The Need for Spiritual Perception in the Church

The need for spiritual perception in the church should never be overlooked. It is very easy to assume that anyone who calls on the name of Jesus is automatically a true worshiper of Him.

 However, this is  not always true as scripture reminds us that not every voice that speaks about God is necessarily led by His Spirit.

A striking example of this can be found in;

 Acts 16:16–18[NKJV] The passage recounts an encounter involving Paul and Silas:

“Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, ‘These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.’ And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And he came out that very hour.”

Interestingly, what the girl said was true. She declared that Paul and Silas were servants of the Most High God who proclaimed the way of salvation. Yet the source of that declaration was not the Spirit of God—it was a spirit of divination.

This reveals an important truth: a statement can sound correct while the spirit behind it is not from God. Paul, through spiritual perception, recognized the source and addressed it.

Divination can be subtle. It may sound spiritual, insightful, or even accurate. Yet its purpose is not to lead people to Jesus. Instead, it can misdirect attention, distort truth, and ultimately harm the church. The mission of every message, however, is to draw people back to God and to glorify Christ alone.

Because of this, the gift of spiritual discernment is crucial—especially in these times. Every child of God must seek the ability to discern what carries the hand of God and what does not. This perception helps believers live victoriously and avoid deception.

A helpful way to judge words, teachings, or spiritual expressions is to ask:

Does this point people back to God, or does it seek attention for self?

Discernment grows out of a heart that genuinely desires to know the mind of  God. When we approach Him with hunger—aligning ourselves through prayer, humility, and obedience—He begins to shape our spiritual perception.

As believers earnestly seek the Spirit of discernment, the Lord is faithful to grant it. Through His Spirit, we are equipped to recognize truth, reject deception, and remain steadfast in Him.

As we desire the gift of discernment May the Lord grant it unto us and teach us how to inculcate it in our daily walk with Him. AMEN

Stay Revived!

The glamour outside

While curating a recent script, I spoke with an acquaintance to gain a deeper perspective on the concept. He ended the conversation with a funny—but very true—story about how the glamour on the outside often appears more attractive to people than the beauty found in the details within.

As I studied the story of Lazarus, I found myself lingering on a particular verse. In a generation constantly seeking the next big thing that will blow our minds, it often seems that nothing is ever truly enough.

One of the constant seeds the enemy highlights in our hearts is dissatisfaction and discontentment.

On the positive side, this hunger can drive us to desire more of God and more of what He has spoken concerning our lives. However, the enemy often corrupts that same desire, turning it into a restless feeling where a person never believes what they have is enough.

Even when people hear the message of the gospel, they may crave something grander—an extraordinary display, a spectacular miracle, or even the resurrection of someone from the dead—to convince them to believe and be born again.

Yet Abraham’s response to the rich man should remain our watchword:

Luke 16:31 (GNB)

“If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone were to rise from death.”

Nothing external can truly satisfy the deepest desires of the human heart—not glamour, not spectacle, and not grand displays.

Our hearts must be trained to remain fixed on the Cross. When our gaze is anchored there, our focus shifts to the agenda of heaven. We begin to see as Jesus sees, hear as He hears, and desire what He desires for us to become.

Stay Revived!

FILLED WITH NEW WINE.

A few days ago, my sister celebrated her birthday and received a bottle of wine as a gift. We joked about it and said it was like the first wine served at the wedding before Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine at the Wedding at Cana.

This conversation reminded me of another moment in Scripture—the Day of Pentecost recorded in Acts of the Apostles 2:1–13. On that day, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, and the people around them assumed they were drunk with new wine.

Oh, they were, but not the kind of wine they thought, but the Holy Ghost.

It raises an important question: Has your devotion to God ever been misunderstood?
Have you ever felt like people think you are doing too much because of your passion for prayer, worship, or service to God?

If you have felt that way, you are not alone.

The disciples of Jesus experienced the same misunderstanding. When the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them and they began to speak in other tongues, the crowd mocked them and said they were drunk. What they interpreted as drunkenness was actually the Holy Ghost encounter.

The truth is that while we live among many people in this world, our encounters with God are personal. A genuine encounter with God is not something that can be fully understood by observers. It happens in the secret place—between you and Him.

If only those who mocked the disciples had known that the “highness” they sensed was not from wine but from the Holy Spirit.

To live triumphantly in this season, we must cultivate a hunger for communion with the Holy Spirit and be willing to manifest His gifts upon the earth. This is not the time to be ashamed of your devotion or to shrink back because of the opinions of others.

Scripture shows us that after the disciples encountered the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they were empowered to begin their apostolic mission—spreading the gospel across the world. The Holy Spirit strengthens, empowers, and gives boldness. Through Him, we can navigate the complexities of our time with wisdom and power.

So the real question is this: Have you neglected your prayer altar because of the voices of people?

People will always talk. If you act, they will talk. If you remain silent, they will still talk. It is the nature of humanity to talk.

But the instructions God gives you are not meant to be abandoned because of public opinion. Instead, they are invitations to go deeper in prayer and seek clarity from Him. When you return to God in prayer, the Holy Spirit guides you in fulfilling the assignment; He has placed in your hands.

So do not be discouraged if your devotion is misunderstood.

Sometimes what the world calls madness is simply a life that has encountered God. 

Stay Revived!

Pray It Out

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” — James 5:16

For prayer to be truly effective, it must be consistent. Prayer is not always about a single moment of asking; often it is about persistent engagement with God until what has been spoken  becomes visible in reality.

Think of it this way: when you want to break through a wall using a hammer, the first strike does not bring the wall down. The wall falls because of the consistent blows applied with force. Each strike weakens the structure until eventually the wall collapses.

Prayer works in a similar way. Each time you pray, you are applying spiritual force. You may not see immediate results, but every prayer you make is making an impact in the spirit.

Jesus said:

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” — Matthew 11:12

This scripture speaks of spiritual determination. To birth the miracles, answers, and breakthroughs you desire, you must approach prayer with persistence and spiritual intensity; violence. There are moments when the answer has already been released by God, but its manifestation is tied to our ability to remain steadfast in prayer through times and seasons. So what do you do then;

Do not grow weary.

Do not faint.

Do not stop halfway.

Keep insisting, praying and pressing.

Sometimes the difference between manifestation and delay is to say the prayer one more time.

So whatever you are trusting God for today—pray it out.

Stay Revived!