Winning Life's Battles

It's hard to turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper these days. It seems like there's an endless torrent of bad news. We're plagued with an ailing national and global economy, wars and rumors of wars, high unemployment and many families that are falling apart or just plain hurting. It feels as if we're in a constant battle, and to a degree, we really are.

The twelfth chapter of the Book of First Chronicles in the Old Testament gives a powerful metaphor for winning in life's battles. David was chosen by God and anointed to be the king over Israel. He had one major problem: Saul, the sitting king would not surrender the throne and had dedicated himself to hunting down David and killing him.

In this chapter, we find David hiding from Saul in a foreign city called Ziklag, among Saul's enemies. There, David was sought out by several thousand men who decided to break away from Saul and align themselves with David. This came at the risk of their own lives and their families as well. The Bible teaches that these men brought 3 things to the table that we could use today:

1. It states that these men had understanding of the times, to know what ought to be done. I believe that we are badly in need of understanding of our present times, so that we may know what to do and not lose heart. We don't need a surface understanding or the kind you get from talking heads on TV; we need a Biblical understanding of our times to discern the issues behind the issues and to overcome them.

2. The second thing these men had was valor or bravery in deciding to break with the king and to stand with David. Some of them were Saul's relatives! I wish I could say that winning whatever battle you're facing is as easy as clicking your heels and waking up safe and sound in Kansas, but we both know that happens mostly in fairy tales. We serve a miracle-working God who can do anything at any time, but He seems to require that most of the time, we have to trust Him and face our fears head on like these men did.

3. Finally, the Bible says that these were men of action. Throughout Scripture, God promises His children amazing blessings, but many of those blessings require that we take action. Israel was required to fight for the Promised Land, Jesus wrestled with and overcame Satan, many in the New Testament lost their lives so that the Gospel could go forth. You were made to overcome life's battles, but you must obtain Biblical understanding, put your trust in God and then take action.

So what do you do to make this happen, practically speaking? First, if you haven't done so already, I would encourage you to surrender your life to God right now. You need to enlist, like the men who parted with the king and came to David. Whose side are you on? It's crucial that you answer this question before you go any further. You're unprepared for life's battles without a satisfying answer to this question. You will be like a soldier torn between two armies.

Second, if you've fallen in the battle, get up! Come back to the Lord for refreshment and pick your weapon back up. Psalms 23 promises that He will restore you when you return to Him. I believe that we are indeed in tough times, but God is greater than your battle. You plus God is a majority.

Third, please write to me and let me know how I can help or encourage you. Wishing you God's best always,

Wayne


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What do you say?

I've been spending a lot of time in the Book of Genesis lately. Genesis is a fascinating chapter in the Bible, so much so that it took me a long time just to get beyond the first chapter. One of the things that struck me is that God continually speaks.

He says things like, "Let there be light"; and there was light. He then called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. You can read the rest for yourself, but God then speaks the rest of creation into being, culminating in the creation of mankind, who he created in His own image. God then blesses mankind and endows them with dominion and rulership over the earth.

God then invited the man to exercise his delegated authority and do some speaking of his own. Thus Adam named all of the animals that God created and then named his mate. When Adam took up the challenge, he exercised gifts inherited from his Father: free will, creativity, and mastery over his environment. Although his words didn't "create" anything, they helped bring context and meaning to the world.

Our words still have that same power. In fact, "death and life are in the power of the tongue" according to the Proverbs. So I ask you today, what do you say? Like Adam, the choice is yours - you have a free will. You can speak words that bring light, life and love like God or you can speak words that bring the opposite.

Either way, you'll find that your words help to shape your environment. Why not make it a good word? A blessed word? An encouraging word? I challenge you for the next seven days, to filter every word that you speak through these questions: Do my words bring light? Do they breathe life into a situation? Are they said with love? And if not, then to immediately self-correct and turn it around. Do this, even if it's just self-talk (the words we say to ourselves).

