Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, while ministering at the April 30 Sunday service, urged believers to pray in tongues daily. According to him, speaking in tongues launches one straight into the spirit realm where such matters are taken away from man and straight into the hands of God. “Praying in our understanding is not always adequate as God is spirit,” he said.
Speaking from 1 Corinthians 14:1-2, Pastor Taiwo said that people mix up prophecy and praying in tongues, stating that tongues as prayer language and prophecy are two different things. He likened the situation in the church today, where there seems to be a lot of confusion and misconceptions about speaking in tongues, to the experience of the Corinthian church.
He noted that whoever speaks in tongues edifies himself, and he who prophesies edifies the church. “Nobody needs to understand your personal prayer language except the One you are praying to,” he noted.Drawing from John 20:22, Pastor Taiwo emphasized that being born again and receiving the Holy Spirit thereafter are the priority of the Kingdom, adding that the only reason believers are still on this side of eternity is for God to keep operating through them. “When Christians have a better understanding of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, it becomes easier to be free of worries and anxiety, knowing that the Holy Spirit is available and ready to help when called upon,” he said.
He then urged the congregation to always speak in tongues as this will edify them. “The evidence of knowing who you are in Christ is through speaking in tongues. You need to connect to the inner you through speaking in tongues,” he stated.
Earlier, Pastor Kunle Osunkunle had encouraged the congregation from Isaiah 12:2-3, which was the promise for the week. According to him, God is always with His children and would never leave nor forsake them. He declared divine joy over them, saying, “We will sing a new song. God is our joy, we will not fear. Out of our belly flows rivers of living water. We draw water out of wells of salvation.”
WE ARE IN A BATTLE
Pastor Sunday Babalola @ Thursday Showers
It was another refreshing time at the April 27 Thursday Showers where testimonies were shared to encourage others and give glory to God, just as the praise and worship session brought down the presence of God.
The guest minister for the day, Pastor Sunday Babalola, said while ministering that believers tend to lose a lot when they refuse the call of God for their lives. He mentioned this to appreciate the senior pastor of the church, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, for yielding to God’s call with the evident changed lives within and outside of the country. “When you refuse to accept the call of the Holy Spirit, it not only affects you, but it also affects other people you may not know. Pastor Taiwo’s willingness to accept the call made me a pastor,” he stated.
The senior pastor of The City of Life Church (TCOLC) Surulere, Lagos, said that Christians are always in a battle, adding however that the battle has already been won by Christ as written in Romans 8:37. “The good news is that the battle has been won on our behalf through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us,” he said.
Speaking from 1 John 4:4 and 5:4-5, the first ordained branch pastor of The Fountain Life Church noted that anyone born of God has overcome the world because of the power that lies in him or her. “To live a victorious life, you must be able to control the flesh. If you can control yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to permeate you, you will do great things. Praise, prayer, and fasting are good; but self-control is the key to life,” he noted.
He emphasised that the most potent enemy of man is not Satan, friends, or family, stating that the biggest enemy of man is within.
He gave the examples of Gehazi, David, and Samson, to illustrate how lack of self-control can lead to the fall of a hitherto empowered believer. “Once you can conquer within, Satan has no power over you. All powers, nothing remaining, have been given to Christ. With the Holy Spirit, self-control is exactly what you need to live a victorious Christian life,” he added.
