Author: admin

Beloved saints of God, you have questioned often and sometimes wonder why the promises of God over their lives are not coming to pass or are being delayed to finally end up discouraged and quit on Trusting God?  Is it God’s Fault? Is it NOT God’s timing? Most people are ready to blame God for what they are NOT Receiving!! KNOW that to every promise of God is attached a condition which is your portion to fulfill towards God! And most of the time, people of God are not eager to submit and make commitments or appropriate adjustments to their beliefs and lifestyle!!

Hereunder are few examples of the conditions YOU NEED to fulfill in order to activate God’s promises into your life! BUT TRUTH is that so many people have gone into such a spiritual slumberness; that they are doing NOTHING to activate the promises of God into their life.

The Gospel cannot be partly preached making people of God ONLY focused on their blessings, rewards etc.. OR on the opposite; having them focused on what they should do to please GOD that they end up condemned and frustrated!!! The Word of God in itself is PERFECT, well-balanced, and responds perfectly to the need and welfare of each individual.

As far as commentary text is concerned; but I will let the Word Himself minister to YOU!

Psalm 37:4 DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD (First), and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Matthew 6:33 BUT SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 7:7 “ASK and it will be given to you; SEEK and you will find; KNOCK and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 21:22 IF YOU BELIEVE, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Deuteronomy 28:2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you IF YOU OBEY THE LORD YOUR GOD.

John 11:40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that IF YOU BELIEVE, you will see the glory of God?”

Luke 6:38 G I V E, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.

Beloved saints of God, there are a couple of places in the NT where the apostles contrasted the intake of believers, using the metaphor of “milk” as the food for babies against “meat” as the food for mature men & women. Read the following books namely: 1 Corinthians 3; Hebrews 5;  1 Peter 2 which are the clearest explanation for this subject.

Apostle Paul, the anonymous author of Hebrews, and Peter all seem to reference something similar to John’s stages of Christian growth in 1 John 2:12-14 stated: that there are clearly stages of growth for us as Sons of the Most High. John makes it clear: believers in different stages of growth have different needs!

Reflecting on this, there are several things to take note of:

1. There are several places where believers are described as children, as milk-drinkers, often bemoaning the fact that by this stage of their growth, they should be eating meat and changing the world.

2. There appear to be NO places where any of the apostolic writers of the NT acknowledge a group that has progressed from milk-drinking to meat-eating. This may be simply because the epistles were all written to address problems among one church or another, and the churches that made the transition didn’t need corrective letters. There is no epistle to the church at Antioch, for example; it may be that this early center of the Church may have gotten some things right, though we have no record of it.

Beloved saints of God, when we are young believers, we require milk. And when we become mature believers, milk is still good.

We are expected to progress beyond the basics. We are expected to graduate from being nourished by the “elementary principles” of “milk” to digesting and being nourished by “meat.”

Much of the church in our present day has not even well learned the “elementary principles”; These are the “milk” or “baby food” of Christian nurture quoting from Hebrews 6:1 mention here:

1. repentance from dead works and of

2. faith toward God, of

3. the doctrine of baptisms (note the plural), of

4. laying on of hands, of

5. resurrection of the dead, and of

6. eternal judgment.

A number of prophets and apostles are speaking of the need, now upon us, but growing in necessity, of believers being established enough in theses topics that they are comfortable (and safe) moving on to more challenging topics. Holy Spirit has been speaking to a substantial number of believers about what some of those more meat-like discussions will be about, but they would only serve as a distraction in this conversation.

As the Holy Spirit reveals about some of the meatier topics of growth that I see coming to us, I am reminded of two applications that have relevance in this conversation:

1) There will be people (possibly including people who are invested in a spiritual “milk-delivery service”) who will not understand of believers’ need for meat, who will speak against it (even accusing meat-eaters of apostasy and heresy), and, sadly, who will succeed in preventing hungry believers in their sphere of influence from obeying the scriptures and pursuing more advanced topics.

2) Those who choose to leave the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, and go on to perfection, not laying again the above foundation, will likely have to go on in the face of such opposition. A very likely booby-trap will be to engage argumentative milk-delivery devotees in extensive discussion about the need for meat, though it will be necessary to discern between those committed to not moving on from milk from those who have only known milk but long for more. A wiser response may be just to “set our face like flint” toward digesting and practicing that which Father is feeding us, and leaving the nay-sayers to themselves.

I firmly believe and think it will be valuable to recognize in advance the opposition that will be confronting us more and more as we run the race set before us. Such battles are often won in advance, when we make our determined decisions of how we will respond before we meet the opposition. How will you respond when faced with this choice? Will you choose a steak to eat or a warm bottle to drink???

Many gifted Believers are sitting idle in their churches doing nothing. Because most church leaders are either ignorant of how to discover spiritual gifts in their followers and help develop them for use, or are simply selfish to allow anyone else to operate in that realm apart from them and their wives and later their children whom they would eventually hand over the church to. If a pastor does not exercise some spiritual gifts himself, how can he know what is in his members and help them?  Many pastors are like that. They are ignorant of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit has blessed the church with. Some even say that the operation of spiritual gifts ended in the days of the apostles of old. Really? 

Truth be told, spiritual gifts are still very operational in the church. Saying that it no longer exists is like saying that the Holy Spirit is no more in the church. Now, if spiritual gifts are not operational in a church, then that church is dead. It is as simple as that. If you are in such a church, you are in big problem. A church where the operations of the Holy Spirit is not felt is dead! That means that those who worship there are also spiritually dead. How can one be alive in the spirit when the Holy Spirit does not operate where he is? 

The saddest part is when a Pastor decide to sit on people’s spiritual gifts by not allowing them to operate. This is a deliberate act in many of our churches. A lot of Pastors who flow in the gifts of healing, prophecy, casting out demons, etc., will never allow someone else in the church to do same apart from their wives and other family members. This is because many churches are run as a business enterprise for the leader’s family.  They prepare their own to take over the leadership of the church when they die. This is sad. This is why in many of our churches, apart from the pastor or maybe his wife, you will never see anyone else flowing in the operation of spiritual gifts. Have you wondered why the only spiritual gift highly operational in many churches is speaking in tongues? What about the gift of healing, prophecy, casting out of demons? 

Thousand people in a church claim to speak in tongues but apart from the pastor, no one can prophesy or heal in the name of Jesus Christ. Does that mean that those gifts are for the Pastor alone? No! The sad thing about this is that we have many gifted people in churches who are never allowed to function in that capacity simply because the pastor will not allow it. He does not want competition. But the house of God is not a place of competition. God has given each believer a gift for the benefit of the church. You do yours and I do mine and everyone is blessed. But many pastors are so proud and selfish, they will never allow any church member to prophesy, heal, etc. 

Truth be told, the inability of many pastors to allow the people of God to exercise their giftings in the church is why you see an influx of prophesiers on Facebook!  Many are doing on Facebook what no one will allow them do in a normal church setting. I am not saying that many who prophesy on Facebook are prophets, but if one with the gift of prophecy is not allowed to do so by church leadership, then Facebook becomes a welcome space to exercise one’s ability to prophesy. Believe me, the refusal of many church leaders to allow the spiritual gifts in the church to operate is one reason why many big churches die once the leader dies. That is because the church is built on the leader instead of on Christ. 

Truth be told, true men of God help those they pastor to put their spiritual gifts to use. Don’t stay under someone who will put your giftings under lock and key. Such people are self serving leaders. You will never fulfill your mission under such wicked and selfish men and women of God. Let us remember that God blesses us with spiritual gifts for the advancement of the work of the kingdom. We will all give account of what we did with them on the last day. Therefore, it will be foolish of me to waste ones time under a selfish pastor who would not allow them to serve my God with the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit has graciously bestowed on them to bless his people. 

Discern: If you are sitting under a pastor who is not willing to help you grow your spiritual gifts and use them according to God’s plan. Seek the Holy Spirit guidance before you leave the place now or regret later. Note this, the more you sit on your spiritual gifts , the more suffering you create for yourself. God did not give you the spiritual gifts for nothing. It is to help his people and help yourself. If you refuse to use them, you become a fruitless branch that must be cut off and burnt. Wake up now and bless people with your spiritual gifts and get blessed too. Again, if your pastor cannot help you to know what your spiritual gifts are and how to use them, you are in the wrong place. Change location. Humbly tell your pastor that you are leaving the church to where you will be able to know and use what is in you to serve the Lord.  

Truth be told, we are called to serve God and not man. Never allow a man to stop you from using your spiritual gifts to serve the Lord. You are the one God will ask questions and not your pastor. Remember, “the kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent taketh it by force”. It is up to you fight the devil and do what God has called you to to. Don’t allow anyone to sit on your spiritual gifts. God bless you!

The Lord is raising up women and men, to be mentors to the next generation. Some of the Believers are being groomed for ministry to nurture the younger saints into the calling that the Lord has for them.Those matured believers who are grounded in the Word, know how to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, and are able to discern that which is spiritual from that which is carnal, will mentor these young cubs. Yes, seniors Believers, who are in your “golden years” the Lord has not forgotten you! You will release the wisdom and revelation that He has imparted unto you to mentors and trained the younger generation. According to Hebrews 5:14, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Recently saw a film The Lion King about a lioness nursing a leopard cub. This lioness has an aggressive instincts had taken a backseat to her maternal instinct to their young ones. Lions live in groups called “prides” which means that this leopard cub would need to be welcomed into the lion pride after it matures.The Lord reveals something interesting about this story. That those of you who will also be mentoring others who are outside of the lion’s pride. They will come from other tribes and you will welcome them, take them under your wings, and counsel them. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5: “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Our Lord is looking for mentors who will reach out and rescue those who are in desperate situations, because they know what it is to pay the price as they have overcome much through grueling trials. These mature Believers will train and equip the young ones for their assignment ahead. They will explain the strategic battle plan and teach them how to be tenacious in spiritual warfare and how to be strong and very courageous! They have been through many battlegrounds exploits before thus they are more than conqueror’s in every battle and will train others to be the same. They will encourage them to pursue the plan and calling on their lives and never retreat in battle!!! They will teach them how to walk and train them how to be led. They will teach them when to war, and teach them when to stand.

Beloved Seniors Believers, He is looking for those who will help these young Believers to discover their purpose for their lives. They will not mentor from natural knowledge, but they will teach what they have learned through divine revelation of the Word of God. They will advise them on righteousness and teach them to live with clean hands and a pure heart. Demons tremble at the sound of their voices because they carry an anointing and understand their covenant rights. He is looking for the prophets to teach the younger ones how to be used in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. To show them how to be used in miracles, signs and wonders with respect and reverence of the anointing on their lives. They are those who know their authority in Jesus’ name. They will be those who mentor not only through sound doctrine, but in wisdom and love. They will mentor not just with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and in power. Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”

Beloved saints of God, I am writing this to bring clarity to many Believers who has received prophecy asking me these question: “What is it that brings a prophetic word to pass?” When a prophetic word is given, what role is the seeker to play in manifesting the promise given? Are we to simply wait patiently, as some have suggested, or is there a very real role to play? Surprisingly, where your promises are concerned, you’ve always had a very real “say” in the matter. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve been cast in the role of a lifetime, and it’s time to take center stage! All of Creation, as Apostle Paul says, is groaning with anticipation, waiting to see a performance of the sons and the daughters of God. Only you can play the role that you’ve been cast to play and no one else can do it for you. I use the analogy of “acting” because where most seem to miss out on their manifestations, where their prophetic words are concerned is that they believe, they hope, they wait, but very rarely, if ever, put action behind their visions and their dreams. If you’ve been given prophetic promises and are now finding yourself waiting for those promises to come to pass, I would lovingly and respectfully ask, “While you’re waiting, what are you doing?”
The Book of James reminds us that faith without “action” is no true faith! Without “action,” faith is nothing but just wishful thinking. James 1:23-25 declares, “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” Take note what the Book of James says: the power is not simply in the believing but in the “doing” meaning in the “acting.” Ask yourself when will your own promises or prophecy will come to pass in your life, I want to remind you that you and only you can determine that. Yes, your vision is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit and the LORD is always faithful to perform His own WORD; however, there’s a very real role that you’ve been cast to play and only you can do it. It’s time to act! So often I hear the question, ” when will my prophetic promise come to pass?” To the surprise of some, the answer is “it depends.” Often we find ourselves shocked with the idea of personal responsibility. After all, there is no real work within the Kingdom, right? Well, not exactly. Although Heaven has inspired your vision, it’s up to you to “act” out your vision within the realm of earth. This means that the stage has already been set, the spotlight is now shining brightly upon you as you take center stage, as the curtains are drawn and the responsibility now rests upon the actor or actress meaning “you!” James 4:17 reminds us that when we know what to do and refuse to do it we miss the mark. Your prophetic word has confirmed to you that deep down you know exactly what you should do. You’ve always known the entire time, in fact. How long have you talked about starting your own business? How many years have you spent saying that one day you’d begin a ministry of your own? How many days have you continued to stay in that relationship that’s been literally draining the life out of you, “believing” that one day someone new will come along? Saints, you see where manifestation is concerned, the truth of the matter is that you “know” exactly what to do because of the Christ in you. You know the role that you’re called to play. All too often most simply develop a case of “stage fright” and fail to “act.” Today, that can change. You’ve prayed, you’ve waited, you’ve believed, and now it’s time to move. I want to encourage you to begin to make a decision as never before that you will begin to act on your vision. When Jesus promised his followers that they would receive “power,” he was actually passing the torch of personal responsibility. “Power” in Greek is “Dunamis,” meaning “ability.” Beloved saints of God and fellow seeker, whether you’ve ever realized it or not, you have the ability to manifest your visions and your dreams. You have the ability to manifest the Kingdom within the realm of Earth. You have the ability to create for yourself the abundant life you’ve been promised. As always pray unceasingly, stay still in faith as you move forward in the process. If you find yourself feeling “stuck,” I’d like you to prayerfully consider to stand in the word given and seek the heart of the Lord diligently withholding nothing by prayer and fasting till you hear His audible voice of confirmation in your spirit! The life of your dreams already exists for you; you simply need to begin to “act” it out by Faith!

