IT PAYS TO HAVE A FATHER WHO IS CLOSE TO GOD.
IF YOUR MOUTH DOES NOT HAVE CONTROL, YOU MAY GET YOUR SOUL IN TROUBLE.
- Pastor E. A. Adeboye at RCCG Special Sunday Service. Going Higher (Part 26)
1 Kings 18:22-24
The higher you go, the more important it is that you watch your words.
The higher you go spiritually, the more important it is that you watch what you say, you cannot afford to be talkative if you are very close to God.
Nobody pays attention to what a councillor said in his village but when the President speaks, it is national news. There are presidents and there are presidents because when the President of America makes a statement, the world pays attention because what he says can affect millions of people who are not even Americans. When the village head speaks, it is only on the villagers.
Ecclesiastes 8:4, where the word of the King is, there is power. You are going higher?
You have surrendered your lips to God to be purified by fire, be careful what you say. James 1:26, says you are religious and you have no control over your tongue?
Your religion is vain. Church Gist. One of the conditions for ascending to the mountain of God is in Psalms 24:3-5, what you say with your mouth has something to do with whether you are going to ascend or you are not because He went on to say if you have control over your mouth then you can receive the blessing from the Lord.
You want to dwell in the Lord, the condition is in Psalms 15:1-3. For dwelling in the Almighty God has to do with your tongue.
Psalms 34:12-13, you want to live long and be healthy, watch your tongue.
Do you want to prosper? Joshua 1:1-8.
Listen to David, Psalms 34:1, says I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalms 108, David said my heart is fixed within me, I will bless the Lord
Why is your speech so important?
Psalms 139;4, says God knows every word you speak. Matthew 12:36, the Bible says every idle word that a man speaks he is going to give an account on the day of judgment. Everything you are saying is being recorded. It will amaze you that when you read Ephesians 5;3-4, it says even your jokes are noted by God.
This tells you that if you are going higher, watch your jokes. I am not saying that children of God should not laugh, our God is a God of joy, there are jokes and there are jokes but can you afford to be a comedian if you want to hear the small still voice?
(When I say you cannot afford to be a comedian if you want to hear the small still voice, don’t let anybody interpret that to I hate comedians, no I didn’t say that all I am saying is you don’t want to spend all your time joking, you need silence when you want to hear the small still voice)
As you are growing in the Lord, the Bible specifies what you should do with your mouth.
Ephesians 4:15, speak the truth in love, meaning if you are speaking the truth, do it in love.
Colossians 4:6, says your speech must be seasoned with salt, there is a way to say the truth to make it acceptable to the people who will receive it.
The Bible tells us in Proverbs 21:23, if you learn to keep your mouth shut, you will be keeping your soul from trouble, meaning that if your mouth does not have control, you may get your soul in trouble. The reason this is very important for those who are ready to go higher is that the closer you get to God, the more likely your words will become decrees.
Job 22:21-28, the Bible says if you satisfy certain conditions, you will decree a thing and it will be established unto you.
Joshua 6:26, Joshua pronounced a curse on Jericho, that curse was there working steadfastly until Elisha came with a greater anointing to destroy that cause.
Joshua 10;12-14, the Bible said Joshua said, sun and moon stay where you are, he said it and thank God he added till I finish the battle I am fighting who knows maybe the sun will be standing till now.
It reminds me of the Holy Ghost Congress we held in Abeokuta in 1982, I was preaching, made the Altar and people were rushing forward to receive the Lord and all of a sudden, rain began to fall and as the people were rushing forward some rushed back so I said, rain stay there, stop, you could see the rain rolling as if a carpet rolled away in the town.
It happened on a Friday and the Congress was to end on Monday, there was no rain until when we were finishing the program a pastor came to me and said sir, will you please release the rain, I had even forgotten that I made a decree I said don’t worry the rain will start when we leave town, that was what happened.
You never can tell when your word will become a decree.
2 Kings 2:19-22, the Bible said the waters of Jericho were healed from that day onward according to the words of Elisha. Your words can be a decree for good or evil.
2 Kings 2:23-24, immediately after Jericho was delivered from a curse, some children began to mock Elisha, he turned and said I curse you in the Name of the Lord and bears came and began to tear the children to pieces, your words can become a decree because 1 Samuel 3:19, says God will not allow the word of His servant to fall to the ground. You will get to a stage in your height that whatever you say, God will establish.
It is important to note that you can commit God if you are sufficiently close to Him. 2 Kings 1:9-15, Elisha said I want a double portion of your anointing, Elijah said you have asked a large thing but I will commit my God if you see me when I am being taken away from you, you will get what you want.
I used to think that what he was saying was if you can see who is coming to pick me up, he said if you can see me. It pays to have a good father who is close to God. I commit God on behalf of every one of you listening to me now, you follow me till I go to be in God in glory, everything you have ever wanted, the Almighty God will release to you.
When we talk about watching your words as you go closer to God, you need to remember that there are categories of prayers:
- Prayers when you plead, Mark 10:46-52, Bartimaeus was begging.
- There are prayers where you ask with whatever little faith you have, Matthew 8:1-3, that leper said I know you can make me whole but I am not sure that you are willing.
- There is a prayer where you intercede when you are begging on behalf of someone else. Genesis 18:17-33, when Abraham was interceding because he knew Lot, his wife, his daughters, the inlaws, that is why God said if I can get ten.
- There is a prayer of demand. Isaiah 45:11, God said, concerning the works of My hand, command Me ye. When you go to the Almighty God and say I demand, I want this miracle now, that is not the prayer of a baby Christian but the prayer of someone who has been climbing, endured fire and is now like a sword beside the Captain of Hosts.
You can begin to pray the prayer of demand if you are sufficiently close to Him. As for sinners, you have only one prayer, Luke 18;10-14 tells us of two people who went to the Temple, one thought he was righteous and he was boasting and saying Lord you must do this and do that, the sinner couldn’t even lift up his eyes, he said have mercy on me miserable sinner, God heard him and he went home justified.
If you have not given your life to Jesus Christ, that is where to begin, cry, Lord have mercy on me, I am a sinner, I want you to save my soul, He will answer you. Together you can even hide under the grace of those who are already close to God and also pray some prayers of demand and demand some glorious things from the Lord.
God Bless You All!