From stammering lips to bold speeches, weak beginnings lead to certain confidence. Desires fulfilled through obedience. Here’s my journey to experiencing unbridled lips!
I have always had a liking for public speaking, but when it came to talking about the Bible, it was very difficult! Although I grew up in a house where the Bible was read daily, I still couldn’t talk about it, and I didn’t know a lot about what was in it. After I came to God’s Lighthouse, I made a decision to study my Bible more, and take it everywhere I went.
Some weeks ago [sometime in 2018], I was sitting with some friends and it was an opportunity to talk to them about the scriptures. Amongst them was a girl I had asked to date me when I was still in the world, so it was quite tough, and it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I gathered the courage to boldly ask her if I could talk to her about God, and she said there was no problem. The others pretended to be jealous and asked if I wasn’t going to talk to them too, so I said everyone could listen. That was the first time I spoke to people about God! The people listened to all I had to say and when I was done, even I couldn’t believe all I had said. I didn’t have to worry about what to say! The Lord put the words in my mouth.
On another occasion, I was to travel to one of the Eastern states in Nigeria with a brother in church. We boarded a bus and began the journey. I knew in my heart that I had to share about God to the other passengers, but I couldn’t open my mouth to begin! I remembered how my mum and I would board a bus to Lagos and she would preach in it. While I was still thinking and rehearsing in my mind, the brother with me started singing praises. I was surprised! this was a good start so I joined him. Shortly after, other people in the bus joined us to sing, and he said a short prayer when we were done singing.
While the singing was going on, I kept asking the Holy Spirit to give me a passage to share with the people – 1 Corinthians 15 dropped in my heart and I began to read through the chapter. I thought I saw nothing in it while reading to pass across to the people, but when I began to explain it to them after the brother with me had rounded up the brief prayer, I saw things I hadn’t seen before unfold in the letters. Indeed the Holy Spirit was teaching me as I was opening my mouth. The people listened to me until I rounded up.
Twenty minutes after I had stopped speaking, I felt the Holy Spirit hinting that I was to speak about ‘6am’. I was discouraged at first as I thought the people would feel I was disturbing them, but I was so restless and so I just opened my mouth after a short while of struggling. I resumed talking again in the bus and it was as though I was addressing people (or a person) that went out every day by 6am. I found myself saying things like ‘what if God shut the heavens, and didn’t allow them go out?’ I emphasized that more time had to be spent in the Word of God [as we have been taught in church], and condemned the whole idea of being too busy to read it, study it, or spend time with God – I told them it had to stop!
After I was done, I began to brood over the words I had just spoken. Before now, I had desired a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit’s revelatory power and was wondering if that was how it happens. I was happy that I had been used by the Lord in this way, and I desire even more, to do great and wondrous things for Him (Joel 2:21). Few days after I arrived at my destination, I was studying the Bible and came across a portion where God had actually said He would shut the heavens! I was amazed, I had thought it was just me using my words to explain when I was speaking, I didn’t even know that what I had said was also from scripture! Indeed It’s so beautiful working with God!
– Bro S.O