Why Are My Prayers Unanswered?

Because you haven’t looked after the soil of your heart.

If you need breakthrough in your life in a specific area such as finances, health or relationships, you should consider the soil of your heart. Many people are not good receivers of what God wants to give them, and it has to do with the heart.

I want to share some kingdom secrets and mysteries which will help you discern what is happening in your life and allow you to walk in the fullness of what God has for you.

Matthew 13:3-11 NLT
³He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ⁹Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
¹⁰His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
¹¹He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.

There are a number of truths in the short passage. Firstly, Jesus was talking in parables so that the truth would be hidden from the crowds of people who would later crucify Him. He only shared the truth with His disciples, and in verse eleven He says that only they are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, every parable contains secrets of the Kingdom, and these secrets are available to us through the Word of God. So it’s very important to always be meditating on a Bible verse throughout the day, quoting scriptures and memorizing them. As you are diligent with the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will reveal to you all the mysteries to where you won’t have any more questions.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 AMPC
⁹But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed].
¹⁰Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny].

1 Corinthians 2:9 is quoted all the time, and I’ve heard it said that “God works in mysterious ways”, then people laugh. The problem with that is when you read verse ten. The Spirit of God searches even the profound and bottomless things of God – divine counsels and things hidden. He reveals all of these things to us, but we have to be in relationship with Him to receive that counsel. So as a believer, nothing should surprise you because the Holy Spirit is your mentor and counsellor, and He reveals the future.

In the parable of the sower, which should be called “The parable of the soils,” because the sower is mentioned once and the focus of the parable is on the soils, there are four types of soil: footpath, rocky soil, thorny soil and fertile soil. Only one soil produced a harvest, and three produced nothing. The exact same seed is sown on all soils, and the same sower is throwing the seed. Therefore there is nothing wrong with the seed or sower; The difference in result is all due to the soil.

Matthew 13:19-23 NLT
¹⁹The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ²²The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Luke 8:11-15 NLT
¹¹“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. ¹²The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. ¹³The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. ¹⁴The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. ¹⁵And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

In Jesus’ explanation, it’s very important to note what made the soil infertile: either hard, rocky, or thorny. The first thing to deal with is not understanding the Word of God which is the seed. This is probably the biggest one which is why Jesus mentioned it first. If you think about the whole world population and how many people are believers in Jesus Christ, it’s a very small percentage currently. What I have seen over and over is people hear the word of God, they try to understand it in their mind, and when they can’t, they walk away. In essence, the devil just stole that Word from them. In this day and age with all the technology we have, it’s really impossible for someone to not hear the gospel at least once in their lifetime. What I’ve encountered is that most people who aren’t believers, people I’ve spoken to, have already heard the gospel many times but because of where their heart is, they don’t accept it.

To combat the lack of understanding, you can pray for wisdom and understanding. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal every truth in the Word to you, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. If you ever read something in the Bible and think it is too good to be true, or it isn’t relevant today, you have to remember that the word “Gospel” can be translated as “Too good to be true”, and Jesus is the centre of the Gospel. You have to accept that miracles are for today and are needed now more than ever. Prosperity is for today. Healing is available to you. Find the scriptures that you don’t believe in, and pray over them asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of them to you. Don’t let the devil rob you of your miracle because you don’t understand the Word.

The second thing to be wary of is rocky soil which is where the Word doesn’t go deep enough in your heart. You take the Word at surface level and accept it mentally, but you haven’t meditated on it and memorized it and quoted it. When you face persecution, you give up on the Word because the circumstances don’t reflect the promise you have. I have seen people who believe in healing go back on their beliefs, because they got sick. However, just because sickness came doesn’t mean God’s word isn’t true.

You need to be ready to face the attacks of the devil when you get a Word from God, because He will come as a thief to steal everything away, using the methods Jesus explains here. When God gives you a Word for healing, you may feel sicker for the first day, week, or month. But that is the devil working overtime to get you to doubt. If He can’t get you to forget the Word of God, he will work on getting you into fear and doubt and unbelief. That is his mode, and Jesus is spilling the beans on all of this. This is why Jesus said it was a Kingdom secret. I get excited just thinking about that.

