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Walking in The Miraculous - David Oyedepo (Naijasermons - Com.ng)
Walking in The Miraculous - David Oyedepo (Naijasermons - Com.ng)
In The
Miraculous
David Oyedepo
Contents
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his
grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance
among all them which are sanctified. Acts 20:32
The miraculous is yours for the taking, but it shall not be by wishes. If you
have been wishing you can work miracles, stop wishing and start working!
Nothing works until you work it.
The Bible does not talk about the gift of waiting for miracles, but of the
working of miracles. So, don't wait for miracles, go and work them!
Those who wait end up wasting, just like the man at the pool of Bethesda,
who waited for 38 years. If Jesus had not come to his rescue, he would have
died beside the miracle pool. What an irony!
Should you be childless now, don't say, "I know someday, I will be
pregnant!" This is the day, and now is the time! Your miracle is available today,
so why are you wasting, waiting until tomorrow?
Remember that if the woman with the issue of blood, in spite of her
weakness could press her way to her miracle, then it's your press that will hand
over your prize to you.
Perhaps you have been waiting for Jesus to come to you. In case He hasn't
come, then you go to Him. You cannot afford to be like the man at the pool of
Bethesda, who was so unprepared for a miracle.
Friend, you can go to Jesus today for attention!
Let me reiterate the fact that you are created for signs, not for sighs; you
are created to be envied, not to be pitied. You are created for glory, not for
shame; for beauty, not for ashes; for dignity, not for ignominy. Your position is,
however, not decided by God, but by your dedication to the end-time
programme of God.
We have had the Acts of the Apostles, now it's time for the Acts of the
Church. It won't just be by the pastors and apostles, but by every member of the
Body of Christ taking their positions in the move of God. This is where you
belong!
The time has come when you will stand in your shop or office as a sign,
that means your business will respond to your status as a sign, and everything
will bow to your authority.
We must not gather around to pray, "If it be thy will..." prayers anymore.
His will is you in action! And that's His will for mankind. You cannot afford to
sit around in the church as a prayer project. It's time to get up on your feet and
take your place in God!
I release you into a world of signs and wonders!
I release you into the miraculous realm of life!
Because you believe, signs will follow you from now on!
From today, you shall no longer live with obstacles!
Everywhere you turn, the signs of heaven will answer to you!
Go forth and make it happen!
Chapter 1:
God's Miracle Plan
Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for
signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which
dwelleth in mount Zion. Isaiah 8:18
God has a miracle plan for the Church, prepared from the foundation of the
world. We see a shadow of it at creation, when God made man.
Adam, before the fall was a miracle. Everything about him was
extraordinary. His body was superb, hence there was no provision for drugs; all
the herbs in the garden were for food. His mind was miraculous. This was
proved when he single handedly named all the animals intelligibly, without
repeating any name. His spirit was in union with God. Without doubt, Adam
enjoyed life in the miraculous.
The fall of man signaled his exit from God's miracle plan. Adam had by
his act of disobedience swapped his dominion over everything that the Lord had
made (his life in the miraculous inclusive),for a life of oppression. Although he
was king of the earth, he sold off to Satan, and legally transferred his right to
live in the miraculous to Satan. Whereas previously whatever Adam said was
law, after the fall, he lost control and was no longer in charge.
For a time, it looked as if God's plan for man to walk in the miraculous had
been thwarted. But the Word of the Lord came unto Isaiah saying:
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
Now, you see that God is talking about someone to come, whose appearing
can not be hid — a sign. Later we understood that the prophecy was about
Jesus. Thus, when Jesus came to the earth, He came as a sign. By His death,
Jesus stripped Satan of all His powers. He came out of the grave King of kings
and Lord of lords, and declared: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in
earth..." He then went ahead to reinstate man in God's miracle plan.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall
they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it
shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover. Mark 16:15-18
Therefore as Jesus came to the earth as a sign, so are you a sign to the
world (Jn. 20:21). You are for signs and wonders, not for sighs and sorrows.
You are a sign of distinction, affluence, divine health, progress, etc. Wherever
you go, according to God's miracle plan, you should be recognised as a sign-
carrier and wonder-worker.
Friend, you are not here on earth to look for miracles, because God already
recognises you as a miracle! You should not be the one looking for signs, you
are ordained to be a living witness of Jesus, a proof-producing Christian. The
world is waiting for answers from us, but when we do not know how to obtain
answers ourselves, how shall we provide answers for them?
That is why I think a Christian should be ashamed of sickness the way he
is of sin. He should be embarrassed at defeat or failure in his life the way he
would be at being caught in adultery. Why? By virtue of his new status in
Christ, he should not be under anything anymore. So, God is upset when you
are cheated, defeated and manhandled, because on His part, He has done all He
needs to do to ensure you live a victorious life.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall
they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it
shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover. Mark 16:17-18
Signs are the heritage of all believers. A sign is something beyond the
ordinary; it validates the involvement of God in an issue. It comes by the finger
of God, something beyond human ability; a proof of God's omnipotency! And
God says signs shall follow you! That is simply amazing! It means God wants
to make you a monument, a clear evidence to all the world around you that you
are a believer. Remember, "And these signs shall follow them that believe..."
Therefore by virtue of your status, you are to be followed by signs, not
sorrows. The devil himself is under your feet, so wherever you appear he must
disappear! However, until you can grasp the reality of your heritage in God,
you can never walk in the miraculous.
Sometime ago, a woman came to report to me that for some inexplicable
reasons, the clothing material she was selling were not being bought. I went to
her shop, laid my hands on the merchandise, and said, "Clothes, be gone, now."
The following day, some people who came from outside the town bought up
everything!
On another occasion, a brother came to tell me that the items in his shop
were also not being bought. I laid my hands on his hands and declared, "Go
back to your store and lay these hands on those materials." He went down to his
shop and did the same. And to his amazement, the following day, at about
twelve noon, a man in a trailer reversed into his drive way and purchased every
item in the shop! And I said to myself, "Imagine if that brother were the owner
of my hands? It would simply be a matter of touching his goods every morning
and going to sleep."
But in actual fact, he has access to the same miracle hands that I have, and
so does everyone that believes. Unfortunately, however, not all that believe
know that there is a miracle in their hands. They think it is only in the hands of
the pastors, evangelists or bishops; but it is the heritage of every child of God!
Friend, there is something in your hands that can produce answers for
mankind, and should be able to produce answers for you too. So much has been
invested into you, but it is your discovery of those treasures that will lead to
your recoveries in life, and determine how much result you produce.
By the time you are through reading this book, you would be equipped to
make things happen by yourself.
From this scripture, it is clear that God has a plan in place for His people
to enjoy divine health. Next to salvation from sin, God's desire is that we
experience salvation from sickness. This is God's order of priority. This is made
clearer when you read Psalm 103:1-3
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy
name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
As soon as God forgave our sins, the next thing He did was to heal all our
diseases. He must have said, "I don't only want you to be spiritually healthy, I
want you to be physically sound as well. I am equally interested in your
physical well being as I am in your spiritual well being."
From scriptures we see that when God made the first man, he was
physically sound. As mentioned earlier, a proof of this fact is that of all that was
created, there was no provision made for any form of medication; therefore,
sickness was not a part of God's plans for man. Sickness came in with the
entrance of sin. In other words, the moment Satan took over the government of
this world, and in consonance with his name — "the wicked", the first thing he
did was to create sickness. Therefore, as long as a person is a child of the devil,
sickness is a part of his inheritance.
However, when anyone escapes the kingdom of Satan, into the kingdom of
the Son of God, he has also escaped from the horror of sickness and disease.
Why? Because until sin came, sickness did not exist; so when sin goes, sickness
must go with it.
This is the truth about God's miracle health plan. As soon as you make up
your mind to look away from whatever health problem you may be facing, to
the truth of God's Word, your liberty is guaranteed.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free. John 8:32
More often than not, the presence of sickness in the body of a believer is as
a result of ignorance, because sickness thrives on ignorance. But once he can
contact the truth of the Word, he has located the final solution to any type of
sickness or disease in his body. This was the case with a medical student who
had been diagnosed as being HIV positive.
"I ’m a final year medical student. My ill health began over three years
ago, though I began to experience the symptoms and signs a year later. They
pointed to HIV/AIDS. As it persisted and progressed, I went for a full blood
count examination, and the result still pointed to HIV, with marked W.B.C.
count.
One day while praying, the Lord pointed His Word to me and said that was
all I needed. He said all I needed was the truth that would set me free. But
before that, I needed faith, which comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of
God.
I had to settle down with two books written by Bishop David Oyedepo —
Keys to Divine Health and Understanding Vision, and several tapes. After
reading the books, I took the holy communion, and the following day I went to
the man in charge of AIDS counselling and told him that I wanted to have
another lab examination. On January 2, 1997, I went to collect my result, and it
was negative!
Also, when I went to do a full blood count, it was very normal and I knew
Jesus had restored my health! The devil brought pains all over, to look as
though I had not received my healing, but as I continued to confess my healing,
it disappeared and I have never experienced them again! Blessed be His name
for ever."
Koima, J. K.
In another instance, a brother who had been afflicted with typhoid fever
for nine years was healed as he discovered God's miracle health plan and
complied with heaven's directives.
"I had an unusual encounter with the book, The Healing Balm. Through
this book, I received some revelational knowledge that gave me deliverance
from nine years chronic typhoid fever, which had hitherto defied all known
antibiotic treatment. I came to Douala, Cameroun, in much pains and agony for
official reasons. I went to a private hospital, where I was tested and told that my
intestines had been perforated.
In late August, I came in contact with Word of Faith Bible Institute
(WOFBI) in Douala. I met one of the missionaries, who ministered to me and
gave me the book, The Healing Balm to read. In about three hours I finished
reading the book and contacted the following revelations from the book:
1. No sickness is to be treated as ordinary.
2. Sickness is a spirit.
3. Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law; therefore, any
sickness in my body is a curse from the enemy.
4. Until I curse that sickness and the spirit behind it by myself, God is
not going to curse it for me.
By the time I finished the book, I knew I was operating from another
realm. Faith rose up inside me like a giant. I wanted to postpone the battle till
the following morning, but the Holy Spirit checked me and said, ‘Do it now.’
I sat back on my chair, crossed my legs and said, ‘You spirit of fever...’
Before I finished calling fever, something took off from my stomach and the
pains disappeared instantly! All other symptoms have followed suit since then. I
never knew that satan is a coward. He did not even wait for me to pronounce
the curse before he took to his heels! I give God all the glory for this
miraculous healing."
Adekoya, K.
The good news is that once you are born again, Christ has redeemed you
from every curse of the law (Gal.3:13-14), so none can have a hold on you any
longer. You are no longer in the domain where curses have a legal right over
you. That was why Jesus not only shed His blood, but hung on a tree as well —
to secure our redemption from the curses of the law. Therefore the cross of
Christ crushed the curse of the law.
Let me illustrate this profound truth this way: when you pay for an item in
a store, legally you are free to carry the item home. That merchandise is no
longer under the supervision of the store keeper. In like manner, legally, you
have been "carried" out of every curse of the law. So, you are not the devil's
goods anymore, neither are you any longer under his supervision.
The truth is that God has done everything on His own part. He has
completed His own part of the contract. He has purchased your health at the
expense of His Son's blood. But He expects you to enter into it and make it a
reality in your individual life. How? Read through Deuteronomy 28:15-16, and
if your case matches any listed there, rise up with a holy anger and curse it.
Every sickness in your life now is due for a curse. You are to use your mouth to
curse it. Jesus has set an example for us. See this account in curse it. Jesus has
set an example for us. See this account in 21.
And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was
hungry:
And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he
might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found
nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee
hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried
up from the roots.
And Peter calling to remembrance saith to him, Master, behold, the
fig tree which thou CURSEDST is withered away.
So anything that has been mocking you is now due for a curse. Whatever
will not let go of you, whether it's a migraine, asthma, hypertension,
rheumatism, barrenness or whatever form of reproach, like Elisha cursed the
children that mocked him and two she-bears came out of the woods and ate
them up, you can turn back and curse those oppressions in the name of the
Lord, and experience total liberty.
Included in God's miracle plan is His miracle supplies. God wants you to
be comfortable as well as healthy. He saw us in discomfort and sent Jesus
Christ to come and give us the abundant life. Man's discomfort has not always
been. Adam in Eden was a true picture of God's financial plan for man. He did
not lack anything, he was super comfortable.
When Adam fell he was driven out of the garden of Eden into the
wilderness and the gates were shut. Thus, no one could gain access into the
garden until Jesus came out of the grave and the gates of life flung open.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting
doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Psalm 24:7
Among those gates was the gate that led back to Eden. That is to say that
God is bringing His people back into their Eden of abundance.
Therefore, financial signs are a part of our redemptive rights in God. If
Jesus could send His disciples to go to the sea "and cast an hook, and take up
the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt
find a piece of money; that take, and give unto them (the tribute collectors) for
me and thee," then it's a clear evidence that financial signs are a reality today
and is your heritage in God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of
the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be
born again. John 3:6-7
Your first vital link to life in the miraculous is understanding who you
really are now that you are born again, and the power that your new status
confers on you. This is the foundation for walking in the miraculous.
