Cries of the Spirit: Righteousness as the Foundation of Spiritual Life

Summary

The session combined spiritual declarations with theological teaching on righteousness and the necessity of audible faith.

Healing and prophetic declarations

Participants engaged in worship while receiving specific prophetic words and healing prayers. The ministry established an atmosphere of divine intervention through focused declarations.

Theology of spiritual sounds

The teaching explored the Fall as a loss of spiritual consciousness and defined cries as essential proofs of spiritual life. Proper communication and distinct spiritual expressions are vital for ministry effectiveness.

Righteousness as spiritual foundation

Believers were instructed to anchor their identity in the finished work of redemption and righteousness. Confessing this sonship acts as the primary mechanism for accessing God's power.

Next steps

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• [The group] Share Links: Broadcast the event links across all available platforms. Increase audience reach to ensure participation.
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• [The group] Find Recording: Locate the recording of the previous church service. Review the material to gain necessary context for current teachings.
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• [The group] Culture Atmosphere: Establish an environment focused on Jesus within personal lives and families. Utilize resources such as worship music and scripture displays to maintain spiritual focus.
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• [The group] Review teaching: Re-listen to the session recording to better grasp the teaching on the cries of the spirit.
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• [The group] Confess righteousness: Dedicate 3 to 4 days to confessing I am righteous to overcome righteousness deficits.
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• [The group] Practice confession: Maintain the I am righteous confession daily until the Thursday follow-up meeting.
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• [The group] Invite others: Invite individuals to attend the next meeting on Thursday.

