*NOTE
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It’s funny how I’m writing a book on how to walk in God’s purpose for your life – “10Steps To Walking In Purpose”, and I have literally felt every emotion that the book encourages people to work above.
I have felt the fear of failure, the fear of launching out, the discouragement, the despair, and the lack of faith.
The lack of faith has been in the form of “how will God do this?”
I smile as I write that now because it’s an unnecessary thought but I have been hit by lots of them of recent.
Yesterday during my quiet time, I felt like reading about Hannah and getting lessons from her and this is what I wrote in my notes afterwards:
“Trust me, trust me. Don’t try to do two by two calculations that this is the way things should go, just trust me like Hannah did. Thank me and go on your merry way. I will set things up as I Please.”
I am thankful that God sees what will happen in the course of our day even before it does and gives us His Word before we encounter such incidents.
And as a side note, please don’t let busyness stop you from spending time with God each morning.
Sometimes, the word for your day that will keep you from fretting and being worried is wrapped up in that time you give to your heavenly Father in the morning.
So I got that Word and went on my merry way.
And then after time at court and all, it was time to sit at my laptop and start work on the book and then it hit me!
I got the billing for the printed copies last week and that was what was running through my head.
All that money and I haven’t even gotten the ISBN?
And then what about marketing?
How will it get into people’s hands?
The thoughts were crazy and you know the Word’s way for dealing with thoughts that don’t align with God’s right?
We pull them down with the Word.
So I let my laptop stew for a bit I digged into the Word.
Let’s all go there shall we?
Mark 11:12
“On the day following, when they had come away from Bethany, He was hungry.”
Let’s take this bit by bit.
Jesus was hungry…
He was in need of food.
In need of something to feed His belly.
Like we also, some (me) are in need of something, whatever it maybe to feed our belly… lives… businesses…family, etc. etc.
Let’s go on…
Mark11.13
“And seeing in the distance a fig tree [covered] with leaves, He went to see if He could find any [fruit] on it [for in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. But when He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves, for the fig season had not yet come.”
Off in the distance He saw a tree that looked like it had the abundance of food that He needed.
But then He came to it and found nothing on it in reality (there’s a lesson in here for Christians bearing fruit in Christ but I can’t go in there today).
Mark 11.14
“And He said to it, No one ever again shall eat fruit from you. And His disciples were listening [to what He said].”
So Jesus SPOKE TO THE TREE.
Now, before we go into that, let me bring out the KJV version and show us something I saw.
Mark11.14
“And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.”
It says that Jesus answered and said unto the tree…
Meaning that the tree spoke to Him right? For you to answer someone means that it spoke to you.
Now, what was the tree saying to Jesus?
I have nothing for you.
It was speaking forth dryness.
Speaking forth that it had nothing to satiate His hunger.
And so Jesus gave His reply to what it was speaking!
We also have circumstances speaking to us Every. Single. Day.
They say this can’t be done.
I have nothing for you.
Dryness is all you will ever find in me.
Now, what are we speaking in return?
Let’s not jump ahead of ourselves, we will get there in a bit.
So that same verse above says that “His disciples heard him”.
Meaning that others heard what he had spoken.
Others hear our declarations too.
Now, what is the essence of others hearing our declarations?
Mark 11.20-21
“In the morning, when they were passing along, they noticed that the fig tree was withered [completely] away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to Him, Master, look! The fig tree which You doomed has withered away!”
Others hear our declaration so like Peter, they will marvel when it all comes to pass and give glory to God.
And those who heard you will testify that faith in God works.
Everything I have been sharing so far are lessons by and by, but here is the real lesson that Jesus wanted to teach us from that episode.
Mark 11.22-24
“And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly]. Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].”
Let’s take that verse piece by piece.
First He says “have faith in God CONSTANTLY”.
Don’t waver, don’t have faith today and don’t have faith tomorrow.
No.
Have faith in God constantly.
And then He goes on to say, “truly I tell you, whoever SAYS…”
So Peter and the disciples marveled at what happened but no, Jesus was quick to point out that this doesn’t only pertain to me.
Whoever among you has faith in God and SAYS…
Now, let’s dwell on the “saying”.
Remember that Jesus spoke to the tree in response to what the tree was saying to Him.
He spoke what He wanted.
So He is saying to us, whoever also SAYS what He wants, what happens?
If He also believes it in His heart, He shall have whatsoever he SAYS.
