A practical message to hearing the Lord clearer and seeing more of your prayers answered.
What does my Lord say to His servant?
Have you ever asked the Lord this question ?
I wonder if we asked questions like this to the Lord, what our lives would be like?
How much clearer would we hear His voice and how much more often would we hear Him speak to us?
The scriptures say
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14)
And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him. (1 John 5:15)
So could it be because we are asking the wrong questions, we both hear Him less and see our prayers often not answered ?
Could it be that He is eagerly awaiting for us to ask Him about what is on His heart, about His will for us, also what His plans and purpose is for us each day ?
Or simply
What are you doing, Lord?
These are very interesting questions and thoughts.
This is what we will be exploring in this message today.
2 Kings 13:18-19 (NKJV)
Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped. And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.”
When we read stories like this we can so easily say why did not the king strike the ground with the arrows more times. What stopped him at three ?
But I wonder what we would do in the same situation.
Would we know what was expected of us ? That we were supposed to strike the floor with the arrows five or six times ?
But what if there was a way we could know this.
So that these opportunities which contain major blessings, would be seen, understood. So that the blessing or reward in front of us would be fully appreciated and received.
It is at times like these that the knowledge of the Lord’s will, is so important and vital.
I wonder how many of these moments there are, in our daily lives, that we simply miss ? Often these moments need a totally new way of thinking, to be seen and understood. Especially when the Lord is about to do something new.
Paul describes what is needed, for these situations when we face them in.
Romans 12:2 (TPT)
Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.
Let’s look at a story in the Bible that I believe explains this point brilliantly.
Joshua 5:13 (NKJV)
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”
Joshua’s question was that of countless before and after him in leadership!
You will even read similar questions from King David, the man after the Lord’s own heart.
But this was not the Lord’s reason He sent the man with the sword, to talk and meet with Joshua this time.
So why did the Lord send the man with the sword ?
Let’s find out
Joshua 5:14-15 (NKJV)
So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.”……..
The reason the Lord sent the man with the sword was because He was about to do something never seen before and something Joshua’s mind probably could not comprehend.
So the Lord sent an angel to Joshua for this occasion and purpose. As Joshua’s question needed to be different and also his thinking too. He would need to stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around him and be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how he thought (Romans 12:2 (TPT)
Let’s read how this happened when Joshua did this
……..And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”Joshua 5:14-15 (NKJV)
So Joshua’s question changed from “ Are You for us or for our adversaries?” to “ What does my Lord say to His servant?”
Then the man with the sword said
Joshua 5:15 (NKJV)
Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Joshua’s new question had now been answered by the Lord with what His will plan, and purpose was.
The phrase from Commander of the LORD’s army “Take off your sandal from your foot” is a direct instruction to remove one’s sandal from one’s foot. This act is not only showing acknowledgement for the presence of the Lord. But in Joshua’s case, it also symbolizes a departure from a previous state and preparation for a new beginning in thought.
As the Lord was about to ask Joshua to lead His people to be victorious in battle, in a way never seen before.
The destruction of Jericho an impossible task as Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in 6:1 (NKJV)
But the Lord had a way as seen in the below passage of scripture and if you read further you will see that Joshua, had no doubt about following these instructions from the Lord. Because of this, he led his people to victory.
Joshua 6:2-5 (NKJV)
And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
Challenge Time
To conclude today’s message , if you want to be used more and to see more of the Lord in your life. Then find out ,what is His will by asking Him the right questions.
Like, What does my Lord say to His servant?
Also, by praying a prayer like this
Lord help me to stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around me, even from past experience or encounters of You. Lord. I ask that You will inwardly transform me by Your Holy Spirit. Bring about Lord, a total reformation of how I think. So Lord I will be empowered by you to discern Your will in every situation I face. So that I can live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in Your eyes. Also so I can fulfil Your will, every plan and purpose You have for my life. I ask this in Jesus name Amen
Father I pray for Your will to be realised, understood in all our lives for every day and for every situation we Your children will face. So that Your glory can be seen through this generation and our nation amen
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https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=87bf3759-ef4a-4ae2-ac5d-902b82587e44
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Craig Patten
Founding Pastor/Prophet
Encounter Centre & Ministries