The third fruitless seed is the thorny soil. The Word is crowded out by worries of this life and the lure of wealth. Some translations say ‘the deceitfulness of riches’. This one is a big one for most Christians. When you have the Word of God, and you believe it but don’t live in it, it gets drowned out by everything else that is going on in your life. There are so many ‘cares of life’ that want your attention, the biggest one getting a flat-out mention – money. I think a lot of people who are poor think about how to get rich and what they would do with all that money if they got it. The problem with that is that your focus has shifted away from the Father.

If your focus gets shifted, it’s only a matter of time until the direction that you’re walking in also changes to where you’re looking. Jesus said to seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, then all these other things will be added to you. It’s a matter of priority. What is your priority if you only can choose to do one or two things. Does the Bible always get read every day by you? Do you always pray, even if you don’t have time to do anything else?

It’s important to not get into works over this, which is working really hard but not flowing in the fruit of the Spirit. If you write a list of things you want to do but keep failing to do them, don’t push harder to do it in your own strength. Let go of it and lean on the Lord to help you. Ask Him to help you. Remember that you are to seek first the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. That means that when you’re in the Spirit and walking with the Lord, you will have peace and joy. Righteousness is also translated as “justice”, meaning anything wrong is made right again. If something is out of alignment in your life, it must come back to the correct intent that God has.

The good soil is hearing and understanding God’s word, and then producing a harvest. In other words, you have taken what you received and put it into action which produced a harvest. You didn’t fall for any of the devils attacks and distractions that cause soil to be unfruitful. You are faithful, patient and fruitful. It’s obvious that God is at work in your life because you have a harvest that is many times the seed that was sown.

When you put all of this together, what it means is that for any problem you are facing in your life, be it lack of provision, lack of health, bad relationships, depression, or whatever it is, what you need to do is go to the Bible and find at least two verses that are promises for what you are needing. Then you take those verses and use them as a sword in the Spirit, waging warfare by declaring them, meditating on them, and praying them into your life. When you do that you are intentionally taking seed and planting it in your heart for it to grow. It takes time for it to grow though, so remember to be patient and stay in there. God will bring a mighty victory to you and you will have a testimony for the rest of your life on what He has done.

One thing that God showed me was praying before going to sleep. He wanted me to do that as part of my routine, however after a week or so I started to skip nights. I thought about this parable of the sower, and the Word of God came to me. He said “Remember that the only soil that produced fruit was the one that never gave up”. His words convicted me and helped me to keep going. So when you wage warfare, it’s a good idea to also have this parable at the forefront of your mind, to remind yourself that you will receive your harvest if you are patient and endure.

Receiving Permanent Breakthrough

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When the world started fearing Covid-19, my work quickly transitioned from an office to being at home. The move was forced by company policy change, so there was no say otherwise. I immediately struggled with work motivation and tired quickly from working in my bedroom. It was as if I was fighting myself to do even a normal day’s work. This continued for three years. It was so bad that at times I put down that I worked hours I hadn’t because I was falling behind and needed to keep up the image of staying on top of everything. I wanted to work and do it well, but I seriously struggled. Over three years, there were some times of higher productivity and motivation, but mostly times of very poor work. It was like a fight to do what was expected of a normal employee, in a normal job.

I started praying about this motivation problem right from the start of working from home because I knew it was an issue and my conscience needed to be kept pure. I got to a point where I made the decision to never put down time I hadn’t worked, even if the intention was to work it later. (The only exception was when forced to by the company). However, this didn’t solve the problem of having to fight to work more than three or four hours per day.

As I prayed more and more, I would get a breakthrough for a single day, or sometimes even a week at a time. The Holy Spirit would come upon me in a strong way and I could push through whatever was hindering me. However, I never got a permanent breakthrough, and I was always praying for another breakthrough after the last one. It was a never-ending cycle that felt very discouraging and hopeless.