From the scripture quoted above, it is obvious that every born again person
is born a sign. Nobody can tell where he is going to or coming from. His ways
become past finding out, just as it is with God. He becomes a walking miracle,
operating signs naturally and at will.
The new birth brings you into a new sphere of existence. You cease from
being a struggling human being, to being a commander of signs and wonders.
That is why that scripture says:
The wind bloweth where it listeth...
You flow in realms where you have things the way you want them. A
young man shared a testimony recently. According to him, he had been a victim
of tonsillitis for three years when he heard me teaching on the New Birth
Connection, and he caught the word.
On getting home, he did some further studies on it and went to bed, only to
wake up in the morning with a swollen neck. In his own words, he said, "I
knew it was the same ailment. And as I was going to the bathroom, I said, 'I am
now a god, and a god can't be sick.' Before I got to the bathroom, something
brownish came out of my mouth, and now I am healed!" His liberty came when
he grasped the reality of his divine status.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of
the Spirit is spirit. John 3:3,6
When a human being has a child, that child is a natural reproduction of his
parent. Because he is born of humans, he is also human. Human beings are
made up of flesh and bone, and their offsprings are no less. But when a man is
born again, he is born into a new order of existence. He is not born of flesh, but
of Spirit; he is therefore no longer a human being, but a spirit being.
More often than not however, we are deceived into thinking that because
we still live in our physical bodies we are human; but nothing could be farther
from that! Consider Jesus, for instance. He was born of the Spirit, yet He
arrived the earth very much human. But there was no denying the fact that He
was also the Son of God. The same is true concerning you. When you are born
again, you are a spirit being, even though you have a mind and live in a
physical temple called the body.
Once your understanding opens to the reality of your divine status, you
cannot but flow in realms of the miraculous.
Look at the man, Adam. Before the fall he operated in the class of God, his
mind functioned in the same frequency as God's. He was a man of authority, a
man in dominion. One day, however, he ate the forbidden fruit, and in
accordance with God's warning, he died.
Adam's death was, however, spiritual, not physical. He was still physically
alive, but his spirit was disconnected from God. At that very instance Adam
went from the realm of the supernatural to the natural. He descended from the
spirit world to the physical world. He also became a victim of what he used to
have dominion over.
But God was undaunted, and as in a relay race, He picked up the baton that
Adam had dropped and passed it unto Jesus, who did not fail Him.
Jesus came primarily to recreate what had died in Adam — his spirit. He
came to restore to humanity what had been lost in Adam. He was called the
second Adam, because like the first Adam, He was a representative of all
mankind. With this restoration, as many as receive Jesus into their hearts can
operate in the same class as the first Adam before the fall.
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul;
the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is
natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord
from heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:45-47
The new birth is much more than merely responding to an altar call. It
could start from there, but until you have an indepth understanding of your new
status, reflecting the heavenly life will be a mere dream.
I pray that your understanding is opened, then such statements as, "Under
this circumstance what can I do as a human being?" will no longer come out of
your mouth! Please be aware of your new status in Christ; it is the beginning of
your journey into life in the miraculous.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,
a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 1 Peter
2:9
This scripture gives credence to the fact that we are new creatures,
belonging to a royal priesthood and chosen to show forth His praise. We have
no cause to fear what men of the world fear — for we are not of the world, our
citizenship is of heaven. We belong to a superior sphere and a higher cadre of
life.
Many people say, "You know in this world, you can't be sure of anything",
"There are wicked men all around", etc. But because you are a peculiar people,
made for signs and wonders, created not only to be different, but to make a
difference in this world, you can be sure of yourself. This is the mentality that
must engulf you if you are to take charge and be in full command of life's
situations.
It was this consciousness that inspired Jesus to say:
...My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this
world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered
to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. John 18:36
He knew where He was coming from, so it was easy for Him to maintain
His territory and retain His status. If you can key into this revelation, you will
no longer be subject to the harassment of the devil.
Your Superiority Over The Devil
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: Colossians 1:13
Once you are born again you are translated or transferred out of the
kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son. The forces of
darkness no longer have power over you; the weeping, mourning and gnashing
of teeth that are characteristic of Satan's kingdom cease in your life. The
moment you are born again, you are no longer in the kingdom of tears, but of
cheers. Your sorrow is turned into joy, your weeping to laughter!
The devil's government has a constitution. John 10:10 describes it as:
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy...
But as soon as you give your life to Christ you are no longer under the
devil's government. So his evil desires, schemes, wiles and devices have no
legal hold on you; you have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And
prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the
Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out
into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation,
and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his
Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused
them before our God day and night.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word
of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down
unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but
a short time. Revelation 12:7-12
Satan could not prevail in heaven, so he was cast down to the earth. Two
kingdoms are brought to light here. The earthly and the heavenly. Only those
who reside in the earthly kingdom are under the wrath of Satan. Those who are
born again have been translated from the earthly to the heavenly kingdom. And
in the heavenly kingdom there is rejoicing, because there is no place found for
Satan there anymore.
As a new creature in Christ, we can safely conclude that Satan has no right
to be anywhere around you. In your heavenly citizen status therefore, you
should be able to display "the riches of His glory" in the face of the devil, not
suffering as those in earthly places do. Just like Enoch who was translated so
that he did not see death, you have been translated too, so that you do not
experience the same buffeting as the world.
The fact that you have been redeemed guarantees you absolute liberty
from all forms of oppression of the devil. You are no longer his captive, so he
cannot plague your body or tamper with the works of your hand. This
knowledge should spur you into reacting against the gimmicks of hell in all
areas of your life.
Everybody may be complaining about the devil, but God is complaining
about the ignorance of His people! And by inspiration I said sometime ago that
there is no mountain anywhere; every man's ignorance is his mountain. Those
cases that look special are really not special; many only have a case of "special"
ignorance! Once you know where you belong, you should be able to confront
the devil and secure your victory.
For instance, sickness is not your portion in God. So, if you sense an attack
of sickness coming, react against it based on the light of God's Word you have
contacted. Don't nurse or accept it, just fight it off, and enjoy liberty. I perceive
very strongly in my spirit that God is going to bring a lot of revelations on the
weakness of Satan our way this end-time. Just like ants in a man's house do not
pose a problem to his existence, Satan is not your problem; you can handle
him!
Many years ago, a medical doctor cousin of mine tested my blood pressure
and said, "Oh, your blood pressure is high!" I quickly replied, "Not me". And
he said, "Look at it", but I wouldn't, and rather told him, "I cannot have high
blood pressure." I could say that confidently because I understood that we were
both operating from two different realms. After then I never prayed about it,
neither was it an issue of concern. High blood pressure was swallowed up in
victory, by insight about my divine status.
The advantage Satan has over believers is ignorance. He plays on the
ignorance of the saints to buffet, oppress and punish them.
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant
of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:11
But Satan has been stripped of all his powers and is left with only wiles and
devices (Eph. 6:11).
By being conscious of your superiority over Satan, you can "take him for a
ride." Instead of living at his mercy, you can turn the tables on him, compelling
him to take to his heels at the mention of your name! The testimony of the
demon who attacked the sons of Sceva was "Jesus I know, Paul I know." So he
recognised that those were not folks to play around with. That will be Satan's
testimony concerning you too!
Redemption guarantees your total liberty. With this understanding, you
hold in your hands the master key to rest in all spheres of life.
Jesus took the place of man in sin, sickness, poverty, death, and every evil
thing in the world. He was made sin on the cross, identifying with man in the
fallen state. He became sin for us.
If you are to operate in the realm of the miraculous, you must be fully
aware of your identification with Christ in every stage of His redemptive work.
You were in Christ in every stage of it. You were legally present there,
defeating the devil when Jesus died. You took part in His suffering (His
passion), in His crucifixion, burial and resurrection. He became identified with
you on the cross and you with Him.
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ
were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like
as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we
shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body
of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve
sin. Romans 6:3-6
When Jesus was made alive by the Spirit, you were also. You were raised
up from the dead together with Him on the basis of identification.
And when God raised Him up and exalted Him far above principalities and
powers, you were there with Him, exalted as well. As a result of this mystery of
identification, all principalities and powers are under your feet.
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead,
and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in
that which is to come:
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in
all. Ephesians 1:20-23
No one could deny the works that Jesus did, not even the skeptical Jews;
He was a fountain of signs and wonders. However, behind Jesus' amazing
manifestations was His keen understanding of His identification with the
Father. And as I often say, you cannot identify with God without proofs. Thus,
Jesus produced undeniable evidences as a result of His union with God.
Now, see how you come in: salvation brings you in union with God. You
were previously separated from Him by sin, but now through the atoning blood
of Jesus you have been brought back into fellowship with God. He is now your
Father (Jn. 20:17).
You are now one with the Father as Jesus was one with Him. As a result
you have the same nature with God the Father. Therefore, whatever God can
handle, by virtue of identification with Christ, you can too! A good understand
of this mystery enables you to exercise your authority without fear or
compromise.
For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to
have life in himself;
And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he
is the Son of man. John 5:26-27
This scripture explains that when you become a child of God, you are not
permitted to die like natural men. You become a child of distinction, singled out
among men. You are no longer a victim of the circumstances of life; rather,
even Satan the perpetuator of evil circumstances is bruised under your feet.
To reject this fundamental truth and rather embrace the traditional views of
church fathers is an open door to having the foundations of your life put out of
course. Instead of exercising dominion over negative situations, you will lose
control of your world and the things that happen to unbelievers will begin to
happen to you.
Friend, it is God that says, "Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the
most High." Mark that, "all of you"! This revelation is not just for the apostles,
prophets and teachers, but for "all of you". This brings us all into the same class
as God.
Something very interesting and which adequately illustrates the reality of our
new status is found in Exodus 7:1. God told Moses:
...See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother
shall be thy prophet.
Although a fugitive, Moses returned to Egypt and no one could arrest him.
All because he was a god unto Pharaoh! Likewise, God has set us up as gods to
our generation. We can no longer be arrested or molested. Before Moses
departed, he prophesied:
...A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your
brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever
he shall say unto you. Acts 3:22
Thus, Moses was saying that Jesus was coming as God in the flesh. And
truly when Jesus came, He was a god to His world.
Not stopping there, when Jesus was about to leave, He left us here as gods to
our world.
...As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John 20:21
This was confirmed when the apostles visited Lystra. The men of the city
exclaimed after a notable miracle was done:
And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their
voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down
to us in the likeness of men. Acts 14:11
Please know that you are not on earth merely as a mortal man, but as a
superior being, made a god on the earth. No revelation taunts the devil as this
one. It is a fundamental revelation for the end-time Church which will produce
saviours on Mount Zion. Not just apostles, prophets, etc. as we have been used
to, but men and women who will stand in the shoes of the Messiah, taking their
place in God.
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture
cannot be broken;
Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the
world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of
God? John 10:34-36
Meaning, "If because I said I am the Son of God you are angry, get ready,
because the gods are about to take their place on the earth; men who will say to
sickness 'go' and it must obey. Men of authority, saviours!" This understanding
helped me appreciate what God said to me sometime in 1981.
One day I was in God's presence, receiving instructions on how to run the
commission, when I took up my pen and wrote my wife. In that letter I said,
"Jerusalem is in pains, our mother is in travail, the whole creation is groaning,
awaiting Zion to manifest her sons. Prisoners are awaiting their emancipation.
Zion shall not only bring forth prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors and
teachers, but shall bring forth saviours" (Obadiah 21).
I wrote further, "Yet a little while and these saviours shall surface on the
face of the whole earth. Joel 2, Zechariah 8 and all the related scriptures shall
be fulfilled. The arrival of these saviours will compel the followership of
multitudes that cannot be numbered. They will carry such aroma, the
awesomeness of God will be so visible upon them, their operations shall be
unique and strange. (We can see all these happening now.)
"Yet a little while and saviours will surface on the face of the whole earth.
Zion is in her month, this mighty army shall be released in just a moment."
Friend, you must appreciate your privileged position in God's end-time miracle
plan. You are an arrow in the hands of God, which He will release this end-
time, to torment all the forces of darkness.
In summary, let me reiterate that the way God made Moses a god to
Pharaoh is the same way He made Jesus, and has in like manner made us gods
to our generation.
The essence of the new birth therefore is, once flesh, now spirit; once you
were seated in the earthly realm, but now you have been raised up together with
Christ Jesus, and are now seated with Him in heavenly places. Therefore you
are a citizen of an entirely different kingdom, your presence on earth is simply
ambassadorial; you are simply representing the interests of your place of origin.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ... 2 Corinthians 5:20
That means that just as in the natural, ambassadors enjoy the immunities of
the nations they represent, as an ambassador of Christ here on earth, you should
enjoy all the immunities that the kingdom of God has to offer.
Also, ambassadors enjoy comfort proportional to the wealth of the country
they represent. That is why embassy staff of certain nations move about in
taxis, while others have two cars attached to them. The poverty or wealth of the
nations they represent naturally follows them wherever they go. New birth
establishes a change in your citizenship, from earthly to the heavenly.
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 2:6
He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is
earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is
above all. John 3:31
Chapter 3:
The Purity Connection
A condition must be fulfilled before you can work the miraculous. I call it
another foundational stone for life in the miraculous. That pivotal factor is
purity. Purity is the gateway to life in the miraculous. It will guarantee
unending manifestations in your life and cause the power of God to flow
unhindered through you.
