19 (AMP)

 

Be thankful, always. God answered before you showed up

 

Prayer is more about thanksgiving than anything else. Why? Because any and everything we can ever dare to ask of/from God, He had already given. So when we talk to God we should always talk having that at the back of our mind. And come on, if you truly believe that someone had already done for you, what you want to ask, what will really be your reaction? …Joy, peace, and appreciation right? Of course.

Our words, tone, and mood should always reflect this truth, whenever we go before our Father in prayer. This also applies when we MAKE DECLARATIONS. Our declarations are:

1. Directed to the devil and everything that represents him, because we are commanded to “rebuke the devil” See James 4:7
2. Calling forth what is in the spiritual into the physical

Our declarations should stand in between thanks… it should start and end in thanks.

 

So, when we spend time talking to God, it should be more about getting to know Him; telling Him how we feel, asking Him questions we can’t answer, asking His opinions about things etc. when we get to know our Father, we get to have most of the things that would have been a request, even without asking.

 

“For His divine power has bestowed on
Us (absolutely) everything necessary for
(a dynamic spiritual) life and godliness,
Through true and personal knowledge of
Him who called us by His own glory and
Excellence”
2 Peter 1:3 (AMP)

 

Praying in tongues is not just a necessity but a need

The Bible tells us:

“So too the Holy Spirit comes to our aid
And bears us up in our weakness;
For we do not know what prayer to offer
Nor how to offer it worthily as we ought,
But the Spirit Himself goes to meet our
Supplication and pleads in our behalf
With unspeakable yearnings and groaning
Too deep for utterance”
Romans 8:26 (AMP)

 

“For one who speaks in an unknown
Tongues speaks not to men but to God,
For no one understands or catches his
Meaning, because in the Holy Spirit
He utter secret truths and hidden things
Not obvious to the understanding”
1 Corinthians 14:2 (AMP)

 

“For what person knows the thoughts
And motives of a man excepts the
Man’s spirit within him? So also
Who knows the thoughts of God
Except the spirit of God
Now we have received, not the spirit
Of the world, but the Holy Spirit who
Is from God, so that we may know
And understand the wonderful things
Freely given to us by God”
1 Corinthians 2:11-12 (AMP)

 

When we pray in tongues, we can never pray out of the will of God… how interesting! Most times we wish we’re in the center of God’s will in different matters. We don’t have to keep wishing when we can just pray in the Holy Ghost (pray out God’s will) concerning any and all matters.

When we pray in the Holy Ghost, we know and understand deep secrets…, we’re strengthened… the devil can’t understand us… we pray according to God’s will… and we build ourselves up!

“But you beloved, build yourself up
(Founded) on your most holy faith—
Make progress, rise like an edifice
Higher and higher—praying in
The Holy Spirit”
Jude 20 (AMP)

 

So if you’re not FILLED with the Holy Ghost you need to desire and ask God for that experience. He will, if you ask. Jesus says:

“If you then, evil-minded as you are,
 Know how to give good gifts— gifts
That are to advantage— to your children,
How much more will your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to those who
Ask and continue to ask Him”
Luke 11:13 (AMP)

 

And if you’re filled with the Holy Spirit, always, always, always… always pray in the Spirit… How often? As often as possible, within a day.

 

Always remember that your own efforts will fail… always depend on Grace.

 

 

More than we desire to hear God, He want us to hear Him.

 

Talk to God; give Him room to talk to you… He will.

 

 

Stay Spiritually Fit.