When I was studying this passage, I was reminded of how I won my 100k from Diamond Bank last year (I’m in faith for salary for life from them still this year sef).
I remember that I told everybody that I will win the money.
I told my youth pastor at church that I will win the 100k.
Told all my friends and roommates same thing.
I didn’t see that day but I kept my confessions straight and the belief in my heart unshakable.
And like the Bible says, I had what I said!
So yesterday, even with those thoughts in my head, I kept my confessions straight!
I have passed the stage of asking in prayer for the funds for the book, now I am at the stage of thanksgiving.
So I continually said, Father I thank you because I have everything I need for 10steps to walking in purpose to be a reality.
I have everything I need to be at Ghana and hold an awakening youths event there with the printed copies of this book to the students this year.
But I still could feel the Spirit nudging me on the word – “believe”.
Let’s go on to KJV and get some lessons on “believe”.
Mark 11.23-24
“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. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
Now, KJV makes something clear.
When are we to believe that we have what we have asked God for?
When we pray.
So when we ask God for something, we are to believe that it’s as good as done.
Yes, you haven’t seen the physical manifestation of it but if you have seen it then it won’t be faith would it?
It won’t be “believing that you have received it”.
So basically what Jesus is saying here is whatever you ask of me, just believe that it is done, you have received it already and that’s it.
So what do you do if you have received something from someone?
You thank them for it.
Shikena!
And this was what God wanted me to guard against when He gave me the word from Hannah’s study (you can read her story and get some lessons for yourself from 1Samuel 1)
There’s something else that you need to do after believing that you have received it.
You are not to wonder as to what manner of way God will use to bring the physical evidence of your belief to you.
You know sometimes we get caught up with planning.
Maybe it’s this person that God will use to give me what I have prayed for.
Maybe it’s that person.
But no, the ways of the Spirit, you can’t predict.
God more often than not, uses the foolish things you never imagined in your wildest imagination to give you what you want. (I didn’t plan to write this, this! This is for me too!)
So we should stop eyeing Mr A or B as our source.
No, God the source says just believe me and see how I will work things out.
Forget about how you will get it.
Your work is to believe.
And then I’d like to ask us the same question He asked me, will you believe?
I have seen firsthand the effects of fear.
I don’t want that.
Faith boosts my soul up.
Believing God gives me the energy to go on.
It’s faith over fear anytime any day!
We shouldn’t subscribe to cowering under fear, Jesus didn’t die for that.
So I invite you all with me today.
God has given me some serious dreams that He knows I can’t step into by my own power.
The only way to step into it is by stretching my faith.
There’s nothing in my bank account that will fund the dreams He has given to me so I can’t even calculate and look there.
But I can look to Him which is what I am doing.
Will you look at Him with me?
I don’t know what you are believing for, but God says that He shall supply all our needs according to His glorious riches that has been given to us in Christ Jesus.
And like James says, if you aren’t asking just to spend it on your own lusts, God hears you and if we know that He hears us, we already have what we have asked of Him.
So let’s thank God together shall we?
And keep our confessions straight.
Everyone will hear our confessions, see it when it comes to physical manifestation and marvel at God’s ways like Peter did.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, our walk with you isn’t determined by physical senses. Our walk with you is done by faith.
I believe in you Lord and I believe that I shall have everything that I have already received in faith.
For when fear rears it’s head up in my life, grant me grace to conquer it with faith.
Keep me strong in you, in Jesus name I have prayed, amen.
Further Reading:
Hebrews13.5-6
“…for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?”
Pretty please, I would love to hear your rhema on this topic of faith as you studied through the Bible passages with us.
I read this study we did on What Kind Of Faith Do You Have yesterday and was so blessed by all the comments.
I learn from you all, I draw strength from your words and there are times when a comment on #OnlineBibleStudy here just hits me like a thunder bolt!
So let us know in the comment section below, what do you do to amp your faith?
What Bible passages help you when you need to amp up your faith?
Do share, let’s glean wisdom from the family of believers.
And I see you all our new subscribers to blog (welcome!)
If you are just joining us, #OnlineBibleStudy is a category on this blog that runs every wednesday.
We simply share God’s Word here and dig into a study that helps our soul.
You are encouraged to not just read my own rhema but get into the word for yourself, compare different Bible versions and find pleasures in God’s Word too.
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We have Bible studies on God’s will, faith, conquering fear, trusting God for direction, finances, etc, etc.
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Till Next Time on #OnlineBibleStudy,
Stay revved up in the Spirit,
Love,
Frances.
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