Prayer is a necessity in a christian’s heart if we are to have a true authentic power spirit filled led relationship with Christ. I sense many things I try to take us from the very center of this truth.  Could it be we are too busy throughout the day or other things take our attention?  The enemy uses all kinds of distractions in our lives to keep us from this reality.  Without prayer, we are and will continue to be what James describes in the bible and what is spoken in Ephesians.
Ephesians 414 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ
James 12 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
The Lord is calling his bride to maturity and this comes with a life-long dialogue with the Lord.  Should we spend hours on bended knee?  I do not know how the Lord is calling you into this time of prayer and reflection but this I do know for sure.  We need to talk with the Lord more than we talk with others.  To practice his manifested presence in our daily lives takes discipline.  In a place of intimacy we will find ourselves talking with Jesus while at the grocery store, motor vehicle, anywhere and everywhere.  It is not enough to make that altar call of surrender and accept Christ in our hearts.  It is not a one time decision.  It is a pathway and the first footstep of many where we find we desire more of God and less of us.  This only comes through relationship and relationship comes through prayer.
How are we to pray?  Surely not as the Pharisees. Jesus brought this to our attention that although religious outwardly their hearts were not pure nor for the things of God.  Our prayers do not need to be long or lengthy.  Jesus taught us the perfect prayer in scripture.  Simply, direct and acknowledging God for who he is.  Our prayer language is beautiful as we are praying the heart of the Father in our lives and for others.  Our talking with the Lord is another form of prayer.  There is no right or wrong way of praying but what is wrong is when we do none of these.  We can see biblical prophecies coming to pass when so many people and so many professing Christians believe anything and everything under the sun.  These are the sign of the times which we now live.  We will never grow beyond where we are now unless we grow our relationship with Jesus and allow the working of His spirit to mature us. Prayer is the very heart of God.  Jesus is the Great Intercessor interceding for us before the Father.  He prayed to the Father.  Where are we in our walk?  Another challenge for the day.

“So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.” Ephesians 3:14-16 TPT

PRAYER is a foundational principle in the kingdom of God that the Lord will give more strength to our inner man if we ask Him for it. In Ephesians 3:16, Paul asked the Lord to strengthen the inner man of the believers in Ephesus. It is vital for us to understand this prayer, because it is one of the most important prayers we can pray. Our inner man is our soul, made up of our mind, emotions, and will. It is the place where we directly connect and interact with Jesus. It may sound unusual, but it is necessary to focus some of our prayers on our own inner man by asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen us internally, in our heart.

It is biblical to pray for external things like our ministry, a breakthrough in finances, or help with situations and circumstances in our life. However, many never get around to praying for their internal life to be strengthened. Just as our physical strength can increase or decrease, so can our spiritual strength. We cannot always discern the specific times when the Spirit strengthens us, because He usually does it in small measures. Prayer can be compare to taking vitamins! If we take the right vitamins, they will strengthen us physically over time. It is the same way in our spirit man—if we ask regularly, the Spirit will release His might, little by little, and over time we will discern newfound strength.

What does Prayer does to our Inner Man?

1. “Strengthen the Inner Man by Going Deep in Prayer.” The upmost important part of our life is our inner man! It’s should be our main focus when praying for our personal life. God longs to bless our inner man with strength and might, but He is waiting for us to ask Him. This strength is essential for our hearts—it will help us to walk uprightly before the Lord and to stand against compromise.

2. “Established a Prayer Life” in the Inner Man 

A prayer life is not just about sincerely loving God; it also includes developing practical times and ways to talk to God on a regular basis. We must be intentional about developing a consistent prayer life. It will not just happen automatically. Part of my prayer life focuses on praying for others, and part of it is focused on asking God to touch your personal life. Spend time praying for others, as well as for the release of revival on your city or the transformation of your nation.

When I pray for myself, I think of three categories: a) my inner man b) my circumstances, c) and my ministry. I have developed specific prayer lists for each of these areas of my personal life. Our inner man is the most important part of our prayer life—it is the only part of your life that you will take to eternity. When some people pray, they only think of praying for people, places, or things, but a very valuable category of prayer is for our own heart. We need to be intentional about praying for the development of our heart in the power of God, and about growing in our connection with the Spirit.

“We Must Ask”… A simple truth that we all know is that God releases more blessing if we will just ask for it. In James 4:2 we are told, “You do not have because you do not ask.” He knows we have needs, but Scripture is clear that the Lord withholds many things until we ask. When we talk to Him, it puts us in a position to connect with Him. God knows that connecting with Him will dynamically change our life. Therefore, He “starves us” out of our prayerlesness by withholding

3. “Prayers to Strengthen Your Inner Man”

certain blessings until we actually ask or talk to Him about them. This is important to Him because He values fellowshiping with us. Yes, we ask for financial blessing or a greater anointing on our ministry, but it does not stop there. We are also to ask for strength in our inner man. The Lord will increase the release of grace to our inner man if we ask Him for it on a regular basis.

It is easy to think about our needs, without actually verbalizing them to the Lord. The Bible makes it clear that we must actually speak our request to God. Philippians 4:6 commands us, “In everything by prayer . . . let your requests be made known to God.” You can whisper your request, mutter it, or even groan it, but it is not enough to simply think about it without asking. Many fret and complain about their needs and even talk to others about them, but they don’t actually speak them out to the Lord. He is waiting for us to approach Him. He longs to hear our requests and then answer us.

What Are The Practical Tools Of Prayer: 

1. “Establish a Schedule!”  The time designates when to pray; secondly, develop a prayer list that focuses on what to pray. Scheduling regular prayer times is essential for a consistent prayer life. Without a schedule, we may sincerely intend to have an hour of prayer, but we will often not get around to actually doing it, even though we continue to offer our short prayers through the day as we groan in the car on the way to work or whisper a short prayer when we feel anxious about some- thing. But by building our prayer times into our daily routine by scheduling regular time for them—we will pray much more. However, by making prayer part of our planned routine of life, we will pray far more consistently.

2. Have a prayer list! Sometimes when I sit down to pray, my mind is blank. I need a little jump-start to help gain focus in my prayer time, so I use my prayer list. I find it invaluable. I recommend that everyone have a prayer list for the three areas of life that I mentioned earlier.

3. Establishing a Prayer Life! It is never too late to make a list—when I was born again as a new believer at Pastor Benny Hinn Church@  Orlando, Florida I make my first one. The Lord has given me grace for prayer over the years, but I admit that without a prayer list I would have prayed significantly less. I still use my prayer lists today. I believe that most of us will pray ten times more over the next year if we use these two practical tools, establishing a schedule for regular prayer times and developing prayer lists. With these practical tools in place, you will be better equipped to pray with a focus and determination that will keep you steady for years to come.

“Fellowship with God”…..our highest calling to have fellowship with God, and our inner man is where this fellowship occurs. My prayer list for my inner man covers ten areas. I use a ten-letter acronym, F-E-L-L-O-W-S-H-I-P, to systematically pray for these ten areas. I try to pray through this acronym on a daily basis. All ten requests are based on promises or prayers found in Scripture. 

