Desire Spiritual Gifts, Pastor Taiwo Tells Fountaineers

The Senior Pastor of The Fountain of Life Church (TFOLC), Ilupeju, Lagos, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, has charged believers to pray in tongues daily.

Ministering during the April 30 Sunday service, the TFOLC’s helmsman, who insisted that speaking in tongues launches one straight into the spirit realm where such matters are taken away from man and into the hands of God, maintained that, “Praying in our understanding is not adequate as God is spirit.”

While urging the congregation to spend more time praying in the spirit, the man of God referenced 1 Corinthians 14:1-2 to state that people mix up prophecy and prayers, with an addition that prayer language and prophecy are two aspects of speaking in tongues.

He likened the situation in the church today, where there seems to be a lot of confusion and misconceptions about speaking in tongues, to the experience of the Corinthian church, where the Corinthians were aware of baptism in the Holy Spirit but did not quite understand it, to explain that there must be the desire for spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues and the gift of prophecy.

He continued by saying that whoever speaks in tongues edifies himself, and those who prophesy edify the church.

“Nobody needs to understand your personal prayer language except the One you are talking to. Being prophesied over means accepting what God has said concerning you through the mouth of His choice servant.

“Your prayer language and how you relate it with God concerning the prophecy you have received is what you must do personally to bring the prophecy to pass,” Pastor Taiwo maintained.

The clergyman also quoted John 20:22 to say that receiving the Holy Spirit after being born again is the kingdom’s priority, adding that the only reason believers are still around is for God to keep operating through them.

“When Christians have a better understanding of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, it becomes easier to be free of worries and anxiety, knowing that the Holy Spirit is available and ready to help when called upon,” he said.

Pastor Taiwo further stated that Christians are not expected to live alone but in collaboration with God.

The clergyman said: “Christians have been anointed with the Holy Spirit; though some may not know or value this, or may choose to completely neglect the Holy Spirit.”

The Senior Pastor, therefore, urged the congregation to always speak in tongues, as this will edify them.

In his words: “The evidence of knowing who you are in Christ is through speaking in tongues. You need to connect to the inner you by speaking in tongues.

“You cannot get anything as authentic as you should get on your own, but through the Holy Ghost.”

The service earlier witnessed Pastor Kunle Osunkunle encouraging the congregation from Isaiah 12:2-3, which was the promise for the week.

According to him, God is with His children and will never leave nor forsake them. He declared divine joy over them as he concluded.

“God is always with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. We will sing a new song. God is our joy; we will not fear.

“Out of our belly flows rivers of living water. We draw water out of the well of salvation,” he said.