Tonight, Monique Curley taught the Bible Study, and she did an excellent job. As an Apostle, part of my calling is to identify the gifts in others, help develop them, commission them, and ultimately release them into what God has called them to do. It is always a blessing to watch people grow, mature, and begin to walk confidently in their assignment. One of the things I truly love about our Bible Studies is that they are transformative. “More than meets the eye.” You can read stories in the Bible a hundred times and still walk away seeing something you never saw before. When I study the Word, I am genuinely in awe. It amazes me how something I may have overlooked 99 times suddenly becomes plain as day. The Word of God is truly alive. I also believe that because I have been pastoring, teaching, and imparting into others over the past year, my perspective has changed. As we studied Genesis 30 tonight, we began to see deeper themes emerge from the text: sibling rivalry, insecurity, pride, self-reliance, competition, comparison, and jealousy. These are not just issues in the story; they are issues that can speak directly to each of us in our walk with God. In this season, I could be tempted to compare my ministry to other ministries — who has more Bible Study attendees, more visibility, or greater influence. If the enemy could pull me into comparison, it could lead to insecurity or jealousy. On the other hand, I could compare myself to those who are still only serving another person’s vision and have not yet found the courage to fully step into the assignment God has given them. That comparison could produce pride, superiority, or complacency. Either way, comparison is dangerous. Tonight we learned that comparison can lead to jealousy, inferiority, pride, complacency, or self-reliance. It can slowly cause us to lose trust in God and begin relying on ourselves to accomplish what only God can do. God never called us to compare. He called us to obey, trust Him, and remain faithful to the assignment He has given each of us.

What are you in faith for?

Today, I often wonder how many believers still truly pray in the Spirit—in tongues. There was a time in recent church history when believers prayed in tongues regularly and fervently. But through misunderstanding, misuse, and erroneous doctrine surrounding tongues and the prayer language of the Spirit, many have lost sight of its purpose and power. As a result, many no longer pray in the Spirit the way they once did. Praying in tongues is one of the most powerful gifts a believer can exercise, and notably, it is the only spiritual gift that directly edifies the person operating in it. The other gifts primarily benefit others. I owe much of the clarity, strength, and spiritual insight I walk in today to praying in the Spirit. Through it, I receive direction, revelation, help from God, and supernatural strength. There are times when I sense something deeply in my spirit that requires prayer, yet I may not fully understand what needs to be prayed. In those moments, praying in tongues becomes the right tool for the assignment. God has given us spiritual weapons and tools, but many believers today are more entertained than trained. We are often not taught how to use the weapons God has given us or which ones are necessary for different battles. When I spend time with God, I often become quiet and look inward to the leading of my inner man, discerning what the Spirit is directing me to do. Should I study? Should I pray with understanding? Should I pray in the Spirit? Should I worship? Should I simply listen? And if He speaks, then I must write. Praying in tongues teaches you how to engage with the technology of the Spirit. It sensitizes you to the spirit realm and opens you to supernatural encounters and experiences with God. Unfortunately, many believers will never experience these dimensions because there is little hunger and thirst for deeper understanding. As a result, we rarely see the manifested power of God in our lives the way we should. But I have seen the power of God in my life and in the lives of my children. I have prayed for years to witness what I am now seeing God do in them. Only God could accomplish what is taking place in their lives. The only credit I can take is this: