This is hot off of the press. Earlier this morning, I had this revelation. Actually, I was lying asleep in bed when I heard the words “being baptized in the Holy Spirit will take the mumble out of your voice”. I’ll admit, when I heard those words, there was no way on earth to stay asleep. (Vickie, if I’m cranky today from apparent sleep deprivation, I have a legitimate excuse!) Those words exploded in my spirit. Let me share the “explosion”.
After hearing these powerful words, I saw a New Testament story that you know all too well. When Simon Peter was standing in the outer courtyard as Jesus was being tried, he was confronted three times about his relationship with Christ. You know that in each of the encounters, Peter tried to keep the conversations on the “down-low”. In my mind’s eye, I can see as I read the account Peter mumbling his responses. For Peter, it was a case of the fewer people hearing his response, the better.
I’m thankful that my early morning revelation didn’t end there. I then saw Peter on the day of Pentecost standing outside of the upper room to address the masses. I could see and hear that the mumbling was gone. After being baptized in the Holy Spirit, mumble? No way! First of all, Peter was standing and not hiding. Second, Peter was lifting up his voice. (Acts 2:14). Before writing this post, I went to a few of my Bible translations and read that Peter actually shouted to the crowd. (Pardon the Burns’ mindset. Two of the translations that used the word “shouted” are The Passion Translation and The Voice Translation. Shouting is a passionate use of the voice.) The down-low was replaced with a downloaded out-go. His lifted voice (a shouting voice) with a message from heaven that brought some 3,000 people to the saving knowledge of Christ!.
Here is the final part of what I saw this morning. There are those reading this post who are beaten down by circumstances. At best, your voice is a faint, powerless mumble. Hiding under your bed’s covers and repeatedly uttering words of desperation is your daily routine. For you, I clearly heard the Holy Spirit say to tell you to begin to pray in the Spirit. Let me make it even more emphatic. BOLDLY pray in the Spirit. Even more emphatic. BOLDLY, LOUDLY pray in the Spirit. And, as in the case told about Peter, the mumble will disappear and in its place will be strong, powerful, devil-defying words from heaven that will impact and change what you see around you!