After three years of going around in circles, there was a time when I was laying in bed listening to the audiobook of the Passion Translation of the Bible. It was playing from Proverbs 10.

The wisdom of Solomon: When wisdom comes to a son, joy comes to a father. When a son turns from wisdom, a mother grieves. Gaining wealth through dishonesty is no gain at all. But honesty brings you a lasting happiness. The Lord satisfies the longings of all his lovers, but he withholds from the wicked what their souls crave. Slackers will know what it means to be poor, while the hard worker becomes wealthy. Know the importance of the season you’re in and a wise son you will be. But what a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity!
Proverbs 10:1-5 TPT

When the words were spoken in verse five: “What a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity!” an explosion went off inside of my spirit! I was immediately quickened and a purpose and drive entered me that I had never had before. These verses played around in my mind and refused to leave. I couldn’t stop thinking that a slack son brings shame and grieving while a hard-working son brings honour and joy.

I realised very quickly that I had just had a supernatural event. I had been given an impartation from heaven that changed me on the inside and reshaped who I was. This may be hard to believe, but it’s important that you get this. I already knew I was changed before I even got off my bed to start the day.

Being over a month later, I can tell you that I have not been the same since this event happened. I have been given the ability to work hard and consistently. There are days that are battles, but it has completely flipped. I used to have days that I had a breakthrough, but now it’s the other way around – I have only some days that are a battle, and I’ve stepped into overthrow. Overthrow happens when you walk supernaturally. It cannot be done through works or effort. It is a gift from heaven that comes through meditating on the word of God.

Holy Spirit spoke to me about listening to the Bible and worship music as I sleep. When I received my impartation, I had heard those verses many many times before. However, there came a point where a supernatural transaction happened, and it only came through diligence and perseverance.

Many people need an impartation from heaven because it would resolve the troubles they are going through. If you are struggling in any area, you need an impartation. It’s that simple. Romans 12 speaks of impartation as a transformation of our mind.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2 ESV

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2 NLT

Before I had an impartation, I could quote these verses by memory. However, I didn’t understand the power behind this verse until I had the impartation for myself. I could also immediately see and discern that most people around me hadn’t had an impartation.

The thing about impartation is that it not only brings correction to your own life, but it also brings discernment. Discernment is also an amazing gift from Holy Spirit, which only comes supernaturally. You cannot receive an impartation or receive discernment apart from Holy Spirit and apart from heaven.

You need to submit yourself to the word of God. You need to yield to what the words are saying because they are directly from God, and they will change you. You need to keep in mind that God spoke the world into being. His words are so powerful that their sound created who we are and everything around us.

God is supernatural, and you will never enter into His will by your own effort or strength. The key here is to meditate on and yield to what the Spirit of God is saying to you. It needs to not be a one-time event after reading this, but it needs to be your lifestyle. When you change your lifestyle, you change who you are. In other words, who you are right now is not going to take you where you need to go. You must submit to the correction of Father God and let Him be your wisdom. You cannot rely on your own understanding or your own way of thinking, it must be transformed.

An important note here is that I prayed many many times, at least several hundred, if not over a thousand times about the motivation and work problem I was having. However, I could have saved myself a lot of time if I had simply yielded to the Spirit of God and listened to what He was teaching me. The answer was in the Word all along, but God hides mysteries in the pages which are only revealed to those who search them out.

I love you and I pray for you. I pray for everyone who reads this. Please make the Bible a part of your lifestyle and meditate on it continually. Keep it before you. Print out verses and put them at your work desk. Write post-it notes with verses on them. Put verses by your bedside, and fill yourself with the Bible. Keep the Word in your ears and eyes so that you are positioned to receive your impartation.

Every spiritual blessing has already been given to us through Christ Jesus, so there is no need to suffer any longer! You are losing time every moment that you don’t walk in overthrow, because you are called to your workplace to be a light. However, you cannot be a light if you are not shining. So, shine!

