“You Are Loosed From Your Infirmities”

Scriptures For Meditation —Luke 18:1-8; Mark 11:22-24

Speak Again

“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe”.

The above quote is one of, if not my favourite definition of faith.

The Question friend is —What Do You Believe?

Over the past few days, a particular verse of scripture had also been playing in a loop in my mind –

“I will hasten after my word to perform it”.

This was a word spoken by God to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:12.

Please permit me to quote this verse of Scripture with an extended interpretation that is not rigidly within the original context in which it was spoken; however please note the principle which is conveyed in the message, which I believe is a universal truth about God’s commitment or response to His word –

1. God always watches over His word to perform it. (As Christ Himself declares, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Luke 21:33)

2. He does it speedily (even though we may sometimes wish to disagree with that); the timing and speed of His action is always on time. As He says in His word, He makes all things beautiful in it’s time…)

Consequently, there is one particular thing that I believe God wants to emphasise to us today —It is the Persistence of Faith.

Act Like You Know!

It is not enough for you just to speak God’s word, or just to confess and decree and declare that you believe His word…There comes a time when you will have to, like they say, “put the pedal to the metal”, and ACT or take a stand on what you believe!

Standing in faith on the word will usually require:

Doggedness

The tenacity to keep holding on to your word from God in the face of conflicting information and what natural reason may be suggesting to you.

Aloneness

When you take this stance, it will sometimes bring you to an “alone” place, where you may find no one is willing to stand with you to believe God for your miracle. Many times, the journey to fulfilling your destiny cannot be made in a crowd. Think about that….

Persistence

You will need persistence to remain steadfast in believing.

In Luke 18:1-8; the widow was so persistent in her appeal to the judge to give her justice against her adversary, that the judge had no choice but to grant her request. She kept speaking and asking till her cause was fulfilled!

Just like this woman, we also have an adversary against whom we are appealing to God for reprieve. The bible says he goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour – he attacks our faith, peace, joy, hope, marriage, job, business, finances, health, and generally contends for our wellbeing.

The fact that God has spoken or that you have declared the word of God does not mean that the change will happen instantly. Sometimes, we have to “fight the good fight of faith” and persevere, and having done all, to stand on His word till the change happens.

Just like Ezekiel had to do when he was prophesying to the dry bones in our text yesterday – he could have stopped or given up at the point that he said:

“So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. As I watched, I saw tendons on them, then muscles appeared, and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath in them.” Eze 37:7-8

But he persisted and as the bible records, the change happened just like God promised it would:

“He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, – prophesy, son of man – and say to the breath: ‘This is what the sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.'”So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.” Eze 37:9-10

Maybe in your case you’ve been waiting in fasting and prayers for some time now, and you are looking at the situation and thinking to yourself: “I’m giving up; it doesn’t look like this prayer thing is working – the situation isn’t changing”.

But God will have me say to you:

Take Another Look – Speak Again!

Remember what God had said to you, and keep declaring that reality, until the situation aligns with, and agrees with the word that you had believed.

PRAYER FOCUS

Look at how things are in your life right now – What is your declaration of faith?

What word have you been holding on to? (Ps 119:49-50). Remember the word that You spoke to me and make it good…Do as You have said you would.

What has God commissioned you to do that you have given up on? What did you start by God’s leading but have now given up on or abandoned mid-stream? Ask God to strengthen you and enable you to rise up again and finish what He began in your life.

Confess the word of God: He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it.

Let’s stand in the gap for all our brethren that are believing God for breakthroughs and advancement in their jobs and in their businesses, and for those that are believing God for jobs, that God will come through for them miraculously as He turns their situation around to favour them in Jesus’s Name.

Shalom,

Pastor Wale Ola