Introduction
In our desperate attempts to find solutions and receive blessings in our moments of darkness, we plunge into chaotic searches that lead us to places and people far and wide. However, the truth is this- the blessings we stand in need of, to vanquish our problems, lie under our very own roof. We shall delve further into instances from the Bible, drawing inspiration from people who opened themselves to receive the blessings that were already within their reach. We shall also understand how we ourselves can be recipients of God’s grace too.
Blessing is in your tent- example of Eldad and Medad
In the book of Numbers 11:24-29, Moses gathered the 70 elders outside the tent. The spirit of the Lord descended upon them. Two men, Eldad and Medad, were among those registered, but they stayed on at the tent. The spirit of the Lord descended upon them too and they began prophesying too. Peter tells the Gentiles in Acts 10:34 that God does not show any partiality. This was clearly seen in Eldad and Medad who were among the chosen people, but did not make it to the gathering. It was enough that they were registered and chosen among the 70 elders.
All those who believe in Christ are his chosen ones. Hebrews 4:3 says that those who believe enter the rest that God has promised. We are all God’s chosen ones and blessings are ours, because we believe. During these pandemic times, it is difficult to go to church and other places of worship to pray and spend time with God. But along with these trying times, social media, broadcasting and telecasting networks have brought our churches to our homes.
Just as God took some of the spirit of Moses and placed it on the elders, God bestows on us a share of the grace that Jesus has. Jesus is second Moses. Father God takes some of the spirit which is on Jesus will be put it up you when you and I believe in Jesus. With the anointing that the heavenly father gives us, we will have the strength to fulfill all the desires of our heart that are according to God’s will in his perfection and with his divine intervention.
Message of a Gospel preacher will be fulfilled
In the first book of Samuel, we witness a childless Hannah who desperately cries in the presence of the Lord. The Prophet Eli notices her crying and praying wordlessly as if in a drunken stupor. When he admonishes her and realizes that she was in deep agony, he blesses her in 1 Samuel 1:17 saying, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.” When she goes back home, she finally conceives. The word of a priest or minister of the Lord, can bring blessings into your home.
In the book of Isaiah 38:1-5, Hezekiah, King of Israel, was ill, and his days were numbered. The Prophet Isaiah informed him of his impending death. He prayed to the Lord for mercy and the Lord added fifteen years of his life through the intervention of the same Prophet who told him that he would die.
Isaiah 45:3 says, “I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.” These treasures in darkness and riches hidden in secret places are very often in our own homes. One of the ways to claim it, is to seek the help and advice of an anointed person. In both, Hannah and Hezekiah, we see how the Lord bestows blessings that are manifested in the lives of his children, right in their own homes.
Healing and deliverance only a prayer away!
A huge barrier in the way of claiming the blessings, that lie a stone’s throw away or a prayer away, is bondage. A bondage is an invisible chain that makes you captive. Certain things in your life may never seem to go right. Certain areas of your life may always be stagnant, even though you think you’re doing everything correctly as the crippled woman in Lk 13:10-17. This is not human doing, but the work of the evil one who imprisons the children of God in copious bondages. The only way to break free is to be delivered through the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 13:10-17, the healing of the crippled woman is narrated. What seemed like a physical affliction, was actually a diabolical bondage. Jesus declares in verse 16 that it was her right to be set free from the bondage that she was imprisoned in, for eighteen long years. When she was delivered, the consequence from the bondage, that had manifested itself in the physical affliction, was removed. Sometimes healing comes in unexpected ways, at unexpected times from the Lord. Now you are also in the presence of Jesus (Mt.28:20) as she was, please expect a deliverance and healing through Jesus. Please ask now. Jesus can give it to you, right now.
Healing and deliverance come through our active work towards attaining it. This work is either in the form of prayers or sometimes they may require us to do things that seem difficult, or sometimes, we may have to indulge in exercises that seem petty, silly or strenuous. The woman who was crippled had to go out of her way, and make a laborious journey to the synagogue to fulfil her sabbath obligation, in spite of her condition. Sometimes you are also in need of a five days retreat to have your expected blessing, healing, deliverance, anointing, etc.