Details

• Opening Worship and Praise: Ayanfeoluwa Paul and Ayanfeoluwa Paul's Presentation led a session of worship, instructing attendees to raise their voices and worship God intentionally using their own words (00:00:06). Participants were encouraged not to exclude themselves from this act of worship, as the primary instruction was to offer the "fruit of their lips" to God (00:05:01).
• Manifestation of God's Presence: Ayanfeoluwa Paul emphasized the power of the glory of God filling the room, encouraging attendees to lift their voices in prayer (00:06:33). During this time, they declared the presence of a healing anointing, suggesting that sicknesses such as those involving genotypes, cancers, and fibroids were dissolving by the power of the Holy Spirit (00:09:04).
• Instructions for Ministers and Attendees: Ayanfeoluwa Paul addressed ministers of the gospel, noting a sense of a fresh anointing coming upon them. The group was instructed to pray and believe that their lives would not remain the same following the session, concluding the prayer segment in the name of Jesus (00:10:37).
• Dimensions of God's Presence: Ayanfeoluwa Paul detailed three dimensions of God's presence: the omnipotence of God (being everywhere), the covenant presence (when two or three are gathered), and the manifest presence (the feelable, touchable presence of God) (00:11:58). Attendees were advised that if they were not present in the church, they should access the recordings to experience this atmosphere (00:13:01).
• Sustaining the Manifest Presence: Ayanfeoluwa Paul stressed the importance of maintaining an atmosphere conducive to the manifest presence of God, even in online services, by avoiding distractions and remaining sensitive to the movement of the Holy Spirit (00:14:00). They noted that this manifest presence is a catalyst for healing and deeper spiritual connection (00:15:00).
• Healing Declarations: Ayanfeoluwa Paul led a specific time of prayer for the healing of bodily ailments, utilizing the "word of knowledge" to address specific conditions (00:15:00). They declared that the spirit of infirmity must bow and specifically prayed for individuals suffering from conditions such as tuberculosis, asthma, pneumonia, and blood conditions, as well as those recovering from past accidents (00:16:02).
• Healing Grace for Ministers and Attendees: Ayanfeoluwa Paul proclaimed a higher level of healing grace for ministers on the call, suggesting that their atmosphere would eventually carry the power to heal others. They expressed confidence that this grace would lead to divine interventions, including the restoration of people from wheelchairs and crutches, and the termination of terminal diseases (00:16:59).
• Prophetic Word - Pastry: Ayanfeoluwa Paul offered a specific word of knowledge regarding individuals who had consumed "donuts" or pastries within the last 24 hours (00:17:52). Ayanfeoluwa Paul subsequently released a new level of healing grace upon these individuals, affirming that their anointing would increase (00:19:09).
• Prophetic Visitation Window: Ayanfeoluwa Paul declared a prophetic window of spiritual visitation lasting for the next seven hours, ending at 3:00 a.m. Nigerian time. Attendees were encouraged to engage with this period of spiritual activity to experience the open time portal (00:20:06).
• Prophetic Word - Spirit of Honor: Ayanfeoluwa Paul released a "spirit of honor" over the congregation, specifically identifying individuals with wired, black earphones. They equated this grace to the honor that rested upon historical figures like Moses and Joshua, intending to empower the recipients for their assignments (00:22:04).
• Prophetic Word - Gala: Ayanfeoluwa Paul inquired about the significance of the brand "Gala," a Nigerian snack, noting that a new season had begun for the person to whom this word applied (00:24:17) (00:27:29).
• Introduction to the Cries of the Spirit: Ayanfeoluwa Paul introduced the teaching series "Cries of the Spirit," clarifying that they used the terms "cries" and "sounds" interchangeably to connote passion and intentionality (00:24:17). The teaching emphasized that the "cries of the spirit" are essential for spiritual life (00:25:16).
• The Fall of Man as a Spiritual Disaster: Ayanfeoluwa Paul analyzed Genesis 3:6-8, describing the Fall of Man as the most significant "spiritual disaster" in history, which preceded and caused natural disasters (00:26:29). They emphasized the tragic depth of the misery that occurred when Adam and Eve partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (00:27:29).
• Consciousness and Perception: Ayanfeoluwa Paul explained that the Fall resulted in a loss of correct consciousness. They differentiated between *nosis* (awareness) and *epignosis* (the deeper, experiential knowledge that restores proper perception), arguing that before the Fall, humanity’s internal perception was aligned with God’s view (00:29:29).
• Loss of Discernment: Ayanfeoluwa Paul discussed how the Fall warped human perception, leading to a state where humanity lost the natural discernment of good and evil, necessitating a transition to the "dispensation of conscience" where people began to rely on their own sight rather than God's (00:32:31).
• Restoration Through Jesus: Ayanfeoluwa Paul stated that salvation through Jesus is intended to restore humanity to the original order of being led by the Spirit, noting that the second Adam (Jesus) was made a "life-giving spirit," which is superior to the state of the first Adam (00:33:29).
• Self-Image and Self-Esteem: Ayanfeoluwa Paul explained that self-image—how one sees themself through God's lens—is foundational to self-esteem. They encouraged listeners to pray to understand their identity in Christ as a method for correcting their inner lenses and, consequently, their self-esteem (00:35:22).
• Sound as Proof of Life: Ayanfeoluwa Paul asserted that "cries" or "sounds" are the first evidence of life, comparing the spirit's need to make sounds to a newborn crying at birth (00:36:56). They cautioned that the absence of a "cry" from the spirit could indicate spiritual stagnation or danger (00:38:10) (00:49:03).