Try it; it will have an amazing effect on your week.


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Ephphatha! - Be Opened!

Hey friends; the last time we were together we learned a new Aramaic expression - Talitha Cumi, which means "Arise!" A little further ahead in the 7th chapter of Mark, Jesus uses another Aramaic expression when healing a man who was hard of hearing and suffering from a speech impediment. In this instance, Jesus took the man aside, put His fingers in his ears, spat and touched the man's tongue, then looking up to heaven, He sighed, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."

The Bible says, "Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly." The Bible is an amazing Book because it speaks to us in so many ways. This Scripture reminds me again that the world never has the final say - only God does. I don't know if any doors have been slammed in your face recently, or maybe its a heart that seems closed to you.

Whatever the problem may be, Jesus can speak to that situation. Whatever seems shut off, He can tell it, "Ephphatha - Be opened," and it must obey. In my own life I can think of so many doors that should have been locked, but looking back, I know the Lord said, "Be opened" and it was! I can see faces that wanted to be closed against me, but the Lord said, "Be opened" and the faces changed.

There is someone reading this who feels like the doors of opportunity, love or joy is closed. But let me encourage you friend. Jesus can speak one word to that situation and it can all change. He can also do even a greater miracle - He can speak to your heart and you can change. Nothing is etched in stone with the Lord. When you feel like the doors are closed, say a prayer and remember the man in this Scripture. Then look for the crack in the door.

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Talitha Cumi!

In the 5th chapter of Mark, a story is told of a man named Jairus who invited Jesus to his house to heal his dying daughter. Jesus agreed to his request, but on the way, they were met by a group of people who had been with the child. This is what they said to Jairus: “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

Jesus ignored the comment and responded with five powerful words: “Do not be afraid; only believe.” He then walked past the naysayers and entered the house where friends and family were weeping over the loss of the child. He assured them the child would recover, but they laughed in His face. This time, rather than ignoring the doubters, He put them out of the room and went to the girl with only her parents and His three closest disciples by His side. He then took her hand and uttered the words, “Talitha Cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Immediately she arose and was reunited with her parents.

Sometimes things in our lives appear to be dead. It may be a treasured dream, a relationship or aspiration. Don’t be fooled by appearances; as long as the Lord is in the picture, what seems dead may yet live. There may arrive a day when it’s time to give up, but until that day comes, remain in hope and remain in faith. Jesus is Lord of all and He specializes in the impossible.

When the doubters come; ignore them. If you can’t ignore them then get away from them. This is also true of your own doubtful thoughts. Learn to recognize and dismiss them; learn to change the channel. Remember Jesus’ words: “Do not be afraid; only believe.” And when the doubters tell you that your hope is dead, say boldly, “Talitha Cumi– My dream lives!”

You Can't Force a Harvest!

Hey friends; it is easy to get discouraged when you plant something and it doesn’t seem to grow (at least on our schedule). I was reading the Parable of The Growing Seed in Mark 4:26-29 today. It gave me a lot of encouragement and I’d like to pass it on to you.

The parable is only three verses long. It states, “The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

We all scatter seed at one time or another. It may be a financial investment, a new venture, or perhaps someone who we mentor or befriend. We scatter our seed and in due time we expect a harvest. When that harvest is delayed we are prone to discouragement and frustration, but this parable reminds us that is silly.

In the parable, the farmer scatters his seed and then he sleeps by night and rises by day (trusting that God’s Laws will take over and his seed will grow). He himself does not know “how” the seed will grow because that is God’s work. He just scatters and then rests. He doesn’t worry over the seed, nag the seed or try and force the seed to grow; he just scatters his seed, continues being a farmer and trusts God’s process. Then the earth does its part and yields a crop – first the blade, then the head, then the full grain in the head. When the grain is fully ripe, the farmer’s only work is to collect his harvest.

