Can You Be Filled with the Holy Spirit and NOT Speak in Tongues?

Becoming filled with the Holy Spirit is validated by physical and spiritual signs. A vast majority of people and it has become a part of the doctrine of many churches today to see speaking in tongues as proof of being filled with the Holy Spirit. This position is justifiable from the scriptures. Nevertheless, the big question still remains – Can one be filled with the Holy Spirit and not speak in tongues?”

Can I be filled with the Holy Spirit and not speak in tongues?

Speaking in tongues is a sign of baptism in the Holy Spirit which is not a subject for argument. From scriptures as seen in the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2 and when Peter preached the Good News to Cornelius in Acts 10, speaking in new tongues is a sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

But then, this is not the only sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit that there is. In fact, speaking in tongues is only a physical sign of this experience. Being a physical sign, if used as the only basis for justifying the baptism of the Holy Spirit makes the person of the Holy Spirit less of a Spirit. Even though the activities of spirits can be seen physically, their actual workings are not visible to the human eyes.

With that, it is possible for a person to be filled with the Holy Spirit and not speak in tongues. The single most important proof of being filled with the Holy Spirit is not speaking in tongues but TRANSFORMATION. The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is transformation and this is what the Spirit of God is concerned with and not making you speak in new tongues.

Transformation is the process that makes one become like Christ. The Holy Spirit’s goal in the life of every believer is to make us conform to the image of Christ, transforming us from the fallen nature to the very image of Jesus, the Christ of God.

Introducing the Holy Spirit, Jesus said;

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.” – John 16:13-14

 

What this means is that the Holy Spirit is Jesus dwelling in all men. It is like a software that is installed in every believer that makes it possible for the life of God to flow into and through the believer. According to Pastor Benny Hinn, the Holy Spirit is Jesus Unlimited. The Holy Spirit’s job description in the life of a believer is to make him or her like Christ and not just to speak in tongues.

This is what Apostle Paul tried to communicate in 2 Corinthians 3:18;

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

The proof of being baptized in the Holy Spirit is not to just speak in tongues but the transformation that is expected to follow by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues is a true and verifiable sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit but it is not a potent yardstick when we consider the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the believer.

Conclusion

Speaking in tongues cannot be dismissed as a sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. A believer who does not speak in tongues will miss out on many of the bounties that are in God. While we see speaking in tongues as proof of Holy Spirit baptism, transformation and conformity to the image of Christ are ultimate.

Does God Answer Every Prayer?

You have probably being a situation where you could not help but wonder "Does God answer every prayer?"

This question may spring up after you must have sought God's face, tabled your request, worshipped, fasted, praise, and performed all the things we know to do to get answers from God to no avail. 

Like many believers, myself included, you may begin to doubt God's ability to answer prayers. This article seeks to bring the right perspective to the subject matter we are considering – Does God answer every prayer?. 

I will be answering the following questions: 

• Can God answer every prayer?
• Will God answer every prayer?
• Why does God answer some prayers and not others?
• Does God delay answering prayers? 

You are in for an eye-opener. To answer the questions we will peruse through scriptures. Let's begin right away. 

ALSO READ: How To Overcome Distractions in Prayer 

Can God Answer Every Prayer? 

Yes! God can answer every prayer. There is nothing too difficult for God to do. It will interest you to know that according to God's word, He is obligated to answer us when we pray. 

God Answers Prayers Bible Verses 

The following scriptures prove that God can answer every prayer and is ever ready to answer us when we pray. 

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? – Jeremiah 32:27

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. – Jeremiah 33:3

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? – Matthew 7:7-11

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. – John 14:13-14

These scriptures are a few out of the many that prove God can answer every prayer. There is absolutely nothing too hard for God to do. No prayer too difficult for God to answer. 

ALSO READ: How To Walk With The Holy Spirit Everyday

You may want to ask if God can answer every prayer, why has He not answered some of my prayers?. This will lead to the second question I will be answering – will God answer every prayer?

