“And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness).” Mark 4:39 (Amplified)
What did Joshua and Jesus Christ have in common? They both commanded nature to do their bidding and it meekly complied. Joshua suspended the setting of the sun for a day, while Jesus Christ hushed a raging tempest of hurricane proportions. Why was this confrontational approach necessary? It was because on both occasions, the normal workings of nature was operating at cross purpose to and was therefore getting in their way of fulfilling God’s purpose for that time. So, its laws had to be suspended in order that God’s will might be done on earth as it is already being done in heaven. Both men modelled the immutable truth that the just shall indeed live by faith, which of course can only come by the word of God. So, unlike the case of Abraham where God stirred him away from the famine in order to prosper him or in the case of Isaac where God prospered him in spite of the famine, God chose to alter the workings of nature in response to the commands of men of faith so that His will might be done. The good news is that He is willing to do the same for you if you will take authority over the situation currently vexing your life and is hindering you from fulfilling His purpose for your life. If this seems far-fetched, let me narrate a recent story that proves that God still answers the faith-filled prayer of the righteous.
A couple, good friends of ours, felt that God wanted them to relocate to Italy. They made all the necessary arrangements, put their house on the market, handed in their notice and trusted God to cause all things to work to their advantage. Whilst waiting for their house to sell, the credit crunch struck and the value of the house plummeted. In the mean time they found a property that they wanted to buy in Italy and expressed their interest in it. They were convinced that God wanted them to move to Italy in spite of the fall in property value and they eventually found a buyer for their house. But there was one problem – the Pound Sterling was falling in value in comparison to the Euro. If they didn’t get a suitable exchange rate they would be unable to pay outright for the property in Italy and would thus require another mortgage, which would defeat their purpose of moving out there. So, when they shared their dilemma with us, I shared the truth of the above story with them and we prayed and agreed that either the Pound appreciates in comparison to the Euro or whatever was necessary for them to get the right exchange rate. The following morning, our friend was tracking the exchange rate as usual when he noticed an inexplicable spike in the rate of the pound against the Euro. At that moment the Holy Spirit told him to fix the exchange rate at the new higher price. So he called his broker and did just that. God also gave him favour with the broker who waived £15000 in commission. The owners of the house in Italy also agreed to reduce their asking price by €5000. In this way, God caused even the financial markets to do His will in response to our prayer of faith. The sceptics may call it coincidence, but we know that nothing happens to a child of God by chance. God still answers prayers and He is waiting to receive your request.
Prayer:
Lord, your word says that all things are possible to those who believe. In faith, I speak to the mountains in my life today to become plains in Jesus name. I command rivers to flow in my financial desert today to the glory of your name. Amen.