Facilitator: Tembo Nani 

Month Theme: A New Filling 

Topic - Restoring the Speaking Gifts

Let us pray. Father, we thank You for another time in your presence. Let there be a refreshing, renewing and repositioning. Holy Spirit, please help us. Come and take charge. Brood over every soul interacting with these words. Thank you Jesus. Amen.

I want to appreciate the speakers in this series. They have watered us in tremendous ways, speaking true words from the Scripture which are capable of sanctifying us. As we explore these gifts of the Spirit, we will keep coming back to some of the thoughts to be shared here and issues raised. There’s a lot to treat.

This is a challenge I’m posing to parents in the house. Paul said, “ I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all… (1 Cor 14:18a).” He taught them but lived with examples that the church could see. As parents, do we do the same in our houses?

But it’s coming further home. It was recorded that Philip had four daughters, virgins who could, no, which did prophesy - Acts 21:9. This was an account from Paul’s travels when they stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist. He saw these single ladies in action and I believe it wasn’t once. It sounds to me like it was “normal runs” in the house. Serious spiritual gift on display every time like it’s a natural lifestyle. Hmmm…

Can you imagine the degree of guidance that could have been experienced in that home? Decisions to be taken, for instance, being guided by prophetic flow, and there are many decisions to take in a family setting. 

Can you imagine every aspect of the home supercharged with working of this prophetic gift in Philip’s house? From four ladies, not one or two, all four!

And prophecy doesn’t just foretell the future as we know it to be mainly. It doesn’t only tell you what will happen, as theologians have noted. It is helpful or manifests in several other ways less acknowledged today as prophecy. It can come as comforting words for a specific audience or person. You see, that one can prophesy or speak in tongues or interpret them doesn’t mean some unfortunate event will not befall them. But with prophecy coming as comfort through the written words, it helps such soul to gain strength and faith in God. Nehemiah 8:8-10.

It can also come as edification. Imagine you going through a difficult time and someone tells you by the Spirit of God that God is with you, He has not forgotten or forsaken you (even without mentioning “God said”), this will go down into your soul even if you don’t acknowledge it. That’s prophecy via edification. 

Exhortation on the other hand means to encourage someone to take action and prophecies can come in this form too. “Don’t worry, go,” “Apply for that program,” etc. and things fall in line despite the challenges. That’s prophecy on the wheels of exhortation. Isaiah 40:2.

While preparing for this season, I remember some of my interactions many years ago where these forms were on display both at home and outside which I did not know were dimensions of Holy Spirit working. 

“Help me pray for my child,” or “Help me ask God which course my child should study in the university” should not be rife in the church today if we manifest these gifts from our homes. They are for the believers, not pastors or pulpit ministers or those called into the ministry.

Same applies to divers kinds of tongues and interpretations. In the homes, these can be enjoyed or experienced. 

Prophecy has long been a major gift/ministry and still holds sway today, very popular that title is attached to it but I’ve not seen any title developed from the gift of speaking in divers kinds of tongues, interpretation of them and no office of speaking in different tongues. Sounds weird, abi? Lol.

But all these and other gifts are very important. In fact, I was electrified while preparing for this session when I understood that the ushering in of the dispensation of the Holy Spirit was with divers kinds of tongues. Not prophecy, not miracle, not healing, but divers kinds of tongues. 

And that captured the attention of many thousands out of which 3,000 were saved on hearing Peter preach - Acts 2:41. 

This Holy Spirit just knows how to appear in grand style to attain maximum benefits for God. If this gift of divers kinds of tongues was so important that the Holy Spirit used it first, how do we think it’s less important to other gifts?

People pray to be able to heal, do miracles but I don’t think I’ve heard anyone ask to be able to speak in different tongues. There are many personal experiences I can’t put in public writing yet. 

Many of us don’t even know if the tongues we speak is the unknown type (which only God understands) or the divers kinds (which people native to that tongue understand when they hear).

Most times we speak the tongues among people like us and without an interpreter. The gift of interpretation of tongues has become so rare today, may be in my own view, because I can’t remember the other time I heard it. Far back in 2002 was the first and last time I heard the public interpretation of tongues spoken. Hmmm…

 Acts 2

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

And Africa was fully represented among the witnesses of the Pentecost experience. The disciples needed no interpreter because verse 11 says - We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

Can you imagine yourself as a wonderful Spirit-filled Igbo guy whose only other languages well spoken and understood are pidgin English and Yoruba at an international conference where you raised your hand to ask question and suddenly the Holy Spirit seizes you without your knowledge and you’re speaking fluent French? And your colleagues and bosses need interpreter and are wondering what is happening to you while the other participants are enjoying your interaction? Can you imagine what amazement that would be?

Do we see that there are vast dimensions of God’s work and the significance of manifesting these gifts from the altar of the homes? 

Can we have a generation of children sharpened as arrows made ready to be shot by God through the parents? 

Psalms 127

4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

We are talking about restoring the vocal gifts of the Spirit, not just prophecy alone or speaking in tongues but all of them and that includes interpretation of tongues and it starts with raising the awareness or reminding ourselves of these things.

2 Timothy 2

14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.

2 Peter 1

12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

Parents, yes; believers, yes; singles, youths and young adults alike, how do we fare in these gifts? 

Accepted that you are not the one who gives yourself these gifts, the Holy Spirit does “as He wills” but Paul said, “Covet earnestly the best gifts.”

How do you covet? You start by desiring it and you press in prayers. 

Paul said we should pray without ceasing. What do we pray about? We know that 99.9% of those prayers are for God to bless us financially, materially, deliver us, etc. When prayer request list is asked to be submitted, check through and you will not see the mention of these gifts. It’s always prayer for healing, breakthrough, deliverance, “me, me, me” prayers and it’s okay, but we Christians are the ones who still judge that God’s power isn’t like days of old. Okay, let’s continue.

Paul said we should desire it, covet it yet I show you a more excellent way next month, God willing…

The questions I’m leaving you with are:

1. What will you do with what you have learnt now? 

2. ⁠Will you press God for these gifts? If yes,

3. ⁠How long will you last in pressing?

Thank you for having me. Thank you for your time. God bless you.