• John 3:5-8 and Spiritual Sounds: Ayanfeoluwa Paul referenced the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3, emphasizing that being born of the Spirit involves an invisible force—the wind or *numa*—which is identified by its sound and impact (00:40:22) (00:44:39). They drew a parallel between the "sound" of God walking in Genesis 3 and the "sound" of the Spirit in John 3 (00:42:33).
• Nature and the Spirit: Ayanfeoluwa Paul noted that natural elements like wind and water, which possess their own sounds, can serve as types of the Holy Spirit and help believers connect with the presence of God. They contrasted the "noisy" nature of the throne room of God, which signifies life, with the silence of a graveyard, which signifies death (00:47:55).
• Prophetic Word - Oppo Phone: Ayanfeoluwa Paul delivered a word of knowledge to an attendee using an "Oppo" brand phone, declaring that the fountains of their spirit were opening (00:51:11).
• Clarity of Spiritual Communication: Ayanfeoluwa Paul utilized 1 Corinthians 14:6-10 to argue that spiritual expressions, like the playing of instruments (flute or harp), must be distinct to be understood (00:52:19). They critiqued the misuse of speaking in tongues within a congregational setting, noting that if the speaker does not provide an interpretation or understanding, they fail to edify the listeners (00:56:09) (00:58:17).
• The Prophetic Nature of Teaching and the Necessity of Clear Communication: Ayanfeoluwa Paul asserts that the teaching ministry is inherently prophetic, stating that as they teach the word, they are revealing God's mind (00:59:18). Referencing 1 Corinthians 14:7-9, they use the analogy of musical instruments like flutes and harps, as well as the bugle call from National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) experiences, to illustrate the importance of playing or speaking clear, distinct notes (01:00:25). Ayanfeoluwa Paul emphasizes that without clear, understandable sounds, the message is ineffective, as exemplified by the confusion that can occur if instrument players do not clearly define the melody for an audience (01:01:48).
• Introduction to Spiritual Cries and the Cry of Sonship: Ayanfeoluwa Paul initiates an exploration of the "cries" that must emerge from a believer's spirit on a perpetual basis. They establish that the primary and most critical cry is the cry of sonship and righteousness, citing Galatians 4:6 and Romans 1:16. This cry is defined not merely as a religious label but as an internal, confident realization that the life of God flows within an individual and that they are loved and forgiven by God (01:04:35).
• Righteousness as the Foundation for Spiritual Victory: Ayanfeoluwa Paul highlights that righteousness is a foundational element of the gospel and necessary for spiritual establishment, citing Isaiah 54:14-17 (01:06:49). They explain that possessing new creation realities is insufficient if a believer does not "give voice" to them, arguing that the realm of the spirit responds to the believer's verbalization or confession. Citing Romans 10, they stress that while belief is essential, it must be paired with a vocalized confession of redemption to effectively appropriate grace (01:08:44).
• The Mechanics of Effective Prayer: Ayanfeoluwa Paul explores the nature of prayer by referencing Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus in John 11, noting that Jesus cried out with a loud voice expressing gratitude because God always hears them (01:10:51). They suggest that those seeking to flow in the gifts of the spirit, such as healings and miracles, should utilize this "cry of sonship" as their first approach, affirming their relationship with God as a father who hears them (01:11:48). For those feeling a deficit in their confidence, Ayanfeoluwa Paul recommends dedicating three to four days to intentionally confessing their righteousness and sonship, which they compare to a worker’s coordinator leading confessions (01:13:10).
• Interpreting the Father’s House and the Body of Christ: Ayanfeoluwa Paul discusses the meaning of "my Father's house" in John 14:1-6, reinterpreting "mansions" not as physical buildings but as "slots" or "spaces" within Christ’s body (01:15:18). Citing Colossians 2:9, they emphasize that Christ is the Father's house, and believers, as the body of Christ, occupy these slots (01:16:20). This interconnectedness means that an individual is an intricate part of Christ, and their physical health and spiritual well-being are linked to this body, rendering body-related sicknesses inconsistent with their position in Christ (01:18:44).
• The Reality of Redemption and Deliverance: Ayanfeoluwa Paul points to Colossians 1:12-14 to explain that deliverance from the power of darkness is a past-tense, accomplished reality. They advise that believers should focus on this past-tense victory rather than praying for future deliverance, emphasizing that God has already conveyed them into the kingdom (01:22:29) (01:24:38). Regarding forgiveness, Ayanfeoluwa Paul clarifies that in the context of redemption, forgiveness means "remission"—a state where the sin is treated as if it never existed in the eyes of God, thereby removing grounds for condemnation (01:25:46).
• Maintaining Confession and Concluding Remarks: Drawing on the example of Jacob in Genesis 27:22, Ayanfeoluwa Paul acknowledges that while a person's voice or conduct may occasionally betray them, God’s mercy and the reality of righteousness still prevail (01:26:50). They emphasize that overcoming the hold of sin is achieved through acknowledging one’s righteous status rather than remaining "sin conscious". Ayanfeoluwa Paul leads the group in repeating the confession "I am righteous," encouraging them to maintain this cry in their daily lives, and closes the session with a prayer for the audience and an announcement for the next meeting on Thursday (01:29:14).