Post #5 Fasting and Prayer 101: As we get older, we tend to think logically. We dream less because “it isn’t logical to dream big dreams”. It isn’t logical to keep circling the same old prayer over and over again. Logic says, it isn’t going to happen. When we allow our human logic to override God’s promises is when we stop really living. Our test of spiritual maturity is whether our dreams are getting bigger or smaller. The more mature you are the more faith you should have because you have witnessed God’s faithfulness plenty of tines by this point. His faithfulness increases our faith and enlarges our dreams. The more we witness, the bigger the dreams we have. So if that’s the case, the older we are the more we should dream. We should never think, “I’m too old for that”. Age is never an excuse to give up and coast until death. If you keep praying, you will keep dreaming. and if you keep dreaming, you will keep praying. The more you pray, the bigger your dreams become. The more you spend time with God, the more you know Him. The more you know Him, the more you trust Him. The more you trust Him, the bigger the circles! When you are in intimate relationship with Father God, there is no doubt that God will do what He said He would do and praise will continually flow from your lips - not for what He’s already done but what He is going to do. Intimacy with the Father reveals His will. And when His will is revealed to you, you have every right to expect it to happen as long as you remain obedient to Him. Have you ever had a great expectancy in your spirit? When you weren’t exactly sure what it is that is about to happen but you could feel it bubbling up in your spirit? When that happens just start praising God for miracles. Praise Him for blessings. Praise Him for growth. Just because you feel it in your spirit, doesn’t mean that you don’t have to walk it out. Just as the Israelites had to walk out the defeat of Jericho, we must walk it out and be obedient to do what we know to do. Pray diligently and continually until we feel like we have ‘prayed through” and then we begin praising and shouting until the walls fall down. We pray through and then we praise through. Sometimes, faith is the willingness to look foolish. When the doctors report says a definitive diagnosis but you stand on God’s promise instead. When the divorce papers have been filed but you stand on God’s word instead. When the movers are at the door but you stand on the promises of God instead. I am quite sure that Noah looked real foolish building a boat in the middle of a desert. And the Israelites looked foolish marching circles around Jericho. David looked foolish going against a giant with a slingshot and Peter looked foolish getting out of the boat in the middle of a stormy sea. But God’s word didn’t fail. God said, they were obedient to follow His instructions and miracles happened. They had all the potential to be the laughing stock of their community but they heard the word of the Lord and they stood on that word, even when everybody else said they were foolish. If any of them would have quit circling one day early, one board early, one stone early - they would not have experienced breakthrough. But because they believed the promise of the Lord, they experienced something no one else did. They experienced a miracle. Saved lives, walls fallen, walked on water, giant slayed... They were willing to look foolish to others knowing that they would have the last laugh! In order to experience a miracle, you have to take a risk. Mark Batterson said, “You cannot build God’s reputation if you aren’t willing to risk yours.” There comes a time when you must take that step. The risky, foolish looking step - the one that others expect will cause you to sink. Sometimes things don’t add up on our calculator. But God has an eternal, miracle producing calculator. Our numbers don’t add up like His. He must be doing some new math or something because, God this just doesn’t make sense to do it this way. Why would I walk away from this job, or get married at this time, or adopt this baby right now. Why would I move there and do that - this doesnt make sense. My numbers don’t add up! When you place your life in God’s hands, the numbers don’t just add up, they multiply. There are those defining moments in your life that can completely change the trajectory of your life. You can step out in faith and go God’s direction or you can do what seems logical and make your own path. God’s path leads one way and your logical path leads another. When we step out in faith and do what God said to do, numbers not adding up, looking foolish to everyone else - is when God steps in, and does a miracle. When it is obvious to everyone, that there is no way you can make something happen, is the time that God gets the most glory! God isn’t offended by big dreams. He’s offended by anything less. When you dream small, humanly possible dreams, God doesn’t get any glory. But when you dream big, impossible dreams it gives God room to work a miracle. Big circles bring big God-sized results. Do you have vision beyond your resources? If you are willing to look foolish, you can make history. But if you are more concerned with your reputation than God’s promises then you will repeat history. You will repeat the same ole, same ole until you die. Nothing will ever change unless you are willing to do something different. Stepping out on the promises of God, circling them until you get an answer, praying through and then praising through! If you do that, you will begin to see big changes! Big answers to prayer! Big miracles! Big dreams come to fruition! In order to get something different, you must do something different. Are you willing to look foolish in order to stand on the promises of God? Are you willing to be the laughing stock of your family or circle of friends? Are you willing to draw a really BIG circle? In order to get the big miracle, you have to draw the big circle! You must stand on the big promise, the foolish looking promise, the one that doesn’t add up, and risks everything! What is it you are believing God for? Has He spoken a promise to you? Once you feel like you’ve had a breakthrough in prayer, then praise through! Praise Him until you see it in the natural. Thank Him as if He’s already done it. God said “I have given you ________.” So praise Him like He has!
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 05:03:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015