“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; … As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said…” (Acts 13:1-2).
Note that the Spirit spoke after they had ‘ministered to the Lord’ in the above scripture. This is a very important aspect of our Christian service. Ministering to the Lord is the essence of worship. You will never know the depth in the Spirit beyond the ordinary until you start ministering to the Lord. Ministering to the Lord is something you do consciously, not passively.
Many Christians wonder why their lives seem so ordinary and they don’t experience the power of God, as they should. The problem for the most part lies in this area. It’s so vital to learn how to minister to the Lord and more importantly, when to pray the prayer of worship.
If you’re ignorant of the things of God and His mode of operation, you wouldn’t know how to put yourself in the way of His blessings. God has already done what He’s supposed to do, but you must put yourself in the right position to receive.
Hebrews 13:15 shows us what to minister to the Lord: “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name,” which means ‘the tribute or speech that acknowledges and celebrates the Name of the Lord.’
When you share His testimonies for instance, you’re actually ministering to the Lord. As you make those confessions in His Name, Jesus, being your Great High Priest, presents them before the Father, who receives your words of praise and worship as a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour. There’s so much to thank Him for, so, lift your hands in worship and adoration, not because you want to ask for anything. Learn to adore Him and to bless Him for who He is
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son… (Romans 1:9).
Oftentimes, when the Lord gives you a responsibility or an assignment to carry out for Him, it’s usually not because you’re an expert. He gives you that assignment and expects you to be diligent. He expects you to put in your best, but the most important of all is that He expects you to do it by the power of the Holy Spirit.
No assignment in the house of God should be carried out by people who are not full of the Holy Spirit. This is because there’s nothing you can do for God that’ll be acceptable to Him without the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 9:14 tells us that Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice, through the Holy Spirit. It’s always been so with God.
Even in the Old Testament, when the Lord wanted Aaron’s garment (the Priest’s garment) to be made, just because the design was given by God, Moses had to get only those whom the Lord had filled with the Spirit to get the job done (Exodus 28:3). Think about it: He would only allow His priests wear clothes that were made by Spirit-filled individuals! Likewise, craftsmen that were to work in the tabernacle had to be filled with the Spirit to do the work.
On one occasion, the Lord said to Moses, “Get seventy leaders of the children of Israel, so they can assist you with the work.” Then God said, “I’ll take of the Spirit that’s upon you and put upon them” (Numbers 11:16-17). In other words, without the Spirit, He wasn’t going to let them do the work. That’s how important being filled with the Spirit for service is in the house of God.
It makes no difference the capacity in which you serve in church; perhaps you’re a worship leader or music minister, an usher, a cell leader, an outreach fellowship coordinator, a pastoral staff, or your role is cleaning the pews and opening the doors to the auditorium; it must be done through the Spirit.
This is where fellowship with the Spirit is so important. Before you set out to do anything, get filled with the Spirit; spend time in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and He’ll guide you on how to do God’s things, God’s way, so your service would be acceptable to Him.
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3 NIV).
In setting new goals and in your plan to create new levels of prosperity and growth, stay focused on the Word. Pray and meditate on the Word. Set definite times of fellowship with the Spirit. Every now and then, speak in tongues and talk to the Lord about your goals, and He’ll make sure you achieve them. Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”
Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” The phrase translated “perfect peace” in the verse above implies peace with prosperity. It says, “thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee….” You must stay your mind on the Lord.
Take your mind away from the news and information that cause fear, depression, and distractions, and stay your mind on the Lord and His eternal Word. Discipline your mind in one direction—the direction of God’s Word—and you’d have good success, prosperity with peace.
Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Keeping your mind focused on the Lord and His Word guarantees you a life of true success. You might ask, “What’s the connection between my mind and my prosperity?”
You see, your mind is where God seeks to work. If He can get a hold of your mind, you can become as healthy, prosperous, and successful as He wants you to be. Your mind is the doorway to your spirit, and out of your spirit are the issues of life. No matter how financially down and out, in debt, sick or afflicted someone might be, if the Word of God can get into that person’s system, things will change in a moment of time.
God’s Word is God’s recipe for divine health, wealth, and the glorious life. Trust the Lord and stay focused on His Word.