Saints, you may pray them differently sometimes, but use the acronym as the basis of your prayer list. The foundation for the ten prayers is from Ephesians 3:16, where Paul prayed that the Spirit would strengthen believers with might on the inside. Not all promises in the Bible are a guarantee of increased blessing, they are invitations to receive them based on our responses. Thus, one important response is to ask for the release of these blessings. For example, the Lord promises to put the fear of God in our lives. The promise is sure, but it takes the supernatural activity of the Spirit for the fear of the Lord to actually grow in us.

The Holy Spirit waits for us to ask Him for more of the fear of God before He releases this great promise in us. God has made many promises related to our inner man, yet many believers continue decade after decade in unnecessary deficiency, because they do not ask the Lord to release these great promises which will not operate with- out the Spirit’s impartation to strengthen us. He waits for us to ask for His increased activity in our inner man. God will release far more if we consistently ask Him for it. During my prayer time I do not hesitate to depart from my prayer list any time I feel the winds of inspiration leading me to pray in a

Prayers to Strengthen Your Inner Man in 

different direction. Also, I often skip parts of my prayer list when I don’t feel like praying that specific prayer. I encourage you to follow the winds of inspiration when you pray and to skip parts of your prayer list any time you want to.

This prayer list is simply a road map to get you started in your prayer time. Feel free to start with my prayer list and to change it in any way to make it your own. Ultimately, you learn to pray by praying

F-E-L-L-O-W-S-H-I-P 

F: stand for FEAR OF GOD…..The Lord promised that He would put His fear into the hearts of His people (Jer. 32:40). He will do this much more as we ask Him to. Therefore, we must ask the Spirit to impart the fear of God into our heart as He unites our heart to His heart and Word (Ps. 86:11). It is far easier to resist sin and compromise when we feel even a small measure of the fear or awe of God in our heart. Therefore, I ask Him to cause me to delight in the fear the Lord (Isa. 11:3). Ask Him to strike your heart with the majesty, awe, and dread of God (Isa. 8:13).

Scriptures: 

“I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.” (Jer. 32:40)

Unite my heart to fear Your name. (Ps. 86:11) His delight is in the fear of the Lord. (Isa. 11:3)

“The Lord . . . you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.” (Isa. 8:13)

Prayer: Abba Father God   release the spirit of the fear of God into my heart. Strike my heart with revelation of Your majesty, that I might live in awe before You. Release Your presence with holy dread that causes my spirit to tremble before Your glorious majesty. Unite my heart to Your heart and Word, and cause me to delight in the fear of God.

F-E-L-L-O-W-S-H-I-P

E: stand for ENDURANCE

In the New Testament, the words endurance, perseverance, and pa- tience are often interchangeable. All three speak of being faithful in your God-given assignments under pressure without quitting. The word patience means more than not being annoyed with someone or driving within the speed limit. We must faithfully persevere for decades, and never draw back from our pursuit of the deep things of God’s heart. It takes the power of God touching our spirit to keep us from quitting or drawing back.

Ask the Lord to give you endurance to be faithful even in the dif- ficult and dry seasons of life. Ask the Spirit to help you persevere on your fasting days. Another way to ask for endurance is to ask God to give you zeal for His heart and His house (John 2:17; Ps. 69:9).

Scriptures

Being strengthened with all power . . . so that you may have great endurance and patience. (Col. 1:11, NIV)

May the Lord direct your hearts into . . . the patience of Christ. (2 Thes. 3:5)

“Zeal for Your house will consume me.” (John 2:17, NASB)

Prayer: “Abba Father, strengthen my inner man with endurance, that I may do Your will with zeal and diligence, and not quit pursuing the deep things of Your heart. Impart endurance to me for fasting. Direct my heart into the patience and endurance in which Jesus walked. Give me strength to follow through in my commitments to You and to fulfill my ministry calling when it is difficult.”

F-E-L-L-O-W-S-H-I-P

L:  stand for LOVE ….,It takes the influence of the Holy Spirit for us to love in the way God calls us to. As Paul wrote, “This is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more” (Phil. 1:9, NIV). 

When we ask for our heart to abound in love, we are actually asking for the Holy Spirit to inspire us in four ways: 

First, we are asking for understanding of God’s love for us to abound in our heart.

Second, we are asking the Spirit to tenderize our heart so that we can abound in love for Jesus.

Third, we ask Him to help us love ourselves by seeing ourselves as God sees us. Many people despise themselves, and this hinders their walk with God.

Fourth, we ask the Spirit to cause love for others to abound in our heart.

Scriptures:

I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment. (Phil. 1:9)

The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 5:5)

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another. (1 Thes. 3:12)

May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God. (2 Thes. 3:5)

You formed my inward parts . . . You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought. (Ps. 139:13–15)

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” (John 15:9)

“. . . that the love with which You loved Me may be in them.” (John 17:26)

. . . that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ. (Eph. 3:17–19)

Prayer: “Abba Father, pour out Your love into my inner man by the Holy Spirit, that my heart may overflow in love back to You and to others (Rom. 5:5). I also ask that You impart Your love for Jesus into my heart (John 17:26). I ask for grace to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Allow me to comprehend Jesus’ love for me and to abide in it—stay connected to it (John 15:9). Let me see myself through Your eyes and love who You created me to be “(Ps. 139:13–15).

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L: stand for LIGHT OF GLORY

On the day of Paul’s conversion, he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus in a great light from heaven (Acts 22:6–11).

Moses prayed to see God’s glory (Ex. 33:18). Afterwards, his face shone with the light of glory. Like Moses, we can also ask to encoun- ter the realm of God’s glory.

Jesus said that His disciples would see an open heaven in which they would see the angels ascending and descending (John 1:51). Ask the Lord for supernatural encounters that include seeing angels and experiencing His glory and presence in dynamic ways. Ask Him to shine the light of His countenance on your heart.

Scriptures:

Suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me [Paul] . . . And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. (Acts 22:6, 11)

And he [Moses] said, “Please, show me Your glory.” (Ex. 33:18)

“You shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending.” (John 1:51)

“I [Elijah] pray, open his [Elisha] eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man . . . The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kgs. 6:17)

Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. (Ps. 4:6)

His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. (Rev. 1:16)

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me . . . bring me to Your holy hill. (Ps. 43:3)

Prayer: “Abba Father, let me see the light of Your glory. Give me Holy Spirit en- counters—dreams, visions, angelic visitations, manifestations of Your light, fire, and wind—as You gave to Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, the disciples on the day of Pentecost, and John on the island of Patmos” (Ex. 33–34; Isa. 6; Ezek. 1; Acts 2; Rev. 1).

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O:  stand for ONE THING

It is essential to consistently spend time before the Lord in His Word. In other words, to be a man or woman of one thing like David (Ps. 27:4), or Mary of Bethany, who sat at Jesus’ feet (Luke 10:42).

Set your heart to be a person of one thing. Commit yourself regularly to be a person of one thing and ask the Holy Spirit to help you to not lose this focus. I ask the Lord to show me, to intervene and speak to me, when I start to drift away from this one thing lifestyle. I ask Him to speak to me from Scripture, through dreams, or just by His still, small voice. As I pray this prayer regularly, I am far more sensitized to receiving the Lord’s help and correction when I lose my “one thing” focus.

