“The Game-Changer” By Uduak Afelumo
17th March, 2019
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Game-Changer is, “A newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way.” — Merriam Webster’s Dictionary
After the resurrection, Jesus commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem and be baptized with the Holy Spirit. They were all familiar with baptism by water, but Jesus was saying they would now experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit and will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, but to the ends of the world. — Acts 1:4, 8, 2:1-4
We see the advent of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit manifested by speaking in tongues in the New Testament, and has continued till today. This gift is from God to all believers and no one is excluded from being baptized with the Holy Spirit and praying in tongues. It is the prayer language God has given the church and it is a powerful tool in the hands of a believer.
When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you receive power! The Holy Spirit is God’s power residing in you for carrying out exploits, while praying in tongues is the power switch. It is what releases power. Just like the ignition of any V8 engine automobile, unless you turn on the ignition, that power engine is as good as dead.
Praying in tongues is a gateway to the supernatural — Pastor Wale Afelumo. In the realm of the spirit everything yields to a higher power.
- It takes power to free people from satanic oppression. Acts 10:38
- It takes power to end age-long siege against your destiny or health. Acts 4: 7-8,10
- It takes power to overcome opposing forces and limitations. Mark 4:39
- It takes power to maintain marital peace and mental freedom. Luke 8:35
- It takes power to live a victorious life in obedience to God. Acts 4:29-31
Benefits of Speaking in Tongues
- It edifies, instructs, enlightens you and charges you up like a battery.Jude20
- You pray according to God’s will and God’s best in every situation. Rom. 8:26
- It stirs up the dormant gifts of the Holy Spirit within you. John 7:37-39
- It sharpens your discernment & connects you with God’s wisdom. John 6:6
- You maintain a vibrant relationship with the Holy Spirit and can actually fulfill the command to ‘pray without ceasing.’
When the Holy Spirit comes into us after we accept Christ, He recreates our spirit and gives us a language with which we communicate directly with the spirit of God.
Theologian, R.C. Sproul explained that the original meaning of Comforter (another word for the Holy Spirit) is ‘with strength’. The Holy Spirit was not to come to comfort us in the sense as after we have been wounded in a battle, rather He comes to empower and to strengthen believers to ensure victory and conquest.
Praying in tongues is not a chant and quick-fix when we are in trouble, it is a prayer language that is effective and deepened by our relationship with the Holy Spirit. In other to present our case effectively before God, we must build a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Consider this,
Ronaldo + Juventus = more wins, expensive T-shirts, increased viewership for the Italian league etc.
Ronaldo was a game-changer for the Italian League. In the same way, praying in tongues is the Game-Changer in our prayer lives.
God is raising an army of people who will establish His kingdom upon the earth by the power of the Holy Spirit. No more heartless chants in the name of speaking in tongues, but the effectual, heartfelt prayers of the righteous that avail much, because we are a people led by the Holy Spirit.