We can learn from this. When our harvest doesn’t seem to be happening, it is important that we dig in with stubborn faith and trust in God’s process. No one really knows what makes plants grow. Throw in some soil, sunlight, water and minerals and “something happens” that yield a crop. That is God’s business. That is the part that we would like to control, but we can’t. The only wise response is to wait expectantly and to trust that our seed is taking root – that God is providing everything to bring it to full maturity. When your grain is fully ripe, your harvest will surely come.

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A House Divided Cannot Stand!

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:24-25

I was having some time alone with God when I came across the verse above and it made me stop and think. You know how it is. You can hear a particular scripture dozens of times with little impact and then other times it hits you right between the eyes. This was one of those occasions, when the truth of the statement came crashing home.
I realized that many times we are our own worst enemies. We get stuck (or at least feel stuck) because we are divided internally. Our desires, beliefs, decisions, words and actions are not in alignment and so we are like a house divided – we go nowhere. We can only make real progress in life when these elements line up together and with God.

For example, if you desire to honor God with your life, but then you believe the cost is too high, then you are a house divided. Or if you make a decision to follow God but then your words and actions are contrary, then you are also treading water. The Bible says that a double-minded man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Let me share a framework with you that I learned from Pastor Brian Houston of Hillsong Church in Australia to achieve what you want in life. First, understand that your decisions must line up with the desire God put in your heart. Desire and decision must flow in the same direction. You can’t desire a great business, for example, and can’t get out of bed. Because if so, your decision doesn't line up with your desire. Life is about decisions.

Next, you must be prepared to sacrifice for whatever it is you desire. Will you pay the price? In all matters of achievement, you must be willing to count the cost. You must be prepared to sacrifice what you are now for what you could become. Then you must take action! You can’t wait for the play to come to you – you’ve got to go to where the ball is. Notice the greatest athletes of all time. Do they stand around and wait for the action to come to them? Of course not, they constantly take action – they move to the ball.

Finally, be patient. Achievement always calls for endurance. In the Bible, the ones who inherit God’s promises are the ones who endure. God is faithful – He keeps His covenant for a thousand generations. God is for you. He desires that you fulfill the dreams He placed in your heart. It is time to stop the self-sabotage. Make a decision today in the direction of your God-given dreams and desires. Count the cost and then take some action, even baby, mustard seed-sized steps. Then just be patient and wait on the Lord. Once you are aligned with Him, it’s just a matter of time to receive your blessing!

Stop and quietly think about that today.

How To receive a Miracle

For the past several weeks, I've been challenged by why it seems we experience so little of the miraculous in our lives. We serve a supernatural and miracle-working God, but we don't often act like it. I will be publishing an in-depth piece on this topic in a couple of weeks so be on the look out for that. I believe it will challenge you spiritually and usher you into a season of fresh faith.

In the interim, it occurs to me that God shows us several patterns in the Bible that we may follow to receive a miracle. One such teaching occurs in Mark 11:20-26. This is a pretty famous passage that you may have heard quoted before. The principal part is this: So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you whatever things you ask when you pray believe that you receive them, and you will have them."

At first blush, it seems as if there are no qualifications to Jesus' statement - that the promise of moving mountains with your faith is a blank check. In reality there are a few conditions that must be met in order to receive your miracle. First, you must come to the Lord in faith. Jesus says, "have faith in God." The Bible teaches that without faith, it's impossible to please God so following Him will always require an act of faith on your part if you are to please Him. At the end of the day, He is God and He is asking you to set aside doubt, fear and unbelief and to trust Him at His word. That is faith.

The second thing that is evident from this passage that I don't often see included in teaching on this is the need to come before God with a clean heart. Verse 25 says that when we come to God asking for our miracle, we should make sure that we don't have anything against anyone. To go even a step further, Matthew 5:21-25 says that we shouldn't bother wasting time at God's altar if we know someone who has an issue with us! In other words, sometimes we've got to clear out the junk in our human relationships before we expect God to pour out that miracle. God is sovereign and He can do whatever He wants to, but it's amazing that we pray and see no answers and we blame God, but we haven't spoken to ____________________ - you fill in the blank - in how many months or years.

