This is a write up of the message from the December 2020 fasting and prayer weekend led by Pastor Praveen and held at our church. We had four sessions, Friday morning and evening and Saturday morning (posted here) and evening. During our fasting and prayer sessions, it is usual for the Holy Spirit to speak to us through Pastor Praveen. Sometimes, he shares insights into the scripture that the Holy Spirit provides to him through revelation.

Pastor Praveen’s Message – That the Eyes of Your Heart May Be Enlightened

See Everything through Jesus

Pastor Praveen read Ephesians 1:17-19*: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength…” 

This prayer addresses many requests. Pastor Praveen focused on the prayer “that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.”  We know that we receive visions and dreams by faith. If we are not believing and obeying the word of God, we will not receive any visions or dreams of revelation from the Lord. What we heard from 1 Peter 1:22 is key: “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” Notice that you are cleansed and sanctified by obeying the truth. 

What is the result of obeying the truth? Dreams, visions, and revelations. Faith is the mother of visions and dreams. Against all hope, Abraham believed what God told him (Romans 4:18). Not only that, but he also began to see it. God told him to look to the north, south, east, and west. God would give him all the land he saw as his inheritance (Genesis 13:14-15). Whatever he saw was for him and his descendants. 

Likewise, whatever you are seeing about your future is yours. If you are seeing the greatest things about your future, family, children, business – you will receive it. You are the inheritance of the lion of Judah. You are of the tribe of Judah. However, if you are praying without faith, you are praying through blindness. Then you will see everything negative – darkness, discouragement, hopelessness. But if you see everything in hope in Jesus, you will see clearly because He is the light of the world. You will see your bright future and your blessings. The New Testament church must see everything through Jesus, the One who died for us, not through Moses or David. 

Consider the Old Testament story in 2 Kings 6. The king of Aram was trying to attack Israel, but he could not succeed. The king of Israel knew in advance everywhere the king of Aram planned to position his army. The king of Aram thought there was a spy in his ranks. But there was no spy. Except for the supernatural spy. One of the Aramean king’s officers told him, “Whatever you speak in your bedroom, the prophet Elisha hears.” (2 Kings 6:12; paraphrase). 

If Elisha could see like that, why can’t we see God’s future plan for our families, generations, blessings, calling? Because we are not seeing through the Light of the World. We are seeing through hopelessness. There is hope in Jesus! God has given you the same grace as Elisha in 2 Kings 6:12. When you kneel down and pray, your spirit will go and see and reveal to you whatever the enemy is planning against you and your family. For example, when Gehazi, Elisha’s servant lied about following Naaman to receive gifts, Elisha was able to say, “Gehazi, my spirit was with you.” (2 Kings 5:25-26; paraphrase). 

Pastor Praveen provided two examples of this grace working in his own life. First, he told of a time when one of his associates in Canada spoke against him behind his back. The associate was a doctor who was arranging for Pastor Praveen to come to a meeting. Someone stood and spoke against Pastor Praveen. The doctor never told Pastor Praveen about it although he prayed with him occasionally over the phone. But once when Pastor Praveen kneeled down to pray in his room, he saw a vision of what had happened. He did not ask the doctor right away because he wanted to check the doctor’s faithfulness with God and with Pastor Praveen. The doctor failed the test – he said nothing about it. After about three months, when he was praying with the doctor, Pastor Praveen said, “What did you discuss? What did you hear? Why do you hide it from me?” The doctor confessed. He surrendered and cried, “Forgive me.”

Another time when Pastor Praveen was kneeling in prayer, he saw his sister-in-law in an accident. He called his brother who said, “Yes, my wife was in an accident.” Pastor Praveen could tell many more testimonies like this. 

This type of occurrence is part of the grace God has given us. The same Spirit Elisha had is upon us. Why don’t you put it to work? Use it. Then you will see fruit. We can have these types of experiences in our prayer. But first we have to obey the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) and the light of the world (John 8:12). When we obey the light of the world we become the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).

Pastor Praveen noted that Elisha was very bold when he confronted Gehazi about taking gifts from Naaman (2 Kings 5:25-27). Some people don’t understand why prophets will be so bold. They may be very nice ordinary people, but the anointing makes them bold. Elisha was a nice guy but when God put the word in his mouth he was required to obey. Even when talking to kings, he had to speak what the Holy Spirit gave him to say. Otherwise, God would choose someone else in his place. The kings at that time called the prophets “troublemakers.” Even Paul was spoken about in this way in the New Testament (Acts 24:5). 

Why Don’t You See It?

Elisha was confident, but his servant, Gehazi, was afraid when he saw the size of the army the king of Aram sent against Elisha. He exclaimed to Elisha, “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15-17). This is our problem today also. The Blazing Torch is here, but we are not using it. We are blindly saying, “What should I do? Where should I go? What should I speak? How can I overcome this problem?” Elisha’s servant was walking with a man of God yet was totally blind. Similarly, many people are walking with the Light of the World, but they are seeing nothing. They attend church, worship, hear the word of God – and receive nothing. 

Elisha told his servant, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Lord, open his eyes.” The Lord opened his eyes and he saw soldiers, armies, and chariots of fire around Elisha. (v. 16-18). The point is we are not alone. The one who paid for us needs us. We need to open our eyes and remove many things from our hearts and mind. We must give 100 percent of the room in our hearts and minds to the Light of the World who died for us. There are many angels around the children of God and around our church and community.