Will God Answer Every Prayer?

Sadly, God will not answer every prayer. As you have seen in your life and I can point out from scriptures, it is not every prayer that God will answer. 

God is a King and He will only do that which is in the best interest of His kingdom. Anything that goes against His will and His kingdom even prayers will not get His endorsement. 

The next question explains why God will not answer some of our prayers.

Why Does God Answer Some Prayers and Not Others?

The truth is that there are several reasons why God does not answer every prayer. We can pick some of them from the scriptures. 

Jesus, who is the Son of God delivered the most profound teachings on praying effectively. 

We see the evidence of His prayer ability in the Gospels. It will interest you to know that this same Jesus once prayed and didn't get answered. 

Our Jesus who said whatsoever you ask in my name, I will do it. The same Jesus that said ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened unto you prayed one time and His prayer was not answered. 

Shocked? 

Remember, the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-42). Jesus was about to draw back from dying on the cross and He wanted to pray to God that the cup passes over Him.

ALSO READ: How To Pray In The Spirit 

God did not respond and this tells us one of the reasons why God answers some prayers and not others. 

1. Prayers must be in synchrony with His will 

Do you recall when I said God is a King? And that anything we do or want to do that is not in tandem with His will and the interest of His kingdom will not get His endorsement?

It is the same thing when we pray. God will not answer any prayer that does not capture God's will and the interest of His kingdom. 

Prayer must be aligned to God's will before it can be answered. God is not going to jeopardize His plans and purposes by answering prayers that are a malignment from His will. 

This is what Jesus understood when He prayed that the cup should pass over Him at the garden of Gethsemane. When He saw God was not ready to grant His desire, He knew it was God's will for Him to die. 

John reveals how that God's will is the single most important factor for getting answers to prayers. 

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: – 1 John 5:14

Our confidence that the prayers we pray would be answered is in the fact that when we pray according to the will of God, he hears us. 

The moment our prayers become selfish and maligned from God's will, we should not expect to receive answers. 

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. – James 4:3

If the goal behind your prayer is to feel good about yourself, to boast, or have a sense of pride, James reveals you are never going to receive from God. 

This is why Jesus counseled: 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. – Matthew 6:33

2. Sin

We see a scenario painted in Isaiah 59

Behold the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. – Isaiah 59:1-2

Sin as seen in the scripture above is another reason why God answers some prayers and not others. 

God can reach you in whatever condition you are in and bring you out of it but He would be incapacitated you are living in sin. 

It is not in the character of God to associate with any form of sinfulness and impurity. Sin will keep God's face hidden from you. 

It does not matter whether you pray in tongues, fast all through the year, or worship like the angels, in sin God will not answer your prayer. 

See what Apostle Peter said 

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. – 1 Peter 3:12

The ears of God are open to the prayer of the righteous only. He is disconnected from the sinner and can only hear him or her when they repent of their sins. 

John also affirms 

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. – 1 John 3:22

The man who is sure to receive answers from God is one who keeps His commandments and does the things that are pleasing to God. 

3. Lack of faith 

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. – James 1:6-7

Lack of faith is another reason why God answers some prayers and not others. Praying without faith in God is like trying to drive a car with a knocked engine. 

Faith is the currency we give God together with prayers to get answers from Him. Hence, no man should expect to receive answers from God when he does not believe God can answer him. 

Hebrews 11:6 asserts that 

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. – Hebrews 11:6

Your access to God is faith. Without faith, your prayers will not be answered. 

ALSO READ: How To Develop a Powerful Prayer Life 

Does God Delay Answering Prayers?

Certainly, He does. God may delay the answer to prayer because the time for its fulfillment isn't ripe. 

He may also delay answering prayers when He needs to teach the prayer warrior patience or take him or her through a school in the Spirit. 

It is difficult to give a formula that proves why God delays answering prayers. 

Answers to prayers may also be delayed when the requisite amount of others needed before God acts has not been appropriated. 