Although signs and wonders are the heritage of all saints, the power to
bring it about only flows through sanctified vessels. We see a clear picture of
this in the time of Elisha. Gehazi his servant was destined to obtain a double
portion of his anointing, but he lost it to sin.
When Gehazi was given the rod of his master to go and raise the
Shunammite woman's dead son in 2 Kings 4, the rod would not produce. The
reason was not very clear then. But it became glaring later, when he pursued
after Naaman for a talent of silver and two changes of garments. It was then
that the corruption in the heart of Gehazi was revealed.
There will be no manifestation of signs and wonders until corruption in all
its ramifications is dealt with. If the rod could not produce in Gehazi's hands,
then it will not produce in the corrupt hands of any believer either. And as I say
often, until sin goes, signs will not flow. Sin, whether in the heart or in deed, is
a major hindrance to the flow of signs and wonders. Jesus said:
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I
will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:21
The phrase: "I will manifest myself to him" simply means, "I will bring
him to the realm of the miraculous, to the realm of supernatural
manifestations." But it is on the condition that you keep His commandment of
purity. If you, however, refuse to keep His commandment, you are
automatically disqualified for supernatural manifestations.
Jesus for instance, could boldly declare, "Which of you convinceth me of
sin?"(John 8:46) because He was a man of purity, a sanctified vessel. As a
result, He enjoyed supernatural manifestations throughout His life here on
earth.
Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God,
thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy
fellows.
All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the
ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Psalm 45:7-8
Insight
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of
the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these
things are done in parables: Mark 4:11
Dogs are those who return to their vomit. Try as you may, your dog cannot
have access to certain information about you. For instance, your dog does not
know your bank account number or how much you have in the bank. It is just
not possible to confide such "inside stories" to your dog.
When you are a Christian who says, "Lord, I am sorry" today, but returns
to the same sin on another occasion, God considers you a "dog" Christian! And
as long as you remain a "dog", you cannot gain access to the secrets in the
Word of God, which is the power that controls the miraculous (Heb.1:3).
In Exodus 4:17, God said to Moses:
And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do
signs.
So, there is a rod with which you do signs; and according to Isaiah 11:1,
that rod is Jesus Christ — who is also the Word of God. Therefore it is with the
rod of the Word that signs are produced. For instance, there is a rod of divine
healing, which when you lay hold of enables you to produce signs of healing
without struggles.
The moment you get the rod of divine healing, you have compelled your
miracle to come. But the rod cannot produce when there is sin in your life.
Look at Jesus for instance. The miracles in His ministry could be attributed to
the revelation He had from God. He said in John 5:19, 30:
...Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself,
but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth,
these also doeth the Son likewise.
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my
judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of
the Father which hath sent me.
So the things He did were a function of the things He heard and saw. But
He also had an outstanding testimony of purity. I believe that when a man lives
in sin he is limited only to receiving information from the Word, he never gets
to the point of receiving revelations. Righteousness is what paves the way for
revelations from the Word of God. And until you have revelations, you cannot
provoke revolutions in any area of your life.
Friend, information is no match for revelation. One is earthly, the other is
heavenly; one is of the mind, while the other is of the Spirit. And we know that:
He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is
earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is
above all. John 3:31
The Anointing
It is impossible to talk about signs and wonders without making mention
of the anointing as a potent force. But the anointing works only to the degree of
consecration in an individual's life.
And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of
a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new
maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth
not with the old.
And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine
will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are
preserved. Luke 5:36-38
The reason why the old wine bottle breaks is because the new wine, being
fresh, is still undergoing fermentation and so is still increasing in volume. But
the old wine bottle has reached its elasticity limit. So, while the new wine in the
old wine bottle keeps expanding, the wine bottle can expand no further, and so
breaks; and both the bottle and wine are lost. That is why Jesus said that to
preserve both wine and bottle, new wine must be put in a new wine bottle.
New wine represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the wine bottle is
the saints.
Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third
hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet
Joel;
If God anoints a man beyond his level of consecration, it may lead to his
destruction. And since God is not a murderer, He allows you to attain a certain
level of consecration before He anoints you.
Take a minister of the gospel, for instance, who refuses to deal with the
issue of sin in his life. He will soon begin to fake supernatural manifestations.
When he lays hands on people and they are not healed, he tells them, "It has
happened, just give thanks." But there was no release of virtue, no anointing;
because until a man is purified, he is not worthy of the new oil. I believe, and
scriptures concur, that consecration enhances the flow of unction, while
corruption of any form dams it.
Divine Presence
The third virtue of purity is divine presence. Divine presence is the aura of
God, His aroma, His backing. When you carry God's presence, the seas of life
give way to you of their own accord. The mountains that ordinarily hinder
others flee at your appearance. When these begin to happen in your life, you
can definitely be described as a miracle. Talking of Jesus, Acts 10:38 says:
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with
power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were
oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
"...For God was with him" was one major secret of the signs and wonders
in His ministry. The apostles also. God's presence was their master key, hence
they could command such strange wonders.
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working
with them, and confirming the word with signs following.
Mark 16:20
The miraculous did not answer to Him simply because He was the Son of
God. No. He was enveloped with the presence of God because He did always
the things that pleased the Father.
Apostle Paul who wrought great wonders was a man of integrity. He could
boldly say, "Be ye followers of me" (1 Cor. 11:1), because he was an example
of godliness. God reckoned with Him as a worthy vessel for His anointing, and
the devil respected him also. This same Paul was stoned and left for dead, but
after the Jews were gone, he dusted his trousers and was on his way! He was
indeed a strange character!
However, a look at Paul's epistles reveal that he was a lover of
righteousness, an advocate of purity. And this guaranteed him the ever abiding
presence of God.
Friend, just as Jesus and Paul were born to be signs to their generation,
you are also born to be a sign. But the same way their productivity hinged on
their purity, yours depends on your degree of purity also. The benefits of divine
presence are innumerable, so you must strive to get it.
Psalm 114 describes how the sea saw God's presence approaching and
fled, and Jordan was driven back. It recounts also how mountains and little hills
skipped like rams at the majestic presence of God, thus symbolising that when
the presence of God is with a man troubles bow to him. Sickness merely hears
the mention of his name and takes to its heels. That is precisely why you must
pay the price of purity, if you want God's presence; it is your guarantee for
signs and wonders.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy
place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his
soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from
the God of his salvation. Psalm 24:3-5
This scripture makes it clear that it is you that determines what kind of
vessel you will be in the great house of God. Sin is not your master anymore,
because when Jesus shed His blood on the cross, He atoned for your sins, and
destroyed the power of sin. From that time on, sin lost its dominion over you
(Rom. 6:14). So, sin is now your slave.
Therefore, no matter what evil habit has ensnared you, you can disentangle
yourself from it right now. Crying does not solve the sin question as it were;
rather, light into the covenant forces at your disposal is your winning ticket.
All bad habits can be stopped, all you need is to exercise your will power.
And as the saying goes, "Where there is a will, there is a way." Therefore, until
you will to be free, you cannot win in your fight against evil habits.
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even
as he is pure. 1 John 3:3
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in
wickedness. 1 John 5:19
So, never say, "I don't have a choice", because you do. The choice to sin is
yours, and so is the choice to live pure. If purity is your choice, then you are a
wise man. The power of choice cannot be undermined. It is a potent force
against the influence of evil.
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and
evil; Deuteronomy 30:15
Please examine yourself critically. Is there any evil you are perpetuating?
Are you in an adulterous union? Are you involved in fraudulent practices? If
you are, then you are close to destruction. Get out of it now!
Sin hinders life in the miraculous. Until you put an end to anger, gossiping,
lying and all other works of the flesh, and begin to walk in purity, miracles will
never accompany you. What I am talking about is not just peity, but purity.
In case you are battling with sin, understand that you do not have to
struggle with it; simply take authority over it and see how weak it really is.
Remember that Satan is no longer in charge of your life, so you can choose to
be free and he cannot stop you. Whatever you say "No" to must loose its grip
off you. Jesus has paid the price, so you can live in total liberty. There is no
other way to do exploits other than embracing a life of purity.
In addition to exercising your will power against sin, you can go a step
further and tie your choice to a vow.
Friend, you can end the struggle with sin with a vow against it. Sin is a
barrier to the flow of signs and wonders, so you must stop it before it stops your
manifestations.
Chapter 4:
The Word Connection
Every lasting miracle is a function of contact with the Word of God. Once
the Word gains entrance into the heart of a man, he has compelled the
manifestation of signs and wonders. He may not need to pray, but the moment
he encounters the Word of God on any subject, he has switched on the
miraculous.
It is the Word of God that makes you a commander of signs. Therefore no
accomplishment is authentic, no miracle is genuine, until it is founded upon the
Word.
The trigger for signs recorded in Mark 16 is the name of Jesus. "And these
signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils..."
But Psalm 138:2 tells us that in spite of the power in the name of Jesus, it
cannot be compared with the power in the Word.
...For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
The power that healed them came through the Word Jesus was teaching,
because no disease, no matter how terrible, can resist the authority of the Word.
Once the Word concerning any situation goes forth, the devil cannot stop it
from producing a corresponding sign.
A young man came to me and said he needed a job. I quoted Isaiah 3:10 to
him: "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat
the fruit of their doings" I told him that the Bible said they shall eat the fruit of
their doings, not the doings of their uncles or fathers. This must mean that God
has no plans for the righteous to be jobless. And I asked him, "Do you believe
that?" He said, "I believe", and I said to him, "Now, you get a job!" He got a job
the following week!
That miracle came about by operating on the Word. Remember, I did not
need to pray, all I did was to take charge of the situation by the Word.
And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do
signs. Exodus 4:17
That was God speaking to Moses to take the rod in his hand and produce
signs. The rod then must have the ability to command the miraculous. What is
this rod? I'll show you a couple of scriptures that describe what it is.
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a
Branch shall grow out of his roots:
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of
knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; Isaiah 11:1-2
The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall
see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. Micah
6:9
Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which
dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in
Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. Micah 7:14
The rod therefore is Jesus. He is the "rod out of the stem of Jesse", He is
also the rod whom the Father has appointed. And from an understanding of
scriptures, Jesus is also the Word of God (Rev. 19:13). Therefore it is with the
Word of God that you do signs. It determines the degree of the miraculous you
experience in your life and actually shows your worth in the world of the spirit.
For instance, I can confidently say I have a miracle home, by the rod of
God. I discovered from the Word that, "it is not good for man to be alone". So I
concluded that God must be saying "I want to make life better (not worse) for
him, let Me give him a wife." Adding "for better for worse" to the marriage
vow is merely being religious, because God designed marriage for better.
Somewhere else I read, "Two are better than one." So I figured out that
God has a better programme for me as a married man. Since I was not a fighter
as a bachelor, I cannot be one when I am married.
Again, I discovered, "One shall chase a thousand and two shall put ten
thousand to flight." From this I understood that I am designed for greater
victory in life as a married man. Then I heard Him say in His Word, "...Be
fruitful and multiply." Therefore I became convinced that fruitfulness in
marriage is not a favour, but part of the covenant pact God signed with man
(Ex. 23:25-26).
All these are secrets discovered in the Word and things I have taken
delivery of to ensure rest in my marital life. And I can say with all boldness that
my wife and I have not had the first argument in our home since we got
married.
Nobody has the Word and lacks miracles. Every Word you encounter has
the potential to produce a miracle for you.
Sometime ago, Kenneth Hagin lay paralyzed and dying on his sick bed.
But then he encountered God's Word in Mark 11:23 that says:
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and
shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things
which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he
saith.
And he began to act on that Word. He would rise up and fall, until he rose
never to fall again! That is the power in the Word at work! It cheaply delivers
the miraculous into your hands.
He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their
destructions. Psalm 107:20
God's Word is His rod that commands the miraculous. And until you are in
touch with the Word, you cannot be in touch with signs and wonders.
Some time ago, I encountered a powerful insight from God's Word, which has
resulted in diverse miracles. I saw it in Genesis 2:7:
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a
living soul.
I deduced that by the breath of God, clay took on life, and blood began
flowing in man. By this same breath the muscles, tendons, etc. assumed their
perfect positions. I couldn't imagine the internal organs being built separately
by God and being put inside the formed man. He probably only built the human
frame, and when He breathed the breath of life into man's nostrils, other things
came into being.
And when Jesus came, He exhibited the same kind of life that the Father
has:
For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to
have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute
judgment also, because he is the Son of man. John 5:26-27
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of
Israel. Psalm 103:7
The ways of God are the highways to the miraculous. As soon as a man
has an understanding of His ways, he becomes a commander of signs and
wonders. Children may celebrate the acts of God (that accounts for the cheers
when a miracle is performed), but matured believers are in touch with God's
ways. His ways is what decide the acts, so His ways are superior to the acts.
That is what made Moses a General in the kingdom of God. Despite his
experiences with God, he still yearned to know His ways the more.
Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show
me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy
sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. Exodus 33:13
Jesus needed to feed 5,000 men, beside women and children, who are
generally more in number at crusades. The Bible says concerning Him:
And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would
do. John 6:6
The knowledge of God's ways produced the miracle food that fed the entire lot.
