EPISODE - 5 One of the things that upset me easily in my early days of preaching was when people failed to get up and testify about the healing that they had received when I had prayed for them. Some times when 2 or 3 got up, I wished there had been more. Obviously I was yearning to get a "PREACHER APPROVED BY GOD" stamp on my back. Searching for glory so as to say but receiving the opposite. Though I never wanted any personal praise I wanted people to know that I was called of God and God's power was on me. I can still hear myself saying to the congregation those days, "Come on, now! It's better to glorify the Lord by giving your testimony of the healing or be found wanting by the Lord." And "I know that the Lord healed 4 of you, so kindly get up and testify." Sometimes none moved or perhaps one got up to testify ,that too reluctantly. Some times after praying for the anointing to come upon new believers, I would almost coax people to testify even of the one or two syllables they might have got on their lips as evidence of speaking in tongues. All for gaining that "APPROVED" stamp. Frustration set in easily.Times were hard so as to say. But slowly things changed. I stopped searching for the approval of the masses. I did my job and got moving, whether anyone testified or not. I noticed a difference. Now there were testimonies to be heard. People started testify for even things that I had not prayed for, saying, "Dr. ………….prayed and I got this/that" ,when even in my wildest imagination or slumber I had not prayed for that matter. Moral The Lord Almighty says, "I am the Lord, that is my name! I will not give my glory to another" (Isaiah 42:8).Very True. But the Word of God also says, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord bestows favour and honour; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless" (Psalm 84:11) We get honour if we do not search for it! Depends on what we are searching for; Our glory or His! |
