A thief who prays that he will not be caught as he goes out to steal and returns successfully did not receive help from God. He was just not caught that day! So how do we recognize God’s help?
1. It is promised – Psalm 91:14-15. Answered prayer is promised – Matthew 7: 7, Mark 11:24, John 15: 16, Jeremiah 33: 3. If God did not promise to intervene when we face difficulties, we will have no grounds to ask for it. You are the target of God’s promises and blessings. It is your special privilege. You are not permitted to ask for anything that is not in line with the will of God as stated in the Bible.
• Healing is promised.
• Deliverance is promised.
• Grace to prosper is promised.
2. It is for a purpose. Every miracle is done to bring glory to God’s name and to advance the cause of the kingdom. God answers prayers that are in line with His will and purpose and His name is glorified.
3. It is pure. God will never employ an unholy means to solve your problem. Trading hard drugs, ungodly relationship, fraud, etc. are certainly not ordained by God. Any proceed from these means is not a miracle but a manacle. Every offer of help must be properly scrutinized.
4. It is powerful, so powerful nothing can stop it. When God stretches forth his hand to deliver, nothing can turn it backwards.
• Age is not a barrier.
• The size or determination or strength of your enemy is not a barrier.
• Time is not a barrier.
• The gravity of the situation or the problem is not a barrier.
God’s enemies submit to Him because of the greatness of His power (Psalm 66:3). Pharaoh’s stubbornness earned Egypt very severe plagues including the death of first-borns. Divine intervention is simply a miracle. It occurs by the power of God. It took the power of God for a little stone to bring down a giant. It took the power of God for water to become wine. It took the power of God for a little stick to cause an axe head to float.
5. It is peculiar. God can achieve the same result through diverse ways and means. He may not deal with the same problem in two different people the same way. Once He healed a blind man by laying His hands on him, another time, He spat on the ground, mixed mud, rubbed it on a blind man’s eyes and asked him to go to the pool and wash. You may think your problem is peculiar, but God will give you a peculiar solution.
6. It is sometimes progressive. Healing may be instantaneous; divine intervention may be instantaneous sometimes but it is often progressive. In Mark 8: 22-26 we see the account of the healing of another blind man in phases. After the first ministration, he was seeing men as trees walking. The Lord had to touch him again before his vision became perfect. The same thing can happen with accommodation, job, deliverance, etc.
Divine intervention can occur in phases. God moved the pillar of fire behind Israel to prevent Pharaoh’s advancing army from reaching them while getting them to safety across the Red Sea before completing the deliverance by drowning the pursuers in the sea. Your present accommodation may be a temporary solution.
7. It is recipient-participatory. You can shut the devil out; you can shut God out also.
• You cannot change what you permit.
• God will not contribute to your life what you do not desire, believe Him for or pursue. He said, “they shall call”; there has to be a “calling unto Him.”
• Your faith is absolutely essential.
• Remember, God is not moved by need but by faith.
• Faith is the cheque with which we draw from our heavenly account. It is the avenue or channel by which we receive from heaven’s store.
• Without faith nothing moves. Without faith nothing happens. Without faith nothing changes.
• It may be a simple act of obedience, a step of faith, a vow, a seed, etc.
8. It is programmed. It takes place at God’s own time, not necessarily at the time you expect. A good illustration is the raising of Lazarus recorded in John chapter 11. The Lord Jesus took some four days to come after the message got to Him that Lazarus was sick. In the meantime, Lazarus died! People become weary when they appoint the time for their intervention and it does not take place then. Except God specifically tells you when He wants to help you, don’t fix time for yourself. Remain steadfast and unmovable.
9. It is perfect. It is complete. Lazarus was not only raised back to life, he was healed of the sickness that killed him. He was raised bound but Jesus commanded that he be loosed and released.
• He will surely perfect everything that concerns you (Psalm 138: 8).
• He will not give you a husband and not give you children.
• He will not give you skills and leave you jobless.
• He will not give you a shop without goods, nor will He give you goods without customers.
• He will not give children without giving money to feed them and pay their school fees.
• He will not give you a vision without provision.
• Don’t settle for half measures. Your present location is not your final destination. God’s desire for you is to be complete in all things. King Hezekiah once protested that he would not be robbed of the residue of his years. You will not be robbed of your peace, promotion, home, joy, etc.
• God does not want you to be a spiritual success and be a financial failure.
• He does not want you to be a public success and be a private failure.
• He does not want you to be economically successful and be a marital disaster.
• He does not want you to be a millionaire with a disease-ravaged body.
God will begin to balance your life in all things.
10. It is permanent. The Red Sea was the final solution to the menace of the Egyptian army. God said to them, “…for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more forever.” Affliction shall not rise up a second time (Nahum 1: 9). Your deliverance, promotion, miracle, favour, etc, shall be permanent in Jesus name!
Simply ask God right now for help in the name of Jesus; trust him and the miracle will be yours! I see you celebrating very soon, in Jesus name!
Bishop Dr. Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l.
Website: www.dayspringcmi.org
e.mail: [email protected]
Help lines: 08035150515, 08054224779, 08036387989
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