Jesus had an understanding that compelled the flow of signs.
I remember announcing to a gathering of people at the outset of the
ministry, "God told me not to look up to you." He said I have two eyes, can I
make one eye to look up and the other to look down? If I can't, then in God's
Words, "Anytime you're looking unto men, don't claim to be looking unto Me.
For they that look unto Me are lightened and their faces are not ashamed."
I must have found something, that made me speak as I did. I understood
my assignment from the pages of the scriptures. I understood God's covenant
pact, so I did not have any fear as to whether it would work or not. I knew it
would.
If the ways of God paved the way to the miraculous for Moses, Jesus and
for me, then I can confidently counsel you to go for those ways. As a husband,
do you want a miracle home? Then you need to locate the ways of God, it will
keep the devil far from your home. Just love your wife as Christ loved the
Church and gave Himself for her, and you are guaranteed of walking on the
highways of the miraculous. The same applies to any wife; submit yourself to
your own husband in everything and your home will be peaceful.
Consider apostle Paul. He was a man of great manifestations, yet he cried
out in Philippians 3:10:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his
death;
Therefore, until you know how to make things happen, you will keep
being molested by the devil. It's up to you to go for God's ways.
There is no guess work in getting revelation from the Word of God. There
is a search required. No one finds the answer without knowing. That makes for
certainty. But how do we "find" the Word?
Meditation
The word meditate means "to consider deeply, to reflect upon, to revolve
in the mind." It is akin to the physical process of food digestion. Food when
eaten undergoes three major processes before the nutrients in it can benefit the
body. They are: digestion, absorption and assimilation.
Often we think that the taste of food in the mouth and its weight in the
stomach is all that there is to food. But until these three processes take place,
food taken in offers no value to the body.
Similarly, until the Word of God you hear or read is broken down to
assimilable forms and you contact the gems in it, your life can not be bettered
by it. The meditation process is what breaks down the Word into assimilable
forms, equipping you to walk on the highways of the miraculous.
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto
me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy
name, O Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16
The time that many people allot to prayers should actually be dedicated to
meditation. In times of difficulty you hear people ask, "Have you prayed
through?" But no one asks, "Have you thought through?" But solutions come
easily as you settle down to think through scriptures. The best of the covenant is
accessible only to successful "meditators".
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou
shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to
do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make
thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua
1:8
But the Church is so tied to the old syllabus, that it keeps suffering the
same age-old plagues and difficulties. God has made His Word available as an
instrument for combating life's woes. But the power in the Word is only
released through the process of meditation. Until you ponder on the truth
contained in the Word, get an understanding of that Word, and act on it, you
cannot display miracles, signs and wonders.
You can through meditation collect effective strategies for success in your
business, Family, career, etc. While you are before the Lord in your quiet time,
ponder on the Word of God concerning any area of difficulty. You may say,
"This thing ought not to be, so how do I resolve it?" As you wait before the
Lord, light from scriptures stored up in your heart will begin to flood your
heart, showing you practical solutions out of the negative situations of life.
Sometime ago, I heard a voice within me say, "Who says the devil is not
powerful?" At the same instance, floods of negative thoughts came rushing
through my mind. I remembered certain negative things that had occurred in
my extended Family, and which would have made me afraid, except that as
suddenly as the evil wind blew, three scriptures came to my mind annulling the
effect of those words. The first was Romans 13:1-2:
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no
power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of
God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
So, I reasoned that God will not institute any power against Himself, because a
kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.
So, I reacted rudely against Satan on the basis of these word, exercising
my authority over him.
Meditation brings you into encounters with the Word that can be quite
intoxicating. It is therefore not a question of how many chapters of the Bible
you read in a day that determines your ability to flow in signs and wonders, but
the quantity you successfully assimilate.
Sometime ago, while meditating on John 1, I saw how cheaply one can
destroy the stronghold of darkness with light. I discovered that there is no
contesting the supremacy of light in any conflict against darkness. I discovered
the power of light.
Shortly after I went to my hometown for Christmas and was told that one
of my cousins had been afflicted with insanity. When I learnt this, I was
excited, because I saw an opportunity to manifest the truth of the Word I had
just encountered.
So I went to the room where he was. And as soon as I entered, he
prostrated to greet me, he could recognise me in his mad state! I asked his
brothers to put him in my car, saying, "Let me see the devil that will follow him
into my car." We had scarcely driven a few kilometers when this cousin of mine
fell sound asleep (he had not slept in days)!
When he was taken to the teaching hospital the following day, he was
asked, "What is wrong with you?" But he replied, "Do you mean what was
wrong with me or what is wrong with me?" The doctors needed no further
proof that he was healed! The same young man has since graduated from the
university and is now working!
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended
it not. John 1:5
May God make you a successful "meditator" on His Word.
Quietness
...Study to be quiet... 1 Thessalonians 4:11
One other avenue through which you can receive insight from the Word of
God is quietness. It is a remarkable strategy for accessing revelations to bring
revolutions in your life.
God came to Adam at the cool of the day, when everywhere was calm and
serene. So it follows that God still comes visiting when everywhere is calm.
It is in the "cool" of the day that you often encounter insight or light from
God's Word. At such times, as you begin to ponder on certain scriptures,
solutions to situations are handed to you. It is also at such times of quietness
that every weak area of your life is strengthened.
For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no
more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry;
when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.
And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water
of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any
more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the
way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye
turn to the left. Isaiah 30:19-21
God is saying in this scripture that He will raise teachers who will instruct
you. And when you are quiet on the inside, your spiritual ear will hear a voice
behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it." Such teachers may be in form
of books or tapes; so that as you are following the messages, God causes your
ear to hear a word. It may not come directly from the teaching, but from the
Lord showing you what to do concerning any problem.
That was how I contacted the secrets of kingdom prosperity. I went to a
quiet place armed with The Law of Prosperity written by Kenneth Copeland,
God's Will Is Prosperity written by his wife, and my Bible. I was in that quiet
place for three days. I programmed quietness for myself. As I read the books
and the Book, I found what I was looking for. The secret I located was not in
either of the books, it came as I read my Bible. I got to the place where I saw
the infallibility of God's covenant and I knew I could never be bed-mates with
poverty again!
I pity businessmen who claim to be too busy to settle down to locate where
next to go or what next to do. Please, create an atmosphere for God's visitation.
It will end all life's struggles.
Understanding
The Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 was reading from Isaiah 53, but did not
understand what he was reading until Philip, moved by the Holy Ghost, asked
him, "Understandest thou what thou readest?" Philip opened him up to the
benefits of that scripture after he confessed that he didn't.
Until you have an understanding of any scripture, its benefits are not
released to you. It is your understanding therefore that connects you to the
virtues in the Word. Once this understanding comes, it becomes easy to believe
God for miracles. Understanding begets faith. That was why as soon as the
Ethiopian eunuch understood Philip's teaching, he said, "See, here is water,
what doth hinder me to be baptized?"
Once you have the Word, you have access to the miraculous. All you need
do is to lay hold on it and operate with it. You can live free from sickness,
Family crises, financial troubles, etc. if you encounter the right word and act on
it. Nothing gets God committed to act on your behalf as His Word, so go for it.
It is time to sit up and say, "Lord, I know that if I can lay hold on the
Word, I will command signs and wonders." Remember that everything is under
the control of the Word, so an encounter with the Word puts you perfectly in
command of the situations of life.
Chapter 5:
The Faith Connection
Miracles are not accidental occurrences; they are the deliberate acts of God
provoked by the desperate faith of men. Faith is a vital key for unlocking the
door to the miraculous. That was why Jesus said:
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall
they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; Mark 16:17
The condition for signs to follow one is belief. The believer compels signs
and wonders to pursue after him. Signs don't follow every Christian, only those
who actually believe.
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to
him that believeth. Mark 9:23
That means that as far as God is concerned miracles are not initiated by
Him, but by man. God is a miracle worker, that is what He does best. He does
not deny Himself, He abides faithful. His side is intact; in fact, He is surprised
when miracles do not occur. Miracles are as natural to God as breathing is to
man. If this is true, and God is constant, where lies the variable then?
The variable is on man's side. God will only act when He sees faith. Faith is the
connection between man and the miracle-working power of God.
When the Jews observed how miracles attended to Jesus, they were stirred
up to ask:
... What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? John
6:28
Faith is a work! Consider the account of the woman with the issue of
blood. She needed a miracle from Jesus, yet many people were thronging Him.
But by faith, she pressed through the crowd, until she touched Jesus and drew
virtue from Him. She got connected to signs by her faith. That was not just the
mental assent of "I believe Jesus can heal me." The multitude believed, but the
steps she took demonstrated her faith. That's the work of faith! Jesus crowned it
all by saying:
...Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be
whole of thy plague. Mark 5:34
Friend, without faith you cannot do signs nor receive signs. Without faith
you are sign-barren! You need the instrument of faith to work miracles. Not
tears, but faith!
And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and
saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him:
and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this?
They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying,
According to your faith be it unto you. Matthew 9:27-29
The tears of the blind men did not move Jesus to act on their behalf. So,
tears do not produce miracles. It is pathetic to note that this same incidence
recorded in Matthew 9 is still prevalent in the Church today. Too many are still
crying after Jesus for miracles. They have been following for long, crying after
Him for miracles. Some undergo 40, 70 and even 100 days fast, just to cry to
Him for miracles. But weeping will not produce signs.
The same question Jesus asked the blind men is the same He is still asking
people today: "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" Until faith is in place, your
tears are a waste. How long you have been following Him is irrelevant. All that
will deliver the sign into your hand is your faith. For without faith, it is
impossible to please God (Hebrews. 11:6).
In Acts 14:8-10, the story is told of a man who had been lame from his
mother's womb. He received his miracle simply because he believed. As a
matter of fact, nobody picked him up, he rose up by himself! And as he arose,
strength came to his lame legs. Paul looking at him, perceived that he had faith
to be healed. Faith is what connects you to the miraculous.
Looking closely at Hebrews 11, I discovered that all the men mentioned
there were men of faith. For instance, Enoch was translated and did not see
death, because of his faith. Moses' amazing ministry was run and sustained
largely by faith.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents,
because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's
commandment.
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter...
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he
endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood,
lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the
Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. Hebrews 11:23-29
But without faith it is impossible to move God; for he that cometh to God
must believe that He is, and is up to the task he's presenting before Him.
"Taking the shield of faith." If faith is not a substance, you cannot take it.
The fact that I said faith is a tangible force does not make it physical. It is
definitely as real as the air we breathe, and equally invisible to the human eye.
It is therefore a spiritual entity, a living force. It is the trigger that provokes
supernatural interventions. It is beyond the mental sphere.
Faith is a spiritual entity. How then do we take delivery of it?
The Word of God is the delivery van of faith. It transports faith to you. The
Word can also be likened to a pregnant woman, and the child in the womb faith.
Only those who labour in the Word deliver faith. Just as a pregnant woman
must go into labour before her child is born, so also must one labour in the
Word of God before faith can be born.
Also, you cannot have faith without knowing it, just as a child cannot be
born without the mother's knowledge; if any thing, she cannot forget the
pushing or labour process. Faith comes that same way; not in the labour ward,
but in the "Labour Word".
The sister in this testimony laboured in the Word, which gave birth to faith,
that delivered her much desired baby to her.
"I was here last year for the last Feet-washing service of the year, trusting
God for the fruit of the womb. Precisely three months before my wedding, I
stopped menstruating. After my wedding, I went to see the doctor. The first
doctor said, ‘Madam, I am sorry you’ll find it difficult to take in.’ The second
one said, ‘Sorry, without menstruating, ovulation cannot take place. Without
ovulation, you cannot get pregnant.’ He then said, ‘Tell your husband to get
between 10,000 to 100,000 naira ready, and I will carry out different tests, to
know what exactly is wrong with you.’
Initially, I began to run from one hospital to the other, seeing the
gynecologists. Later I got hold of one of Bishop’s publications, You Shall Not
Be Barren! The first paragraph I read said, ‘There is no biological reason that
is strong enough to hold married couples from getting pregnant, if they want
to.’ I held on to that. And he further said, ‘The Bible says, be fruitful and
multiply’. I then said to myself, ‘Menses or no menses, I am getting pregnant!’
During the last Feet-washing Service in 1996, I came here and was sitting
under the canopy. The Bishop said, ‘Today, the devil will see you and will cry’.
I said amen. And he said, ‘Today, we are going to disgrace the devil and give
God a serious dance.’ I was really prepared. He further said, ‘Matthew (song
leader), come and lead us in worshipping God in the Ijesha dialect.’ The talking
drum was playing full swing and I began to dance.
When it was my turn to wash my feet, I dipped my feet inside the water
and said, ‘Enough of barrenness, enough of unfruitfulness. Today, menses or no
menses, I am getting my baby. I am coming here with my baby at the last Feet-
washing service of the year in 1997.’ After that, I began to dance as if I was out
in a competition.