Finally, Jesus says, "whenever you stand praying..." Prayer is the road that your miracle travels on. The Bible encourages us to pray without ceasing, to pray persistently, to ask the elders of the church to pray for your physical healing, to pray for one another about anything and everything, to pray specifically - Jesus sometimes asked people who He healed, "What do you want?" At several places in Scripture God accuses His people of being prayerless or failing to believe Him for anything. This is a travesty of the faith - it is a failure to live up to who we really are in Christ.

Let me encourage you today friend to believe God for something great. To point your faith directly at that mountain in your life. However, remember you must believe and not doubt; you must have a clean heart and you must pray until something happens. Drop me a note about anything you're praying for. You don't have to reveal any more than you're comfortable with, but I'd like to join you in prayer - there's power in us praying together and let's believe God together for your miracle. Blessings, Wayne

How to Know God's Vision for Your Life - Part IV - You Must Confess the Vision

Hey friends; this post will complete the four-part series on how you can know God’s vision for your life. Once you come to see the vision, become persuaded by it and embrace it, you must then confess it with your life. Our focus Scripture, Hebrews 11: 1-16, states that the heroes of the faith confessed that they were “strangers and pilgrims” on this earth – that they were seeking a city that God had prepared for them.

In other words, these folks came to recognize that they were just passing through this world and that their true homeland – their eternal home was in heaven with God. Therefore, they made the conscious choice to confess or validate God’s vision by living their lives in the light of the life to come (eternity). There are three factors that should drive us to make the same confession.

First, the Scriptures teach that our true homeland (our citizenship) is in heaven. Philippians 3:20. I was not born in this country. However, I am proud to tell you that I am a naturalized US citizen. When I became a citizen, the government issued me a certificate and placed my name in a book containing the names of all those who are also naturalized citizens.

The Bible states that God has a Book – it’s a Book of Life containing the names of all of heaven’s citizens – all those who have received eternal life on God’s terms. At the culmination of time, God will open the Book. Those whose names are written in that Book will spend an eternity in heaven with God in utter perfection. In light of that glorious destiny, how should we conduct ourselves in this life?

That’s point #2. We are to follow the pattern of the folks in Hebrews 11 – we are to recognize that we are just passing through this earth and we are to keep a heavenly perspective. That means that we should move live our lives on mission for God and with God. God gave us all things to enjoy, but we should not make earthly “things” our major focus in life. As best as we can, we are to live for God’s agenda. The question that should keep us up at night is not who got eliminated this week on American Idol (although that’s very important) – but are we living for God – are we living this life in the light of our true eternal identities?

When we choose to live in this manner, our lives will “declare plainly” who we are. Our lives will speak much louder than our words. It will emanate a light that demonstrates the reality of God for all to see. God’s vision for our lives may change over time, but our job is to live it out along the way. That is the key to lasting contentment, fulfillment, significance and joy. There will be no greater joy than departing this life knowing that you lived it intentionally for the glory of God.

Perhaps you can spend some quiet time in the near future asking yourself honestly what are you living for. Is God even on the agenda? Or are you caught up in all of the desires, demands and distractions of this world? If you are, why don’t you stop right now and ask the Lord to refresh your spirit and to remind you of His plans and purposes for you. Keep it really simple and please send me a note about anything the Lord reveals to you.

How To Know God's Vision For Your Life Part III (You Must Embrace The Vision)

Hey friends; it’s been a while since my last post. You know how it is – life has a way of snowballing at times. But that’s no excuse, so let me get back to finishing up my thoughts on how you can learn to discern God’s vision for your life.

I’ve suggested thus far, that God has set forth a blueprint for this process in the Book of Hebrews, chapter 11. In verse 13 of that chapter, the writer states that the people of God who caught God's vision for their lives: (1) saw the vision afar off (2) became persuaded by it (3) embraced it and then (4) confessed it with their lives.

