PRAYING ON THE SPIRIT – PART 2: DR MENSA OTABIL – SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE, 19TH JUNE, 2022.
SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE BY DR. MENSA OTABIL (GENERAL OVERSEER INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) CHRIST TEMPLE, ACCRA GHANA)
TOPIC: PRAYING ON THE SPIRIT – PART 2
DATE: 19TH JUNE, 2022
TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 14:14-15
Let’s rise up together as we take our DECLARATION OF INCREASE in this Year of Increase:
Are you ready? Say with me:
I confess today that Jesus Christ is my LORD and Saviour. In Him I have life, His Abundant Life.
The Lord is my Light and Strength. As He is, so has He made me. By His Spirit I Increase in Word and in Wisdom. In Faith and in Favour.
The Lord has said: “In Blessing, I will bless you. In multiplying I will Multiply your Seed.”
So, I can boldly say: My God shall Increase me more and more. What I Place in God’s Hands grows into Overflow.
Though I begin small, my end shall Greatly Increase.
In this Year of Increase, I grow in Grace and in Strength. To be all that God wants me to be.
In Jesus’ Name – AMEN!
Last week I started Preaching on: “PRAYING ON THE SPIRIT” and I did Part 1.
DMC NOTES: We can get to access the Full Text of the Part 1 of this Series: “PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT” on this Link:
So today I am doing: “PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT – PART 2”.
1 Corinthians 14:14-15;
14 For if I Pray in a tongue, my Spirit Prays, but my Understanding is Unfruitful.
15 What is the Conclusion then? I will Pray with the Spirit, and I will also Pray with the Understanding. I will sing with the Spirit, and I will also sing with the Understanding.
Today I am going to focus on – SINGING WITH THE SPIRIT.
… Some would also call it: “Singing in Tongues”.
Just like Praying in the Spirit includes also Praying in Tongues.
Worshipping God with words we have not learned and Music we have not learned.
So, What is “SINGING WITH THE SPIRIT?”
I’ll give you Two (2) Definitions:
- It means Singing a “Known Song” in an “Unknown Tongue”.
What does that mean?
It means that in Prayer, in Worship, you can use the Music of a Song you already know; but the words of the Music would be in the Spirit – In Tongues.
Whether it is a “Known Chorus” or a “Known Hymn”; instead of Singing it in the regular way that the Song is sung (in English or some other Language you know) you sing it in Tongues.
That is Singing with the Spirit – Singing a “Known Song” in an “Unknown Tongue”.
… That’s the first one!
- Singing with the Spirit is Singing an “Unknown Song” in a an “Unknown Tongue”.
In that case the Holy Spirit releases a New Melody – A Melody you have not learnt before.
So whilst you Pray, you find your Spirit forming a New tune (as we say it).
A New Tune – A tune you didn’t know before. And as the tune comes up, you also find out you are Praying with Tongue alongside that Melody or that Music.
And that is called – Singing with the Spirit.
So Singing with the Spirit can be done in Two (2) ways – Sometimes it’s with a tune you already know, but the Language is with Tongues. And sometimes, it’s the Music you didn’t know at all and the Language is still with Tongue.
So, you can Sing with the Spirit in these Two (2) Main Ways.
Now the Message that is carried as you are Singing with the Spirit can be a Message of Thanksgiving, Worship, Exaltation or Prophecy. And usually, it is a Message to yourself.
And just like you need to Understand your Prayer with the Spirit; you also need to Understand your Singing with the Spirit.
Because the Holy Spirit is able to bring Understanding to you so that you would Understand the Sounds you are creating and what it means.
Because it may be a Word that God is giving to you; it may be an encouragement that God is giving to you; it could be an assurance that God is giving to you.
So, Singing with the Spirit can be a Word of encouragement to yourself.
The Passage also talks about Singing with the Understanding.
… I’m not going to spend too much time on that.
Singing with the Understanding is similar to Praying with the Understanding:
It is Worshipping God with “Known Words” and “Known Music”.
So when we come to Church and we are having Praise and Worship. And a Song is raised and all of us sing it. We know the Music and we know the words. We know the Melody line, we know the tune and we know the Song.
So what we are doing is not Singing with the Spirit. It is Singing with our Understanding – We Understand the tune, we Understand the word.
But when we are Singing with the Spirit, we don’t sing with words we Understand; we sing with Tongue.
So these are two (2) different Expressions – “I will sing with the Spirit, I will sing with the Understanding.”
