BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

That scripture is often taken out of context. People tend to quote it by itself as if God promised everything would always automatically work together for our good. But that’s not what the Bible says. It attaches a condition to the promise. It says that when you give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to pray God’s will into your life, and into the lives of the people you love—then all things are going to work for your good! This is the absolute truth. God has things for you and me that are far better and greater than anything we could ever figure out with just our own natural intellect. He is able to do for us, by “the [action of His power] that is at work within us…superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]” (Ephesians 3:20, "AMPC"). But for us to walk out everything He has planned, we have to do our part. We have to release the power of the Holy Spirit that’s at work within us, and one of the most effective ways we do that is by spending time praying in other tongues, which is praying in the spirit. Advancing the Plan of God It’s no wonder that throughout Church history praying in tongues has undergone such persecution and been so maligned. The devil hates it! He wants to stop us from doing it because he realizes that when we pray in other tongues, we pray beyond what we know. As a result, we can advance the plan of God in the earth in a much more powerful way. We can break through our natural limitations and pray supernaturally, not only on our own behalf but on behalf of others. We can give God the opportunity to use our mouths and our authority to help bring to pass mysteries that in our natural minds we simply can’t understand. Take, for example, the mystery about what’s going to happen to the Church before we’re caught up in the Rapture. The Bible says we’re going to grow up in the fullness of the stature of Christ. We’re going to rise up as a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle. How exactly is that going to happen? How are we going to walk it out on a day-by-day basis? We don’t know. It’s a mystery! Yet by praying in other tongues, we can pray all about it. We can get over into the realm of the Spirit and pray out not only God’s great big plan for the Church, but also our part of that plan. We can build ourselves up spiritually and enter into the rest of God so that by His power we can do everything we’re called to do. Can simply praying in other tongues really make that much difference? you might wonder. Absolutely! The Bible confirms it time and again in scriptures like these: • "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries." (1 Corinthians 14:2) • "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory...as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit…that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth." (1 Corinthians 2:7, 9-10, 12-13) • "But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit." (Jude 1:20, "AMPC") • "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing." (Isaiah 28:10-12) Notice that according to that last verse, praying in other tongues will bring you into a place of spiritual rest and refreshing. That’s exactly what you need when you’re tempted to feel discouraged and overwhelmed by the challenges of life. You need to stop stressing out about them and start tapping in to the “rivers of living water” in your innermost being, praying in the Holy Ghost (John 7:38). ******* continues on next page ****** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Points to Get You There You can cooperate with the Holy Spirit every day, so that God’s glorious plan can be revealed in you. 1) Even if you don’t know what to pray, by praying in the spirit you can pray the perfect prayer. Romans 8:26 2) Praying in tongues enables you to talk to God about aspects of His will that are hidden from your understanding. 1 Corinthians 14:2 3) Praying in tongues builds you up spiritually so that you’re strong enough to do what God has called you to do. Jude 1:20 4) When you pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit teaches you and refreshes you. Isaiah 28:11-12 5) If you’ll pray daily in other tongues, God can prepare you for challenges in advance so you’ll never be without an answer. Proverbs 16:1 30 : BVOV

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