Your light will be very quickly shining when you get your impartation. Many people around me have noticed a dramatic change, and it has not been very long at all since the event happened. I have worked with these people for nearly eight years, and have not heard them say the things they are saying now so frequently.

You must listen to the word, especially the topics and areas where you need breakthrough the most. You will experience overthrow through the power of Holy Spirit at work in you as you yield. Continue in it, and persevere.

Intimacy

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.
John 15:4-6 NLT

Intimacy with Jesus is so important. Without intimacy with him, we are unable to produce fruit. Within intimacy, we produce much fruit. Without intimacy with him, we wither. Within intimacy, we flourish. Knowing this, why would we do anything apart from him? Because apart from him, we can do nothing. But yet knowing this, how often do you find yourself doing something apart from him? This is evidence of needing more of him and drawing closer to him in intimacy.

If Jesus is not yet within you, he stands at the door of your heart, knocking. Will you let him in? If you welcome him in, he will come in and commune with you!

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
Revelation 3:20 NLT

Jesus loves you more than you can imagine or comprehend. He knew you before you were born; in fact, he knew you before you were conceived!

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Psalm 139:16 NLT

Jesus is your creator, and he calls you close. He deeply desires intimacy with you through spending time with him, learning his character, and living in obedience to his words. He is so full of love, words cannot describe the love he holds in his heart! Did you know that he intercedes for you? Jesus prays for you.

Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
Romans 8:34 NLT

The love of Jesus comes from the love of the Father in heaven, for Jesus and the Father are one. The Father was the one who sent Jesus to earth to save you from the way of this world and bring you into his life – eternal life.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NLT

The Father waits patiently, looking for your return every moment. He doesn’t care about what you’ve done. He loves you far more than any sin you have committed. There is nothing on earth that can separate you from his love.

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
Luke 15:20 NLT

If you find yourself away from Jesus today, come back to him through prayer. Ask him to come into your life and take control of it. Submit yourself to him, and allow his love to wash over you and transform you. As this happens, thank him for his goodness and kindness, his mercies and his love.

Inner Peace, Continued

In this post, I want to continue on the topic of inner peace and its fruit. Let’s look at Matthew 14 again.

About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” ²⁷But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” ²⁸Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” ²⁹“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. ³¹Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
Matthew 14:25-31 NLT

Peter’s focus on Christ and faith in Him resulted in a miracle that was not possible if he had done the logical thing and stayed in the boat. The wind and waves that created the storm which was intended by the enemy to harm the disciples became the platform that Peter walked on. The very thing that wanted to take his life was forced to carry him to Jesus. Isn’t that beautiful?

As believers in Christ, I believe we are called to step out in faith in circumstances that would normally be perilous. The storms of life that come at us can and should be used to bring us closer to Jesus, not destroy us.

I had a vision a few months back in which I saw many interwoven golden lines. They connected people and events together and represented God’s intricate plan for everyone. I saw that it was all connected. Then I saw the enemy try to destroy God’s connections. However, each time he moved something out of place, God moved two or three new things into place to compensate, making it even better than before. So the enemy was wasting his time touching anything, and I saw that the more the enemy touched God’s plans, the better it became for believers.

This is confirmed in scripture; God will always use everything in our lives to draw us closer to him when we love Him and are walking in His will. (Romans 8:28)

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28 NLT

Yet sadly, we will not get to this place if we are cowering with fear “in the boat” with other people. God is calling you to greater things, and it’s up to you to step out in faith and fix your eyes on Him.

There seems to be a common thought that many people have, including Christians, which sounds something like: “I need to know what’s going on in the world to know how to deal with it”. However, respectfully I don’t see how this lines up with scripture. God didn’t tell the Israelites to think about how many ways they could die in the wilderness. He asked them to trust Him. As it turned out, it was their focus on the carnal (things of this world) that kept leading them astray. Time after time God performed miracles for His chosen people, but they kept forgetting the miracles past and started to complain about a new problem. Because of their lack of faith in God, they were refused His promised rest. Hebrews 3 and 4 put this very clearly.

