Joseph Prince - Believe It, Speak It, See It
I have a question to ask all of you and this is the question, ready? «Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long happy life»? This is from the Bible, I love this translation because it brings out the Hebrew. In the King James’s days, it says, «Do you love life and see many days»? amen. «Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long happy life»? It’s in the Bible, amen, how many like that? Angels taking notes… so what is the condition? Keep on reading, it says, «Come children. Listen to me. I’ll teach you», this is how it starts, «what it means to fear the LORD. Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life? Then make sure you don’t speak evil words or use deceptive speech. Turn away from evil and do what is right. Strive for peace and promote it».
Notice it begins with children, the Father is talking to you, «I want to teach you the fear of the Lord». So we have all kinds of ideas about the fear of the Lord in the body of Christ. In fact, there seems to be a revival of teaching on the fear of the Lord the Old Testament way. In other words, and I heard someone say one time, when I was younger, many years ago, he says that, «The fear of the Lord is very simple, no need to define it, it just means vanilla fear of God,» alright?
You know, it’s pure. It’s just fear, you fear someone, you fear the Lord. Somehow it never sat well with me when I heard that. When I was reading Romans 8 one day, I came to a verse that says, «You have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear». Notice again, Paul is writing by the Spirit and telling the believers, «You have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear». And the whole context there is about relationship with God. And for a child of God, you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. What kind of fear? Slavish fear, the fear of God, the kind of fear that you fear him, is there a fear of the Lord? Yes, there is, but this is how it is defined.
The fear of the Lord is seen in how… you can see, I fear God, I fear God and not watch over your mouth. Because the very verse says what? «I’ll teach you what it means to fear the LORD. Would you love to live a long happy life? Make sure you don’t speak evil words. Don’t use deceptive speech». In the world we live in today, we can say there’s no fear of the Lord, right? And of course, the people of the world will not have the fear of the Lord, but what is the true fear of the Lord for believers?
Watch your…mouth, set a guard, and this is becoming more and more lax. People complain, people slander very easily, they insult, they post, or write their comments, these are also words. And many a times, they take majority as truth, majority is not always truth. The majority of the people of Israel, when the Bible tells us that, «I give you a land flowing with milk and honey,» the Bible says, right? «Go in and possess», what did they do? Instead of rushing in, flying in to possess the land, because God has given it to us, they spoke bad of the land, and how many of them spoke?
Majority, majority was wrong and majority of them suffered the consequence. Only two of them, Joshua and Caleb, said, «We are able to possess the land,» and Joshua and Caleb lived to a long good life. Caleb at the age of 85 said, «I’m as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me because he believed God». God says, «He has a different spirit about him. I like this boy». In fact, the Bible says literally, God said Caleb will enter the land because he has a different spirit. You know, I was preparing for this message, the Lord showed me this: «I want you to fire up the people and impart the Spirit of faith to them,» amen?
You’re not an ordinary Christian, you are a Christian with a different spirit. Like what the Father said of Caleb, he said he has a different spirit, amen, the Spirit of faith, and what is the Spirit of faith? «I believe and therefore I speak». We also believe and therefore speak, you are made in the image of God, in the likeness of God, and how did God create? How did God get things done? How did God effect situations? He spoke, it’s a privilege of royalty to speak. They speak and things happen, so royalty speaks and it happens, that’s why faith is an exercise of authority, amen. It is, you speak, evil spirits obey the authority that you have in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord gave you that authority and that gift, amen, to speak and it happens. That’s why the Spirit of faith is like this, «I believe and therefore I speak». We also believe and therefore speak, so guard what you speak, amen. And every one of you is important, every one of you, your words carry weight. So it’s not just, «Do you want to really live a long happy life? Make sure you don’t speak evil words or use deceptive speech. Turn away from evil and do what is right. Strive for peace and promote it».
Now in a sense, it’s what we call negative instruction. That means don’t, don’t, alright, don’t speak evil words, don’t speak deceptive speeches, right, am I right? It’s negative instruction, God’s way is always positive, okay, and in case you’re wondering, «Oh pastor, you’re quoting from an Old Testament passage, Psalms 34,» then let me bring you to 1 Peter 3. In 1 Peter 3, this is quoted by the Apostle Peter, which means it applies for New Covenant people. Can I have a good amen? Look, it says here, «For 'He who would love life, '» and this New King James, «and see good days,» how many want to see good days? How many want to see good days? Not just a long life, but a long life of good days, amen?
«Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it». So this is a quotation from Psalms 34 that we just read, but this is New Testament. So it applies for us, God still wants you to live a long good life full of good days, like what I shared, David, Abraham, all of them, when they died satisfied with days, amen. It doesn’t mean that they have many, many, many, many long lives of good days, alright? Satisfied with days means it’s a good day. You know that day when you feel like, it’s a good day today, you have many of it. And the secret is in your mouth, so we have a negative instruction that tells us restrain from speaking evil words, amen?
