Praise Requires Preparation

Anything in life that you will excell in requires preparation. College, technical institutions, seminary, life experiences (learning to ride a bike, learning to read, preparing to give a speech or sermon) all prepare individuals for success. One can tell when an individual has not prepared themself. There is a disconnect with the audience or evident failure in their finished product. It is the same with our worship. Preparation in the Lord must be evident in order to receive ALL of your blessings! Your mind and your heart must be a conduit for the Holy Spirit to use in order to produce effective results. Witnessing and ministering to the saved and more importantly to the unsaved is our sole responsibility as Christians. In order to be effective, we must be knowledgeable and wise to present Christ in an introductory manner so as not to frighten them with condemnation and persecution. We must introduce a ground breaking technique.

This prepares the way of the individual for obtaining a more in-depth understanding of the oracles of God. Jesus prepared the world in his flesh form for what was to come through spiritual the realm. His mission on earth was to reveal the purpose of our Heavenly Father by showing us how to acquire abundant life. Jesus' journey was marked with compassion and humility to leave us with a recorded daily instructional guide for spiritual living-the Bible. He denounced sin by refusing to participate in it. He showed love in order for us to offer love. He died in the flesh to show humanity the temporal side of life. His main goal was to show that anyone who proclaimed life by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior and denounced flesh/death would indeed inherit the kingdom by gaining eternal life.

Preparation is mandatory for anything that we do in Jesus' Name. When we pray, we must know the promises of God in order to have a conversation with HIM. Prayer is our direct line of communication with God. When we petition God for one of our many, never-ending requests, we must pray in the spirit of God which allows us access to the Holy of Holies. This is only done if you have relationship with God. In order to ask God for something you must have the faith to believe that if you pray in His will then you will be blessed with your heart's desires. So how do we display this faith? Praise! Yes praise Him for what He has done, what He is doing, and more importantly what He will do! Your praise is your weapon in seasons of adversity, distress, and grief. It is your exclamation mark for everything that is right and wrong in your life. Your praise should be complete with preparation. How do you approach the Lord (who is our advocate)? It should be with praise (thanking Him for who He is in the universe and your life, with meekness and humility through repentance and atonement for your sins, and with supplication by reducing self and defering all things to unto Him. This is your preparational praise to advance yourself in His Kingdom on earth as it is His will in Heaven.

So prepare yourself to prepare to praise your way through your circumstances. Jesus is only a prayer away! Have a blessed season that is accentuated by your praise! Much praise, much power...

Familiar Spirits

Have you ever heard the ancestral adage, “If you lie, you’ll steal and if you steal, you’ll kill”? These particular individuals were thought by our ancestors to pose a threat to our familial environments. People who fell into this class were labeled worthless, shiftless, dangerous and never to be trusted. In other words, these are the individuals who will stop at nothing to accomplish their demonic agendas. In the spiritual world, there are two forces: the Holy Spirit and demonic spirits. Demonic spirits work in concert with each other. Because they are not of God, they need a team to do what God can do with one! This “team” represents a vast collection of spirits. The term “familiar spirits” defines a collection of demonic forces created to interfere with the purpose and plans of God. Have you ever heard this statement, “If you tell one lie, then you’ve got to tell another one to cover up for the first one”? As His “elect” we’ve been destined in this life to be tossed and driven by experiencing trouble on every side. Demonic foot soldiers use spiritual strongholds that target the saved to prevent us from honoring God by living a holy life. For example, a lying spirit is usually accompanied by other spirits to strengthen the works of deception. A liar will often bear the fruit of the spirits of manipulation, deception, profanity, pride, and self-righteousness. The bible tells us that we will know them by the fruits they bear.

As Christians we must always be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us. God created the Holy Spirit for our comfort after the death of Jesus Christ. The “Comforter” was sent to assist us with daily righteous living. God provided us with a weapon that far exceeds anything we could do in the flesh regarding demonic spirits. Be mindful that we war NOT in flesh but with spiritual principalities in high places. “High places” does not apply to our homes, jobs, organizations and our church relationships! This greatest weapon for destroying “familiar spirits” is PRAYER! Ask the Lord to sharpen your gift of discernment such that when you’re faced with spiritual lions (loud, obnoxious bullies), tigers (sneaky, and spiteful people) and bears, (lazy, shifty, and unlearned), you will know to pray a prayer of correction, promise and prosperity for that misguided soul. Remember to address situations/people with love as you would want correction. Love covers a multitude of sin. Get ready to experience God on a higher level. Your strength is obtained by the reading and hearing of God’s word which will equip you with a fervent and effectual prayer life. Wage war on the enemy through prayer to destroy attacks from “familiar spirits”. God is waiting for you to use the authority He has invested in you!