Now I want you to know and note how the Passage (1 Corinthians 14:15) – “I WILL…” That’s the Apostle Paul talking.
“I WILL…” That means it is something I can “Switch On” and “Switch Off”. It’s something I can do.
I can decide in Prayer to sing with the Spirit, and then I can decide to sing with the Understanding – The Choice is mine.
The Holy Spirit is not the One making the Choice for me. I am making that Choice! As for the Holy Spirit, He is always inspiring.
But whether I would walk with Him in line, or do it another way, that isn’t Choice. “I will sing with the Spirit, I will sing with my Understanding.”
And as Christians we have to learn to come under the influence of the Holy Spirit, so we can Sing with the Spirit – Especially men.
Because we have to be Spiritually Sensitive Men who discern the Purposes of God for our families. So we can lead our families closer to the Lord.
So, we have to learn to sing with the Spirit; Song also with our Understanding.
I am going to go into the Old Testament very shortly, and show you a Module in the Old Testament, about something that happened.
It is not Singing with the Spirit as I have talked, but it would give you an indication that there is something similar to it that used to happen in the Old Testament – Similar, but not the same.
Because I will show you the Old Testament, and hopefully, I will come back to the New Testament to show you how it’s done in Practice.
So, we are going to look first at: “THE WORSHIP IN THE OLD TESTAMENT”.
1 Chronicles 25:1; before I read it, I’ll just do a little explanation.
You know that before Israel became a Nation, one of the things God gave them was the Tabernacle. And they had Priests – The Priests were the Levites.
And these Levites are the People who worked around the Tabernacle – They did all the Services there.
In the Old Testament, there is the Tabernacle and there is the Temple. The Tabernacle was moveable. And they had it when they were in the wilderness because they were moving from Place to Place, to the Promise Land.
When they got to the Promise Land, God told them now, build a Permanent Structure – That Permanent Structure became the Temple.
And David was the one who started the Process; and Solomon was the one who built the Temple.
The Worship in the Tabernacle was a little different from the Worship in the Temple.
One of the big difference was that, in the Tabernacle Days, there was very little Singing – Almost no Singing.
But in the Temple Days, Singing and Music became a very important Part of their Worship.
So now we are going to look at Parts of the Temple Worship. And I want you to Pay attention to a description that is made here.
1 Chronicles 25:1 – Moreover David and the Captains of the Army separated for the Service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should Prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. And the number of the Skilled Men Performing their Service was:
… Let’s leave the number!
But the Point I want you to Note is: “… Who should Prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals” – “Prophesying with Instruments” is a very Strange Terminology
How do you Prophesy with the harp, with the keyboard, with the drum, with the guitar?
But that is what they were told to do – Prophesy with an Instrument.
So, these Levites and Worshippers would come to the Temple; and they would Prophesy.
But you and I know that when a Person is Prophesying, he must say something. In this case, they are going to Prophesy, but they are not going to say a word that People can Understand – Like a Hebrew language;
But they are going to use the Language of a Musical Instrument to do the Prophesying.
The Instrument did not Prophesy, the People Prophesied – The Levites (Asaph), the Worshippers, the People from the Tribe of Judah who were Worshippers.
These Worshippers had the ability from the Holy Spirit to Prophesy. But the Language was not Hebrew – The Language is the Language of an Instrument.
… I want you to note that very carefully.
So, here we are – People doing something Spiritual with an Instrument, which is not Spiritual.
So there is a Marriage there, between the Gift of the Person who is Worshipping and the Instrument he is using to Worship.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PROPHESY?
It simply means to operate under the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
So, what does it mean when the Bible says: The Instruments were going to Prophesy?
They are going to Play their Instruments under the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
You see, normally when we come to Church and the Instrumentalists are Playing the Instruments, they are very Mindful of what they have learned – They know the beats they should use, they know when to Change to something else.
They know all of that as they have learned what to Play.
So, when the Instrumentalists are Playing to Support the Worship People, they know what they are doing – They have learned; they are Playing something they know; something they have rehearsed. They know!
When the Bible talks about Prophesying here, these People were going to Play the Instruments, not based on something they have rehearsed.
But instantly, by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they were going to use the Instruments in a way that is directly influenced by the Holy Spirit.
… They call it, Prophesying with the Instruments.
Why did they do that? And what did they do?
They did three (3) things:
- To create a Spiritual Atmosphere.