My husband wasn’t at the service, so when I got home, I told him, ‘Look,
our baby is ready’ and he said, ‘Okay’. In January, I went to the hospital to see
my doctor. I told him, ‘Look, I am pregnant.’ He said, ‘Okay, let’s carry out the
most accurate test, which is the blood pregnancy test.’ But the result was
negative. I went home and told my husband, and he said the doctor didn’t see
well.
In February I went back to the hospital and told my doctor, ‘Check me, I
am pregnant.’ He said, ‘Madam, I don’t mean to frighten you. I don’t think you
can be pregnant. I am sure it is because of your menstrual cycle. It is either you
have PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease), ectopic pregnancy or the ovarian cyst
is still disturbing you’.
But I said, ‘Doctor, I cannot have any of these diseases.’ He said, ‘Why are you
so sure?’ I said, ‘It is because from Genesis to Revelation there is nothing like
that.’ He said, ‘Madam, go and do a scan again.’
By the time I got to the scan doctor’s door, I began to shake. The doctor
said, ‘But woman, I have scanned you before.’ I said in my heart, ‘God don’t
make me a case study in this hospital.’ The man placed his scanning machine
on me and said, ‘Woman you are pregnant’! And I began to cry. I said, ‘Doctor,
how many months pregnancy?’ and he replied, ‘11 weeks and 4 days’. Today, I
have my baby in my hands – a bouncing baby boy!"
Olowosuko, A.
Labour is required in order to enter into God's rest; that is labouring in the
Word of God. You stay at the Word until you encounter faith, which in turn
leads to rest. It was laborious those three days I went in search of prosperity,
but I stayed at the Word until faith came and its result was financial rest.
Having laboured, I have "ceased from my own works", as God ceased
from His. Abundance now attends to me naturally. There is no other way to life
in the miraculous outside faith; and it is those who labour in the Word that
encounter it.
I like the word "labour". Jesus said to the multitudes:
... Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the
miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which
endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto
you: for him hath God the Father sealed. John 6:26-27
He was telling them not to labour for perishable bread, but for the Bread of
life – the Word of God. As we labour for the bread of life, we take delivery of
faith, which establishes us in rest. The moment faith comes, it commands rest
on all sides. "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that
believeth." When all things become possible to you, your rest is established.
That is why you cannot afford to be Word weary. As long as you keep
hungering for the Word you are on the path to the miraculous. I am not talking
about just reading, but reading, searching, meditating, until faith strikes in your
heart. The moment faith strikes, there's a sigh of relief, because rest has come.
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall
after the same example of unbelief.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:11-12
I love Doddie Osteen's testimony. She was struck with terminal cancer, and
her husband, a mighty man of God, had prayed for her, but borrowing Bible
words, "She was nothing bettered." He invited other mighty men of God, who
also prayed, but there was still no improvement.
With just six more days to live, Doddie settled down with the Word and
located forty powerful scriptures that guaranteed victory over cancer and death.
With the last strength she had left in her, she began to feed on these scriptures,
until faith struck in her heart.
In other words she sat down and mixed those forty scriptures with faith in
the laboratory of her heart. She is still hale and hearty today, several years after
her appointed day of death!
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the
word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in
them that heard it. Hebrews 4:2
Once the Word goes inside and is mixed with faith, it delivers definite
benefits to you. If Doddie had refused to labour in the Word, she would have
died, the great ministry they have notwithstanding, because God is not a
respecter of persons.
Some years ago I wrote a book titled, Power Over Death. The title scared
a lot of people, so I re-titled it, Long Life Your Heritage. That book came from
a week-long seminar on the weakness of death over the believer. But first, I had
sat down with scriptures, running through Genesis to Revelation, until I
discovered that death does not have the final say in the life of a child of God.
Shortly after my discoveries, death literally came to my room. I was at the
point of death when the Holy Spirit on my inside asked me, "What are you
doing here?" and I replied, "I don't know too." With that, I jumped out of bed,
went to the bathroom, got dressed and went on a journey, saying, "Any death on
my way, I will drive over your head and break you." That was not just a boast,
but a statement rooted in the light I had just received from God's Word.
When God's Word is ignited by faith in your heart, you command signs
and wonders. But without faith you can neither receive nor do signs.
At a time, death came to take our last daughter, and was actually taking her
away. But I went into my office, locked the door and said to myself, "There is
always a way out of any situation. I am here to locate that way." I laboured in
the quick and powerful Word of God until I found certain nuggets that forbade
the activity of death over my offspring. I squeezed out the substance in them,
until faith rose up in me and gave me the authority required for victory.
At that point I knew death had lost the battle. When she recovered I wrote
a poem welcoming her back. In it I said she had been in a basket, as it were, on
the waters of death; but the crocodiles could not eat her. All through the period
she was down, there was no crying, vibrating or gyrating from me. I simply
laboured in the Word until faith came and death was swallowed up in victory!
There is no point waiting for miracles to happen on their own accord, you
can make them happen! A choice to wait is a choice to waste. Don't say, "I
know someday I will be pregnant." If you are barren, today can be that day for
you. Many people have waited like that for years without getting anything at
the end.
But your miracle is available today! What you really need is the key of
faith. Once it comes, your mountains will be levelled, and the impossible will
become possible.
Therefore faith is the cheapest way to continuous victory (1 John 5:4). It is
also the ticket to life in the miraculous. Once you are born of God, faith is your
emblem, it's your staff of office and authority in the midst of conflict.
Chapter 6:
The Spirit Connection
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 1:8
Signs and wonders are a result of the workings of the Holy Spirit. He is the
producer of miracles on the earth. This explains why, although you are by the
new birth a miracle worker, your identity never becomes a reality until the Holy
Ghost comes upon you. It is impossible to separate signs from the operation of
the Spirit of God.
The man Moses was miracle personified. He was miraculously delivered
from Pharaoh's wicked edict at birth, and God's Word also lets us know that
working inside the mighty prophet was the spirit of God.
And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of
the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they
shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not
thyself alone. Numbers 11:17
Consider Jesus' disciples also. They were all timidly and cowardly hiding
away in the upper room after Christ ascended into heaven.
But on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost descended upon them and
their ministry exploded! It was the coming of the Holy Spirit that launched
them into realms of "notable" miracles. He brought them out of hiding, into the
limelight. When they healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate, the world took
"knowledge" of them.
As a Christian, you can remain in hiding in the "upperrooms" of business,
ministry, career, etc, never experiencing distinction until the Holy Ghost comes.
Until He comes, you cannot become a sign.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit
withal. 1 Corinthians 12:7
We can therefore safely conclude that Jesus' miracles began with the
manifestation of the Spirit. He could not manifest forth His glory until the Holy
Spirit came.
And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders
wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in
Solomon's porch.
The result of the anointing of the Holy Ghost upon their lives was an explosion
of signs and wonders!
But there is another realm and measure of the Spirit. Jesus revealed it
when He said:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works
that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do;
because I go unto my Father. John 14:12
But how shall we do greater works than He did except we have access to
the source of signs as He had. Jesus had the anointing of the Holy Spirit without
measure and that accounted for His unique ministry (John 3:34). If we are to do
the works He did, and greater, it means we must have access to the
immeasurable anointing that He had.
Ezekiel 47:3-5 paints a graphic picture of the anointing of the Holy
Spirit. Verse five describes the immeasurable realm of the anointing
Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could
not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river
that could not be passed over.
You also have access to the anointing of the Holy Spirit without measure.
When you have this understanding you will find yourself working signs at will.
Someday, I was going into the church auditorium, when a man who had
sustained spinal injuries in a motor accident some years back and who had been
wearing a lumber jacket since then touched the flowing gown I was wearing.
The moment he did that, unction went through the gown into his back and
healed him.
Another woman could not defecate without medical assistance. One day, at
the Healing School, I left my coat, instructing anybody looking up to God for
healing to touch it. This woman touched the jacket and felt something loosen
inside her. She immediately went to the toilet, and for the first time in thirty-
eight years could defecate by herself!
These manifestations are not gimmicks to bring people to church. No, they
are divine proofs of the flow of virtue.
Friend, the manifestation of the Spirit is your ticket to manifestations. This
is why you must desperately desire an increase in the measure of the Spirit
upon your life, because the greater your measure, the greater the degree of your
manifestation.
The principal access to the anointing of the Holy Spirit is purity. God will
not anoint a man beyond how clean his vessel is, because it could spell his
destruction.
That is why until a man turns at the reproof of the Lord, it is never his turn
to enjoy an increase in unction. Does anyone put new wine into old wine
bottles? No, else the bottle will bursts, and the new wine is wasted (Luke 5:37).
Jesus, who was anointed without measure, got to that level because He
knew no sin. The unction upon Him was a function of His consecration (Psalm.
45:7). Apostle Paul was a man of a strange order of signs, and he was also the
most outspoken apostle against sin.
Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and
unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
1 Thessalonians 2:10
Until your love for righteousness increases, your level of unction can never
increase. Going on a forty days fast is not a substitute for purity, neither is
crying and weeping for the anointing. It is your consecration that determines
how far you go in God.
Do you want to live a life of signs and wonders? Then you must be
prepared to step out of sin. I am not just talking about obvious sins like
adultery, but hidden sins as well; sins of the heart, a filthy mind, etc.
Friend, you are the initiator of every change in your life. You can leave the
ordinary realm to the miraculous, if you embrace this word of righteousness. I
have observed that until righteousness is in place, you will never have an
increase in anointing.
The Holy Spirit wants to come to you, but He is not permitted to come into
dirty vessels. You must first consecrate yourself, then are you set to receive
Him.
Remember Ezekiel 47? I believe that the Holy Spirit takes a man to the
level that his consecration allows. If He takes you ankle deep, and you clean up
some more, He takes you to the knee level. If He observes that you have
cleaned up a little more, He takes you to the loin level and on to the river level.
You must get there!
People have cried for the anointing, not knowing that what controls the
increase in levels is one's degree of consecration. For instance, you cannot be
lying, cheating and living in adultery and expect an increase in unction. Rather,
you will have an increase in affliction! You have a responsibility therefore, to
clean up your life.
God is not a respecter of persons. He has said, "The manifestation of the
spirit is given to everyman to profit withal." The anointing is equally available
to all, but you decide how much of the Spirit you receive, by your degree of
consecration.
Chapter 7:
The Sound Connection
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth:
so is every one that is born of the Spirit. John 3:8
Your responsibility is to open your mouth wide against that sickness that
has been harrassing you. Once you do, it will be forced to bow out. Even
financial miracles are released by the words you speak, because there is power
in your words. As a matter of fact, death and life are in the power of your
tongue (Proverbs. 18:21).
When your tongue becomes Word-bridled, speaking not what it pleases,
but what the Word of God commands, things will begin to happen for the better
around you. You must learn how to speak right, or else you are not a candidate
for signs. Let me show you a few things that happen when you speak right.
You Get God Committed
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working
with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Mark
16:20
One major thing that happens when you talk right is that you get God
committed to act in your favour. The first disciples who went everywhere
preaching, discovered that God was on hand to confirm every word they spoke.
If they said nothing, then God would have had nothing to confirm.
That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the
counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be
inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will
raise up the decayed places thereof: Isaiah 44:26
Israel journeyed through the wilderness, heading for the promise land. But
just as they were about to enter into Canaan, they said with their own mouths:
...We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger
than we. Numbers 13:31
...Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God
we had died in this wilderness! Numbers 14:2
By their words, they committed God to acting against them, and their entry
into the promised land was delayed for forty years.
When you speak negative words, God cannot help you out of whatever
predicament you are in. But you can utter miracle words and experience a
continuous flow of miracles. Those negative words you speak in secret are
responsible for the problems you're facing. No one utters miracle words and
suffers obstacle.
When one of my daughters in the Lord was attacked by armed robbers, she
opened her mouth wide and "sounded", "The blood of Jesus", and the robbers
immediately took to their heels! By pleading the blood of Jesus, she turned to
her stronghold in the blood and so was supernaturally delivered. (Zechariah.
9:11-12, Revelation. 12:11.)
Without a sound there cannot be signs. Remember David and Goliath? If
David had kept quiet after all Goliath's declarations, Goliath would have made
minced meat of him. But he took charge and began to make counter-
declarations, which compelled divine intervention.
Friend, you are not a child of circumstances, but of destiny. Don't you
know that you are the apple of God's eye? You should not be molested by the
devil in any area of life. The devil is not in charge of your destiny, so he should
not keep tormenting you. Perhaps Satan has vowed to terminate your life, but
that is no problem. You can turn the tables on him, and return fire for fire.
You can determine what becomes of your enemies by the words of your
mouth. That is why I always declare boldly, "I cannot be killed." I know that if I
open my mouth wide in agreement with what the scriptures says, I have
silenced all satanic oppositions.
As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall
submit themselves unto me.
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close
places. Psalm 18:44-45
The correct use of your mouth is a cheap way to torment the devil.
You are too quiet to be victorious. You are much too silent to be a winner.
Your weakly appearance makes you a ready prey for the devil. Isn't it true that
fighters size up their opponents before initiating a tussle?
In the world in which we live, no Christian can afford to keep his mouth
shut, as this is an open invitation to oppression. Let him open his mouth, and he
will see just how helpless his enemy is!
Rather than commanding positive signs, many people are attracting the
negative, because of the negative sounds they produce. It is true that no sound,
no sign. But it is equally true that negative sound will produce negative sign
and positive sound, positive sign.