For instance, Elijah had to pray seven times in 1 Kings 18:42-44 before he opened the heavens for the rain to fall. 

In Luke 18, Jesus taught us the same lesson when He spoke a parable about a widow and an unjust judge. The widow kept appealing to the judge until he had no choice but to give her justice. 

The principle we learn here is that of perseverance and persistence in prayer. God's delay is not denial. We must continue in prayer as Paul admonished in Romans 12:12 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 thus 

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; – Romans 12:12

Pray without ceasing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

In conclusion, Does God answer every prayer? 

No

Can God answer every prayer? 

Yes He can 

Enjoy grace to find answers when you pray! 

How to Walk With the Holy Spirit Everyday

As believers, we have been called to walk with the Holy Spirit everyday of our lives. To make the most of our lives – spiritually and physically – we must sustain the ability to walk with the Spirit of God.  

Apostle Paul counselled believers in Galatians 5:16 saying:

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

The kingdom of God is not one that is sponsored by the actions of flesh. Everything we must do as Christians, citizens of God’s kingdom, must be sponsored and engineered by the Holy Spirit.

It will interest you to know that the death of Jesus would have not redeemed mankind or saved us from sin if it was not done by the help of the Spirit of God.

How much more shall the blood of Christ, WHO THROUGH THE ETERNAL SPIRIT OFFERED HIMSELF WITHOUT SPOT TO GOD, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God –Hebrews 9:14 (Empahsis Added)

The emphasis I added shows that Jesus offered his body to God through the Spirit of God. Indicating that anything we do outside the Spirit of God would either not be pleasing to God or yield the desired results.

Had Jesus died without the input of the Spirit of God, His death would have been fruitless and a waste. This goes to prove how that we cannot do anything in this kingdom without the help of God’s Spirit.

Prayer, Bible study, fasting, giving, evangelism and what have you would never produce results except we learn how to walk with the Holy Spirit. Even in the corporate world, to see exceptional results we must walk with God’s Spirit.

How to Walk With the Holy Spirit

Seeing that we cannot do anything except we are empowered by God’s Spirit, we must learn how walking with the Spirit of God works.

To walk with the Holy Spirit, you must be submissive, yielded, and obedient. This is basically all you need to do to walk with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit only works with vessels that are yielded. And if you will walk with Him, the first thing to deal with is your will, ensuring it submits to Him and His lordship.

In being submissive and yielded, you are not in possession of your will, desires, and ideas. You are open to His and apt to obey any instruction He gives.

For spirits, regardless of their disposition, your submission and obedience is all they need to walk and partner with you.

The Bible reveals a great spiritual law that is responsible for walking and partnering with spirit entities.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? – Romans 6:16

By implication, any spirit you yield to, submit to, or decide to obey, you become a servant of that spirit and an extension of the spirit’s life and essence.

For instance, if you decide to yield to the Spirit of Lust and carry out its demand that may include masturbation, fornication, adultery, etc., you will become a servant of that spirit.

At first you had the option to refuse the spirit but when you become a servant, you will be unable to refuse the demands of that spirit.

This same principle applies to the Holy Spirit. If you must walk with the Spirit of God you must submit, yield, and be obedient to Him.

As you seek God, His Spirit begins to bring witness to your heart and in obedience to it you begin to walk with Him.

Unfortunately, there is no hanging on the fence. You are either walking in the spirit or in the flesh. You can not choose not to walk in the spirit and think you would not subscribe to the flesh.

One must be at work in your life. It is either you are giving expression to the Spirit of God or you are under the yoke of the flesh.

Walking in the flesh like Romans 6:16 explains leads to death and we see what it means to walk in the flesh from Galatians 5:19-21

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Anybody who walks in the flesh and practices the works of the flesh shall not inherit the kingdom of God. This makes walking in the Spirit an unavoidable course.

Refusing to walk in the Spirit is tantamount to walking in the flesh. The Spirit of God unlike other spirits does not coerce or force but demonic spirits will.

