Pray Till Pentecost – Breakthrough Devotion (2/4)
You are lost in the woods and it’s late at night. You know potentially someone is out there trying to find you, to save you. You are hungry, physically tired, emotionally a wreck, you scream out and then cry.
Suddenly, you remember you have a backpack filled with things that could help you. Not the food you need but maybe a flare or some matches.
To your excitement after rifling around you find some matches. Thank God! You gather some sticks and light a match. After some time, one of the sticks catches alight, but before it reaches another stick the flame disappears. You only have one match left, your last one! You carefully prepare the environment and stack your sticks and then light your final match. This is it. Carefully stoking the fire, it gets bigger and bigger and finally it starts burning through some larger logs. Pretty soon after this you hear a whirring sound and see some lights. Finally, you have been spotted. Someone is there to save you!
Our journey can look like this. Life has knocked you, you are down and you need breakthrough. You are so over it you cry out. The Bible is our source of help to grow our faith. We use it and all too suddenly something shakes us which reduces our faith. Did God really say that? Maybe healing was true for everything and everyone but my not situation?
However, we KNOW deep down that Christ has paid for this and the victory is ours.
It is our job to stoke the fire of belief in our hearts with more faith until we receive our breakthrough.
Remember the Israelites? They too struggled with faith in what God could do. They had witnessed his amazing miracles but all to quickly fell away when their situation did not look good. In Exodus 4:31 Moses told the Israelites that God had come to deliver them from Egypt. The excitement grew and they bowed and worshipped God, but as soon as trial occurred through Pharaoh, their faith for God to show up diminished. They did this again when the Egyptians were chasing them down at the Red Sea (Exodus 14: 11-12). And again, as they journeyed through the wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16: 3).
The truth is the helicopter (God) is always looking for us. God is searching for your heart and seeking your faith. You have the tools in which you need to stoke your faith and grow the belief. God has said He did it. So He must have. So we believe the victory is already ours.
How do I stoke my fire and build my environment?
1. Build a network of faith-filled people around you, who will support you!
2. Read the word – it is your DAILY bread
3. Memorise scripture which aligns to what God says He has already done for you – that can help you build belief.
4. Pray – when the worry starts, pray when you are filled with faith and pray all the other times of the day.
5. Worship – however you do this, sing, dance, play an instrument, draw, paint etc.
6. Sow a seed for your breakthrough – by investing your time, talent and treasure, your expectancy for a harvest will increase.
7. Review all your environments by asking ‘is this building or hindering my faith?’ (e.g. is this Tv show aligning with what God says? Are these friends helping?)
8. Fast – to be closer and hear from God
Ask yourself:
- Who is hindering my faith environment right now?
- What habits do I need to increase and decrease to stoke my faith fire?
Key scriptures
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Roman 10:17
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16
For we walk by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
And Jesus said to him “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. Mark 10:52
Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. Matthew 9:22
Then He touched their eyes saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” Matthew 9:29
Prayer for today
Father, help me build my faith. Show me in what areas I need to grow to believe what you say deep in my heart. Surround me with people, Godly wisdom and recreational activities which draw me closer to you. Amen
