"I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all." 1 Corinthians 14:18

Few things in the Bible have created more fuss than the issue of speaking in tongues. Churches have split over it. People have been persecuted for doing it. People have even been killed for it. Who's behind all the trouble? Satan himself. He's so frightened of our ability to pray in tongues that he's continually trying to steal it from us through persecution and strife.

When we pray in tongues, we activate the Holy Spirit within us and He begins to teach us and enlighten us. If you want to see an example of what praying in tongues can do, look at the Apostle Paul. He said he prayed in tongues more than anyone in the whole Corinthian church and he was responsible for writing most of the New
Testament!

Don't let the distractions of the devil disturb you. Tap into the mind of God. Speak forth His wisdom. Pray in the Spirit today.

READ: Isaiah 28:9-12

"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."Matthew 7:7

Deep within our hearts, each of us knows there must be an answer to the problems we face. But often it seems to be out of reach, hidden behind a door that's locked tightly against us. What I want you to know today, however, is this: WE CAN OPEN
THAT DOOR! Jesus Himself has given us the keys.

READ: Psalm 63

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4

Do you know what Jesus was really talking about when He said those words? He was talking about the mourning of the intercessor. He was teaching about the comfort that comes to the intercessor when he is assured by the Holy Spirit that he has prayed through.

To pray through means "to break through the barriers that have stopped the work of God in the lives of others." It means using your spiritual armor to push back the forces of darkness that surround them.Somewhere in the world, someone needs you to pray them through.

Spend some time on your knees today.

READ: Luke 2:1-38

"If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace withevery one."Romans 12:18

When I was a new Christian, it was almost impossible for me to live at peace with anyone! Almost every time I opened my mouth, I said something ugly. I was constantly hurting the people I was close to. In fact, I spoke more harshly to them than to anyone else.

If you've developed the habit of speaking harshly, start changing that habit today. When someone crosses you on the job, at school, or wherever, and you're tempted to tear into them with cruel words, stop! Then take a few moments to give thanks and praise to God. Once you begin thinking about how good God is, more often than not, those harsh, angry words will just slip away unspoken.

Instead of using your tongue to tear people down, train it to lift God's praises up. Then living at peace with others will come easily to you!

READ: Ephesians 4:26-32, Ephesians 5:1-4

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy."John 10:10

The devil can't cause disaster in your life unless he has been given place. He can't come in and start destroying and stealing from you unless he can get you into a place of sin, doubt, ignorance, or disobedience. So if he's been giving you trouble, ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you've let those things in. Then repent and get rid of them.

Once you've done that, pull out the weapons God has given you and fire away with both barrels. Pull out the Word. Pull out prayer. Pull out faith and use it to tie the devil in knots. Use the uncommon power of God to keep him bound and he won't be able to put anything over on you.

READ: Ephesians 6:10-18

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leades me beside the still waters."Psalm 23:1-2

Is the devil out to destroy you? Do what David did. Meditate on God and His Word. Sing praises to your King. Fellowship with Him until the revelation of who He is in you starts to thrill your soul. Then tell the devil, "You're not going to kill me. The Lord is my Shepherd!"

Hit him with the rock of revelation knowledge, and you'll knock him
flat every time.

READ: Psalm 23

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord,which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."Revelation 1:8

Jesus is the beginning and the ending. He is the Almighty. When He told us that in the Book of Revelation, He wasn't just giving us a general piece of information about Himself. He was giving us a powerful truth we can apply now, today!

Let me show you how. He said He is the beginning. So no matter what challenge or situation you may be facing right now, you need to start with Him. John 1:1 says Jesus is the Word. That means, if you're going to start with Jesus, you're going to start with the Word. Don't do anything until you find out what the Word has to say about it.

READ: Proverbs 1:1-9

Mark 4:16-17

"And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended."

There seems to be an abundance of "stony ground" Christians these days. Initially, they get excited about the Word of God. They'll hear a message on prosperity, for instance, and they'll go home saying, "Hallelujah! I'm going to prosper in the Name of Jesus!" But then, somehow, things don't work out like they thought they should.
Their bank balance doesn't double overnight. They go through some disappointments. They suffer some criticism. Then, before you know it, their faith has withered away.

If you don't want that to happen to you, make up your mind right now that you're not going to let the rough times defeat you. Decide now that you're going to hang onto the Word even when the persecutions and afflictions come, because I can guarantee you, they will come.

READ: 2 Corinthians 4:6-18