They will lure and seduce you to give in to them. Until you are emphatic about who your loyalty lies with, it is anybody’s game. This is why the writer of Hebrews said:

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – James 4:7

Submit to God and His Eternal Spirit else you would have no legal grounds and ability to resist the devil and his agents.

Submission to God’s Spirit not only helps you begin your walk with Him, it gives you the ability to deviate from the path of the flesh.

Conclusively, to walk with the Spirit of God everyday, decide to

1. Submit
2. Yield and
3. Obey the Spirit of God

In doing these, you will begin to sense Him drawing closer and leading you every step of the way.

Is Prayer About The Number of Hours?

One of the major talks surrounding the art of prayer in our day and time is the question of how many hours one spends praying? 

Oftentimes this question has caused many persons to fall into the error of praying to prove a point and when the point gets proven, arrogance steps in.

The big question is that should prayers be about the number of hours spent? Are the numbers of hours spent in prayer as important as prayers itself?

To answer this question, it is important to examine what prayer is about. Prayer in the light of this article is the art of communicating with God in a bid to receive response and results. 

Simply put, prayer is an art of communing with God and this communion must find worthy results. Effective prayer is a means to an end and that end as I will show you from scriptures can be summed up into: 

• Spiritual building 
• Answers from God 
• Spiritual warfare 
• Transformation
• Tabling requests 

The above points are a summary of what prayer is expected to accomplish. Let me walk you through some scriptures. 

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. – Jeremiah 33:3

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. – Matthew 7:7-8

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? – Luke 11:9-13

And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. – Luke 9:29

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; – Ephesians 6:12,13,18

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. – Philippians 4:6

Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. – James 5:17-18

Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 7:7, and Luke 11:9-13 show us that when we pray, God is obligated to answer. From this, we can deduce that one of the ends of effective prayer is answers. 

Luke 9:29 shows us that prayer when done effectively transforms us. The transformation Apostle Paul spoke about in Romans 12:2 is possible when we pray. 

Prayer is also a means to table our requests to God telling Him of our challenges, fears, worries, needs, and the things that bother us as we see in Philippians 4:6.

Spiritual warfare as we can see from Ephesians 6:12,13, and 18 can be carried out by prayers. Furthermore, we can entrench judgment and God's will on the Earth as Elijah exemplified in James 5:1-18. 

In whatever form or manner, effective prayer has a goal and the goal is to come to a definite result. I know that it is not all prayers that find answers. Such prayers teach us to trust God and rely on His timing. 

Effective prayers always have a definite result. Either you are getting answers, being transformed, engaging in spiritual warfare, building your spirit man, or learning patience by depending and trusting in God. 

There is nowhere prayers are seen as a means to prove a point. Nowhere! 

We do not pray because we want to let people know that we are prayerful. We do not pray so we can tell others how many hours we pray. 

According to 1 Thessalonians 5:17, the Bible says 

Pray without ceasing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Ceasing is ceasing. There is no time when we can say we have prayed enough. If you prayer for hours, that is good, keep praying. 

Prayer for us is not a show-off. Luke 18:1 makes us understand that prayer should be our lifestyle – like oxygen to drive our lives. 

We are not praying by our energy hence there is no room to boast about it. Take a look at Romans 8:26

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

We do not know how to pray because we can speak in tongues or are masters of the English language and can gather vocabulary and grammar to pray to God. 

Prayer is a spiritual activity and its prosecution must be governed and supervised by a Spirit. It is the Spirit of God that supervises and governs prayers. 

Therefore to pray effectively, we must depend on the Spirit and have Him assist us while we pray. Only when we pray in the Spirit, by the help of the Spirit, and under the supervision of the Spirit can our prayers be effective. 

So when we pray, we do not boast as it is not a function of our strength. It is a function of Spirit-propelled energy. 

I am not in any way talking down on long hours of prayers. It is very important to pray for long hours. My point is we do not pray for long hours to prove a point. 

