…David danced before the Lord with all his might…2 Sam 6:14 NKJV
One of the great arts of praying in the Spirit is to sing in tongues. Singing in tongues is a great way to give thanks in worship. Your whole soul and body can follow your spirit as you begin to sing out the words in a tune the Holy Spirit inspires you to sing. You can begin to dance and let your movements, your volume and your gestures flow out of that song in your heart. What comes forth is praise and worship in love for your King with joy and thanksgiving that prepares your heart for coming victories even as you celebrate what He has done and is doing! It’s time to dance…
It’s been said that the OT is the NT concealed while the NT is the OT revealed. Its wonderful to realize that sixty-six books written by perhaps forty authors over fifteen hundred years provides such a seamless and precise divinely given narrative that the whole thing fits together – the miracle of the Bible. Nothing like it in the world! We are going to look at some of David’s great songs, or psalms, to see the application of truth from then to now. One thing you may think about is how closely this could resemble the translation of your song in tongues or even the interpretation of it!
The Ark of the Covenant, which for hundreds of years – the period of the Judges – has travelled about Israel and now is finally being brought to its permanent home in Jerusalem. What a time of rejoicing! David brought it into Jerusalem and set it in the midst of David’s Tabernacle then gave this psalm to be sung before the Lord by Asaph and his worshippers…
On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord: 8 Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Israel His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
Do you ever brag about the Lord? It’s such a terrific way to influence people because it’s non-confrontational but it’s still challenging. Joy is infectious. Everyone wants to be on the winning team! You say, ‘Jesus healed me!’ or ‘I got this answer to prayer!’ or ‘I’ve been tithing and you won’t believe how blessed I have been!’ Talk like that, and people will say, Hmmm, I think I’ll join you guys. Your God seems to have everything working! And the family grows…
‘Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!’ – Jesus turned to the two men following Him and said, “What do you seek?” (Jn 1:38). Good question! What are we told in the NT to seek?
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matt 6:33-34 NKJV
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Luke 11:9-10 NKJV
How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? John 5:44 NKJV
Do you realize that God honors His men and women, right here and now, and that we are to seek that honor, because we need it? That we are also to seek the Holy Spirit and His gifts, all of them, because we need ALL OF THEM? Let me say a word about the kingdom of God. ‘Kingdom’ is the reign of a king or prince. Specifically, that His authority is the supreme manifested authority in that place or situation. Just today I read of a couple, a man and his wife who were visiting our town of Tucson, and were brutally attacked on the street. I cried, “Oh My God! How could this happen in our town? We must repent for not enforcing the reign of the Kingdom of God over our town.” Simply put, the kingdom of God in manifestation is the reign of the supreme authority of God through the Church as His agent over the world. That is what we are to seek, and when we do, all these things will be added to us.
For brevity’s sake, I included a list of things we are to seek at the end of the article, just for your enjoyment, and encouragement.
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. 24 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. 34 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 35 And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.” 36 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. 1 Chron 16:7-37 NKJV
This is what you could be singing, when you sing in tongues, because when the people heard the apostles speak in tongues on the day of Pentecost, they hear them speak the wonderful works of God (Acts 2:11). Amen! Don’t think that the Lord necessarily speaks in NT terms when He speaks to us as the Church. We had a miracle years ago where a young woman spoke in tongues and our team member understood the tongue, and the Lord said, “I AM the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel! I have come into your midst to do great things; I am pouring out My Spirit upon you all.” And, indeed, in that room of hundreds of Anglicans, He was. He wasn’t speaking in OT terms; He was speaking trans-testamentally, across the whole Bible.
Another great song of deliverance and thanksgiving, one that you could be singing in tongues, is in Psalm 18.
18 I will love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. Ps 18:1-6 NKJV
I want you to understand something – God hears everything. He is totally…intimately… aware of every word you speak, every thought you think (sometime, just for fun, in a stressful situation, try rebuking demons just with your aggressive thoughts – and watch what happens). People say that God doesn’t hear prayer and doesn’t answer. A totally worthless thought! He hears everything. If He doesn’t answer you…ask Him why!