When I listen to some people cataloguing their woes, I immediately know
that they are the cause of the hardship they are experiencing.
I don't make negative sounds, so I do not experience negative signs. For
instance, as a bachelor, I announced to all and sundry that my marriage would
be absolutely hitch-free. I taught on marriage during that period and showed the
people the seven concepts of marriage God revealed to me.
I backed up the teaching with weighty proclamations that angered some
people. But they did not understand that I was sounding that way to prepare for
a marriage filled with signs and wonders.
If you want positive signs, then produce positive sounds! Declare that your
business, Family, finance, etc. will not fail, and you would have fenced out the
devil from your affairs. It is time to open your mouth and declare what you
want without fear, and you shall have what you say.
The devil has not been able to impose poverty on me since 1981 when I
declared that I could never be poor. When I declared that I could never be sick,
I stopped the activities of sickness in my life. At another occasion I told the
Lord, "One minute before I miss it, take me home; I don't want to end my
journey in mockery." Ever since, I have been free from the maneuverings of sin.
It is these sounds I produce that compel corresponding signs.
A brother was bound to cigarette smoking and womanizing for 35 years.
Then he vowed to the Lord, saying, "Let the next cigarette I smoke be my
tuberculosis and the next immoral act my AIDS." Months later, he could boldly
testify of his liberty from those devilish habits. But that sign came as a result of
the sound he produced.
Angels are ministering spirits, sent to minister to those who shall be heirs
of salvation (Hebrew. 1:14). The angels carry out your orders because they are
your messengers. They take your utterances as instructions and carry them out
to the letter.
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou
before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be
angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
Ecclesiastes 5:6
Whatever you say today is a seed planted with much assurance of a harvest
tomorrow. Therefore, whatever comes your way tomorrow is what you sow as
seed today.
Your words are indestructible, particularly as it is written concerning you
that "ye are gods". If that is true (and it is), it follows that as God's words are
incorruptible, your words are equally incorruptible. What you say is what you
see.
The Key To Positive Sounds
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?
for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Matthew 12:34
One major way of ensuring that you speak good words is to load your
heart with them. If your heart is loaded with miracle words, you will find
yourself speaking them forth naturally. It will become an integral part of you.
When one of my cousins who is a medical doctor checked my blood
pressure and told me I had high blood pressure, I did not need to go home to
meditate on what to say to him; it just flowed out of my mouth. I said to him, "I
do not have high blood pressure." Then I added emphatically, "I mean, I cannot
have high blood pressure." To which he replied, "Okay Oh!" And it has been
okay with me ever since.
We were in our hotel rooms one night after a crusade, when armed robbers
broke into our rooms. I came out of my room in my pajamas, and with arms
akimbo I said, "In the name of Jesus!" And the armed men fled, screaming, "He
has a gun!"
When the Word of God is abundant in your heart, it flows out through your
mouth without effort. But just like one cup of wine does not intoxicate,
particularly for a certified drunkard, you must saturate your heart with the
Word, if it is to come out freely when you need it.
Sickness, poverty, failure, etc. do not have dominion over you any longer.
But until you sound out your victory, it will never be established. Like Ezekiel,
you have the right to prophesy to the dry bones of your life and watch them
covered by miracle flesh.
Don't be ashamed to make your declarations in public. Men may mock
you, but God will use the occasion to make you. It is therefore time to speak
boldly in the Lord.
Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which
gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and
wonders to be done by their hands. Acts 14:3
Chapter 8:
The Love Connection
Love is a very potent force in the operation of signs and wonders. It also
determines your degree of manifestation. Wherever you find men who are in
charge, a second look will show you that they are men of love, men who love
God.
Once you succeed in walking in love, you have endeared yourself to God,
you have won His heart and cannot but make a mark on the earth. Let's see a
few men who bear witness to this truth.
Moses
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter;
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Hebrews 11:24-25
The man Moses was living in fortune, but he could not continue, because
he could not stand the people of God being humiliated. When he saw an
Egyptian maltreating one of his people, he killed him.
Although he was at peace in the palace, but his love for the kingdom of
God caused him to flee. It was this love connection that gave Moses a place in
the realm of the miraculous.
Elijah
And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for
the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down
thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I
only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 1 Kings 19:10
It is when a man is in love that he is jealous over his beloved. That is why
you find husbands being jealous over their wives and vice versa.
When Elijah displayed jealousy over the affairs of God's kingdom, he
demonstrated his love for God. It was this heart for God that connected him to
the miraculous, so that he could say, "As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before
whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to
my word". And so was it. Elijah was a man of outstanding signs in the Old
Testament.
Gideon
There was a man named Gideon, whom the angel of God described as a
mighty man of valour in Judges 6. But in spite of this desciption, he did not
celebrate his might; rather, his heart was towards God and fulfilling His
purpose on the earth. As a result, God raised him and caused many mighty
things to happen through his hands.
Nehemiah
The man Nehemiah was a steward in the land of captivity, but he asked
about the welfare of Jerusalem and was told the walls were broken down and
the people were scattered.
For this reason Nehemiah mourned for many days. I would have you know
that Nehemiah was in the palace, right in the centre of pleasure, but his heart
was with God, so God made him a captain over His people.
In the early days of our ministry, I was about travelling out of the country,
but my health was in poor shape. One of my associates, for whatever reason,
spitefully told somebody, "Let him go. If he dies, we'll bury him."
This associate had never counselled me not to go. When I was told, I
called him and asked him why he said such a thing. Walking in love, all I did to
him was to transfer him somewhere else. Today, anytime he's in town, he sleeps
under my roof.
Nobody can do signs without a love for God and his brethren.
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in
deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18
God located a man who was truly in love with Him and anointed him. I
have also discovered that the greatly anointed men of our time are men with a
love connection, men of genuine love. You cannot be any more anointed than
you are in love with God.
To cause amazing miracles to begin to happen around you, walk in the
love of God. Once this happens, God takes over and the world will be forced to
take notice of you.
I said earlier that the anointing is in measures. One thing that takes you
from one measure to the other is love. John 3:34 tells us Jesus was anointed
without measure. But this was because His love for God was beyond measure
as well. Until you have found a place for yourself in the love of God, you
cannot experience outstanding manifestations, things beyond your wildest
imagination.
In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to
eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,
I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been
with me three days, and have nothing to eat:
And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded
to set them also before them.
So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken
meat that was left seven baskets. Mark 8:1-2,7-8
Jesus' feeding of four thousand men was a direct result of His compassion
for them. He could not send them away hungry. He was filled with compassion
for them, which provoked a release of the anointing, resulting in four thousand
men being supernaturally fed.
It was like a chain reaction – compassion provoking unction, unction
guaranteeing manifestation.
It was also compassion that brought Lazarus out of the grave. When Jesus
arrived at his grave side, love welled up in His heart and compelled the release
of the anointing. The moment the anointing came, the desired manifestation
followed.
Some years ago, a growing ministry needed to erect a church building and
I was privileged to be involved in drawing and designing it. Later, the pastor
asked how much I wanted to be paid for my efforts; and tears streamed down
my cheeks.
I had been dreaming of someday when I could build houses for my God,
not how much I should be paid for a drawing. All I kept thinking was, "Lord, if
You give me money, I will build the church for them." That was all that was in
my heart.
You can't love Jesus with your means and not enjoy financial miracles. It
was my love for His kingdom that motivated me into that investment, and today
I enjoy financial miracles.
You also need unction to command wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18 says:
But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth
thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which
he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
There's a power element involved. It is not just the work you're doing that
brings the blessings, but the enabling of the Holy Spirit which attracts favours
to you.
David, who was so blessed that he gave gold worth 576 million dollars for
the building of the house of God, was an addicted God lover. He would not give
sleep to his eyes nor slumber to his eyelids until he had found a place for the
God of Jacob (Psalm. 132:4-5). As a result, God released the power for wealth
upon him. Affection truly brings about the release of unction.
The second virtue of love is insight. This is true because it is the one you
love you share your greatest secrets with. For instance, your next door
neighbour may not have access to your itinerary, but your friend who lives in
another town will have a breakdown of all you activities. Likewise, God's
secrets are for His lovers.
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of
Israel. Psalm 103:7
It means that when you continue in His love you are no longer treated as a
servant but as a friend, and friends have access to secrets.
The more your love for God, the greater your access to depths of insight in
His Word. And it is also true that your depth in the Word ultimately determines
your heights in life.
David Yonggi Cho once said, "Put me in a desert, and in three months, I'll
build a church of 10,000 members." That is not pride, but insight. He has access
to secrets of church growth that many do not have, so he can afford to talk like
that. His depth of insight is responsible for the heights he has attained in life.
Manifestations of the miraculous are not just a function of the anointing,
but also of revelation. Second Timothy 2:15 says:
Paraphrased, it could mean, "Study, get insights, and you will be approved
of God as a workman who will not be ashamed, and anything you do will
prosper." The mark of approval from God was evident in Jesus' life:
Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man
approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs,
which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also
know: Acts 2:22
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men,
and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things,
which is the head, even Christ: Ephesians 4:13-15
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 2 Corinthians 4:17
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and
another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star
in glory. 1 Corinthians 15:41
This can be likened to the human body which develops muscles to match
its level of growth. So there's a need for growth to match particular weights of
glory. There must be a building up of your spirit, soul and body.
From a son, Jesus grew to a point where He was equal with God. He could
actually say, "I and my Father are one." But that was not where He started from.
Please understand that growth is a continuous process.
Growing In Grace
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was
bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more
abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was
with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10
God's grace is essential in the making of any man. Your status in the
kingdom is a function of grace. Whatever you will become in God's kingdom
will be determined by how much you grow in His grace.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ... 2 Peter 3:18
The grace of God can be multiplied through the knowledge of the Word of
God. It is a sure way to increase in grace. Apostle Paul, a man made by grace,
worked on his level of grace as he desperately searched the Word of God. He
was a hungry seeker of knowledge. As he grew in his knowledge of God, he
also increased in grace.
Your status is a function of growth. If you want greater glory, then you
must aim at greater growth.
Growing In Faith
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is
among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to
think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every
man the measure of faith. Romans 12:3
Let me illustrate this point further with the parable of the 10 virgins. They
all had a measure of oil at the beginning. But out of carelessness, five of them
allowed their measure to run out. So when the bridegroom came in the middle
of the night, they did not have any oil with which to meet him. Likewise, except
you guard your measure of faith jealously, you can lose it.
The next level is the little faith level. In this group are those who have done
little with their measure of faith.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is,
and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe
you, O ye of little faith? Matthew 6:30
There is also another level of faith, called great faith. In this group are
those who have done great things with their faith.
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed,
Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in
Israel. Matthew 8:10
From there we move on to grounded and settled faith. At this point you are
like mount Zion which cannot be moved, but abideth forever. You enter into the
realm of trust.
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved
away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which
was preached to every creature which is under heaven... Colossians
1:23
All these are proofs that faith is a living force, because only living things
grow. But it's also true that whatever grows also dies. Therefore, this faith that
grows can also die, except you learn how to nurture it. One way to do this is by
the Word of God (Romans. 10:17).
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall
they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; Mark
16:15-17
The name of Jesus is an instrument for signs in the hands of the believer. It
is also like a tap, which when turned on releases signs and wonders. The name
of Jesus has what it takes to put you in charge of situations. It establishes your
authority in times of conflict, it is an instrument of dominion.
The reason many Christians are suffering the way they are is that they do
not know the value of the name of Jesus. Once its worth is discovered and used,
signs and wonders answer automatically.
One thing that happens when you proclaim the name of Jesus, is the
release of the unction that rests upon the name.
Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as
ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. Song Of
Solomon 1:3
The moment you declare the name of Jesus in faith, there's an automatic
release of unction for manifestation. And because yokes are destroyed by
reason of the anointing (Isaiah. 10:27), when you declare the name of Jesus in
faith, whatever yoke of sickness, poverty, failure, etc, hanging around you is
destroyed. The name of Jesus is a yoke destroyer!
When you look at a sick person and say, "In the name of Jesus", he will be
healed. Just like when Peter looked at Aeneas in Acts 9:34 and said, "Aeneas,
Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise and make thy bed", he released the
unction upon that name to heal him.
The name of Jesus is no ordinary name, it carries the same immeasurable
anointing as Jesus did in person. Therefore, when you invoke His name in
difficult situations, the unction on the owner of the name goes into operation.
That is what makes it an instrument for signs.
If you are confronted with death just say, "Okay Satan, you may not know
me, but you know Jesus. Now, in the name of Jesus, the One who holds the key
of hell and death, loose your hold!" Death will bow out, saying, "I am sorry, I
didn't know you understand the game."
Why? This is because you have what it takes to subdue him. Not even
sickness can withstand the power in the name of Jesus. Remember that it carries
an immeasurable unction that can bring you into total liberty.
A brother in Port-Harcourt was travelling in a boat when a storm hit and
destroyed their boat. In the midst of the storm, he shouted, "Jesus, I refuse to
die." Just then (in the water), he felt something like a rod and held on to it. As
long as he held on to that thing, he could not drown, so he held on tight to it.
