“Well, has it come to that?”
A good friend of mine jokingly say’s this whenever anyone suggest that we pray about something.
It always makes me chuckle as she shakes her head in a sorrowful manner. Of course she doesn’t mean any disrespect to the Lord but it does bring up a really good point.
Why do we tend to wait until all other resources at hand are exhausted before we ask God for help, or direction.
We often hear ourselves say things like, “When all else fails … pray.” Or “All we can do now is (deep sigh) pray.”
This should be the FIRST thing we do. I believe there are several reasons why we don’t automatically seek the wisdom and provisions of God.
Many of us are accustomed to making our own decisions and living separate lives apart from God, and it takes a conscious effort to stop and ask the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom with understanding.
And learning to tune out the world, and turn our complete attention onto God takes dedication and perseverance that few people want to exert these days. (I am making some adjustments in my own life where I have allowed other things to become priority over seeking the Lord.)
And even if we are truly seeking the Lord, the devil will try to throw out lies to deceive us.
For example, before I was born again I use to believe that God was way too busy to bother Him with my “little” problems. After all, He’s got a world to look after, mine problems seem a puny compared to that. Lol.
So I would usually end up doing what “seemed right in my own mind” or seeking other people’s advice who weren’t getting any better results than I was.
There is so much to cover in the area of prayer but my theology changed several years ago when I stumbled onto a teaching on how to pray according to God’s word.
Many of us are allowing ourselves to be led only by what we see, taste, hear, smell and feel other than spending time in the word of God and letting His Holy Spirit guide us.
But this is where I find most of my answers. Scripture.
January 11, 2024 marked my 15th anniversary of being smoke “freed.”
You may have read my testimony of how the Lord supernaturally delivered me from a 32 year- pack and half per day cigarette addiction. To His glory this happened without drugs, hypnosis, or an alternate addiction to replace them. (I am still 3 clothes sizes smaller than when I smoked.)
I have never had a craving or desire to smoke since that moment. The root of addiction was taken out of my heart on January 11th, 2009. I actually felt that spirit of addiction leave my body.
It is as if I never smoked a day in my life, and the Lord Jesus instantly healed me from the hacking cough, wheezing, fatigue, headaches etc. etc. But this miracle had to be conceived in thought (taking root in my heart) over a period of time before it could be birthed into the natural.
And it happened when I stopped trying to quit smoking on my own.
But this next part is crucial … I had been seeking the Lord with all of my heart, reading the Bible and listening to sound teaching- I also asked and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (apart from water baptism) and the Lord filled me with His Holy Spirit, it was if a light switch flipped on inside of me. Power came upon me, boldness to prayer for others and confidence in Christ Jesus living in me (just like what happened with the disciples in Acts Cpt. 2). It was a game changer, if you are born again, but have never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit you are missing out!!! I’m saying this in love, but it’s the truth.
So I prayed to God and asked Him to help me. But I was honest with Him. I told Him, “Okay, here’s the thing Lord, I smoke cigarettes, and I know I should quit. But I still like to smoke and I need Your help.”
I asked Jesus to deliver me right there and then because I had heard other people’s testimonies who were instantly delivered from various addictions.
But the Lord spoke to my heart, “My child, you have already been delivered, you just don’t know it.”
See, I still saw myself as a smoker. “How a man thinks in his heart so is he.” A victim trying to recover instead of a victor in Christ walking away from a victory with Him- in abundant life.
(There is a huge difference between believing that you are at point A trying desperately to get to point B or knowing, “Hey, I am already at B!”)
Brother’s and sisters we are have to see ourselves on the other side of the cross. Not trying to obtain victory, but rather learning to walk in complete victory here in this world, in Christ Jesus. Not just in the “sweet by and by” but rather in this world “now and now.” Lol.
So God re-directed me back to His word and I stopped praying and asking God to deliver me. After all, how can God do something for us that He has already done?
He has already healed us, given us the ability to prosper, and walk in emotional wellness.
I needed to change the image of myself in my heart first before God could break me free from this addiction. Mind and body.
So I took the scriptures that pertained to my new identity in Christ and mediated on these day and night. Even while I smoked I would speak these scriptures out loud.
And when someone would come against me and say things like, “You’ll never quit! You’ve smoked since I’ve known you.”
I would immediately tell them, “NO! I WILL quit smoking. Because I AM a non-smoker in Jesus name and I can do ALL things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.” “Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, every tongue which rises against you in judgement you shall condemn, this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, says the Lord.”
Some of you might not react this way, but we need to be bold and speak up.
The devil WILL use people (many unwittingly) to try and plant seeds of doubt in our minds. We have to counter those negative words right then!
Sure, I rubbed some people the wrong way. Some folks simply rolled their eyes, a few even quit hanging around me. But I have a testimony. By the grace of God, I am a non-smoker after 32 years of bondage!!
The pray of faith – confidence in knowing what the Lord has already provided us by grace- is a powerful truth.
Right now I would like to pray for every person who is bound up in addictions, but who truly wants to be set free.
“Heavenly Father, thank-you for your great love for us and for your word that declares “by the stripes of Jesus we WERE healed.”
And in the name of Jesus I am taking my authority as a born again believer and binding the spirit of addiction, the spirit of lack, depression, fear, unworthiness off of every persons mind reading this column right now who are bound by physical and emotional strongholds. I command the very root of that addiction to die and leave them now. In the name of Jesus I rebuke every lying spirit who is telling you that you are unlovable and unwanted.
I release healing into every souls and body who is reading this and reaching out by faith to receive and I release new life into them as their inheritance in Christ Jesus.
And Father God I am asking you to put a growing desire in their hearts to search Your word for their deliverance and as they know the truth in Your word faith will rise up in them and the knowledge of the truth will set them free.
I am asking for a righteous indignation to also rise up inside of each person to actively stir themselves up and fight against the devil’s lies and deceptions and reach out by faith and take all that You have provided us by grace.
Thank-you God for victory and abundant life for each person as part of the new covenant in Christ Jesus. Amen!!”
I praise God for the power of prayer, using His written word and spoken in faith.
“For the word of God is living and powerful,(full of power) and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
P.S. God has not fallen off of His throne because of our past, or current conditions. It is because of our condition that Jesus came. If you will trust Jesus and open up your heart to expose these deep roots of bitterness, unforgiveness, disappointment, hurt, broken hearts and just allow Him to heal you, He is bigger than your problems. Jesus loves you- not because you are lovely, but because He is love.
(John 10:10, Matt. 16:23, James 4:7, Heb. 4:12, 1 Peter 2:24, Proverbs 23:7, 18:21; Isaiah 54:17 NKJV)
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