That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, ⁸ don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. ⁹There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. ¹⁰So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ ¹¹So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”
Hebrews 3:7-11 NLT

The Israelites tested God in the wilderness despite seeing miracles for forty years. They had a habit of seeing what was wrong – no water, no food, hostile nations, etc. instead of focusing on God who always provided a solution. This habit of testing God was attributed to unbelief. And it is written that without faith it is impossible to please God.

So it is clear that focusing on the troubles and worries of the world can lead to unbelief if left long enough. And if God became angry with His chosen people, will He not be angry with gentiles who do not listen to His voice? Therefore it is crucial we fix our eyes on Jesus and stop looking at the circumstances around us.

Where is Jesus calling you right now? What is he whispering to you in the secret place? Be obedient to Him, and watch Him perform miracles in your life. There is a promise from Jesus I want to leave with you.

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
John 14:21 NLT

Jesus promises that those who obey His commandments will be loved by Him and will see Him!

Having Peace at all Times

Two years ago in March 2020, I was headed for Cambodia in the face of a new and alarming pandemic. It was my first overseas trip at one of the worst times to travel, yet I felt at peace. Around this time I got an impression in my spirit. “If you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, you will have peace. If you keep your focus on the world, you will have turmoil.” This impression has stayed with me ever since and has proven to be true. When people around me have been fearful, I have had God’s peace. I don’t say this to boast, because it is not a peace I have made. It comes from Jesus, so I will boast in Him!

Jesus said that we may have peace in him in John 16:33.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 NLT

Jesus has already overcome the world! If He has overcome the world, there is nothing outside of his dominion and control. He is the author and finisher of our faith, so it’s not our place to worry about this world. The position we need to take is one of pure devotion to Him, fixing our eyes on Him.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Isaiah 26:3 NLT

With our eyes focused on Jesus, we aren’t looking at other things. This is a really important truth to exercise. Simon Peter, the apostle, learned about fixing his eyes on Jesus when he stepped out of the boat to walk on water.

About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” ²⁷But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” ²⁸Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” ²⁹“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. ³¹Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
Matthew 14:25-31 NLT

We can see in this passage that when Peter looked to Jesus and stepped out in obedience, the result was a miracle. He was walking on water when no one else was doing it. As a result, he is the only recorded person in the Bible besides Jesus to have walked on water. (Other accounts of water miracles were different, such as the Israelites who walked on dry ground when fleeing Egypt). So, therefore, when you are obedient to Christ, being focused on him, you will do things not done before.

Also note that when Peter looked at the wind and the waves, he began to sink. The wind and the waves can be thought of as a metaphor for the cares and troubles of the world. When we focus on what’s going wrong around us, we begin to sink and lose faith. And without faith, it is impossible to please God.

What we can do to combat this attack on faith is to focus on Jesus. Talk to him and lay everything in his care; Pray to him and let him carry your burdens.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Philippians 4:6 NLT

So I want to encourage you to make it a habit to focus on Jesus. Whenever you find yourself focused on other things, refocus your gaze again. When this habit becomes a lifestyle, your inner peace can never be robbed. I pray you can see that this peace is not dependent on external circumstances, but only dependent on your inner focus on Jesus.

Walking in Power

Following my last post, I want to continue from the foundation of asking God for more revelation. If you missed it, here’s the summary: God wants your vision to be expanded and to know the true power you possess through him. It’s a good thing to ask (pray to) him for visions, dreams and encounters so that you may more fully know him and walk in greater understanding and authority.