We’ve already discussed how you may accomplish number one and two above in earlier posts. Today we will discuss number three- how you may learn to “embrace” God’s vision for your life. Embracing a vision goes beyond merely seeing or becoming persuaded by it. Embracing God’s vision means that you must step out in faith and take action.

A vision without action is basically a fantasy. There must be a time in which the vision leaves your head and manifests itself in your feet. The Bible puts it this way (my translation) – faith without action to back it up is dead. (James 2:17). Lights – camera – action!

The reverse is also true: action without vision is equally unavailing. We’ve all seen very active people who seem to be going nowhere because they lack a true vision for their lives. That is why all three stages of this process are required. You must first begin to see God’s vision, and then when you are persuaded by it, you must embrace it by going for it!

The Bible is filled with many people who caught God’s vision and then embraced it with their lives. Hebrews 11 is a great place to start. The key is that these individuals took steps to follows God’s leading. Sometimes they made wrong moves and stepped entirely out of God’s will, but they were moving. Ask yourself what is stopping you from taking action on wherever God is leading you and whether you can afford the delay.

There is no need to fear stepping out for God. Keep three things in mind: (1) God equips His people to go for it. Among many things, God is a provider and where he guides, He always provides. (2) God begs His people to go for it. In Isaiah 64:7 God laments that there hardly seems to be anyone who would simply call on His name and believe Him for something. (3) God expects His people to go for it.

In Matthew 25:14-30 the Lord tells a parable about a “wicked” servant who hid the talent God gave him in the earth and did not build on it. That servant was harshly chastised. So what am I saying? Go for it friend! Don’t wait for perfect conditions, perfect people or perfect timing.

These things may never arrive. Once you hear God’s voice and you become persuaded, it’s time to get off the fence and take action in some small way. This may not be the final destination (99% of the time it is not). But get going – take even a baby step toward whatever God is prodding you to do today and be encouraged, He is with you!

How To Know God's Vision For Your Life - Part II (You Must Be persuaded By The Vision)

Hey friends; in my last post, I wrote that in order to catch God’s vision for your life, you may follow the blueprint set forth in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews. In verse 13 of that chapter, the writer states that the people of God who caught a vision for God’s life (1) saw the vision afar off (2) became persuaded by it (3) embraced it and then (4) confessed it with their lives.

Last week we discussed how the people of God may begin to see the vision. This week we will focus on how we may become persuaded by the vision. It is not enough to just see a vision; many people see a vision, but they never do anything about it because they are not persuaded by it – they’re not fully convinced that it is worthy of pursuit. There may be many reasons for this but one of the primary reasons is that they lack the faith to act. So how do we develop the faith required to act once we’ve seen God’s vision.

First, we must understand that God confirms His vision through His word. Romans 10:17 says that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Mark 4:24 also tells us to be careful what we’re hearing because the measure of thought and study we give to the truth we hear will be the same measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to us. Thus, we must become a hearer, reader and student of God’s word. When we begin to spend time and thoughtful study in God’s word, He will begin to speak to us about our lives. His word will become a guide for us – a lamp to our feet and light to our path. Psalm 119:105.

God is speaking today primarily through His word. If you want to know God’s vision for your life, you must get into His word. Then you will be able to say like the apostle Paul, “I am persuaded …” Romans 8:38!

By contrast, the Bible clearly teaches that God conceals his vision from the halfhearted. A story is told in Matthew 8:19-21 of a would-be disciple who approached Jesus. The Lord gave the man a vision for his life which entailed radical trust in him. Just then another would-be disciple overheard the high cost of the Lord’s call and decided he needed a year before he could commit to the vision. He asked for permission to go take care of some family business before he could follow.

