What's the secret to growing your church, ministry, or business? Many churches offer Church Growth seminars, and you might be able to learn some tips from them, but I was pastoring 3,000 people when I was 27 years old. Would you like to know how I did it? The growth of my young church was supernatural, not natural. To put it simply, I found out what God wanted me to do, and I did it.
One of the Biggest Problems in the Body of Christ
One of the biggest problems in the Body of Christ is the lack of knowing one’s assignment. People jump into ministry without seeking God. They think that since they are part of the body of Christ, they can insert themselves anywhere, but that’s not what the Word says.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. (1 Corinthians 12:13-18)
Of course, we are all baptized into the body of Christ, but we each have a unique assignment. People, often with good intentions, find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, functioning under the wrong anointing, which causes cataclysmic problems all the way down the line. God doesn't reward people for doing the wrong things. But, as any General would do, He rewards those who follow orders precisely. If the General says, “I need you to march up hill XYZ and take it,” and you say, "No, I want to take hill ABC," you’ll be doing something, but not the right thing! Don’t expect to get a medal for meritorious service!
How to Find Out
The best way to find out what God wants you to do is to pray in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:2 tells us that when we pray in tongues, we pray mysteries. It reads: For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. So if you aren't sure where God wants you to go or what He wants you to do, then those things are mysteries to you, and you should seek God's will as you pray in tongues.
After I accepted my call from the Lord, I spent many hours under our dining room table praying in the Spirit. My wife and I were young newlyweds, and I had a secular job for a short time. Every day, I’d come home from work, get under that table, and pray in tongues. I only prayed about one thing: what did God want me to do as a minister of the Gospel?
One day, the presence of God was so strong under that table, I felt that if I opened my eyes, I would see Jesus in the flesh. It was as if the Spirit took complete control. I knew that 1 Corinthians 14:13 said Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret, so I asked for the interpretation. The words flowed out of my mouth with all the answers I needed at that time. The Lord told me what I was called to do, where I was to go, and what Bible School to attend. I did as the Lord instructed me, and I have never looked back. Of course, through the years, I've continued to pray in tongues daily, and God continues to reveal mysteries about what He wants me to do.
The key to growth in whatever you do is to pray out the mysteries about your situation in the Spirit, ask for the interpretation, and do what God says!
Comments