But God, in the New Testament, put something there that helps us completely. God says, «If any man,» in James, «can tame his tongue», you know, the same tongue by which we worship God, with the same tongue, we curse men. «But pastor, I don’t curse men, ever since I was saved, I don’t curse anymore,» but you know what’s a curse? A curse is speaking something that puts someone down. Amen, malign, slander, untruth about someone, for example, when Jesus cursed the fig tree, alright, what did Jesus say? He did not say, «I curse you,» right? What did he say? «No man eat fruit from you hereafter forever».
So when you say, you tell your son, «You are forever careless, you are always careless,» you just placed a curse. Then God says, «If anyone can tame their tongue, he’s a perfect man,» whoa! I didn’t say it, you find it in the book of James, alright? More like a complete man in every area, complete in his character, amen. No one can be perfect in his behavior this side of heaven until Jesus comes, amen, and we have a brand new body. But the idea there is that you will be a whole character, you will be complete. You know, with the word integrity, amen, it’s someone who is integrated, complete. Christianity is not just me, mine, my family, and I. You know, that is fine, you know, God wants you to be whole, holy, amen, complete in all those areas, but it’s all about one another.
How many times in the New Testament is about loving one another, bearing with one another, speaking to yourselves, plural, amen. By the way, the last lesson we learned, how do you redeem the time? Watch your tongue, speaking to yourself in Psalms, Hymns. Redeeming the time there is what? Save all the good moments, amen. God is not saving you that time, you don’t have to save that time, let it go. But the word there is let me show you «redeeming the time,» verse 16, «because the days are evil». The word «time» here is kairos, which is what? An opportunity, there’s some translation that puts it as buying up every opportunity. But I don’t like the word just buying up, because it doesn’t give us the sound of redemption.
Though the word redemption means to buy, but the word redemption means more to buy, more than just to buy. It buys with a cost, a price paid, so what is your price to buy a lot of kairos moments, good days in your life? Speak to yourself, it drops down, alright, it says, speak to yourself, «speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs». Notice that, it involves one another, it’s church life. Yes, on your own as well, sing, pray in the Spirit, pray in tongues, amen. Sing, sing the songs we sang just now «Exalt the name of Him when you’re driving. Who rides».
I just recommend you don’t lift your hands, amen. Sing, you’ll be in much better shape when you arrive. When stress, alright, fills your mind and you feel like you’re not looking forward, you know, you’re going forward but you’re not looking forward to the day because there’s some assignment, you’re feeling stressed. What do you do? Sing, when you are singing, you are being filled with the Spirit. When you are singing, God is filling, I said when you are singing, God is filling. When you are speaking, God is filling.
So notice that in Christian life, a lot depends on this… Because this is the mark of royalty, not this hand, are you listening? It is not about doing, it’s about speaking. The righteousness of the law says, «The man who doeth them shall live in them, but the righteousness of faith speaketh». How do you get saved, the greatest gift of all, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, believe in your heart, you are saved, amen. A lot of people find, «Oh, it’s just too simple,» yeah, simple doesn’t mean cheap. It cost God his Son, it cost Jesus his life, hm? But it’s received in this way: «I believe and therefore I speak». But what are we believing and what are we speaking?
The Bible says in the book of wisdom, «Life and death is in the power of the tongue. And those who love it,» whether you love life and talk about it all the time, or you love death, talk about death all the time, you love the dark side, «Those who love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Death and life in the power of the tongue». Are you listening, because the Bible says, «If anyone can tame the tongue, he’s a complete man». So on the day of Pentecost, something happened, a prayer was birthed in the church on the birthday of the church that never existed in the Old Testament. I don’t care who they are, David, a man of the God’s heart, never prayed in the Spirit. Amen, Jeremiah, Elijah, and all the rest, Moses even, never prayed in tongues, or in other words, prayed in the Spirit.
Okay, from now on, praying in tongues will be known as praying in the Spirit. And by the way, that’s the correct definition because in 1 Corinthians 14:14 it says, «I’ll sing with the Spirit and I’ll sing with the understanding». It cannot be Spirit means… then understanding… no «Umph». It means praying the Spirit true to the entire meaning. If I pray in an unknown tongue, my Spirit prays. So I’ll sing with the Spirit and I’ll sing with your understanding, amen? So the gift came when it was birthed on the birthday of the church. And the devil saw it and the devil, you know what? He cannot wire trap it, he cannot understand it, he cannot hack it, he does not understand!
