After quite an interesting five years, I have seen, read and experienced some very painful and some really exciting things. I have learnt that there is much more to our walk with God than I have ever thought possible. God is raising a new generation with an incredible hunger for Him. There is a new generation of believers that are going to forgo everything, or you could say totally die to their flesh, to have a relationship with Him. Through this, He will be giving them authority and power that will unleash a move of God that will be worldwide and of a scale that has never been seen before. This is what I see God doing, as people mature and become sons of God and walk into the destiny God has made them for. (Ephesians 2:10)
In 1 Kings 18, we read of an encounter that Elijah had with King Ahab and the 450 prophets of Baal. These prophets were allowed after Ahab married Queen Jezebel to create a strategic alliance with other nations and Israel. Jezebel's father was a priest in the temple of Baal and Jezebel not only worshipped other gods, she actively worked to ensure the God of Israel was removed and the people worshipped the gods she worshipped. Earlier on we read of Naboth being killed through Jezebel's scheming. She had him killed so Aham could take his inheritance, his vineyard, so Ahab could plant vegetables. This was against the law and wicked. This story comes after the encounter on Mt Carmel where Elijah not only shows Israel that God of Israel is the only true God, but all the other prophets were false. Elisha kills the 450 with a sword and then hears something in the Spirit.
41 Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.”
Elijah prophesied 3 years before that there would be a drought. This happened at the end of the three years of drought. After the prophets were defeated, God could bless the land again. Elijah heard in the Spirit what was going to happen. What I find interesting in this is that we all know what God says is true. As God is the "I Am" He is outside time. Therefore what God says has actually happened. Do we have a part to play in God's Word coming to pass on earth? Is it true that if God says it will happen we will see it on earth?
42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees.
After such a full day I would have thought Elijah after hearing the rain coming in the Spirit would then celebrate with Ahab the great victory God had given Elijah and God's people. He deserved to sit down, eat and have a break! He had prepared an altar, killed a bull and cut it up and arranged 12 stones around the altar. He spoke against 450 false prophets, called God to bring fire down on the altar and then with the sword killed 450 people. To me, that would have been a sign to stop. God, though, had given him supernatural power and his job was not finished. He went to the top of Mt Carmel and seriously prayed! Some say he travailed in prayer. A definition of travailing prayer is:-
As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. Travail is a form of intense intercession given by the Holy Spirit whereby an individual or group is gripped by something that grips God's heart. The individual or group labors with Him for an opening to be created so that the new life can come forth.
When we travail in prayer, God speaks, we hear, we respond in faith and pray the promise (s) into being. We pray with endurance and tenacity even when the results are delayed. Do not despise the day of small things. For who has despised the day of small things?
(Zechariah 4:10a). Wait for the turning or small sign that good things are starting to happen.
43 He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times.
After we pray once and we do not see it happen we give up. Travailing in prayer means we have heard in the Spirit and we persistently pray UNTIL there is a breakthrough. We know, we ask and we keep asking until we break through any opposition from Satan and God brings to pass what He has shown us. When He tells you something, I encourage you to not give up but keep praying. Seek God on how to pray and His strategies to pray and then keep praying until you see it come to pass on earth. Travailing brings birth to God's plans and purposes on earth. Travailing means you are desperate for God's word to come to pass. When we look at Daniel 13 we read of Daniel having to pray for 21 days until a breakthrough. God heard his words straight away but Satan obstructed an answer to his prayers for 21 days. It must have been a fierce battle!
10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Daniel 10:10-13
44 It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’”
As you pray in faith, look for evidence of God breaking through. As you see even the smallest of breakthrough, start to praise and thank Him for the answer to prayer. Step forward into the victory He has given you in faith.
45 In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.46 Then the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel. 1 Kings 18:41-46
I find this very interesting. Elijah would not sit in the chariot with Ahab. God continued to set him apart and gave him supernatural strength to outrun the chariot. When you read all Elijah did in one day, we can see why he struggled the next day when Jezebel threatened him.
From reading this, I encourage you to listen to God through reading His Word, listening to His Voice and spend extended time with Him. As He tells you what He is doing in the Spirit be prepared to travail in prayer until God brings the breakthrough. Do not give up! Remember Jacob in Genesis 32:24-26. He wrestled with God and would not give up until God blessed him.
24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until the [a]breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”
But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” Genesis 32:24-26 NKJV
God wants to take you to a new level of relationship with Him. He is calling you to humble yourself and confess all your sins and walk righteously with HIm. God is desiring you to completely die to the flesh so you can start to walk in a totally new way. He wants you to be able to hear His voice and then to travail in prayer until you see God do mighty things on the earth and release His plans and purposes. God is taking a new generation of His sons and daughters to a place where they not only see and hear in the Spirit, but they have the courage, knowledge of the Word of God, endurance in prayer and faith to step up and bring God's kingdom down and established it on the earth. It is time to step forward in victory and usher in the amazing move of God that has been prophesied.
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