On a final note, prayer is not about the number of hours (even though long prayers are important). It is a means to an end one that should find worthy results and not just a point-proving endeavor. 

Pray without ceasing.

Pray till God answers. 

Pray to transformation.

Pray to build your spirit. 

Pray to win invisible battles. 

Pray to engage and win spiritual warfare.

Do not pray to prove a point. 

Do not pray to show you can pray for long hours. 

Anathema Maranatha. 

Bethel Peter – Enthroned [Download MP3]

 

Making her debut into the gospel music front is Minister Bethel Peter with a solo single titled "Enthroned" produced by Godwin Owulo.

Our God sits in heaven and He has made the earth His footstool. Forever He is Enthroned and nothing can attempt to contest His rule.

We sing about the Enthronement of God as an affirmation of His ever-enduring rulership over the entire world.

In this single, Minister Bethel Peter sings about our God in adoration as His throne is forever built on righteousness and justice.

It is on the strength of God's Enthronement as King of Kings and Lord of Lords that we have hope that in this life and the life after this.

One of the purposes of the creation of man is to offer God pleasure. According to Revelation 4:11, scriptures speaking says

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are and were created.

Seeing we are created for His worship and to give Him pleasure, we sing of His Enthronement, the Enthronement of One who is King of All Spirits, the One who sustains all and He is sustained by none.

He is Yeshua and completely deserving of our worship.
Join Minister Bethel Peter in Enthroned as we sing of our God who is King of Kings.

Listen to the song on Audiomack by clicking the link below:

How To Build a Personal Relationship With God

Building a personal relationship with God should be the quest of every believer. 

Every serious believer must look for ways to build a personal relationship with God and sustain one. 

The Bible speaks of Enoch saying: 

And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. – Genesis 5:24

Even of Noah 

These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. – Genesis 6:9

God expects us to fellowship with Him, know Him, and master His ways. This can only be actualized when we begin to walk with Him. 

He told Abraham in Genesis 17:1 

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 

After calling Him out of his kindred and family, God's purpose for Abraham was for him to build a relationship with Himself.

Even in the beginning, God created man as a being that would be able to communicate with Him and interact with Him. 

Before man was created, there was nobody who could interact with God in fellowship and hence no man knew who God was. 

The angels and elders only cried "holy, holy". This was their way of describing who God was. 

It was deficient in meaning as they called God holy because they did not know who He was.

Holy in this context does not mean holiness. It means to be set apart, to be in one's class. 

One of the goals behind the creation of man in Genesis 1 was to correct the issue of building a relationship with God. 

So we see how that God would always come down in the cool of the day to fellowship and commune with the man He has created. 

And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. – Genesis 3:8

Even as the year 2021 is beginning, one of the matters we must concern ourselves with is building a personal relationship with God.

I trust God to share some steps on how to build a personal relationship with God in this article. 

Before I share the ways we could build a relationship with God and maintain fellowship with the Father, I would like to answer an important question. 

Some persons may have doubts about the possibility of this spiritual activity. These persons may wonder can I have a relationship with God?

I will answer that. 

Can You Build a Relationship With God?

Yes, you can build a relationship with God. Both in the old and new testament, there are records of men who walked with God in fellowship. 

During the introduction, I spoke about Enoch, Noah, and how God asked Abraham to walk before Him and be perfect. 

It is very possible to have a relationship with God and yes you can have one. 

The Bible says, 

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. – 1 Corinthians 1:9 

In 1 John 1, we see Apostle John explaining certain truths regarding fellowship particularly in verse 3

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

John shows us that they had fellowship with the Word of life and he invited every one of us to do the same. 

If Enoch walked before God, if Noah did the same if God asked Abraham to do so, and seeing Apostle Paul's writing to the Corinthians and John's message in 1 John, fellowship with God is possible. 

Away from this, let's see how we can build a relationship with God.

How To Build a Relationship With God 

To build a personal relationship with God is possible by adopting the following steps.