When the rescue boat came and he was lifted out of the sea into the boat, the
brother opened his hand to see what he had been holding on to. Lo and behold,
his hand was empty! He had been holding on to an intangible thing!
I believe it was the invisible hand of Jesus that he held on to that prevented
him from drowning. The moment he called out to Jesus, Jesus must have said,
"Son, the signs of deliverance are hereby released." Everybody else in that boat
drowned, but the one with the name of Jesus could not drown!
The name of Jesus is not just a conjunction in prayer. It is not a religious
emblem either. It is an authentic weapon of warfare and deliverance.
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into
it, and is safe. Proverbs 18:10
Five hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah had declared
that the Messiah who was to come would be called Wonderful, meaning He
would live a life full of wonders.
And true to the prophecy, when Jesus came, everyone was amazed at the
wonderful miracles He performed. Jesus obtained a name loaded with signs and
wonders by prophecy.
When He was to leave, He handed over His name as an inheritance to all
believers and said:
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall
they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mark 16:17
Paraphrased, this scripture can read, "These wonders shall follow them
that believe..." The name of Jesus in the hand of a believer will produce
wonders.
It was with the consciousness of the wonder-working power in the name of
Jesus that Peter and John drew up the lame man at the Beautiful gate, and he
received strength to walk.
By Inheritance
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a
name which is above every name: Philippians 2:9
The word "given" here means that Jesus received His name as a gift from
God. It was neither self-acquired nor self-imposed. God gave it to Him, and as
the gifts and callings of the Lord are without repentance, so shall the gift of the
name work through all eternity.
Remember how the gift of God in Elisha was still working in his dead
bones, such that when a dead man was thrown into his sepulchre the gift jerked
the man back to life? That is the potency of the gifts of the Lord!
The name which Jesus was given is one which is above all other names.
Therefore, when it is invoked in faith, it compels other names to bow. That is
why when you can call on the name when an accident is about to occur it is
averted. Accident is a name which must bow to the name of Jesus.
The same is true of cancer, heart disease or any other disease. Once you
say, "Cancer, I come against you in the name of Jesus", it has no choice but to
bow out.
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Philippians 2:10
If things in heaven bow at the name of Jesus, it means that the angels, who
are the heavenly hosts, are compelled into action at the mention of the name. As
soon as you say, "In the name of Jesus", the angels in charge of that particular
operation descend to carry out your orders.
"...And things in earth..." This includes satanic agents like witches and
wicked men. The name of Jesus destroys all their activities.
In case there are demonic forces troubling you, that scripture also
says, "...And things under the earth." So you can rise up against the things that
are harrassing you in the three realms of existence and compel them to bow to
the name of Jesus.
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Hebrews 1:4
By Conquest
Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, He completely triumphed
over principalities and powers, dispossessing them of their powers. His
conquest established our redemption from the oppressive hold of the devil, and
through that name you have been given the authority to deal with any
intimidation of the devil.
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,
he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death
he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime
subject to bondage. Hebrews 2:14-15
Until there is faith in your heart as you use the name, whether you shout it
or not, it will not produce. It is when the name makes contact with faith in the
heart that signs and wonders are given birth to.
One night I was teaching at a miracle service in church, saying that
Christians have miracle hands. I remember mentioning that Jesus said in His
name you shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.
One woman rose up immediately and ran up to the overflow, where her
daughter was, and laid hands on the growths at the back of her ears, in the name
of Jesus, and the growths all disappeared instantly!
It is the name of Jesus working through your hands that makes them
miracle hands. But without faith in the name, your hands are ordinary hands.
There is a kind of prayer that provokes the release of signs and wonders. It
is not necessarily long drawn, neither must it be accomplished with shouting.
The prayer that avails much is heart-seated. It is this type of prayer that releases
tremendous power, which is dynamic in its working. That is how
The Amplified Bible translates James 5:16:
...The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man
makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
It is this type of prayer that triggers off the miraculous. When you pray
sometimes, even as the prayer is leaving your lips you know it is nothing but a
religious rite, because it is not arriving at God's throne.
But when your whole being is involved in praying, you actually succeed in
arresting heaven's attention. It is not really how long you spend praying that
matters, but the content of your prayer. Let's have a look at some successful
praying people in the Bible and how they made it through to God.
Hannah
The woman Hannah was indeed one to be pitied. She had been barren for
years, and to make matters worse, she had a rival who provoked her sore.
Tormented and afflicted, Hannah went before God and poured out her heart to
the Lord.
And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed
look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and
not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a
man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life,
and there shall no razor come upon his head.
And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that
Eli marked her mouth.
Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her
voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away
thy wine from thee.
And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a
sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but
have poured out my soul before the Lord.
...And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered
her. 1 Samuel 1:11-15,19
As she prayed, her mouth moved, but the words she uttered could not be
heard. Yet she was praying from her heart and it released enough power to
break the chains of barrenness.
You can say something to God from your heart, that will change your
destiny. All that is required is for it to emanate from your heart.
Hezekiah
In Isaiah 38, king Hezekiah was sick unto death. God sent prophet Isaiah
to inform him that he would surely die. Isaiah was God's recognised mouth
piece then. Whatever he said was so. Yet Hezekiah refused to give up, he turned
his face to the wall and cried to God and the answer came speedily.
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the
prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus
saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not
live.
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto
the Lord,
And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have
walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done
that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy
father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will
add unto thy days fifteen years.
And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of
Assyria: and I will defend this city. Isaiah 38:1-6
His prayer could not have been more than 60 seconds, yet it caught
heaven's attention. There's no point playing the religion of futility. Even if you
have been praying for 19 days, it does not automatically result in answers. What
is most vital is that your prayer connects the throne of God. Once that
connection is made, signs come straight away. Hezekiah adopted the wise
approach to prayer, based on Isaiah 43:26:
Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that
thou mayest be justified.
He put God in remembrance, recalling how he had walked with Him with
a perfect heart. And that did it. God sent Isaiah back to cancel what He had
earlier said.
There is no need for showmanship in prayer. It is not how well you can
compose prayers for people's applause, but rather, saying a prayer that comes
from your deep and ascending to God.
Mark you, Hezekiah did not ask Isaiah to join him in a prayer of
agreement. He knew he had access to God by himself, and God added 15 more
years to him. This is how to gain access to God's hotline for a release of the
miraculous.
Elijah
Elijah had a very profound ministry, backed up by signs and wonders. He
is also a reference point for effectual prayer. While the priests of Baal were
cutting themselves with knives, crying and shouting, Elijah simply prayed for
about 60 seconds or so, and the fire of the Lord fell, consuming the burnt
offering, water, wood and stones! His prayer was short, but it was heart-seated,
so it connected with the source and a miracle followed.
And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening
sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of
Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou
art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done
all these things at thy word.
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art
the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 1
Kings 18:36-37
Jesus
The prayer Jesus made that raised Lazarus from the dead was just a few
seconds long, yet it had enough power to bring a dead man back to life.
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was
laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that
thou hast heard me. John 11:41
Prayer is not a religious jamboree. You can settle down and set yourself to
connect with the throne of God. Once you position your heart aright, you will
never miss your target in prayer.
All the connections I have taught so far are vital in making your prayer
gain access to God. The name of Jesus guarantees your access to God, purity
ensures the sustenance of that access, while faith assures you of results.
The Word is what gives you confidence that God cannot turn you back and
the Holy Spirit helps your infirmity when you are disorganised and don't know
what to pray about, so you can hit your target correctly. It's a whole network.
Chapter 12:
The Praise Connection
Praise has an inherent miracle force that ensures, among other things, that
nothing finishes in your hand. God needs to open your eyes to the power of
praise. Once you grasp it, all your struggles will come to an end.
It is still difficult for me to explain how we were feeding in my home on
an income of 440 naira a month (I was on 300 naira, my wife 140 naira). We
never dipped our hands into church funds and always had a crowd of people
living with us; yet we never lacked food. Where the money was coming from, I
cannot explain, save to acknowledge that it came from heaven.
I remember that even as a bachelor, living in a one-room apartment, I
sometimes had as many as eight people staying with me. Yet we never came to
a point where we were looking around for what to eat. Not once!
Friend, there is a fountain you connect to in thanksgiving, that ensures you
never run dry. If businessmen and women will hook up to that fountain, they
will encounter the multiplication power of praise.
Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own
God, shall bless us. Psalm 67:3,7
The power in praise is released as you learn to praise God in your secret
place as much as you do in church. At every point and in whatever situation you
find yourself, still give Him thanks.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Praise is the will of God, which after you have done, you are sure to obtain
the promise of signs and wonders. Signs are meant to follow you, that is a
promise of God. But this promise will not be accomplished until you first do
God's will, which is praise. Therefore, no matter what you're going through,
praise Him and you will obtain the promise.
Praise is not just one of those preparatory things you do before prayer. It
has a force of its own, which is able to produce signs and wonders. If it could
bring Lazarus who had been dead for four days back to life, it can bring you
into a strange order of manifestations.
In Liberia, one of our Bible School students decided to operate what she
had been taught on the wonders of praise. It was during the war, and there was
no food, everyone was literally starving.
But as she was praising God, a group of rebels suddenly invaded their
compound. They entered her house, but instead of doing them harm, brought
bags of rice, beans, chicken and other food items and said, "Cook for us." The
rebels ate that day and left, leaving the rest of the bags of food behind. God
miraculously supplied their need.
That is why God's Word says, "In everything give thanks, for this is the
will of God concerning you."
It is a well known fact that God inhabits the praises of His people. So
when you live a praiseful life, God's presence abides with you; and when He
abides with you, He compels signs to attend to you.
You have been alone in that shop of yours, that's why things are the way
they are. Bring God there through your praises and see the difference. Divine
presence equals signs and wonders.
In Psalm 114, when the children of Israel came out of Egypt, God was
their sanctuary. The sea saw them and fled, Jordan was driven back and the
mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like young lambs.
It was God's presence that took them through the Red Sea and gave them
victory over their enemies. When you succeed in invoking divine presence, you
live as a sign and wonder to your generation.
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were about to be executed, they were in the mid-
night of their lives. But the Bible says they prayed and sang praises aloud to
God in the prison (they turned on their praise connection right in the midst of
their executioners) and something happened!
I believe that they actually sang God into the place. As He came, there was
an earthquake, the prison gates flung open and their chains fell off! They were
so confident that they could perform the same feat again, that they did not
bother to escape from the prison. They knew that what had happened did not
come by chance. When praise becomes your lifestyle, you never cease
commanding signs.
In 2 Chronicles 20, king Jehoshaphat took the rear and allowed God to go
ahead. God took their place in battle and victory was sure.
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still,
and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and
Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against
them: for the Lord will be with you. 2 Chronicles 20:17
How did they set themselves? In praises! Praise causes God to fight on
your behalf – He takes your place in battle, while you just watch. Praise
compels Him to take over the battles of your life.
This is a covenant technique that guarantees cheap victory. As one of my
sons often says, you don't have to be strong to succeed, just be smart. Praise is
the choice of the smart.
There is no mountain that God's presence cannot level, no sea that He
cannot dry up, no "Jordan" that cannot be driven back, so that you have an
express way to your destination. None.
But praise is your access to His presence. Once you engage in praise, you
have brought Him to bear on the situations of your life and all things will be at
your command.
I have seen many prayer warriors who are praise-dry. Prayer is important,
but all you have access to when you pray is angelic intervention. Angels can be
waylaid by demons, as was the case with Daniel.
However, praise does not stop at angels; it brings the presence of God
Almighty down. And you know that when God steps somewhere, no demon can
stop Him or stand in His way.
Friend, it does not matter what situation you find yourself in right now,
receive grace to praise Him.
This may startle you, but I have not had to pray for my personal needs
since I came into ministry. I am always so thankful for everything He has done,
so He never waits for me to ask for a thing before He blesses me. His presence
is equal to the task of providing any man's needs.
Praise pleases God; and when He is pleased, He releases all manner of signs
and wonders to follow you.
Chapter 13:
The Fellowship Connection
Jesus' coming was a sign. He was a sign from heaven; and as the Father
has sent Him, so has He sent us. That's why we too are signs to our generation.
Jesus came as a Saviour and the Bible says we too are saviours.
Therefore, by spiritual calculations, saviours are signs and they are
released from Zion. Thus the kingdom of God is established by the ministry of
saviours.
That is why somebody anoints the dead and he comes back to life. That is
a sign, and a pointer to the end-time ministry of the Church, because the last
enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians. 15:26).
Friend, we have come into the days of saviours and they are made in Zion.
Therefore the more addicted you are to Zion, the higher your status in the class
of saviours. Remember that stars differ in glory.
After the Holy Ghost's arrival on the day of Pentecost, one of the things
that He introduced was a strong love for fellowship among the disciples. They
assembled daily in the temple and met in various houses.
The result of this was the rise of great men of faith from among them. Men
like Stephen, who was appointed as a deacon to serve tables. But as he stayed
with them in fellowship, he began to develop in the power of the Holy Ghost
and faith, until he exploded in signs and wonders. Stephen came out of Zion as
a saviour.
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and
breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with
gladness and singleness of heart, Acts 2:46
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and
miracles among the people. Acts 6:8
In Acts 8, we also see Philip doing exploits in the city of Samaria. He too
was a product of the teachings of the apostles. It follows therefore that as you
give the Word being taught you in Zion its rightful place in your heart and life,
some day you too will explode in signs, wonders and miracles.