So, when they began to Play the Instruments, even without any word; even without any Song that People could recognise, they would just be Playing the harps, or Playing the cymbals, or the trumpet. And People would say: “This is the Presence of God.”
And the reason they say it’s the Presence of God is not because the Instrument is Anointed; but the Player is Anointed.
And because the Player is Anointed, he is Channelling the Anointing through a Musical Instrument. And you can feel it, as they play that something is taking Place.
We see a bit of it on the “Other Side”. And when I say, ‘The Other Side’ – This is not the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Because there are many Spirits that are not the Holy Spirit.
But when you go through some of our Traditional Settings and the People who Play the Instruments, and all of that. They can Play in a certain way that all of a sudden you would feel the Place has become ‘heavy.’
What are they doing? – They are Channelling a Spirit through an. instrument.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit (His Presence) can be made real, through the Playing of an Instrument.
Here, the Bible calls it, Prophesying with an Instrument – The helpers create a Spiritual Atmosphere.
Not only do the helpers create a Spiritual Atmosphere;
- They herald God’s Presence.
Now, remember these People are already Priests of God. So they know the Temple, they know how the Presence of God is.
When they are in a Service and they sense the Presence of God is in a Service, they Play on a way that heralds the Presence of God.
So, they are literally saying, “LORD, You are welcome, because we sense You are here today. And they Play to say, You are welcome Oh LORD.”
- And thirdly, they Minister to God’s People.
When the Instruments Ministered, they brought Life, Energy, Inspiration to the People.
Now, if you read the full Passage (1 Chronicles 25:1-end) it says that they did all of these under the Supervision of some Leaders in the Temple.
In other words, they don’t just take off and do things by themselves – It has to be managed. Very similar to what Paul says, that the Prophet in the New Testament also has to be Judged.
You don’t just move anyhow and say, “I am in the Spirit.” – Somebody must Judge whether what you are doing is in the Spirit or just for Showmanship.
Here we see in the Old Testament, something similar to Singing with the Spirit – Playing in a Language that is not known – That is, the Instrumental Music; but led by the Spirit.
But in the New Testament God has given us the Holy Spirit to live in us. And we can also (by the Spirit of God) use our Voices as Instrument. Just like they used then, your Voice as an instrument to sing a Song that is not a regular song; but a song of the Spirit, to touch God’s People.
… I hope you understand it?
Now let’s jump quickly to the New Testament and I would be winding up!
THE NEW STATEMENT MODULE.
Ephesians 5:18-20, and this is what it says:
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation (dissipation means wastefulness); but be filled with the Spirit,
19 Speaking to one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Singing and making Melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 Giving Thanks always for all things to God the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here the Bible is talking about the infilling of the Holy Spirit – Being filled with the Holy Spirit.
And the Picture you get is that when a Person is being filled with the Holy Spirit, there will be Joy and there will be Happiness.
A Spirit filled Person has a Joyful and a Singing Spirit.
When a Person is full of the Holy Spirit, they want to sing – They are Joyful, they are Happy.
The Passage contrast that with a drunken Person.
Have you noticed that when People are drunk with alcohol, they also normally sing? Have you noticed that? – They sing or attempt to sing.
Why are they Singing? – Because they are under an Influence. And the Influence is making them sing.
The Passage says, don’t be like that! -That is the way is the world.
Be filled with the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit can also make you sing!
But this Singing is not like the Singing of a drunk man; which is wastefulness. But this Singing is going to Produce a Supernatural effect in your Life.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, one of the things that manifest is the Joy of the Lord. And the Joy of the Lord is seen in Singing.
So you can’t come to Church when People are Singing and you are there like a Piece of wood – No!
If being filled with the Holy Spirit is working, one of the things we learn is that He moves! – You would be moved.
“He is the Mover Who moves Immoveable People.”
So, the Holy Spirit is moving, you would move. And as you are moving, one of the movements is that you are going to sing.
Just like in the Old Testament, the things the Priest would do is they would Prophesy with an Instrument;
When you are also filled with the Holy Spirit, out of your belly shall flow something that would move you. And one of the Manifestations of that Movement is Singing.
You don’t need to have the best Voice to Sing because you are not Singing in a Choir; you are not Singing a Special Song. But you are Singing to yourself and you are Singing the Song of the Lord.
In that Singing, there are Three (3) Types of Singing that is mentioned there:
- You are singing to yourself in Psalms.
