I was listening to one of my favorite songs the other day called Do It Again by Elevation Worship. It had me reflecting on my ministry, a ministry borne out of 10 years of trials, health issues, emotional pain and countless obstacles in the courts. God had given me a word and vision for my ministry 7 years ago in the midst of these enormous challenges.
When I reflected on the words of the song I thought about all the injustices that so many suffer, whether they be economic, educational, systemic, or racial. I thought of foster kids, abuse victims, things that seem so insurmountable, so impossible to change, yet God IS the change agent. I look at all the struggles, some incomprehensible; whether it be George Floyd, human trafficking, our foster care system, or a long list of systemic abuses ..the list goes on and on. Like the song says, and I think we all echo, “Walking around these walls. I thought by now they’d fall .. waiting for change to come.”
I had been wrestling for the last couple years as to whether I had heard God correctly. It had been 5 years since God had given me the vision of the ministry I was to launch; I still had not seen that breakthrough. I wondered, have I been hearing God correctly? But, even in the delays, we know our Father is working and He hears us.
In Luke 18 Jesus tells his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. There is a need to pray like the persistent widow. So we pray. We pray for change, but also that God will make us more like Him, that He will change us in the process. That He will give us persistence, perseverance, patience and confidence in knowing that He hears and answers all prayers in His timing.
We also know that our Father confirms things for us when we ask. He gave me these words during that time. He said Surrender to His control and His timing for those walls to fall. He said I should have Confidence as He would never fail me and Hope because I know His promises still stand and are true. Lastly, He gave me the word Anchor, He is faithful. I’ve seen Him move mountains and I believed I would see Him do it again. He then said, “Stop looking at the wall and stand in faith, focus up.”
Yes, there were times I felt as though I was simply losing time. I believe many who have been oppressed, mothers who have lost children in a broken system and those who have experienced unspeakable injustices have felt the same, but there is no loss of time with God. He has His own timing and His own way of doing things. He taught us these lessons in Scripture. Through Abraham He showed us He could hold up something for a long time and it would still have a great outcome. Through David, Ezekial and Jeremiah He showed us the enemy may try to wear us down in order to make us ineffective or make us feel like not continuing but we have to be encouraged and pray for direction. In Daniel, He showed us we can spend time waiting for an answer and wondering why there isn’t an answer, but we don’t know what battle is being fought in the heavenlies.
Sometimes God will test us to see where we are and more importantly, to show us where we are. We have to be able to stand before God and let Him be God through us, fully surrendered. Often when we are going through a test, we don’t hear anything, the Lord is silent. We want to see something happen, but we aren’t. An intercessory prayer friend of mine likened it to school. She said they teach you and give you the instructions but when taking a test no one is talking. God is silent because He wants us to perform in the test. To us it feels awkward and uncomfortable, but the answer won’t come until we go through the test. During the silent times it is up to us to perform what we learned and what the Lord has instructed us through His Word. We have to be consistent with our declarations, we have to pray it through, and wait on God believing He will accomplish through us what He promised.
In Habakkuk God says the things I am planning for you won’t happen right away but slowly, steadily, surely the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow do not despair for these things will surely come to pass just be patient they won’t be overdue a single day.
We must be patient like Elijah. His prayer of faith was accompanied by action and declaration. Not only did Elijah pray but he boldly declared God’s word. God not only supernaturally provided for Elijah during the drought but in the third year He told him He would soon send rain even though there was no natural sign of rain. Elijah believed and heard the sound of rain by faith. Every natural sign showed that any possibility of rain was dead. He did not pay attention to what he saw in the natural but to God’s word. His was a prayer of faith.
The last 10 years reconfirmed what the prayer of faith looks like for all of us. It calls that which is not as though it were. It declares and continues to pray in expectation, even when we don’t see it manifesting in the natural. We must believe what God is doing despite what we see. It rejoices when there is even a glimpse of rain, even a glimpse of the promise. We must declare God’s word, stand firm and not waver even when it has not yet come to pass.
I have prayed in faith for 7 years on my ministry, I have spent more than 10 years praying a prayer against injustice. I’ve prayed in faith and God confirmed that the Holy Spirit can get through no matter what barrier exists, no matter what manmade obstacle exists and no matter what the enemy may throw at us. I’ve prayed in faith that the message and prayer would be understood before there was a natural sign that it was. It was like Elijah telling his servant to go look for a sign of rain, but he saw nothing. I think God has given all of us a small sign over this last year for our prayers against injustice. He gave me a sign too, like Elijah received, when a little cloud the size of a man’s hand came from the sea, just the smallest of signs, but it said the rain is coming. Thank you Father for the rain that’s coming.
So as I finish this and prepare for the full launch of this ministry, a ministry to raise awareness of the long overdue change that needs to take place so that justice reigns. I look back at the lines of the song.
Lord, You have never failed me yet, Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You’ve never failed me yet
I know the night won’t last
Your Word will come to pass
I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
I know He will do it. There will be change. More and more voices are rising against injustice. He will make a way and move the mountains. I believe.
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