Scriptures:

One thing I have desired . . . that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord. (Ps. 27:4)

“But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part.” (Luke 10:42)

One thing I do . . . reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13–14)

I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. (Ps. 16:8)

Prayer: “Abba Father, I commit to live as a person of one thing. Help me to regularly sit at Your feet as Mary of Bethany did. Strengthen me to desire and maintain a lifestyle that has regular times before You in Your Word. When I lose this focus, send Your Word to deliver me, as You did for the saints in the early church” (Rev. 2:4–5, 3:1–3, 15–20).

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W:  stand for WORTHY  Paul wrote, “We also pray always . . . that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all . . . His goodness” (2 Thes. 1:11). Paul emphasized that he always prayed this for the saints because he understood how important it was. Walking worthy before the Lord is not the same as seeking to be worthy so as to earn our forgiveness; rather, it is about having a worthy response to God that prepares us to walk in the fullness of our calling, referred to as fulfilling “all . . . His goodness.”

Too many believers come up short of what God has invited them to walk in because of their halfhearted choices. Jesus urged us to pray that we may receive grace to walk worthy of this calling, to es- cape the compromises in the end times, so that we may stand in vic- tory before Jesus (Luke 21:36). Paul prayed that God would sanctify the disciples completely, and that they would walk in such a way as to be preserved blameless, or without compromise, until they met the Lord (1 Thes. 5:23).

Scriptures:

We also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power. (2 Thes. 1:11)

“Pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord. (1 Thes. 5:23)

. . . that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God. (1 Thes. 3:13)

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Ps. 51:10)

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties. (Ps. 139:23)

13. Prayers to Strengthen Your Inner Man

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman?” (Job 31:1)

Prayer: Father, strengthen my inner man to walk in faith and obedience that is worthy to escape all compromise and to prepare me for the highest things that You have called me to.

Help me to live free of compromise, that I would walk blame- lessly in body, soul, and spirit, and be able to stand before You victorious, in full obedience.

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S: stand for SPEECH

Speech is a very significant issue in our spiritual lives. When our speech comes under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, our entire in- ner man will also come under His leadership (Jas. 3:2). Paul exhorted the saints to not speak any corrupt words, nor to grieve the Holy Spirit by filthy or foolish speech (Eph. 4:29–30; 5:4). The subject of speech was on David’s “prayer list,” as he also asked the Lord to help him control the words of his mouth until they were pleasing to God (Ps. 19:14). David purposed that he would not sin with his mouth and that the Lord would set a guard over his speech (Ps. 17:3; 141:3).

Scriptures:

If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. (Jas. 3:2)

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit . . . Let it not even be named among you . . . neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting. (Eph. 4:29–30, 5:3–4)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. (Ps. 19:14)

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. (Ps. 141:3)

“I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle.” (Ps. 39:1)

Prayer: Father, set a guard over my lips and help me to speak only words that are pleasing to You. Free me from defensive, angry, and fool- ish speech. Keep me from quenching the Spirit with my words. I set my heart not to sin with my speech, that I could sustain unbroken communion with You.

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H:  stand for HUMILITY

Jesus called us to learn from Him about walking in humility, or lowli- ness of heart (Matt. 11:29). He is willing to teach us about this vital subject if we ask Him for understanding. Ask Him to teach you how to walk in humility.

Scriptures: 

“Take My yoke . . . and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.” (Matt. 11:29)

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowli- ness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 2:3–5)

Prayer: “Jesus, teach me how to walk in Your yoke of humility and lowli- ness. I set my heart to learn lowliness of heart from You that will transform my attitudes, speech, and actions. Give me wisdom on how to carry my heart in humility.”

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I:  stand for INSIGHT UNTO INTIMACY

The Holy Spirit desires to guide us into truth, to give us insight into His will for every area of our life. He will teach us to walk in agreement with His heart so that we enjoy intimate partnership with Him. He will give us creative wisdom for our money, time, relationships, career, and ministry activities; in the specific ways that we pursue purity and health; and so on. He will also give insight into what is on His heart for our city, nation, and generation.

Scriptures:

“The Spirit of truth . . . will guide you into all truth . . . He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13)

“The Holy Spirit . . . will teach you all things.” (John 14:26)

Show me Your ways . . . teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth . . . The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him. (Ps. 25:4–5, 14)

. . . that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. (Eph. 1:17)

Ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord. (Col. 1:9–10)

Epaphras . . . is . . . always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. (Col. 4:12)

Prayer: Father, give me insight into Your Word, will, and ways. Give me wisdom about how to walk in intimacy with You in every area of my life, including my finances, schedule, emotions, circumstances, physical body (diet, health), relationships (in the home, office, ministry), my future, fears, addictions, etc. Let me know the secrets of Your heart (Ps. 25:14). What are You thinking and feeling about my city, nation, and generation?

Prayers to Strengthen Your Inner Man

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P:  stand for PEACE AND JOY

The Holy Spirit will guard your heart and mind with supernatural peace (Phil. 4:7). In this verse, heart speaks of our emotions. We do not have to live with a heart filled with jealousy, rejection, anxiety, or fear, nor with a mind filled with turmoil, confusion, and indecision. If we actually ask for peace and joy in specific areas of our life, we will receive more peace and joy from the Lord.

Scriptures:

The peace of God . . . will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15:13)

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. (2 Thes. 3:16)

Prayer: Father, strengthen my heart with supernatural peace in areas where I feel rejection, fear, and anxiety; strengthen my mind that I may overcome all turmoil, confusion, and indecision.

4 The Blessing of Prayer

We are called to walk in fellowship, or communion, with the Holy Spirit by intentionally developing our friendship with Him (2 Cor. 13:14). One way we do this is by speaking to Him as the God who dwells inside us—the indwelling Holy Spirit flows like a river in our heart (John 7:38).

We will walk in the Spirit far more effectively if we regularly talk to the Spirit. Many believers do not talk to the Holy Spirit; they neglect a most precious relationship. He longs for us to talk with Him, but He will not force conversation or friendship on those who are not interested.

When we talk to Him, He will talk back to us. Often when He “talks,” He does not use words, but gives us impressions and sensitizes our emotions so we can feel His nearness. God leads us by the still, small voice in our inner man (1 Kgs. 19:11–13). As we engage in a two-way dialogue with the Spirit, it is essential that we quiet our soul (Ps. 131:2). Our soul is by nature active and turbulent, so it takes effort to quiet ourselves.

Linger in the Spirit’s presence with your attention turned inwardly toward Him. Then speak short, simple phrases to Him, slowly and softly. It is important to wait with a listening heart. Sometimes you will gently sigh in your spirit as you pray with subtle “groanings that cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26). This happens naturally. Sometimes you must remain totally silent.

You must use five phrases when talking to and fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit. Thank the Holy Spirit for His presence in you and then ask for revelation; Ask Him to use, strengthen, and teach you. Do this by using a five-letter acronym: T-R-U-S-T. Try to pray through this acronym on a daily basis.

5 Acronym of “T-R-U-S-T”

The first thing we do is turn our attention inward to recognize the Holy Spirit; we simply thank Him for His indwelling presence. I say, “Thank You, Holy Spirit, for Your indwelling presence in my inner man.” Take a few minutes to do this and add a few affectionate phrases, like “I love You, Holy Spirit.”