Now, assuming you are praying this theme regularly, we can continue. When you see a vision of something, or are given a revelation, you are now in a position to do something about it! Lean into the Holy Spirit and seek his wisdom; Pray fervently so you may know his plans and purpose for the situation. When you receive the answer, you are now in a position that cannot fail because:

You know what is currently happening (through the vision / dream / encounter / word of knowledge)
You know what God’s will is (through the Holy Spirit)
You are in a position to move in His will
He has promised that when you ask anything according to his will, it will be done (it cannot fail!)

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. ¹⁵And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
1 John 5:14-15 NLT

This promise from 1 John is so powerful that I cannot stop thinking about it! I know that when I am moving in the Father’s will, I am the most effective.

For example, a few weeks back I was at a prayer and discipleship meeting. I had a desire in my heart to pray for a woman there who had positively impacted me. I asked the Father if I could pray for her, and I felt the inclination in my gut that it would go well. Although I wasn’t 100% certain on the success, I took my chances and asked to pray with her after the meeting. Well! It was so powerful that we were standing there crying for at least twenty minutes! I got many words of knowledge from Holy Spirit and shared them with her. The power of God was so strong that my legs started to give way and were shaking. After the fact, we had no desire for coffee or cake, but just soaked in the presence of our wonderful Father.

Sometimes you don’t need an audible voice of God to know what he wants. For me in this circumstance, I had a desire in my heart and a “gut feeling” that led me. I knew it was God’s will to bless this woman because it is alway’s God’s will to build up believers (Hebrews 10).

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. ²⁵And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT

When you are operating inside of the will of the Father, you cannot fail. You will see mountains move and many great things take place. On the other hand, if you don’t act, you won’t see things happen. I want to say this in love, but the reality is that the Bible was only written by people who acted.

Ask the Lord to show you the impact he wants you to have in the world around you. Hold onto the vision he gives you and keep seeking to fulfil it more and more each day through his power and anointing.

Through everything, ensure your heart attitude stays right before God. We are not rewarded for results the same way we are rewarded for having the right heart. For example, if I was to save a million souls with corrupt intent (let’s say for the sake of argument I wanted to build an empire for myself), I would be rewarded with nothing, because my works would be burned up on the great judgement day. But, if I was to only save one soul my whole life and live completely obedient to my Father, I would have a great reward.

But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. ¹⁴If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
1 Corinthians 3:13 NLT

Therefore, if we are not judged by outcome, but instead by our heart attitude and obedience to Christ, we can be free from the expectations of people. We don’t have to focus on the output or outcome, but rather, focus on the process within, specifically the heart.

I want to encourage you to walk in the power and authority that God has available while not being concerned with outward appearances. Let our loving Father take care of the details. This may seem counter-intuitive after reading the first part of this post, but it’s important to see both sides of the coin together. We are to walk in power and faith, but also to leave it to God to sort out the details.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

Ask, Seek, Knock

Ask the Father to do a deep work in you; Not for the sake of boasting, but so you may live a more empowered life!

A couple of years ago, I started praying to our Father for encounters, dreams, and visions. I wanted to experience these things so I could have a greater understanding of what God was doing in and around me. I wasn’t entirely convinced that it could – or would – happen. However, I have now come to realise that it’s a good thing to want more than the status quo.

Our Father wants us to get curious and ask him about things! Ask him for guidance and deliverance. Ask him to open your eyes to his way of seeing things. Paul prayed in this way for the Ephesians, with the intent of them having a greater understanding of who God is, and how his power is working in us who believe!

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ¹⁸having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
Ephesians 1:16-19 ESV

The intent of these prayers is to lead you toward a place of greater understanding of God, and ultimately, living a life of more power and glory. If you seek dreams, visions and encounters for the sake of boasting, you will not handle them well. That attitude of pride could lead to causing other believers to stumble. We are to bring others unto Christ, not unto ourselves. This topic is looked at in 2 Corinthians 5. Here is part of it in verses 19 and 20:

that is, in Christ God was reconciling^[c] the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:19-20 ESV

Having said this about pride, I don’t want you to think you shouldn’t desire or ask for greater revelations of God as Father Son and Spirit. It is highly beneficial to see the greatness and power of God.