I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praise, and so shall I be saved from my enemies. Praise is powerful in a stress filled situation. When the armies of Israel praised the Lord turned their enemies against each other (2 Chron.20:22).
He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the Lord was my support. 19 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. Ps 18:16-19 NKJV
How come we don’t see this more often? It happens right in front of our faces but we don’t perceive it because our minds are too far out in La-La land. This is why when we do HOLY SPIRIT ENCOUNTERS the first thing we do is take away people’s cell phones. You can get out in the devilishly manipulated virtual world, and you lose consciousness of God. I see this all the time working out in a gym, people wearing headgear, or reading their phones, while in a workout, because they are so hooked. If you focused on the Lord with even half the attention you give social media, your life would change forever!
25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; 26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. 27 For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty looks. Ps 18:25-27 NKJV
Songs of deliverance and thanksgiving…finally we come to psalm twenty!
May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; 2 May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion; 3 May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah
Remember your tithes and offerings? The times you served like a burnt offering with no recompense? He does.
4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose. 5 We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Ps 20:1-5 NKJV
What is your heart’s desire? What is the desire you thought you never could have, that you tried to achieve but it never worked out, that just left you cracked and hollow inside…what is that desire? I believe you can sing your way to deliverance! Sing the songs of thanksgiving and deliverance even before you ever see the victory. Sing it lustily! Sing it in the spirit, and sing with your understanding, and keep singing in the Spirit until the glory comes, until Heaven moves, and God comes down, and the mountains flee away at the breath of His Word. Sing your songs of deliverance and thanksgiving, and we will rejoice in your salvation and set up our banners of praise! Amen? Love you!
Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…
JUST FOR FUN…HERE IS A SHORT LIST OF THINGS WE ARE TO SEEK WITH SOME SMALL COMMENTARY!
Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. Acts 11:25-26 NKJV
For three years my brother and I crisscrossed the USA seeking the man of peace and finding lots of them. Just yesterday I was asked what the most significant thing was I did when I started Lightbearers. I told her that the most important thing I did was seek the people that the Lord had called to pray for Lightbearers. I said that a number of those people who started with me in 1998 were still with me. Seek the ones you are to walk with!
So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Acts 15:17 NKJV
When your fishing buddy, next door neighbor or fellow worker says, ‘what am I supposed to do with my life?’ tell him the Lord is waiting for him to seek Him, and He is really excited about it!
…eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; Rom 2:7-8 NKJV
Always seek the long-term profit and there is nothing longer term or more profitable than eternal rewards…
Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. 1 Cor 10:24 NKJV
When you are surrounded by people who live this way, and you are one of those people…I tell you, life is sweet.
Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. 1 Cor 14:12 NKJV
I could write a book about this one but let me succinctly say that the apathy I encounter among many Christians regarding the gifts is the opposite of what it means to ‘seek to excel.’ Lack of spiritual hunger always indicates spiritual sickness.
Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Phil 4:17-18 NKJV
I probably pray for fifty to a hundred people by name six days a week, plus groups, and my prayer is always that they prosper, that they have tons of money, that they get married, get healed, get their hearts desires and fulfil their call of God…never about what they can do for me. I seek that fruit abounds to their account!
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Col 3:1-2 NKJV
Above…that is where the joy is!
…for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Heb 11:6 NKJV
Just as the world is to seek Him, and He delights in that, so does He delight when we seek Him, and He rewards us with Himself. The rewards of God are always more of God Himself. Chew on that one for a while…
For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Heb 13:14-16 NKJV
There are certain people that I know that seem to embody certain principles and truths. There are two brothers that I can think of, that I walk with, that embody child-like innocence. One brother that I think embodies the principle of ‘seeking the one to come’ and ‘no continuing city’ here has a flourishing international ministry and always seems to be full of joy. We love him…and you would too!
This last one is so good, and so simple, it needs no comments. Just read it out loud!
“He who would love life and see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. 11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; 1 Peter 3:10-12 NKJV
Amen. Love you!