Skip to content

#LACorinthians Devotional Day 14 by Orode Faka

image

So, I am a reforming bargain-hunter worshipper. You know, those arriving at church just as Pastor mounts the podium, deceiving ourselves that God’s timing ensures we hear the message He wants us to hear, then quickly ducks out after service.

My church was like my favourite market. I knew everyone. I had my people I would extend a courteous smile, maybe stop and exchange a few words. As long as I left with my Soul Food for that week, ‘la vie est belle’. But as much as I loved my market / my church, I wasn’t going to bring it into my home, my life.

What Paul calls church were essentially our home fellowships, the mega stadium churches we have today cannot fully operate as Paul orders in 1 Corinthians 14, or could they? 

Speaking in tongues is indeed an intimate communication between you and God. It is for your benefit, your inspiration. It is you gaining clarity in God. Like all things of God, the more we know God, the more it overspills into our everyday, especially how we relate with others.

Pursue love and desire spiritual gift…

The importance of prophecy is that it is love in action. We have pursued love and now engage in a beautiful relationship with God. We desire spiritual gifts and begin to live out our calling. All to which is nothing if we do not use it to prophesy – to build up someone in the Lord, to offer encouragement and to comfort.

…but especially that you may prophesy.

Paul’s directive for the church is still possible, and relevant. It is those wonderful minutes before and after service, it’s home fellowship. It’ll requires us to stop treating the church as our supermarket. We need to look at what we do when we worship together and how we may prophesy to our church.

Ask yourself, how does my church benefit from my attendance? A prophetic word convicts others to worship God; we do not need to be a ‘worker’.

Ask God to speak through you to be a sign; many are suffering in silence.

The church desperately needs edifying.

Written by Orode Faka of @theLAfamily