… Everybody say, PSALMS!
What is a Psalm?
A Psalm is a written Music accompanied with Instruments: Known Melodies, Known words. Both the words and Melody is Known!
In the Old Testament – If you read your Psalms well and take note, it will say, “To be Played with this Instrument, to be Played on that instrument.
A Psalm normally, is a Spiritual Song or a Song sung by the Believer under the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit but in a known language and it is usually accompanied by Instruments.
Normally when we come to Church and we are doing Praise and Worship, it’s a kind of Singing in Psalms.
You say, “But we didn’t say Psalms 35.” – It doesn’t have to be Psalms 35. It is a Song we are singing and it is backed by Instruments – That’s a Psalm.
Technically, the Psalms are one hundred and fifty (150). But in terms of its full Understanding, it’s Music that is backed with instruments – That’s a Psalm.
So, Part of what the Bible says the Holy Spirit would do is that He will lead us to sing Psalms – Praise God, honour Him and so on.
- And then he talks about Hymns.
Hymns are Music and words in Praise of God.
In a Purely Theological, Technical sense, a Hymn is always in Praise of God.
A Hymn does not describe your situation.
So you cannot sing a Hymn about how fearful you are; how hard Life is; how difficult Life is. That’s not a Hymn! It could be a Psalm. But it’s not a Hymn.
A Hymn, so to speak, is Purely in Praise of God:
I. “Lord, You are Good and your Mercy endures forever.”
II. “Lord You are Mighty, Lord You are wonderful, Lord You created the Heaven and Earth.”
… Everything is about God when it is a HYMN.
When it is a Psalm, it can be about Life’s situations. But when it’s a hymn, it’s about God.
You know when you read the Psalms, you can get to a Psalm saying, “My enemies have multiplied; many are my enemies.”
… That’s a Psalm – It describes your Life Experiences.
But the Hymn is for God alone.
In these times when we say something is a Hymn, we mean it has got Stanzas.
But Hymn is not a Musical Structure. So it’s not the Stanzas – Verse 1, 2 that makes it a Hymn.
What makes a Song a Hymn is that it is directed to Praise God. That’s a hymn, from a Technical Theological Point of View.
- And then third thing that it says we would do when we are under the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit is Spiritual Songs.
Spiritual Songs are Unrehearsed, Inspired Songs – Usually Spontaneous.
And that is what the Apostle Paul had in Mind when he said, “I will sing with the Spirit” – It’s a Spiritual Song.
… Singing in a Language you haven’t learned.
One of the things we have to be opened to, as we wait on the Lord; is that many times at certain Points in Prayer, you will feel inside you as if God wants you to sing.
But the Song you are Singing is with a Melody you don’t know.
So, you are Singing something, you cannot say, “I heard it there, I rehearsed it here.” No! You are just Singing.
And don’t stop it because, it’s the Holy Spirit doing that.
And then you will find out as you are doing that – Singing it in Tongues, Singing it in the Spirit; sometimes you may not even be Speaking in Tongues as we normally do.
But it will be Singing.
You don’t even know what it is; but the Holy Spirit, inspiring that Melody, is beginning to convey a Divine Message to you, so that your Spirit would be edified, renewed and Uplifted.
When you understand these Spiritual Dynamics, your Prayer Life take on a New dimension. Because Prayer is not just Standing, going Marching up and down and repeating one phrase of Tongues but Prayer is when your Spirit is so senstive to God, that at various times there are different things that the Holy Spirit is doing through you.
And the things you don’t understand, you are asking for understanding, to understand what is happening – “Why am I singing this Song? What is this Song saying to me? Lord, what are you telling me through this Song?”
And the same Holy Spirit, Who inspired the Song would give you Understanding of the Song.
So, Paul says “I will Pray with the Spirit, and I will sing with the Spirit.”
Are you ready to sing with the Spirit?
Alright! Let’s get up and for two (2) Minutes, Practice what you have learned.
Lift up your hands to the Lord.
Let the Instrumentalists Prophesy with the Instruments. You are not Playing something you know. Just Flow with the Holy Spirit.
And as the Instrumentalists Prophesy with the Instruments, you also want to sing with the Spirit.
We welcome You Holy Spirit! We worship You. We declare Your Majesty. And we honour You this Morning or as you read now on the Label of DMC. Move through us and show us Your Glory.
In Jesus’ Name we have worshipped – Amen.
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