Why don’t you see God’s mighty protection and presence around you? Why don’t you see what God is preparing for you, your family, and your children? The Spirit is crying out to us, “Why are you crying out to me? If you believe me, if you are obeying my word, if you are obeying my truth, then why don’t you see it?” It is not the right time to cry and be still. Move on. The one who made you is in control. God is saying, “Go forward because I have called you and chosen you for my future plan and purpose. I have called you to come out of your problems with a great possession. I am the Lord who called you. Move on. Why do you doubt if you are walking by faith? If you believe me, move on.” Then you will see the greatest things in your life. 

Pastor Praveen told us that years ago he was standing “below zero.” But the Lord appeared to him and told him that he was going to send him to many nations in His name. God would use him to heal and deliver the people from the darkness to the wonderful light. When Jesus appeared to him, Pastor Praveen was trembling and listening to the word of God. He had nothing then, only two or three sets of clothes. He was alone. He did not know how God could use him. It seemed impossible. 

Like Mary, Pastor Praveen asked God, “How will this be?” God told Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1:35). Mary believed, although it seemed impossible. Never before in her life had she heard this kind of story. Yet, she believed. She tried to make Joseph understand. She knew the Lord – who is mighty to protect her. Sometimes God will send angels to tell someone, “Don’t think negatively about what happened to this person, because it was my plan.” 

Mary accepted Jesus as her personal Savior the same day. She said, “My soul rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:47). Likewise, Pastor Praveen believed God’s word to him. Before Jesus appeared to him, Pastor Praveen had no hope and no one to help him. He was even considering suicide. But he believed what Jesus told him and he began to see the future God called him to. 

We must obey the truth. He is the way, the truth, and the life. If you obey the truth, He will make a way for you, your family, your generations. He will give you life wherever there is darkness or lifelessness because he is the life-giving Spirit. Remember, 2 Kings 6:17 says armies and chariots of fire were not only in the hills, but also around Elisha. 

When you receive this kind of sight, you will have a testimony to tell. You will say, “I was totally blind with my own wisdom, knowledge, and pride. Then I received sight through the blood of the Lamb, the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus removed my own wisdom, knowledge, and pride.” There is power in the blood of Jesus. 

The Apostle Paul had a testimony: “When God’s servant, my dear brother Ananias laid his hands on me in the name of Jesus, I was filled with the Holy Spirit. Through that process, a kind of scales fell on the ground from my eyes. The scale of my pride, knowledge, wisdom – all flesh, all trash at the same time fell on the ground. At the same moment, I received sight through the Light of the World. Now I can see everything in the truth. Whatever I learned or studied before is all trash. Now God has not only opened my inner eyes and enlightened my heart. Now, by His grace I am giving that sight, that light to many people.” Acts 9:17-19; Philippians 3:8; paraphrase).

The question today is, what do you have in your life to give others? What is it you see in your spiritual life? What is your testimony? What are your visions and dreams about your family, your spiritual life, your children, your community, city, and country? Our calling comes with a great package. You need to open it. The bible is the master key for opening it. Use the word of knowledge. Obey the truth. Then you will be enlightened. You will see everything as Jesus saw it. With love, compassion, mercy, and kindness. With tender love. But first you must change. 

Concluding Remarks

Speaking in Tongues

When the disciples received the tongues of fire, Peter stood with authority and raised his voice to speak to the crowd (Acts 2: 1-41). The other eleven Apostles stood behind him praying. Previously, he could not have raised his voice because he was operating in the flesh, not in the Spirit. Now, he gave only a brief sermon and spoke about the crucifixion of Jesus. Then he gave his testimony, “I have seen it with my own eyes…” (Acts 2:32; paraphrase). It cut the hearts of the listeners because the Spirit had come. Then they asked, “What shall we do, brothers?” Peter said, “Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:37-38; paraphrase).

Pastor Praveen told us that he believed and repented when he heard from the Lord. When he was baptized, the old man died and Pastor Praveen became a new creation. At the same time, the blood of Jesus came upon him and he received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.

When Pastor Praveen was in Saudi Arabia, the church leaders held sessions for people who were not yet able to speak in tongues. They taught them in the Spirit and identified the reasons why they could not speak in tongues. In a group of ten people attending such a session, at least eight would receive the anointing and begin to speak in tongues. 

God likes to hear the heavenly language from our mouths. When Pastor Praveen’s son, Jeff, was a baby, he was always excited to hear him speak a new word. How much more does our heavenly Father like to hear the heavenly language from our mouths.  

Baptism

These days, churches are baptizing people two or three times. This is wrong teaching because Jesus died only once. Pastor Praveen cited Acts 19:2-7. When Paul was in Ephesus, he asked some disciples there “‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ So Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’ ‘John’s baptism,’ they replied. Paul said, ‘John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.”

These disciples had to be baptized because they had not yet been baptized in the name of Jesus. When baptized, not only did they receive the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues, but they also began to prophesy. On the other hand, Philip baptized many in the name of Jesus in Samaria. (Acts 8:9-17). But they did not receive the Holy Spirit. So Peter and John went to Samaria and laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 

Pastor Praveen said that at one time, his hands were good for nothing. But now, God pours out His Spirit through his hand so that he has many disciples in the Middle East, India, and Africa. 

*All scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise indicated.