Scriptures:

“He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Cor. 13:14)

T-R-U-S-T  

T: stand for THANK YOU

Prayer: Thank You, Holy Spirit, for Your bright presence in me. I love Your presence. Apart from You, I can do nothing.

T-R-U-S-T  

R: stand for RELEASE REVELATION

I ask the Holy Spirit to release revelation of God in me; in other words, to give me understanding of God’s heart and Word. By asking for revelation, we prepare our spirits to receive truth from the Lord.

Scriptures:

. . . that . . . the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your under- standing being enlightened . . . (Eph. 1:16–18)

Give me understanding according to Your word. (Ps. 119:169)

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I ask You to release revelation of God’s heart and Word to me. I ask that You open my eyes and give me under- standing as I read Your Word.

T-R-U-S-T   

U: stand for USE ME

Paul exhorted us to diligently seek to be used in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will use us more when we simply take time to ask Him to use us.

Scriptures:

The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. (1 Cor. 12:7)

But earnestly desire the best gifts. (1 Cor. 12:31)

Desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. (1 Cor. 14:1)

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I ask You to release Your gifts and power through me to help others. I desire to be a vessel of Your presence to bless others

T-R-U-S-T  

S: stand for STRENGTHEN ME

The Spirit will strengthen our inner man by touching our mind, emotions, and speech with the might of His presence. We can draw on His strength, which flows like a river of life in us, by asking Him to strengthen us.

In addition to this, because the Holy Spirit lives in us, His love, peace, patience, and self-control are already in us. Thus, we can experience more of the power of His love, peace, patience, and self- control by thanking the Holy Spirit that these fruits are already in us by virtue of Him living in us.

Scriptures:

. . . that He would grant you . . . to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. (Eph. 3:16)

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Gal. 5:22–23)

Prayer: Holy Spirit, release divine might to strengthen my mind and emotions. Thank You for the presence of Your love, peace, pa- tience, and self-control in me.

T-R-U-S-T

T:  stand for TEACH ME

The Holy Spirit is the great Teacher, and is committed to leading us into God’s will and ways. He will give us wisdom on how to live in every area of life, including how to steward our money, manage our schedule, prosper in our relationships, function in ministry, and walk in purity and health in our physical body. When we ask the Spirit to lead us in these spheres of life, He will show us how to walk in godliness and wisdom.

Scriptures:

“The Holy Spirit . . . will teach you all things.” (John 14:26)

“The Spirit of truth . . . will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13)

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I ask You to lead me in every area of my life. Give me new and creative ideas, order my steps, and open doors for new relationships and new business and ministry opportunities. Teach me how to live in a manner that is pleasing to You, and show me how best to walk in Your will, blessing, and prosperity for my life.

The Descriptions of Jesus A-R-K

Revelation chapters 1–3 contain thirty different descriptions of Jesus. There is no place in Scripture where Jesus is revealed with more depth and diversity than in these three chapters. Here, Jesus reveals Himself in the way that He appeared and in the names that He used. By meditating on these thirty descriptions, we can grow in intimacy with Jesus.

It is not enough to study these descriptions—we must talk to Jesus as we read them. Bible study is most effective when it creates a dialogue between us and the Holy Spirit. In this way, the Spirit will reveal more to us about Jesus. Keeping a journal helps us to capture the truths the Spirit gives us, so it is helpful to write down our thoughts during the dialogue.

I use a three-letter acronym, A-R-K, to pray through these thirty descriptions. The ark was the place where the presence of the Lord dwelt in the Old Testament. It also speaks of a place of safety, in that Noah’s ark was kept safe during the flood. By encountering Jesus in these thirty descriptions, we can experience the ark of His presence as well as the ark of His safety.

Proverbs 18:10 declares, “The name of the Lord is a strong tow- er; the righteous run to it and are safe.” How do we find safety in His name? One practical way is that when our spirit becomes strong in the Lord, we are able to stay calm in the storms of life. This allows us to make good decisions in times of pressure, instead of making poor decisions that are driven by fear, panic, and confusion.

Descriptions of Jesus “A-R-K”

A: stand for AGREEMENT

First, we agree with what the description says about Jesus. For example, when reading that Jesus is the faithful witness, we express our agreement by simply declaring to Jesus—with affection and gratitude—that He is the faithful witness. As we do this, our heart becomes more receptive to the Holy Spirit.. . . Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead. (Rev. 1:5)

Simply agreeing with each specific aspect of Jesus’ person hood has a dynamic impact on our heart. The angels around God’s throne declare who Jesus is night and day by saying, “You are worthy, You are holy.” They speak of who God is with affection and thanksgiving.

Like the angels, we can declare our agreement concerning the beauty and splendor of Christ.

Descriptions of Jesus “A-R-K”

R: stand for REVELATION

Next, we ask God to give us fresh revelation of Jesus in relation to each description.

For example, we ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us as the faithful witness.

The Descriptions of Jesus A-R-K  

K:  stand for KEEP THE PROPHECY

Finally, we must respond in practical ways as we ask for the Spirit’s help to keep the prophecy. “Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Rev. 22:7)

Keeping the prophecy refers to acting on Jesus’ commands and plans that are written in the book of Revelation. We are to apply them to our life by responding in faith and obedience to the specific truths about His name in our actions and attitudes, and by asking for the Spirit’s help to be faithful.

We respond to the prophecy in three ways—obey, say, and pray:

1) By obeying the commands of Jesus as we persevere in walking in love and holiness. This involves responding in faith and obedi- ence to the thirty truths about Jesus that we see in Revelation chapters 1–3.

2) By saying the message of Jesus as we proclaim the main truths set forth in “the prophecy.”

3) By praying for the power of Jesus to release revival among the saints.

We make simple declarations of our resolve to obey the implications of these thirty truths.Then we ask the Holy Spirit to empower us to follow through, praying, for example, “I commit to be a faithful witness to the truth, regardless of what it costs me. Holy Spirit, help me to do this.”

Prayers to Strengthen Your Inner Man  EXAMPLES OF A-R-K

. . . Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead. (Rev. 1:5)

Jesus, the faithful witness:

1. A ….,Agreement: “Jesus, You are the faithful witness to the truth. You are the truth. Thank You that You always tell the truth. I trust what You say because You are reliable. You took a stand that cost You Your reputation and Your life. Thank You for being faithful to the end.”

2. R…,,,,Revelation: “Reveal Yourself to me as the faithful witness.”

3. K……..Keep the prophecy: “I commit to speak the truth, regardless of what it costs me. Holy Spirit, help me to speak up for the truth, even when it is not popular.”

Jesus, the firstborn from the dead:

1. Agreement: “Jesus, You are the firstborn from the dead. I rejoice in Your preeminence over all.”

2. Revelation: “Reveal Yourself to me as God’s firstborn. Teach me more about Your supremacy over all things.”

3. Keep the prophecy: “I will serve You as the One who is preeminent, by obeying You and drawing others to You instead of to me. Holy Spirit, help me to walk this out.”

The Holy Spirit loves messes. This proven by the second verse of the Bible: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2 ESV). At the creation, as the Holy Spirit was lingering over the formless nothingness, God spoke into being the world as we know it. The Spirit of God loved the chaos to life and transformed it from a mess to magnificence. To this day, that is how He operates. So the most basic answer to the question, “How does the Holy Spirit move?” is that He hovers. He stays over something until He chooses to move on, having completed His inspection or implementation. That’s how He moves. “He makes true disciples of us because He is interested in maturing our character more than in bringing us personal comfort.”

Bible scholars call the first time something is mentioned in the Bible “the law of first mention.” The first time you find something stated in Scripture fixes its characteristics from that point forward. In the verse above, which is almost the very first verse of the whole Bible, we see that the Spirit of God moves. All the time, He keeps moving across the face of the earth, and He brings light into darkness wherever He goes. He didn’t stop moving that way after the earth was created because He is constantly renewing the face of the earth, along with the hearts of the earth’s inhabitants. How are we supposed to respond to this information? Sometimes our lives may feel like “formless nothingness,” too, but we are not inert. We can make a response to the movements of the Holy Spirit of God.

Steps how to respond to the Holy Spirit with these three primary ways:

1. Honor Him as a guest. Welcome Him into your home; into your own spirit. Greet Him on a first-name basis, but without over-familiarity. Acknowledge Him as the third person of the Godhead, with His own distinct personality and ways. As John the Beloved wrote, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:13). Now “guest” may not be the best word to use. When we welcome Him as a guest, we need to recognize Him not only as our guest but also as our landlord. When we open the door for Him, He’s not just making a guest appearance. Don’t forget—He owns the place!

2. Seek for His presence. He is more than a special guest; He is our equippered. As we ask for Him, we must seek to be equipped by Him—continually—so that we can do the work of ministry. He is utterly generous with the gift of Himself, but He wants to be asked. Jesus put it this way: “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:9-13)

If a son asks his father for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? Neither will the Holy Spirit give you a counterfeit gift. He will never give us too little—or too much. We can never get too full of Him because He increases our capacity along the way, opening new rooms in our hearts, expanding us to receive more. Sometimes in my journey with God, I feel as though He has almost done open heart surgery on me. It’s as if He has broken open my chest wall and exposed my heart so that He can come in more fully. What do I mean by “seek for His presence”?  Woo or court Him. Create a magnetic atmosphere through worship that draws Him. Speak to Him words of blessing and wonder and celebration. 

3. Give Him liberty. Once you have welcomed Him into your innermost being, let Him take charge of you. When you allow Him to have full control, you will find true freedom and liberty. You will discover that the Spirit enables you to control the deeds of your human nature. He will change you—and you will like the results!

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

How does the Spirit moves? It’s not always easy to track with a Spirit who comes and goes like an invisible breeze. But we can depend on His promises to help us follow Him and learn His ways. “We can never get too full of Him because He increases our capacity along the way, opening new rooms in our hearts, expanding us to receive more.” Before Jesus returned to the Father, He reassured His disciples that He would provide for them. For three years, they had walked closely with Him, but soon He would be taken away from them. Jesus talked to them about what was next: “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7). He continued. Jesus had a whole lot more to tell them, but he was leaving. He was going to make sure that they could hear Him and follow Him. Somehow, the Spirit of truth is about whom the disciples knew very little would “come,” and somehow He would “disclose” to them whatever they needed to know.

As we know now, it happened on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2). Immediately, the newly Spirit-baptized Believers began to learn to identify the principles of how the Holy Spirit moves and acts. By paying attention, they could now move with Him anyplace in the world. To this day, those of us who follow Jesus can only do so because of His Holy Spirit within us.The Spirit reveals Jesus as a living reality, and brings us into a deeper relationship with Him in an ongoing way. Jesus introduces us to the Father, saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus reveals the Father, and the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus. It’s an interdependent cycle, and we are privileged to participate in it. The Holy Spirit reveals the unified counsel of the Father and the Son. He (the Spirit) doesn’t talk about Himself, He talks about God the Father and Jesus. He listens to their conversations and He speaks about what He hears, on their initiative, not independently on His own.

He is our life-giving source, the One who brings us into the life of the Lord Jesus. He makes true disciples of us because He is interested in maturing our character more than in bringing us personal comfort. He brings us truth, not false assurance or consolation. He convicts, persuades, shepherds, and leads us to the life-source of God. He helps us overcome our fears and He stretches us beyond ourselves, moving us to testify of the love and power of God and showing us how to bear fruit that lasts. We can get to know Him, because He lives inside us. We can lean into Him, walk with Him, live with Him, listen with Him. We can depend on Him to always lead us out of darkness and into the light. In all that He does, the Holy Spirit never moves contrary to the written Word of God. He complements and does not compete with its instructions and doctrines. We would do well to store up the words of Scripture so that we have a functioning plumb line in our own spirits. Then when we think the Spirit is telling us something, we can see if it aligns with the straight Word. We can verify or adjust our understanding of our visions and dreams. We can catch ourselves early on when we start to walk in an unbalanced way. We can activate our spiritual gifts confidently and capably. And we can enjoy the journey! 

Prayer of Expectation: “In the mighty name of Jesus, we declare that we are receiving more of the precious Holy Spirit and we are committed to activating and releasing the gifts You give to us. We choose to create a culture of honor to the Word of God and to the messengers of God. We believe that what we sow we will reap. So we stir ourselves up in the Holy Spirit and we expect rivers of living water to flow out of us everywhere we go in Jesus name of Nazareth amen.”

“Why do you doubt My love for you?” The Lord query. I know you love me very much Lord!  “If you knew it, you’d be more at peace and at rest. You’d know deep inside that I AM always with you. I have a solution for EVERYTHING. You need to REFOCUS your eyes on My love for you that is shining in My Eyes and going into your eyes.  Do not be so frantic grabbing for My hand to move for you. My Hand follows My Face.”

The Lord is saying this: that God wants us to use our hands. He also desires His Hands to move on our behalf. He does want us to do things and take action. But He did much rather we choose to be with Him at any given moment.  Drop what you are doing right this minute and go spend time with Him. Then, afterwards get back to what ever you are doing. He doesn’t want our doing to be at the expense of being in His Face. It’s in the Eye to eye moments with Jesus that with one look of His Eyes, the worries, stressors, anxieties, fear, torment, distress, confusion, the wondering, the furtiveness all of it just melt away. 

Beloved with one look of His eyes as we stare into His Face, He infuses into us what is inside of Him! He burns into us His love, joy, peace, purpose, rest, destiny, calmness, clarity, strength, fortitude, champion’s heart, more than a conqueror mindset, His ability, His grace, His power, His life, His thoughts, His plans & Himself! 

Those precious moments of face to Face and eye to Eye encounter with the Lord are intended to remind us that His image, His likeness, His DNA are who we really are! The intense, immeasurable love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is what the Bride needed to cling to on when He spoke those words to us. I had have a remembrance of what looking into His Face of love always triggers His Hand to move. And that can never be taken away from memory once I had with the Lord. His Hands really do follow His Face.

“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 – NLT

Lord, when you said to me, “Seek my face,” my inner being responded, “I’m seeking your face with all my heart.” Psalm 27:8 – TPT

Beloved saints of God, every one of us has a part to play in God’s orchestra of prayer! Do you know what is your special sound instrument to play? The Holy Spirit directs the movements of this divine symphony according to the score of God’s Word.

