A life of consistent breakthrough. What does that look like? Most likely you’ve either read or heard about it in so many different scenarios in the Bible and like most, you probably marvel at how God could move so miraculously through ordinary and even rebellious people. But are those life-changing moments of divine intervention only reserved within the confines of the sacred pages of what took place in the Bible?
Absolutely NOT! To put it bluntly, to assume that God no longer intervenes in our lives supernaturally is to deny the essence of who God is. In Matthew chapter 7, verses 9-11 , Jesus the Son of God is teaching in a sermon and says, “… You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him …” This brief, yet deeply profound depiction by Jesus about His Heavenly Father, who is now our Heavenly Father, gives us plain insight into the heart of God and His desires when it comes to His love for us. If we carefully plan and inconvenience ourselves to give valuable presents and gifts to our loved ones from an earthly perspective, then how much greater should we expect God to go out of His way to provide for us and bless us beyond measure? And what if I told you that God has already proven the extent that He is willing to go because of His love for us?
“… When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God …”
— Romans 5:6-11
What Romans, chapter 5, verses 6-11 is explaining is the shed blood of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, was God’s greatest act of love for us. And through this one world-changing act, we now share in the inheritance of long life – a life full of abundant purpose, power, and provision through Him!
So, how do we access this promised inheritance? The good news is the promise is already made available to you! But in order to operate in it on a regular basis, we have to look back to Matthew, chapter 7. There are two key details that Jesus outlines in the analogy of parents giving good gifts to children.
- “… Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you …” (Matthew 7:6)
- “… Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened …” (Matthew 7:7-8)
The takeaways here are this: In the same manner that children will relentlessly pursue their parents, shamelessly asking again and again for something they want or need with complete faith in their need being met, we must have that same childlike faith when we are seeking God in our prayer time. However, if we truly want to operate in what God has for us, then we must be sincere in our relationship with Him, honoring who He is and valuing what He values so that we do not waste or squander what He has given us.
Below are 5 essential steps in going to another level in your prayer time with the Lord and living a breakthrough kind of lifestyle!!
- Make a physical place and reserve a dedicated time to spend time with the Lord DAILY. We cannot stress this enough how much God values making alone time with Him. Remember, you are the reflection of who you spend your time with, so we mustmake it a priority to invest our time in consistently making relationship with the Lord. (Luke 6:12); (Matthew 6:6); (Daniel 6:10)
- Make a habit of putting the Lord FIRST. A lot of times we do this thing where we make a decision and begin to proceed with the next steps and ask God for His blessing after the process is in already motion. This is the equivalent of jumping out of a plane without a parachute and then looking around hoping there’s a parachute floating in the sky next to you for you to use! God is our refuge and fortress, protecting us from unknown pitfalls, AND He orders our steps to make us succeed when we are in alignment with Him. Always pray before you go your way. (Matthew 6:33); Proverbs 3:6); (Proverbs 16:3)
- Go deeper in your relationship with the Lord through prayer AND fasting. This is a topic that is hardly addressed by many churches, but we believe with full confidence that prayer AND fasting is the key that unlocks the door that gives access to the realm of the miraculous! If there are any strongholds or hindrances in your life that you are desperate to get rid of, we encourage you to intentionally fast and pray. (Matthew 17:21)
- Pray for the breakthrough of others. There’s a universal law that originates from God Himself, but is applicable in all facets of life and it is this: In order to reap a harvest we must first sow. As kingdom citizens, it is our duty to always look for opportunities to impart the love of God into the lives of others. Something miraculous happens where God begins to work on our behalf when we stop worrying or focusing about our situation only and give our attention to the needs of others! (Philippians 2:4)
- NEVER STOP PRAYING. Persistence is an essential element in the foundation of having faith in the Lord and there is something that God admires greatly about those who relentlessly pursue Him. Remember, you’re believing for a break- “through” not a break “to”. Sometimes, we must press through the trials and the adversity to step into our promise! (Matthew 7:7); (Psalm 55:22); (Hebrews 12:1-3); (Ezra 10:4 TLV)