"Why am I not seeing the break through when I pray?"
I was asked this question from a hospital bed yesterday. The man I prayed for has been in a fight for his life for several months now. He is believing that God will heal him. He is convinced that God wants to heal him. This has led him to begin (as so many of us do) to wonder if the problem is on his side.
Overview from Pastor Vijay Christian: Vinay, our worship pastor, takes care of all the village churches and every work in the 21 villages we are currently ministering in. He heads up all our medical camps as well as our sewing school. Vinay is an anointed worship leader, teacher and bass guitarist of our A2J band.
This prophetic declaration was given by Reinhard Bonnke in early Feburary of 2013. This is the same German evangelist who declared “All Africa Shall Be Saved,” and witnessed more than 55 million African souls make a decision to renounce Islam, witchcraft and other false gods—and commit to follow Jesus Christ—in just a nine-year period.
I recently came across a great speech by Ben Carson Sr., M.D. from the National Prayer Breakfast...
Are you familiar with the concept of a plea bargain? Often a court will allow a defendant to plead guilty to a lesser charge to avoid going to a full trial. As a part of the deal the defendant is required to make a full confession. Does it seem to you that this is an injustice; that the defendant is getting off easy? Yet these are the same terms that I offer you. It is my will that you do not sin, but if you do you have me as an advocate. As a part of the deal you must confess your sins, but if you do so you will be spared the punishment deserved. This is the good news of the gospel, and the best deal you will ever get.
[I'm leaving town for 10 days to visit family and will resume messages when I get back. DC]
Have you ever been involved in the legal system and required to appear in court as a defendant? You are fortunate if you have not, but all must go to court in a spiritual sense. Have you noticed that the Bible is written in legal terms? There are judges and advocates, evidence and witnesses, accusers and laws. Even those who have not violated the law of the land have sinned and fallen short of my glory. For this you need an advocate, and should be familiar with the spiritual legal process. If you confess your sins, I will be your advocate, and will be faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
Overview from Pastor Vijay Christian: Samson is an anointed and passionate evangelist, head of our missions, takes care of monthly village evangelisms (preaching gospel in 4 to 6 villages), heads boot camp to remote tribal villages. He is our office accountant and main vocalist of our A2J band.
You are familiar with my commandment to forgive others, and you take it seriously. Yet even after you have forgiven, do you keep a case on file in your heart, with all the supporting facts and evidence, enough to secure a conviction? If you hold a claim of justice within yourself, even if you don’t prosecute it openly, have you really forgiven? The Christian standard is higher than superficial expression, even as in the Sermon on the Mount I made a contrast between the ancient teachings of the law and what I taught. This burden is too heavy for your spirit to bear. Make it a deliberate point in prayer to complete forgiveness by releasing any claims of justice you hold.
Have you noticed that low self-esteem is always considered a problem and that high self-esteem is a desirable trait? This is contrary to Biblical wisdom. Can you find anything in the Bible that tells you to think more highly of yourself than you otherwise would? Yet there are many admonitions to humble yourself and to esteem others better than yourself. High self-esteem is inherent in the human race and it is a big part of your problem. The conflict between this and reality is mistakenly called low self-esteem. A mature Christian has a proper understanding of his own nature and position. He is content to be accepted and beloved by me, and has nothing to prove about himself to himself or to others.
Do you ever think of sleep as a spiritual activity? If you seek me with all your heart but are too sleepy to concentrate and focus then sleep may be the most spiritual thing you can do. I recognized in my own disciples that the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. This is not a problem for me and I watch over you with attentive diligence even while you rest. Not all sleep can be regarded as spiritual, but if your waking life is redeemed and an expression of obedient faithfulness, then your sleep will be an extension of that, restoring and refreshing you spiritually, mentally, and physically. This is the sleep that I give my beloved, and sweet dreams.