You will not be able to live in the fullness God has for you if you resist him and his gifts. Peter refused Jesus washing his feet, likely because he felt uncomfortable with it. However, Jesus spoke sternly to him to assure him it must be so:

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” ⁷Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” ⁸Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
John 13:3-8 ESV

There is a place for these revelations, and having a heart that is humble and hungry is a perfect recipe for God to open your eyes to these things. After all, Jesus was recorded as saying:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7 ESV

I want to encourage you to make this a topic of prayer until you see God start to open your eyes and expand your vision. Encounters with him are open and accessible to everyone!

Revival From Within

Going to many youth conferences and large church events when I was young influenced the way I thought God moves. I have heard many times about revival and how God will pour out his spirit and tangible presence on multitudes of people to bring thousands to the kingdom… But I subconsciously always believed it would be an event that happened outside of my influence and I would simply join in to what was happening. However, my heavenly Father has completely changed my understanding in this! I have come to realise that revival is not an external event, but rather, an internal process.

It was a beautiful spring day that I was working from home. I had so much work to do, and not enough time to get it all done. There was a little outreach event happening in the city that day and I was invited to go. I hesitated several times and nearly didn’t go. Finally, I decided to go and arrived in the city with my mind on a dozen things.

After some time passed with the usual events happening, I saw a homeless man stop and watch the event about five meters away from where I was standing. I went up to him and started talking. After the speaker finished, I talked more with him and asked to pray with him. As I prayed, the tangible presence of our heavenly Father came so strongly I started to get emotional. I looked at the man I was praying with, and he was already crying, tears flowing down his weather-worn cheeks.

After prayer, I talked to the man about the Father and his love for a while, then asked if he wanted to surrender his life to Jesus. He wanted to, so we prayed through a prayer of repentance and surrender! It was incredible how the Father took care of everything. It was so easy; The man wanted to be saved.

This all happened only days after a discussion with friends about how God works in us, then through us, then around us. I know the Father’s love and his presence, so I wanted to move on to the next part, God working through me! I expressed this desire in the conversation, and only three days later was able to lead a man to Christ!

I realised that God wanted to use me to bring about a revival. It wasn’t an external event that “just happened”. No, it’s a process that goes on inside of me, healing and transforming me until I am ready to step out in faith and advance the kingdom of God!

Psalm 51 points to this reality of looking at the heart first, and being revived there first.

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.
Psalm 51:10, 12-13 NLT

The progression here is firstly being right before God, then from that place teaching his ways to the ungodly and bringing them to salvation. This makes sense because how can we save someone if we ourselves are not saved? Jesus said it this way in Matthew:

So ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.
Matthew 15:14 NLT

If a teacher is teaching something he does not know, how will the person hearing be helped? There is another verse that talks about the heart:

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

There is certainly a pattern here of working on the heart first, then from that seeing God at work around us. Are you willing to start the process of revival from within you? Will you open your heart to the Father for him to work in it?

The Holy Spirit as a Helper

There was a time this year when I was at the end of myself. I had cried until I had nothing left to cry. I felt hopeless and weak, wishing I could disappear from all my problems. It was late at night and I was in my bed, laying there helplessly. I prayed for strength and fell asleep. In the morning, I woke with a spring in my step! I felt the presence of God inside of me and I had a strength and determination about me! It was like chalk and cheese comparing the morning to the night before.

I realised that day that God deeply cares for me and sees me in my weakness, helping me when I cannot help myself. The Holy Spirit taught me to trust in him, even when everything seems unlikely, even impossible. The Bible explains some of the Holy Spirit’s characteristics in John 14 and Romans 8:

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
John 14:26 NLT

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
Romans 8:26 NLT

The Holy Spirit will often remind us of truths we already know of, but don’t understand in our heart. I have found that when I read something, it doesn’t stick with me until it lands in my heart. Getting something from my head to my heart is hard by myself, but with the “helper”, the Holy Spirit, I am reminded of the truths in God’s word at crucial times when I need it most.