Once you locate a place where the Word is preached in truth, and plug into
the happenings there, you have registered in the school of signs.
Some day, you will find yourself performing signs and wonders, blessing
your generation in areas like business, career, ministry, etc. You will suddenly
break loose and your generation will glorify God for you.
You are for signs and for wonders, and the Church is there to help make it
a reality. Not just every place called "church", but places where God's Word is
taught and you are shown how to stand in your place in the covenant. That is
why Hebrews 10:25 says:
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner
of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye
see the day approaching.
As Jesus' second coming draws closer, fellowship will become more and
more necessary for everyone who wants to be current in the move of God. By
God's prophetic agenda, we shall see our enemies completely under our feet
these last days; and when God has accomplished that, then Jesus will return.
Fellowship is not a place to play with this end-time. To stay away from it
is to fall away from God's end-time programme.
What Is In Zion?
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of
angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which
are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of just men made perfect,
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Hebrews
12:22-24
One thing that happens in Zion is a constant cleansing. When sin is trying
to catch up with you and you come to church, somehow, perhaps through the
singing, when the offering is being taken or the teaching of the Word, the forces
at work in Zion knock it out of you. Zion does not allow sin to stick to you.
Someone wrote me a letter sometime ago. She was in the service one day
and heard me say, "You proud wife, before your husband says one word, you
have said ten."
Immediately she said to herself, "That must be me he's talking about. But
how did this man know my thoughts." While she was still pondering on the
word, she heard me say, "Get back home today, apologize to your husband and
see if you will not see God in your home." And she got back home, apologized
to her husband and a glorious new home was born!
There are many proud hearts who are undoing their destiny. And because
they don't give heed to the Word in Zion, they remain that way. God wants to
save you, that's why He brings you to Zion.
However, there are many people who prefer doing some funny things at
home or going visiting rather than to be in church. Zion provides a place of
cleansing, that makes you a worthy vessel for signs and wonders.
That woman is now having a wonderful time in her marriage because of
the light she caught in Zion. She must have known that pride was bad, and
probably concluded that she was not the only proud person. But that day God
caught up with her and her home was preserved.
Fellowship establishes your heritage in God. It is in Zion that you
experience deliverances from the traps of the enemy, and your possession is
delivered to you.
The Place Of Illumination
By this same illumination, the Church will be absolutely in charge of the affairs
of life, because knowledge is a catalyst for the release of the anointing.
The Word of God grew so mightily in their midst that it prevailed, causing
an eruption of signs and wonders. So much so that handkerchiefs and aprons
taken from Paul were used to cast out devils.
Friend, Zion is no ordinary place, it is the centre of illumination. It is
where you encounter light that causes your understanding to blossom, bringing
about signs!
Growth in the Word is enhanced in Zion. As you grow in the Word, you
also grow in faith, which comes by the repeated hearing of the Word of God.
Once faith comes, signs are bound to follow.
A Place Of Growth
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a
cedar in Lebanon.
Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the
courts of our God.
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and
flourishing; Psalm 92:12-14
Zion is the most fruitful hill on planet earth. Everything planted there
blossoms without effort. Nobody needs to cry to possess his possessions,
because at Zion you naturally possess what is yours by heritage. Once you
become a fellowship addict, you become a mysteriously flourishing saint.
Things around you just keep flourishing.
We had one little tree on our pavement in Kaduna. The concrete had to be
reinforced several times because the roots of the tree kept breaking through it.
As I looked at the tree, I remembered what the Psalmist wrote, and concluded
that that was the mystery of Psalm 92 at work.
Friend, nothing can stop your flourishing when you are planted in Zion;
not even if it is as strongly opposed to you as that concrete floor was to the little
tree. When you are in genuine fellowship with God, you naturally blossom.
Some people do not flourish beyond certain degrees because they have
made themselves overseers in the house of God, instead of being participants.
They see what everybody is doing wrong while they do just what they like.
Remember, Zion is our Father's house. Jesus is the One in charge, not you, so
be careful! If you take your place in Zion you will flourish naturally.
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.
And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her:
and the highest himself shall establish her.
The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man
was born there.
As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all
my springs are in thee. Psalm 87:3,5-7
The time has come when the greatest honour will be to be named a citizen
of Jerusalem. All our springs will be in Zion, meaning that the signs of a
generation will be produced there.
Most of the outstanding inventions in science were by fellowship-addicted
men. Men like James Clerk Maxwell, a great scientist in his time, who was
described as having a very fertile mind.
No "Sunday Sunday" Christian (one who worships God only on Sundays)
goes far in this race, because the "servicing" he requires to keep his system in
good shape and enhance his manifestations needs to be done regularly.
Once you keep company with anti-miracle people, they will destroy your
faith in the miraculous. They do not see things the way you do, so if you keep
walking with them, you will soon be blinded to what you claim to see now.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the
scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he
meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3
If you want to live as a sign and maintain the flow of the miraculous, you
must be careful where you stand, with whom you walk and whose counsel you
operate with. You can't walk with wrong people and have right answers.
When Paul, a man of great encounters, said evil communications corrupt
good manners, he must have been speaking from a first-hand experience. There
are people you walk with today, that except you part ways with them, your walk
with God will never be prosperous.
I used to have a very close friend many years ago, who did not appreciate
my commission. One day, he began to tear down the ministry God gave me in
his preaching. That was the last day we had anything to do together.
We had been so close that when my wife was to have our first son, he was
the one who took her to the clinic. Yet, because I am conscious of the fact that
only those who walk with the wise are wise, I cut off from him. Friendship is
not by force, but by choice.
Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3
Walking with someone you do not agree with is unwise. For instance, you
might be praying and he would be mocking you, when you study the Word he
laughs at you, you love your wife and he mocks you for it! That kind of
friendship will be to your destruction. Don't sell your birthright to wrong
company.
The Bible says in Isaiah 6:6 that it was in the year that king Uzziah died
that Isaiah saw the Lord. Some of the friends you keep represent king Uzziah in
your life.
If you don't disconnect from them, you can never "see" God. You should
not be somebody's friend just because you like his face. No, friendship means
much more than that.
I have had occasion to walk certain people who were trying to pollute my
spirit out of my house. Afterall, the house is mine! There are certain pastors
who will never preach in our church, no matter how anointed they are, because
their character is suspect.
Some people have not experienced the purity God demands because they
have refused to separate themselves from the corrupt company they keep.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 2
Corinthians 6:17
God instructs you to come out from among them or He will reject you.
And if God rejects you, neither will those friends accept you. That was the
experience of the prodigal son. Where were his friends when all his money was
exhausted? They must have given him a wrong address, so he could not locate
them again. After the devil stripped Adam and Eve naked, he went his way.
Some of the people you call your friends are enemies of your destiny, so
cut off from them immediately.
And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all
that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. Acts 4:23
The disciples always returned to their company, so you too must have your
own company – a group of people that see things the way you see them and
believe in what you believe in, people who look forward to the same kind of
things you do.
Find out if he loves the Lord as you do? Is he interested in the expansion
of the kingdom? Does he do the Word of God? If you find such a person, he
will motivate you to walk in the miraculous.
A young man shared his testimony in church one day. According to him,
the previous day a friend had come to his house and said, "There's nothing in
this anointing oil thing." The things he heard dampened his faith. Little did he
know that the attack on the anointing oil was a plan of the devil to cause
problems in the near future. While in the classroom the following day, a lady
fell down and stretched out. Everybody in the class fled, but this brother rushed
to her side and prayed for her.
After praying for sometime and there was no response from the lady, he
went for his bottle of anointing oil, and forcing her mouth open, he poured
some in. Shortly after, the lady was revived! If he had spent a few more days
with that so called friend, he would have lost complete confidence in the ability
of God to heal through the anointing oil.
Be Sensitive
After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem.
Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is
called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt,
withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and
troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the
water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and
eight years. John 5:1-5
The emphasis here is not in whosoever stepped in, but who stepped in first.
Those who did were sensitive enough to see the angel just as he stepped into
the water. They probably sat by the pool, with their fingers inside the water and
plunged in to collect their miracles as soon as they saw the angel arrive. Some
others had been there for years, but sat under a tree somewhere, waiting for
who would help them.
The fact that there was healing virtue in that pool is undeniable. People
were coming and going away healed, but that man remained there permanently,
because he lacked the required sensitivity to encounter signs.
Every time God's Word is going on (either being preached or read in a
book), the miracle pool is being troubled and sensitive people step in and
collect their miracles. Men of action are men of manifestations.
When you move at the instance of any revelation, you never lack
manifestation. You don't need anyone to help you. All you need is, "God said it,
I believe it, that settles it!"
In those days when I was a victim of tuberculosis, I had a very severe
attack one night at about 1:30 a.m. I came out of my room, stood on a rock and
said, "Jesus Christ, if it is true that You did all the miracles written in Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John, then I have had enough of this thing." And that was the
end of it.
I was responding to the truth I had drunk in from the gospels. I stood up
that same day and took delivery of my miracle. Only smart people are go-
getters. It takes spiritual smartness to maintain the flow of signs.
I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that
knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my
undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the
drops of the night.
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my
feet; how shall I defile them?
My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels
were moved for him.
I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with
myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the
handles of the lock.
I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself,
and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I
could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me,
they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from
me.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that
ye tell him, that I am sick of love. Song Of Solomon 5:2-8
It takes miracle thoughts to command and maintain the flow of signs. You
can't think obstacles and have miracles. You can't think impossibilities and
expect possibilities. Often, many people allow thoughts of impossibilities to
becloud their minds.
They ask, "How can this be? You see, I want to be very practical. Afterall
we live in a world of realities, so we have to deal with facts. Now tell me, how
do you think I can build a house under these harsh economic circumstances?"
That man carries obstacle thoughts, yet he is looking for miracles. The two
don't go together. Look at Abraham, the Bible says concerning him:
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now
dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the
deadness of Sarah's womb:
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was
strong in faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able
also to perform. Romans 4:19-21
His age had no place in his mind. Although he and Sarah were both past
childbearing age, his mind was closed to all negative factors. He refused to
consider those things that could cause him to stagger. Rather, he chose to
consider the ability of God, His omnipotency. Abraham judged God faithful, so
he became the "father of faith".
His confidence in God made him to be persuaded that what God had
promised, He was also able to perform. Abraham believed that whatever God
said was good enough for him.
No one can maintain the flow of miracles without a miracle mind. The
woman with the issue of blood had this miracle mind I'm talking about, and that
was what turned her captivity. She thought her way through to her miracle.
A victim of negative thoughts was the Syrian general, Naaman. In 2 Kings
5, we are told that this man, although a great man, was a leper. The king of
Syria sent a letter to the king of Israel, saying, "Now when this letter is come
unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that
thou mayest recover him of his leprosy" (verse 6).
He got to Elisha the prophet, who without coming out to see him,
instructed him to go and dip himself seven times in the river Jordan and be
cleansed. But instead of being excited, he was offended.
But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I
thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the
name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and
recover the leper. 2 Kings 5:11
Many are in trouble today, and yet are offended at the truth, just like
Naaman was. The enemy has polluted their minds in order to punish them.
Naaman's problem was his negative mind. It was against his destiny, until his
servants said:
...My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing,
wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he
saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan,
according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came
again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
2 Kings 5:13-14
His thoughts stood in his way to his miracle. Thoughts are so powerful that
they either make you or break you; but they never leave you neutral.
Also in 2 Kings 7, there was a man who lost out of abundance because he was a
victim of impossibility thoughts.
Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the
Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be
sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the
gate of Samaria.
Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of
God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven,
might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with
thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. 2 Kings 7:1-2
Since no one commands the flow of miracles without a miracle mind, you
need to renew your mind, or else you remain a victim of obstacles. Paul said:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Philippians
2:5
This injunction is pertinent, because all the mighty acts that Jesus did came
by the operation of His mind. Remember how He fed the 5,000. It was written
concerning Him, "And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he
would do." Jesus had a fertile mind, so the miraculous attended to Him
naturally.
It is impossible to operate the mind of Christ and the world not mind you.
Consider Jesus
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners
against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Hebrews 12:3
You are always considering something at every point in time. The mind is
never completely empty. It is time to consider the abilities of God, rather than
the situations of life. Anytime you are fainting in your mind, it is because you
are considering the negative situations of your life.
Fainting in the mind leads to staggering in the legs. If Abraham did not
stagger, it was because he was always considering God's ability to handle his
case. That was what had him settled and prevented him from fainting, and his
legs from staggering.
Think On These Things
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things
are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these
things. Philippians 4:8
If the woman with the issue of blood spoke within herself and was healed,
you must be careful what you say within yourself. If you are saying, "I cannot
be sick" or "I cannot be poor", you are programming yourself to encounter
miracle health and wealth.
The Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28 had a miracle mind. She was
too set for her miracle to be stopped. All the apostles attempted to, but she
would not be stopped. At her importunity, Jesus said, "O woman, great is thy
faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt."
No matter how hard you pray, until you think right, you cannot live right.
Until you think great, you will never become great. Until you think miracle
thoughts, you will never have miracles.