This, of course, is an excuse. The Bible is filled with many other such individuals who heard a God-given vision, but backed away because they were not persuaded. See Luke 18:18-27 – a certain rich young man walked away sorrowful because he rejected God’s vision for his life. What a mistake. In Acts 26:27-28 King Agrippa mouthed some of the saddest words in the Bible: “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” King Agrippa saw the vision painted by the apostle Paul, but lacked the faith to commit. He was “almost persuaded” but you know the old song, “almost doesn’t count.” King Agrippa, by his lack of faith and half-heartedness, never experienced God’s greater vision and will for his life.

God conceals His vision from the half-hearted, but he reveals His vision to His servants. Throughout the Bible, God reveals Himself to His chosen vessels. Amos 3:7 says, “Surely the Lord does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants…” Hebrews 11 is not a record of people who went searching for God – it is a record of God revealing Himself to ordinary people and showing them an extraordinary vision for their lives. This vision led each person to a crisis of belief – would they believe God enough – become persuaded to the point of obedience?

It is never a question of whether God has a vision for us. He made us, knows us and has plans for all His children. Jeremiah 29:11. The question is whether we are listening for His voice and when we hear it are we committed to obeying His leading –are we persuaded by the vision He shows us?

Stop and think about that for a moment friend? Are you persuaded?

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How to Know God's Vision for Your Life - Part I (You Must See the Vision!)

Hey friends; some years ago I was having some private time in the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11 when God began to speak to me about catching a vision for my life. In that Chapter (affectionately called the "Hall of Fame of Faith") the Scriptures set forth a number of God's people who, by faith, caught God's vision for their lives. The Scriptures teach that these people fit a pattern laid out in the text. The key verse states that the people of God mentioned died in faith without fully receiving all of the promises, but (1) having seen them afar off (2) they were assured or persuaded of them (3)they embraced them and (4) they confessed that God had given them a new agenda in life. This is a paraphrase of Hebrews 11:13.

I believe that this pattern is still operative today. It is a blueprint for how God's people may begin to see God's vision for their lives. In other words, if we are to know God's will for our lives, we must begin to (1) see God's vision (2) become assured or persuaded by the vision (3) embrace the vision and (4) confess it with our words and our actions. If we are willing to go through this process with God, I believe that He will reveal Himself in powerful ways. So how do we get started?

You must begin to see the vision. Well, that sounds easy, but everyone knows it is not. How do we practically begin to see God's vision for our lives? I suggest that we can do a few things. First, we must understand that God speaks over time. Hebrews 1:1-2 says that God has been speaking over time and in various ways through His prophets, but now He is speaking through His Son. God has always been involved in the lives of His people, but He rarely reveals His complete will for a people or an individual all at once. Most people who lived out God's calling in Scripture and in real life did so over time. It is a process, so don't knock yourself if you feel like you're missing the will of God. He will reveal His will to you over time.

However, the most significant part of God's will for your life is that you be rightly related to Him. Hebrews 1:1:3 says that Jesus, the express image of God, died for the sins of mankind and purged those sins from anyone who would believe Him and receive His forgiveness. Having completed the work of redemption, He sat down at the right hand of the Father. Thus, in order to be rightly related to the Father, we must receive forgiveness for our sins from the Son.

Once you receive that forgiveness, which is a free gift for the asking, you must begin to seek Him for your assignment. I suggest that you begin to seek Him in prayer and fasting. Here are some ideas for ways in which to seek Him. When you pray, be honest with God about all your feelings and concerns. Psalm 62:8 says we are to pour out our souls to the Lord. Pray also constantly (the Scriptures tell us to pray without ceasing); pray confidently (believe that you will hear from God when you pray and if you don't believe admit it and ask Him to help you to believe); pray with someone or a small group (there is power in group prayer) and pray with intensity (add fasting to your prayers).