The best part of all is how the Holy Spirit is given to us permanently, and lives inside of us. I often hear him speak like a still small voice of wisdom. He always lifts me up when I am down, and always encourages me when I am weak. In the morning after my night of despair, I felt the presence of God so powerfully! The Holy Spirit truly lives inside of us as 1 Corinthians 6 says:

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,
1 Corinthians 6:19

I want to encourage you to listen to him when you are feeling low. He truly cares about you and will help in times of trouble. The Bible promises this, and when God says something, he will be sure to fulfill his word.

Have a great week!

Fighting Dragons

Dear friends, From a young age, as young as I can remember, I have been in the middle of a spiritual battle. Most of my earliest memories are nightmares of evil creatures coming to torment me in my dreams. I have already spoken of some of these horrors in previous posts, so I will not go into detail here. However, I want to revisit this topic because there has been a significant update to this story.

I have slept peacefully for many nights since dealing with those demons of the past; However, over the past months I have had multiple dreams in which Satan came to me to kill me. The first two dreams were especially intense, the first of which he was in the form of a dragon, breathing fire, flying around, and using several different tactics to attack me. In the second dream he was in the form of a man and he used smooth words to trap me. In both of those dreams I was shown that I needed to face him myself instead of relying on other people to win this battle for me. I couldn’t depend or rely on my spiritual leaders to set me free; God would give me the strength to face him myself.

In each instance I prayed into the dreams and sought God desperately because of their intensity. After prayer each time, I felt a powerful peace come over me that couldn’t be penetrated. Some time passed, at least a couple of months, before I had two more dreams in the same night.

In these next two dreams, I could see that God the Father was watching over me. I again faced a dragon that wanted to harm me. However, this time things were different. A brother stood by me and submitted his heart to God. He truly lay himself down in the presence of God. His heart was in complete worship to God. I could see that God the Father was looking at my brother and me standing there, facing the dragon. Then my brother started forcefully praying against the dragon! He started asking God to rebuke it, curse it, and smite it!

Well, it’s safe to say God wasted no time in doing the very things asked of him! He struck that dragon down right where it stood. That wretched thing couldn’t move after only three strikes! I stood there amazed. I was just given the key to win the fight against dragons!

Again, I was facing another dragon. This one was much like the first, intending to harm me. I felt fear start to creep in until I saw God appear again. He turned and looked at me. As soon as the father looked at me, I felt peace come into me. I remembered the previous dragon fight and submitted myself to my Father, right before the dragon in front of me. I truly surrendered everything, holding nothing back. Once I had entered that place of worship (I felt a change in my spirit), I started praying against the dragon. God responded promptly and struck the dragon down. It was utterly defeated!

Once I awoke, I put this prayer into practice immediately. I felt the results immediately in my spirit and I was soaring! I felt so free and so powerful. I knew I had a huge amount of authority, given to me by God.

I remembered the verse in James that says:

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7

Over the years of facing spiritual battles I have prayed James 4:7 many times, but never with the success I recently had. I believe there is a grace that God gives when he reveals something specifically to us. The verse was no less true before my dreams as it was after, yet it was only when I held the revelation of the verse for myself that it was truly effective.

When I had the revelation of James 4:7 I realised that it is far more powerful than what it seems. The verse doesn’t describe the level of humility required, how far the heart needs to go to submit to God before you are in a position to resist the devil. I also didn’t realise that I needed to pray from that place of submission and ask God to take down the devil. I thought I had to resist him in my own strength.

So as you can see, there is a big difference when you understand something in your heart. When God showed me how James 4:7 works, I no longer came to incorrect conclusions. I got the essence of the revelation, not just the idea of it. It went past my head and into my heart. I pray he will show you too.

I want to encourage you to face your dragons, whatever form they may come in. When you are faithful to keep fighting and praying, our father hears you and will give you the specific strategy to defeat the enemy.

May the God of peace richly bless you.