A few days before the new year, I was privileged to be in a retreat with the LORD. Just before leaving home, the LORD already placed a huge burden on my heart, a burden that dragged me to physical tears. By the time I was locked in with God, I had a form a physical pain around my chest area, I cannot really explain the pain but I could feel it physically. I spent my first night crying to God to remove this unexplainable pain from my heart. And of course, I initially invested some good time bombarding God with other prayer requests. But the burden persisted.
While I tarried with the LORD, I discovered that God dragged me into listening to Him. I suddenly found myself in quietness, for answers to the matters that I brought to Him. And then, He started talking to my heart, unveiling the mysteries that were of concern to me. He spoke a lot about the year 2023, and then I discovered that, while I had switched from voicing my request, the burden and pain on my heart had disappeared.
As soon as I realized the pain was no more, the LORD told me that, the pain and burden I felt was exactly the burden and pain His people had gone through in the year 2022. I immediately knew that in this year 2023, God will take away the burdens and pains in the lives of His people; delays will end, disappointments will become favourable appointments, distractions will loose grip, discouraged hearts will get strengthened, debts will be paid off and cancelled, depression will disappear; and God will take away the burdens of His people.
The burden God placed on me was very discomforting. It however vanished as I switched from speaking, and began to listen to God. Without having to say the words, the LORD enlightened me to understand that, we will gain more victories this year by simply listening to Him.
There is the Listening Dimension of Prayer. Prayer is our access to God. It is also one of God’s avenue to reach and communicate with us. Prayer is not complete until you can hear God, as much as He can hear you. The effect of prayer is truncated if you are satisfied with the words you speak to God, when the real victories you desire are in the answers and strategies He is releasing.
Jer. 33:3 says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
Jer. 33:3 is simply implying that, no matter how much you vibrate and are eloquent in prayers, great and mighty things are only available in God’s responses; and these great and mighty things, you do not know them. No matter how good you feel and the results you get when you pray, the great and mighty outcomes of prayer are not accessed until God speaks back to you. It is wisdom to give priority to the answers of God, especially in 2023. We must learn the art of hearing God, if Establishment in Honour is our desire.
Oh, that we will begin to desire that He speaks more. Sometimes, we talk too much because we know so little. God invested the remaining part of my time apart with Him, speaking to me. It was a very fulfilling time for me. All the glory to God!
There are times when God is ready, and doing so much in and around our lives, but because we have adopted a culture that worked, we loose the flexibility to adjust to what will work. The adopted culture that worked becomes an enemy to the momentary requirement of Heaven. We have learnt to pray and yes, we bombarded Heaven throughout 2022. We have also started the same approach this year. We must not stop praying, but now, we must give more attention to listening, and be ready to apply His instructions. What God is saying is more important than what you have to say, especially now. I believe this is one of the reasons why the LORD is having us pray at 5.00am as we wait on Him for 21 days; so we can have the remaining part of the day, listening to His responses. Hallelujah!
See Something Very Important in the Bible...
1 Kings 11:2 says, “Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.”
While, verse 11 says, “Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.”
Solomon stuck with the attitude of gathering strange woman and nothing seemed wrong. He was violating God’s instructions but things were still working for Him. Solomon desired these women and his desire for them was stronger than his passion to obey God’s instructions. This evil desire brought God’s judgement upon him and his generations. Even though there was a Covenant to keep David’s lineage established in honour, the kingdom was taken away from Solomon. This king lost the honour and its continuity. There was an enemy in Solomon’s heart; it cost him the throne and its establishment.
God is still drawing our attention again, to our hearts. God found David in the wilderness because of his heart, 1Sam. 13:14. If your heart is right towards God, this year, God will lift you up. What is in your heart? In this year 2023, the intentions of our hearts will be tested and revealed. And the results will be evident for many to see. What is in your heart can destroy what is in the future. Align your heart with the demands of God and His perfect will.
What was the Difference Between David and Solomon?
Their hearts were different! What was in David’s heart was different from what was in Solomon’s heart. While David’s heart yearned after God, 1Sam 13:14 and desired to do God’s will, without personal agenda; Solomon had his own agenda. He longed for something else part from God, 1Kings 11:2. Yes, Solomon loved God, but he loved other things too, 1Kings 3:1-3. Whatever your heart yearns for, apart from God, is an enemy that can truncate God’s agenda for you.
Pastor, Elder, Deaconess, Youth Leader, turn your hearts to God and seek Him only. If evil continues in your heart, it can destroy the promises of God for your Ministry and family. 2023 is a year of the fulfilment of Covenant Promises; but God will not allow the throne continue in the hands of a man whose heart is not right towards Him.
If you have never given your life to Jesus; or you need to make your ways perfect before Him, Return to God today, Say this Prayer of Salvation and Rededication;
“Almighty God, I have not been faithful and I have sinned. I return to you today; have mercy of me. Give me a new heart, the heart that pants after you. I receive Jesus anew into my heart, as my Lord and Saviour. I am born again, and I receive Championship over the devil, over sin and over the world. Thank you LORD, in Jesus Name. Amen!”
Congratulations! Join us in our Daily Prayers. See the post below. God bless you. Arise!