Another person who had to work for his healing was Naaman the leper. The second book of Kings chapter 5:9-14 relates Naaman’s story. When the Prophet Elisha asked him to wash himself in the Jordan 7 times, he was furious and refused to do it at first, because it seemed silly and too easy. Besides, he had to go out of his way to Israel to bathe in the Jordan. After being convinced by his servants, he finally obeyed and experienced his healing.
A man named Ivan D’souza, from Bangalore, India, testified on behalf of his daughter who was suffering from acute headaches and stomach pain which escalated to a high fever with delirium. Despite medication, her condition did not get any better. He, then, did the binding and casting out prayer and sent a prayer request to Logos Retreat Centre. Immediately, her condition improved rapidly. Another woman, Maria received her healing from a blood disorder. She prayed the ICU prayers from the Infilling of the Holy Spirit book. Both of these people had to work for their healing. ( Ref. Testimonies on month of November 2021).
Very often, we are like Naaman. Prayers and devotions seem vapid and insipid to us. But the disciplining that these spiritual exercises provide, lead us to our blessings. The way of discipline was the way of many great saints. They were spiritually edified through the disciplining of their mental, intellectual, emotional as well as physical faculties. By following in their footsteps, we can reach out and seize the blessings that the Lord promises us.
Get away from Elijah’s Syndrome
Many people suffer from the Elijah’s syndrome. The Elijah syndrome is one that is marked by burnout, stress out, frustration, defeat, etc. Elijah prayed it is enough take away my life, let me die now (1Kg. 19:4). However, in Christ, there is hope for rejuvenation. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, all those who are in Christ Jesus are a new creation. Even on the verge of giving up hope and letting go, those who believe in Jesus can be restored and made anew.
Some guidelines on how to claim your healings and blessings
God promises to come and save his people in Isaiah 35:5-6, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” In Genesis 26:12-22, we read about Isaac and how God helped him prosper on a land that was believed to be infertile and useless.
Prosperity and healing can be claimed through our belief in God. We can pray simply saying, “Jesus, I am healed by your wounds. Jesus, I am forgiven of my sins by your blood. I am filled with the Holy Spirit, by the power of your resurrection. I am a new creation. In this new creation, old problems and sicknesses cannot and will not remain. All those who are in Christ Jesus are a new creation. Thus, I am a new creation, I am a new person, in you, Jesus.”
A lady, Maria Mirinda, who had some glands in her right armpit was told by a doctor that it could be cancerous. She had to undergo multiple tests in order to confirm whether those glands were malignant or not. During those moments of waiting for the reports, she and her family continuously prayed “Jesus Son of David have mercy on me” (Mk 10:47), without losing faith. When the reports came, they were all negative. Faith is a crucial element that acts as a catalyst in our attempt to secure our blessings. (Ref. Testimonies on December 2021).
Jesus gives us three important things to hold in Matthew 23:23- justice, mercy and faith. Jesus does not tell his disciples and the pharisees and scribes to hold fast to the tenets of religion. Rather, he tells them to practise justice, mercy and faith. All these three are fairly simple, yet quite difficult to practise in reality. The Pharisees and scribes were religious, not spiritual. Neither were they humane or considerate about their fellow humans.
Jesus provides them with a nobler way, one that ran deeper than the surface of religious laws and practices. Having a sense of justice means giving each person what they rightfully deserve. Being just also involves giving God what He deserves, inclusive of our time, talent, treasures, resources, etc. Mercy and love means standing in favor of all human beings and all living creatures. Faith is the last constituent to living a life the way God expects us to.
Conclusion
“Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear” is a safety warning that is engraved on mirrors in vehicles in certain countries. It is pretty much the same with our blessings. Our blessings are closer than they appear; unlike the engraving on the vehicles, this is a safety net and assurance for us. All we have to do is have faith, be merciful and practise justice. Along with these, it always serves our best interests to seek advice and prayers from holy men and women. Moreover, we’ve got to actively work towards securing our blessings through prayer and other spiritual exercises. Through all of these, we see the power of God manifest in our lives.