We are called to be blessed by the Lord and thus to be a blessing to- every family (and person) that we meet on earth. Galatians 3:13,14 says that Christ became a curse for us on the cross so that Abraham's blessing might be ours through the gift of the Holy Spirit. That blessing is found in Genesis 12:2 , 3 where God told Abraham, "I will bless you and all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you." That is why we ask God that we might be continually filled with His Holy Spirit.

This is your inheritance. So claim it and live in it always. Keep your conscience clear at all times, through repentance and confession of sin, so that the channel is not choked for the blessing to flow.

First of all, God wants to bless you in everything you do - spiritual, material, physical, academic, professional and everything else. God's promises are: "Whatever you do will prosper " (Psa.1:3) and "You will have success in everything you do" (Josh.1:8). In this new covenant age, God wants to bless and prosper you and make you successful, first of all in your spiritual life,and then in material things as well - unlike in old covenant times when they were blessed only with material blessings.

Secondly, God wants to bless others through your life. They should taste something of God's life in you. The result will be that to some you will be "an aroma of life" and to others (who reject God), you will be an "aroma of death"- (2 Cor.2:16).

For all this to be fulfilled, you must seek with great eagerness to be filled with the Holy Spirit constantly.

Our earthly work is only a means to earn our living, so that we can serve the Lord, without being dependent on anyone financially. But we must long to be a blessing to as many people on earth as possible in our one short life on earth.

The famous preachers in India usually preach only in the big cities. They hardly ever take time to sit down with the simple, poor (and illiterate) people in the villages. So I am glad that God has given us the privilege and honour of serving the poor people in the villages in India. I preach the gospel of an overcoming life there - and the Lord plants churches there. And my wife conducts medical clinics for the poor women and children there. We are both immensely blessed by our service to these people.

It is amazing to see the places that God has taken our tapes and our literature to. They have gone to every continent - to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). Many preachers are also using the material from our books and tapes in their own messages in their churches. Thus the Word goes even further, into churches where I could never go. Praise the Lord. We have encouraged people to use our material freely, as long as they live it and don't seek to make moneythrough it.

Seek the Lord to be constantly anointed with His Spirit and for the gift of prophecy ("the ability to speak the Word according to the need of your hearers"). Don't imagine that asking for the gift of prophecy is pride. That is how Satan fools people. The Holy Spirit urges every believer to eagerly seek for the gift of prophecy (1 Cor.14:1). So seek for this gift. If you don't ask God for something that you need - in any area - you won't get it. You must be bold to ask - for material necessities, for intelligence, for a solution for some problem at work, or for any problem in general. God allows us to encounter problems so that we may go to Him and find the solution. How boring life would be, if we never encounter any storms that Jesus stills! So, ask - and keep on asking so that your joy may be full.