Know God Experientially

You can not have a relationship with someone you do not know. The first step to building a relationship with God is to know God.

The knowledge of God here does not refer to an awareness of who He is but a revelatory experience of who God is. 

What this knowledge of God means is to be born of God. And being born of God is to accept the sacrifices of Jesus on the cross in securing our redemption. 

The book of John 14:6 says 

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

What this scripture shows us is that knowing God in fellowship is only possible through Jesus. 

So, one must first accept Jesus as Lord and Savior before the journey of having fellowship with God can be initiated. 

Access and interaction with God is only possible when man exchanges his life with Jesus' life in surrender and repentance. 

Jesus is the express image of the Father and Colossians in chapter 2 verse 9 says

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

And in John's narration of who Jesus was, he said

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: – John 1:12

When we receive Christ, we become the sons of God. This sets us on the platform for fellowship with God. 

If you have not surrendered to Christ there can be no means of interacting with God. In sin, we can never have a personal relationship with God. 

The Bible speaking in Isaiah 59 verses 1 and 2 says 

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

God would not have anything to do with sinners except they turn to Him in repentance. 

Sinners can not have fellowship with God or build a relationship with Him. 

Apostle Peter sums this position up when he wrote that 

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; – 1 Peter 1:15 

Holiness is key and important to our fellowship with God. God will not behold iniquity and He will not grant audience to an iniquitous individual. 

Every one of us sinned and fell short of His glory and the gift of God that brings salvation has appeared to us to wash our sins. 

Accepting this gift of God, Jesus is the first step to fellowship with the Father. 

Study and Meditate on the Word 

Knowing who a person is, their likes, and dislikes is important if you would ever have a fruitful relationship with them.

Your relationship with a total stranger can be tiring and unproductive and that is because you have no idea who the stranger is and what interests them.

Like I established earlier on, a relationship with God is possible when we know Him. The knowledge of God is progressive.

One part is seen in the first step I highlighted on how to build a relationship with God where I said one must be born of God to relate with God. 

The second part of knowing God is to study and meditate on His word. 

God's word is the seed containing His life and essence and if we must become intimate with Him we must be students of the word.

Apostle Paul admonished Timothy his son saying 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. – 2 Timothy 2:15

When we study God's word, we become familiar with His ways and operations. His words show us how He wants to fellowship with us and this creates an enabling environment in our heart for Him.

Remember, you can not have a good relationship with a stranger. Studying and meditating on the word of God makes us know Him and sets us up for interacting with Him.

Apostle Peter counsels us in 1 Peter 2:2 

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

This must be our posture towards God's word if we would ever build a relationship with Him. 

We must crave for the pure, sincere milk of God's word. 

In Paul's counsel to Timothy, he said 

Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

After we have encountered Jesus and become born of God, the next thing to do is to immerse ourselves in the study and meditation of God's word. 

Prayer 

Every relationship is founded on communication. You can tell the quality of a relationship by the level of communication present in it. 

Building a relationship both with God and humans involves communication. The survival of any relationship is hinged on how much the parties communicate.

Prayer is the communication channel between man and God. This is very important for our relationship with God. 

Let me share a personal experience. 

I noticed I was getting very close to a lady some time ago and I was not so comfortable with it. 

I wanted to reduce the closeness and probably end it before it sparks into something beyond my control. 

The only strategy that came to my mind was to reduce my communication with her. 

I stopped talking with her. I started to reply to her social media messages very late. I became too busy to talk with her.

And in less than 4 months we became distant friends. 

I am sure you just discovered why some of your relationships could not work out – poor communication.

The same principle applies to God. The more we talk with God in prayer, the more we know Him.

Let me draw your attention to something. 

There is a difference between talking to someone and talking with someone. What builds a relationship is not "talking to" but "talking with".

Prayer can either be used to talk to God or talk with God. Both are good. You can talk to God about your problems and ask Him for solutions. All you would be doing is exploiting the Fatherhood dimension of God. 

While you can talk with God and have Him talk back to you. This is what builds a relationship with God. 