These twelve arsenal “sounds” that touches the throne of God are part of our prayer tools namely:

1. Thanksgiving…..Prayers of thanksgiving are like the first movement in a symphony which usher in the way to a concert of worship and intercession. Psalm 100:4 NASB declares “Enter His gates with thanksgiving…” which we all do. That is what happened for the grateful leper in Luke 17:11-19 when out of the ten lepers only one came back to thank Jesus who healed him. Leviticus 13:45 indicate leper’s were expected to stay away from other people because they are call the “Unclean” in the Old Testament. Ten lepers approached Jesus for healing. Nine of them continued on their way, incredulous and in high spirits. But one turned around and came back to express his thanks directly to the rabbi whose power had healed him. He is the one whose thankful heart opened the way to more liberty, joy, and healing. The others were cleansed. But the one who thank Jesus he was made whole. Jesus told him, “Thy faith hath made thee whole…” (Luke 17:19 KJV). “Thanksgiving” is an important quality of a healthy and whole person.

2. High Praise…..What follows “Enter His gates with thanksgiving…”? It is “…and [go into] His courts with praise” Psalm 100:4 NASB. Thanksgiving and praise are not quite the same thing. There is a progression. First, we thank God for His goodness: “For the Lord is good…” (Psalm 100:5). Then, we praise Him for His greatness: “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised…” (Psalm 48:1). Always remember that praise is one of the highest weapons of spiritual warfare. Praise opens prison doors and sets the captives free.

3. Worship..,..Following thanksgiving and praise, we move into heartfelt worship. Prayer is like an allegory to instruments in an orchestra, in reality, worship pertains less to music and more to an inner attitude of the heart. To worship is to bow down, to kneel, to prostrate oneself. We might begin with joyful shouting, as Psalm 95 encourages us in its first few verses, because God is so great. Our expressions of praise, which can be chosen as an act of the will, may then lead us into heartfelt worship as the ultimate expression of surrender to God. Worship, according to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, is “the chief end of man.” It is foundational to our faith, with or without audible, musical notes.

4. Dedication/Consecration….When we present ourselves to God. We “present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is [our] spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1 NASB). This enables us to enter into the “High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus in John 17 as we are set apart for the Lord and sanctified. He prayed to the Father, “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth” John 17:19 NASB. Our prayers of consecration are a lovely sound to the Lord’s ears. He loves to hear “saving grace” prayers, too!  But our dedication and consecration prayers show Him that we know we are not our own, that we were bought with a price. “I surrender all” resounds from the orchestra of prayer. Jesus Christ is our Master and Lord!

5. Prayers of Commitment…..We progress in our prayers of dedication and consecration which lead to prayers of commitment. We say just as the psalmist did, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth” (Psalm 31:5). As we commit ourselves to Him, we rest in faith-filled trust. He will take care of us, down to the smallest detail of our lives. “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you” Psalm 37:5 NLT. “Committing” is an act and trust is an attitude. Whenever your load becomes too heavy, you cast your burden onto the Lord (read 1 Peter 5:7). You commit it to Him. And then you leave it with Him, you trust Him with it. You give it and then leave it. 

6. Prayers of Petition….Many times, we pray simple prayers of petition in addition to prayers of commitment. We can expect each of our prayers to be answered, if they line up with the will of God. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). It’s like God came up with an original “World Wide Web.” His “WWW” consists of His will, His Word, and His ways. When you pray, do you ask the Bible way? “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24). This does not mean that you will have everything you fervently desire, but that you will align your desires with His as you walk in increasing holiness.

7. Prayers of Intercession……At last, we reach intercessory prayer. Did you know that all those different “sounds” of prayer must be heard first? We have to come through the gates with praise before we can enter into the Most Holy Place. Intercession is not “devotional prayer.” Intercession is making prayers of petition on behalf of others, standing in the gap between man’s imperfection and God’s perfection. We confess the iniquity of others as if it is our own and we ask for God’s mercy. Read Isaiah 59:2-15. What a high honor it is, a labor of love, to be allowed to stand in the gap on behalf of other people! Devotional prayer are usually covered in your earlier time of communion with the Lord. 

8. Prayers of Supplication….The apostle James tells us that “…Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). To pray according to mercy is always to pray according to God’s heart. This is much more difficult than it sounds and even impossible. In fact, you cannot lift up a cry for mercy without receiving God’s grace to do so. In Hebrews 4:16 KJV  “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”. We cannot come boldly to the throne of grace in our own human strength. We must come with heartfelt thanksgiving, praise, and worship, surrendering our own agendas. Then we can receive His heart of mercy and pray according to His will.

9. Prayers of Command……At times, coming “boldly” entails uttering commanding words of prayer, as Joshua did when he spoke to the Lord and then released commands to the sun and the moon, so that the sun stood still for an entire day…Read Joshua 10:12-15. It takes a profound gift of faith to do something like that. The prayer of command is declarative in nature. Even though you may not play that “instrument” regularly in the prayer orchestra, it is important to know that it is an authentic, Biblical option!

10. Prayers That Decree a Blessing…..Very often we utter prayers of blessing, even decreeing specific blessings. We can bless others with the words that the Lord gave to Moses, “May the Lord bless you and keep you.” Remember this key point: We are a part of a speech-activated Kingdom. This is how God releases His blessings on His people: “So they shall put [‘invoke’ NKJV marginal note] My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:27). When being fueled by the gift of faith, you decree something that is according to the will, word, and ways of God, all things are possible! Read Matthew 19:26.

11. Prayers That Thwart the Enemy….Can we utter prayers that denounce or limit the powers of darkness? Can we bind satan from continuing his work? Jesus illustrated the Believer’s power to do so when He cursed a fig tree that was not bearing fruit, after which it withered and died (read Matthew 21:18-22). This is like a prayer of command coupled with righteousness and faith. Jesus inspected the tree and found no figs, only leaves on it. It had given the external appearance of being fruitful, but upon closer examination, it proved to be unproductive. This is the kind of prayer that draws a line in the sand and says, “Enough is enough. No more!” This form of prayer should be exercised with wisdom perimeters. It requires clear discernment and faith and should be employed only after confirmation from God.

12. Persistent Prayers….That’s the final sound in the orchestra of prayer! The orchestra keeps on playing even if the lights go out. There is the familiar parable in the book of Luke about the persistent widow whose appeal to the judge was answered only because she would not let it go (read Luke 18:1-8). Earlier in Luke, Jesus told another parable about a friend whose persistent entreaties produced results (read Luke 11:5-8). 

Beloved saints keep on praying. Don’t give up. The more you pray, the more God will keep on drawing you into His heart. You and I have been called to be enforcers of the Kingdom of light over the temporary kingdom of darkness. Giving up is not an option! You must target practice by praying unceasingly!

Join me in this Prayer: “Almighty Abba Father God, in Jesus’ great name, we thank You that the fervent prayer of a righteous Believer availed much and prevails! By the grace of God we are adding these various sounds of prayer into our understanding. Come Holy Spirit, guide and direct us in choosing which instrument should be selected at the appropriate time and how to play it. We praise and thank You that You are teaching us how to release prayers that will strike the mark without fail, in Jesus’ great name. Amen and amen!”