Finally, be watchful. Once you have sought the Lord in all the ways mentioned above, be mindful of what is going on around you. Did anything change? Did God open (or close) any doors? Did you experience an inner heart change? What have your loved ones, spouse or others been saying to you? What is going on in your life and in your church? All of these things will come together to begin to paint a picture of God's vision for your life. Like the people of the Scriptures, you will begin to see God's vision "afar off" and it will begin to draw near to you as you draw near to God.

Friends, there is no microwave version of this process. It involves realizing that the vision emerges over time; it starts by being rightly related to God; comes alive when we begin to seek Him in prayer and fasting and will appear when we are watchful and expectant. I challenge you to take these steps in your spiritual life and watch God show up with great power and blessing!

Tune in next week for Part II - You Must be Persuaded by the Vision! Until then, God bless you and keep you as you seek His vision for your life!

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Fasting For Your Spiritual Breakthrough

"And one of the throng replied to Him, Teacher, I brought my son to You, for he has a dumb spirit. And wherever it lays hold of him (so as to make him its own), it dashes him down and convulses him, and he foams (at the mouth) and grinds his teeth, and he (falls into a motionless stupor) and is wasting away; and I asked Your disciples to drive it out, and they were not able [to do it]. And when He had gone indoors His disciples asked Him privately, Why could not we drive it out? And He replied to them, This kind cannot be driven out by anything, but prayer and fasting." Mark 9:17-18, 28-29.

Dear Friends: Have you ever been in a situation where you really needed a spiritual breakthrough? Perhaps you are in that predicament today. You may be facing a difficulty, a tough relationship or you may have a personal need. Facing a problem that is larger than yourself, you cry out to God, you look for Him in His word and you seek the prayers and guidance of others. You then wait patiently on the Lord and … nothing seems to happen. The situation remains the same, or even worse, it deteriorates. “Where is God?” you cry out. “Why doesn’t He move in this situation?” “Does He care?”

The answer is God cares! In fact, He cares more about us than we could ever care about ourselves. We are usually so selfish that that statement is probably hard to believe. But yes, despite our great love for ourselves, God loves us even more. In the Scriptures above, the disciples encountered a spiritual obstacle and could not defeat it. They had met seemingly similar obstacles in the past and had defeated them. But with this one, they stumbled. So much so that the Lord strongly addressed their lack of faith. What was it about this particular issue that overwhelmed the disciples?

The Bible makes it clear that there are levels and rankings of spiritual powers that oppose our walk with God. The day-to-day problems of life also vary by degree of difficulty and seriousness. Like the disciples, the day will come when you and I will meet a situation or spiritual obstacle that will require greater faith and reliance upon the Lord than ever before. In such a time, we must reach out for a higher level of faith and trust. When this happens, the Lord invites us to pray and fast; to enter into a denial of our appetites and a fuller yielding to His Spirit. In this time of yielding and divine connection, we lay down our desires, our goals and our very being. We allow Him to fill us with His Spirit and, by faith, we relinquish every burden to Him.

Is there a burden or obstacle that is overwhelming you today, beloved? It may be the kind that can only be overcome by prayer and fasting. Last night I had the privilege of encouraging our church family to seek the Lord in prayer for a demonstration of His power and His Spirit in their lives. (I Corinthians 2:4-5). This is also my personal desire. Beginning tomorrow, I will also add fasting to my prayers and I encourage all who seek to draw near to God in a special way to fast a meal or a day (as the Lord leads and your health allows) and dedicating that meal-time to the Lord in prayer. Some folks may need to consult a doctor before fasting so please plan accordingly.

But if you do not have a health issue, I ask you to join me in seeking the Lord daily in prayer and fasting for your spiritual breakthrough and for a demonstration from the Lord of His power and Spirit, active and present in your life. Jesus makes this bold promise in Luke 11:13(b), "How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" So let's ask my friends; but let's enter into a deeper realm of asking and fellowship with the Lord through self-denial. I believe we will experience the Lord in a fresh way and we will experience the blessings of Isaiah 58:8-9:

"Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I."

Stop and quietly think about that.