Why is it important to talk with God? 

Talking with God puts us in the plans and purposes of God.

And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; – Genesis 18:16-17 

God could not hide anything from Abraham because Abraham has by prayer built a relationship with Him. 

Think of it this way. 

When you want to make a crucial decision, aside from God, one of the first persons you tell is your best friend right? 

See why it is important to talk with God always. 

Imagine you have a friend who only comes to you when they have a problem and once you help them solve that problem you don't get to see them again. 

The moment they get into another problem you see them running to you again. That friend only comes with requests and problems. 

Your relationship with such a friend would be very shallow and parasitic. Going to God in prayer only when you have needs can not help you build a good relationship with Him.

To walk with God, we must move beyond praying for our needs to praying for God's needs. 

I am not in any way demeaning the place of praying for your needs. It is very important. Jesus says 

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

But if all we do as prayers are centered around our desires and needs without God's own needs, then fellowship with Him would never be a reality.

In Revelation chapter 1 verse 6, the Bible says 

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

One of our duties as priests is to minister to God. We see that in Acts 13:1,2

Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

The ministration of these men in the Antioch church captured the need of God and we see God speaking to them. This is how we build a relationship with God. 

To wrap us this article, let me answer one more question. 

Can You Lose Your Relationship With God?

Yes! You can lose your relationship with God. 

Remember the story I shared about trying to reduce my closeness with a lady? The same principle is applicable here. 

The maintenance of our relationship with God should be the top priority for us because of the tendency to lose it. 

When you stop doing the things that helped you build a relationship with Him, God becomes distant from you. 

If you are a believer of the once saved forever saved doctrine, you may want to object to this truth. 

The once saved forever saved doctrine is true only on one side. Salvation is indeed eternal. 

Jesus' sacrifice on the cross to bring us salvation and redemption is eternal. This is what Hebrews 10:18 suggests

Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 

There is no other sacrifice for the remission of sin other than Jesus'. The salvation Jesus procured is eternal such that when you accept His life, you do not need any other sacrifice for your sins. 

The other side of the doctrine which many misplace is that being saved does not exempt you from sinning.

When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are made righteous. Righteous means right standing with God. 

God is too holy to behold iniquity and sin. Hence, we can access God thanks to the finished works of Jesus that cleanses us from sin. 

But then, being saved alone does not guarantee heaven. One can be saved and still go on sinning. 

The guarantee for heaven is holiness as is spelled out in Hebrews 12:14

... and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Being made righteous without holiness is tantamount to hellfire. If you accept Jesus but still go on sinning, your salvation is not eternal. 

This is why the once saved forever saved doctrine should not be adopted. 

Here's how you can lose your relationship with God: 

• Sin 

The moment sin enters a believer's life a lot of things go away including fellowship with God.

When Adam sinned, he lost the presence of God and was unable to have fellowship with Him. 

God will never interact with a vessel living in sin. The Bible says 

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: – Psalms 51:6 

Sin hinders fellowship with God and ultimately makes us lose contact with Him.

Conclusion 

Not only are we invited to have fellowship with God, but He also craves to fellowship with us.

God wants us to know Him. He wants us to move from servants to the position of friends.

It is possible to have a relationship with God.

Endeavor to enact one from today. 

DOWNLOAD MUSIC: Maverick City – Have My Heart MP3

Download Maverick City Have My Heart MP3 featuring Chandler Moore and Chris Brown on Gospelcaster

Maverick City comes with a lovely track dubbed Have My Heart featuring Chandler Moore and Chris Brown.

The Christian gospel music group has not failed to serve the Body of Christ with spirit-inspiring worship songs and Have My Heart by Maverick City is a continuation of their good work. 

The song Have My Heart speaks of total surrender to God. It is a song that invites us to a place of surrender to God. 

God freely gave His only begotten son, Jesus to die for our sins and He requires us to be completely given to Him in surrender. 

He procured our redemption through Jesus' death and we ought to reciprocate by giving Him our lives in return. 

