Faith To Prophesy

I have tried my best to make sure that I am filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues and also to prophesy, but I struggle to do so. What can I do?

Now, remember, Jesus said “…if you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” [Matthew 7:11].

Now, one of the problems that we have observed around the world with a lot of people is that even after that they have asked for the Holy Spirit [some even have fasted and prayed for the Holy Spirit], they still, somehow,  don’t believe they have received the Holy Spirit because they are listening for something. You know, maybe, thinking that a voice would just speak through them to speak in other tongues, particularly.

They’re thinking a voice will just force their mouth open. They think “If I’ve received the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit should speak through me and speak in tongues”. No! When we speak in other tongues, it’s not the Holy Spirit that’s speaking in tongues; it’s our spirit that’s speaking in other tongues. It’s our spirit – that’s what the Bible says. So, it says “If I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful” [1 Corinthians 14:14-15].

It is my spirit that is praying, and my understanding is unfruitful. So, [continues quoting 1 Corinthians 14:14-15] “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I’ll sing with the Spirit, and I’ll sing with the understanding also.” So, it’s our spirit that prays in other tongues, not the Holy Spirit himself. But the Holy Spirit gives us the ability. He gives us the language. So when you receive the Holy Spirit, He puts that language in your spirit;

He puts the ability within you. So don’t wait for a voice – act by faith! It’s like walking on water. You remember Jesus walked on water, and Peter said “Master, if you are the one, ask me to come to you on the water” and Jesus said “Come” [Matthew 14:26-29]. And Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water to go to Jesus. So that’s what you do – you step out in faith, like the Bible says, “Open your mouth, and I will fill it” [Psalm 81:10].

So you have to trust that when you asked God for the Holy Spirit, He gave you the Holy Spirit; you don’t need to ask twice. If you ask once, God hears you. He’s more willing to give you the Holy Spirit than you are willing to receive the Holy Spirit. Trust that, and so believe that, and act accordingly. And begin to say: “I have the Holy Spirit!”

Now, for example, did you know it’s the same faith that we exercise in salvation that we need to exercise in receiving the Holy Spirit? If I asked you now, “Have you received salvation?” You’d say “yes”. If I asked you, “Have you received Christ into your heart?” You’d say “yes”. Then, how do you know? You’d say “Because I asked, and according to the Word of God, I believed, and I received.” That’s the same thing you’re supposed to do about the Holy Spirit. See? And then He will confirm that faith by granting you his divine presence. Don’t wait till you feel something physical – you don’t need to feel anything physical. It’s an act of faith on your part, and it will be made real to your spirit. Praise God!

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:18-19).

Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord is one of the ways to continually stay filled with the Spirit. Oftentimes, the Holy Spirit drops a song in your heart; you could wake up with a particular tune or melody in your spirit. Whenever that happens, don’t suppress it; get in the flow of the Spirit and minister unto the Lord.

There’s so much power in music, especially when rendered unto the Lord. It’s one of the spiritual weapons with which we prevail in the fight of faith: read the example of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25-26. When you face challenges, sing unto the Lord! Sing until faith is stirred in your spirit. Sing with the Spirit and sing with understanding also (1 Corinthians 14:14)

Then, just like the prophet Ezekiel prophesied, the Spirit will stir you up, and set you upon your feet (Ezekiel 2:2). He’ll stir up words in you like, “Greater is He that’s in me, than he that’s in the world.” Before long, you’re “lost” in the Holy Ghost, worshipping and singing in tongues.

You can stir up faith from within even now, by singing the right spiritual songs, and the business that was said to be dead will revive. The finances that were down will suddenly receive a supernatural boost! All these and more can happen by the power of the Holy Spirit, if you’d act on the Word; if you’d sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord as the Word instructs.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10).

It’s not enough to know God’s Word as it’s contained in the written pages of the Bible; you have to release power through speaking! That’s how it works! With the Word on your lips, you’ll live over and above all limitations and circumstances.

Voicing your faith is a fundamental spiritual principle, without which even the gift and blessing of salvation can’t be received or activated. Notice the opening verse again: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10).

The salvation package is delivered upon satisfying these two conditions: Believing and confessing the Lordship of Jesus. To believe isn’t enough; there must be the corresponding verbal communication or affirmation of your faith.

When you speak the Word, what you’re doing is releasing the power of God into action on your behalf. For example, God instructed Joshua, “This book of the law SHALL NOT DEPART OUT OF THY MOUTH; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

The Hebrew rendering of the word “meditate” is “hagah,” which means to ponder, imagine, murmur, mutter, speak, study, talk, utter, or roar. It’s not just talking about you thinking the Word only, it means you ought to voice out the Word.

Notice that the instruction to Joshua doesn’t make any mention of us speaking to anyone. So, it makes no difference whether or not anyone is listening to you, you just keep talking the Word. When matters arise, use the Word. Speak the Word and change things. The Word of God in your mouth is God talking.