Dear Friends, Colleagues, Students, Partners and Patrons,

I pray as you read this month’s T4J that TONGUES OF FIRE will rest on each of you!

Acts 2:2-4 (AMP) “…and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. There appeared to them tongues resembling FIRE, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit]. And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].”

Let’s get to it and jump straight in: 
 It is true to say that if we do not know how to pray, we will never last. We will have zero longevity. Because there is a dimension of strength that survives the forces of life, which is generated within us only when we pray. Prayer is not a burdensome ritual but a source of GREAT POWER that builds stamina and joy, which sustains vision and inwardly charges us. 

Luke 18:1 reminds us: 
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” The storms of life are inevitable, and it’s our inner strength determines the outcome. Proverbs 24:10 says, “If you faint under pressure, your strength is too small.” The Amplified version adds: “If you are slack (careless) in the day of distress, your strength is limited.” 

It is not a question of if adversity will come but when. The survival strategy in those seasons is strength—inner strength—built by praying in tongues. It doesn’t matter what our assignment is we must build capacity, and build it early. 

Build Capacity Early: (Your Inner Power Bank)

Throughout Scripture, we see examples of men and women who built capacity long before their day of adversity arrived. 

• Abraham was strengthened by faith before he became the Father of many nations. 
• Elijah built spiritual stamina before he confronted the prophets of Baal. 
• David cultivated strength while tending sheep before he ever stood before Goliath. 

These were not men who stumbled into greatness—they prepared for it. They built spiritual endurance through their relationship with God. No matter what our prophetic destiny entails, it demands great strength. We don’t build capacity in the moment of crisis—we draw from what has already been stored in our power bank. 

TURN OFF the Power-Saving Mode! 

Think about our phones. Before a long journey, we are fastidious about checking if they are fully charged. Then we estimate how long we’ve got until they die. Yet, some people live their entire lives on power saving mode (low-power in other words). Spiritually depleted and barely maintaining their living connection with God; like a phone on 2%, they don’t look like they are about to shut down, but internally they’re on the verge. 

As the power decreases on our phones, certain features start shutting down. Equally, when we fail to build capacity—neglecting prayer—we too begin shutting down. The light dims, discernment fades, and we become dull all round; our endurance, clarity, and even joy no longer manifest as they should. Many believers today are trying to live out “great destinies” on chronically low capacity. 

We’ve got to be as conscious about staying plugged into the Holy Spirit, as we are conscious of charging our devices. We build capacity as we yield our lives daily to the Godhead, as LIVING SACRIFICES not dead ones! (John 4:23; Rom 12:1). 

Spiritual Stamina: 

A ritual may feel spiritual, but it does not produce lasting strength. You cannot sustain great vision without the inner stamina that comes from praying in the Spirit—with tongues of fire! 

Kenneth Hagin often said that young men half his age could not keep up with him. Isaiah 40:28-31 (AMP) tells us: “Even youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, but those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift up their wings like eagles.” Even the strongest will eventually tire, but those who wait on the Lord will endure. 

The Spirit of Might can NOT be Faked: 

Just as physical health can be perceived, so can spiritual might, “…be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might,” “…draw your strength… and be empowered through your union with Him” (Eph 6:10 KJV/AMP). Even non believers can tell the difference! Besides, God never calls us to something great, without teaching us the spiritual infrastructure required to sustain strength. Destiny takes great stamina and building capacity is not accidental—it’s intentional. 

So, the secret to endurance is, strength, strength, strength! Even when your appetite for prayer is in short supply, PRAY ANYWAY. Be resolute to charge your inner atmosphere; tapping the Spirit so rivers of living water can flow—without obstruction—wisdom and revelation knowledge. This is when innovation is birthed (through “witty inventions”), and divine strategies and ideas emerge—and all the brain fog disappears (Pro 8:12 KJV). 

In fact, history reveals that insight received during prayer has the ability to sustain men for years, because God’s spiritual technology supersedes anything this natural world has to offer. 

Endurance comes from Hiddenness: 

When everything falls apart at the same time, we recognise this as a spiritual attack. However, Colossians 3:3 reminds us: “Your life is hidden with Christ in God.” After a concentrated season of prayer when we reemerge from the trenches, we see how the entire landscape of our problems has completely altered. Less talking. Less complaining. But more prayer! 

The Power of Replenishing Joy: 

One of the greatest demonstrations of faith is joy. 1 Peter 1:8 (TPT) says: “You love him passionately although you have not seen him, but through believing in him you are saturated with an ecstatic joy, indescribably sublime and immersed in glory.” Joy is not just a response to good circumstances—it is a force that sustains us through difficulties. The spirit of might strengthens men to outlast the challenges, but it is joy that keeps us standing STRONG. 

Philippians 4:4 instructs: “ALWAYS be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—REJOICE!”Bitterness and offence drain strength. Joy replenishes it. Proverbs 17:22 reminds us: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” This is proof that what happens in our spirits manifests in our bodies. We must be void of bitterness and offence, resentment, and negativity. 

The Vision must be kept Higher than the Challenges: 

The final key to longevity is keeping our visions and our God given goals, higher than our obstacles. It is called the HIGH CALLING for good reason! Philippians 3:13 (TPT) says: “I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead.” 

When we fix our attention on where God is taking us, the battles of today are minimised and become impotent. Whereas God’s vision in us has the power to transform and fuel our sense of endurance. Luke 9:62 (TPT) warns: “Why do you keep looking back? If you turn back, you are not fit for God’s Kingdom.” 

A visionless man is already defeated. Vision provides us with the opportunity to focus and refuse any and all distractions. (Note: Even the good stuff gets pruned!) If we only reject the bad stuff, our discernment is way too small. 

Born to OUTLAST & STAND STRONG: 

Finally Ephesians 6:13 (KJV) declares: “Having done all… stand!” We were born of God to outlast every attack on our destiny so that decades from now, we will still be standing. Not by accident, but because we chose to build inner capacity and cultivate the stamina of joy, which is fixated on, and prioritises our KING and HIS DOMAIN! (Rom 14:4; Ps 37:23-24; Matt 6:33). 

APPLICATION: 
LET’S DECLARE TODAY THAT WE WILL BULD CAPACITY 
BY STAYING PLUGGED INTO THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH PRAYER 

Dr Alan 

NOTE: Don’t forget, Dr Alan’s books are available as Paperbacks, Hardcovers, or eBooks on all AMAZON markets, the iBOOKSTORE, NOOKSTORE, LULU, and other retail outlets.