Jesus in Matthew 22 verses 36 and 37 answered the question of what the greatest commandment is. 

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

The foremost command we must obey is to love God with all that constitutes our being. 

We are objects of worship and surrender is a way we express worship. Apostle Paul made this clear in Romans 12:1 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

A sacrifice does not have a will. A sacrifice does not have a choice. That's what surrender is about. This is what Maverick City Have My Heart MP3 explains.

We may not like or feel good about surrender. Isaac definitely was not happy about being offered to God. Jesus wept bitterly when He came face to face with the cross and begged that the cup pass before me. 

Nonetheless, God deserves surrender whether it is convenient or not. We must be willing to say Yes Lord.

This song will probably help your resolve to give up on your choice, will, and plans while giving in to God in total surrender.

Download Maverick City Have My Heart  MP3 featuring Chandler Moore and Chris Brown.

DOWNLOAD HAVE MY HEART MP3

Maverick City Have My Heart MP3 Lyrics 

My heart is Yours completely

My heart is Your totally

You love with no reservation

You're not looking for perfection

And there's no need in me pretending

I'll give You everything

I'll give You everything

You deserve my full attention

And nothing less than my devotion

Oh, speak to me and I will listen

I'll give You everything

I'll give You everything

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

Be the Lord of my emotions

Set me free from selfish motives

And search me till there's nothing hidden

And I'll give You everything

Yes, I'll give You everything

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

My heart is Yours forever

My heart is Yours forever

My heart is Yours forever

My heart, my mind, my soul

My heart is Yours forever

My emotions are Yours, yeah

My heart is Yours forever

All my dreams are Yours, yeah

My heart is Yours forever

All of my plans are Yours

My heart is Yours forever

If You want my heart

You got it, You got it, You got it

If You want my heart

You got it, You got it, You got it

If You want my heart

You got it, You got it, You got it

If You want my heart

You got it, You got it, You got it

If You want my heart

You got it, You got it, You got it

If You want my yes

You got it, You got it, You got it

If You want my all

You got it, You got it, You got it

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

I belong to You

I belong to You

Every part, all my heart

I belong to You

Nothing missing

I belong to You

Nothing hidden

I belong to You

Yes, I belong to You

I cry out, "Abba, Abba"

I belong to You

I belong to You

My heart is Yours forever

Heart is Yours forever

My heart is Yours forever

Yes, it is, yes, it is (My heart is Yours forever)

Even the parts I don't like (My heart is Yours forever)

Even the parts I try to hide (My heart is Yours forever)

Every room, every room belongs to You (My heart is Yours forever)

Come in and consume every room

It all belongs to You

It all belongs to You

Come in and consume every room

It all belongs to You

It all belongs to You

Come in and consume every room

It all belongs to You

It all belongs to You

Come in and consume every room

It all belongs to You

It all belongs to You

I will respond when You call me

I will respond when You call me

I will respond when You call me

I will respond when You call me

I will respond when You call me

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart (With no competition)

You can have my heart (With no distractions)

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart (No competition)

You can have my heart (With no distractions)

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart (No competition)

You can have my heart (No distractions)

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

If You want my heart

You got it, You got it, You got it

If You want my yes

You got it, You got it, You got it

If You want my time

You got it, You got it, You got it

If You want my mind

You got it, You got it, You got it

If You want my plans

You got it, You got it, You got it

If You want my dreams

You got it, You got it, You got it

There's nothing I withhold from You

You got it, You got it, You got it

There's nothing I withhold from You

You got it, You got it, You got it

There's nothing I withhold from You

You got it, You got it, You got it

There's nothing I withhold from You

You got it, You got it, You got it

There's nothing I withhold from You

You got it, You got it, You got it

Present your bodies

As living sacrifices

Holy and acceptable

Is our reasonable service

It's the least we can do

Give our hearts to You

It's the least we can do

Give our lives to You

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

You can have my heart

You can have my heart