So I’ll tell you this: The devil saw that gift of praying in the Spirit, you know what he did? He started attacking the gift just like he attacked, the strongest blessings of God upon man, he will attack. The way of salvation, so many people in the world believe it’s by their efforts, by their doing, amen. That’s why Jesus calls it a narrow way, why? It’s only by grace through faith you are saved, «not of works lest any man should boast,» do you see that? So the devil attacks this and gives them many, many, many ideas about… you see, he’s telling you, you’re not needed, your efforts are not needed. People’s pride rises up when you tell them that. «I don’t want to receive a gift for nothing,» hey, friend, you better know that, whatever you do, ask the Lord for his blessing, depend on Him.
You know, I don’t take for granted even coming down here. I’ll tell you this: Every time I think about preaching, I say, «Lord, bless my preaching this coming Sunday, bless my preaching, bless it, Lord, because it is your blessing that makes reach. It’s not my efforts; bless it». When the Lord’s blessing is on the loaves and fish, no matter how few they are, how small they are, it will multiply. When the Lord blesses your health, it multiplies. The Lord blesses you, you want the blessing of God.
«But Pastor, we are blessed with all blessings in heavenly places». Yeah, we are, but the Bible never stops you from that relationship where you keep on asking God for more blessings. Because when Abraham, you look at Abraham, he blessed Isaac, but then later on, he already blessed Isaac, but Isaac was still blessed in other places. Isaac blessed Jacob but later on, God says, «I will bless you,» and he asked God for blessing. You find that people who are blessed keep on asking God for blessing still in other areas of your life. I have a message that says, «Why God keeps on blessing and blessing,» amen.
We need to know, because when you ask God for blessing, you are telling the Lord, «My trust is in you». Unless you bless, it doesn’t become more valuable, it doesn’t become greater. You know, «Lord, unless you bless, it will not work». So you pray like, you know, you’re desperate, «Lord, bless me, bless my project, bless what I’m doing, Lord»! Look to the Lord, even your exercise, look to the Lord. «Bless my sleep». Do you say, «Bless my sleep,» before you sleep? Or you just…okay, right? No wonder you cannot attack at night, so ask the Lord for blessing, «Bless my sleep. It’s your blessing that makes rich, bless my sleep».
The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and adds no sorrow with it, hallelujah, amen? Pray in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, Jesus said on the Day of Tabernacles, excuse me, John 7, real fast, before we close. «In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, 'If any man thirsts, let him come unto me, and drink.'» It’s a very personal thing, I cannot drink for you, your grandmother cannot drink for you, you gotta drink for yourself. «If any man thirsts, let him come to me and drink,» drink, enjoy yourself.
«Come to me, and drink. He that believes on me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water». It literally says «Belly,» also, the area is your innermost man, and the word «belly» is used by the Jews also for «womb». You got problems in your womb? Let the rivers of living water flow out, amen. And then, he says very clearly, «This is living water. (But he spoke of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: because the Holy Spirit was not yet given.)» why? Jesus was not yet glorified, he has not yet been crucified, rose from the dead, and he has not rise from the dead yet, he is not back to the Father where he is glorified, but is he glorified today?
So the Holy Spirit has been given, so imagine if you pray in the Spirit all day long before you talk to your child, amen, before you fetch your child or before you go into a hard conversation, pray in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit. When you’re tired, you don’t feel like praying, the devil wants to jam your mouth, has he succeeded? Do you want to live a long, happy life? How do you not speak evil? If you speak good, now there’s positive instruction. If you’re speaking in tongues, speaking in the Spirit, singing psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, there’s no room for evil words. You drive your car and someone just, you know, always driving car for pastors is the problem.
Alright, so we drive our car and someone just overtakes like that, go like… Because the devil wants your mouth to speak bad things so that you cannot speak good things. But you don’t know what to say to the person right? Amen, and then you drive on your way to work and then you feel like you’re stressed, amen? «Thy lovingkindness,» remember, don’t look up, okay, «Thy lovingkindness is better than life. Thy loving…» And people passing by will be wondering, «He’s listening to a hot song, okay, a real good song, whatever. I wonder what…» and you’ll see the joy of the Lord, and I tell you, stress will just melt like butter on a hot day by the time you arrive at your destination.
When you pray in the Spirit, amen, you will produce food for your soul, for your spirit. We all need food, revelation knowledge, food… not only that, your leaf will not wither. The idea of evergreen, like the trees planted by the rivers of water, evergreen, will not fade. And then we see the Holy Spirit defining the leaf also as medicine. The more you pray in the Spirit, you are applying the best medicine known to man.
So yes, God can heal you in one instant, God heals you by the gift of healing, aren’t you glad that God is so rich? It’s called the manifold grace of God, amen, you can pray in the Spirit. «Holy Spirit, I have this problem, I don’t know why this pain has been here for some time, but you know, pray for my healing». I’ll tell you this: While you’re doing that, you’re also being freed from stress. Maybe God wants to free you from stress first before he brings the healing. But you know something has been done because you are praying to the only one who can really do something about it, amen?