God wants to fill you up with His presence

There was a widow whose husband left her some debts after his death (see 2 kings 4). The creditors were about to take her children away from her, since she knew of no means to pay off the debts. 

She therefore decided to approach the Prophet Elisha for help about what to do. The Prophet asked her if she had anything at all. She told the Prophet that, the only thing she had was a small jar of oil. 

Then Elisha told her:

“ .. Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”

II Kings 4:3-4 NKJV

The filling up of these vessels is important for us in drawing a parallel with, what God intends to do in the life of a believer, who is empty and alone with Him; while seeking to understand His will for his or her life. It doesn’t really matter what the situation in your life, marriage, Church or ministry looks like at the moment. God wants you to empty yourself of everything that, you think you do know in fixing the problem. 

You have been fighting within yourself for so long about the situation. And it’s like nothing is really working out well for you. You had consulted with everyone and everything, that you thought could help you; but without any result from any of them. 

The bottom line is this, that God is seeking a new level of relationship with you. He wants to fill you up, just as the widow in the above scripture texts, filled up the empty vessels in prospering herself and her children. He is interested in using the situations that, you are confronting right now for His glory. He will always use anything that, we make available to Him in blessing us. 

You see, God can’t fill up a vessel that is so full of every worldly idea, about how to resolve those problems. The world knows nothing about how God created anything. Why do Christians seek the counsel of men, when their Heavenly Father is counting on them to call on Him? Human counsel is not more than the opinions of men (like the Job comforters), who can’t seem to figure out how to resolve their own problems.

Cut away every tree that God has not planted in your life

With God, Nothing is impossible 

And often times they will give you three, four, five or six point steps; which you are struggling with right now to follow. The world will give you all kinds of suggestions and ideas, that may make sense to your situation.

 But you have come to find out that, they are not really working for you at all. You have tried several times to follow those steps point by point; but you’ve found yourself failing, in following through with them to the end. And many times you might have tried every other things, that you know to do without success.

Hold it, right there. Do you know that God has been trying to get your attention? But you have been so busy trying to please the world, instead of pleasing Him. 

The world is ignorant about how God runs the universe. They have been trying to figure it out, right from the time of the tower of Babel (see Genesis 11), till today without any success. They never created it anyway. So how can they possibly be able to resolve your problems for you?

And always remember that just because anyone calls him/herself a specialist on anything, doesn’t necessarily means that the person is literate about your problems. The world is full of so many educated illiterates today, who can’t even figure out what they are doing. They don’t have a relationship with God at all. Of what use is it, if Christians waste so much of their time, energy and money in seeking the counsel of men, who have no clue about the God who created the heaven and the earth?

Yet there are Christians who do think that, they have to take care of their troubles in life, like the people of the world. They’ve forgotten in their dire needs of this life, that while human beings are limited in their possibilities; God is never limited.

Remember what Jesus said about your present situation:

“ .. “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.””

Mark 10:27 NIV

Every impossibility of men are possibilities with God. God created everything on the earth. And if there is any problem that people are facing on earth today; we ought to be seeking the solutions in resolving them, from God, the Father who created the universe itself. And for every impossible problem on earth today, God has a solution for each one of them.

Those who think that they can fix every situation on earth today, have forgotten that, the very God who created the heavens and the earth, still has the dominion over all things including the devil himself. And that with God nothing is ever impossible.

Wait in His presence for the pathway to your prosperity

Yield to the Lord of prosperity 

No matter how little or insignificant, what you have on hand right now may be to you, the God of increase and multiplication will bless it, in giving you more than what you can ever imagine. He wants to use what’s in your hand right now, to get you out of your dire need situation. 

He wants to also use it in prospering you abundantly and beyond measure. The very thing that you’re considering as been worthless, is what God puts so much value on to. He wants to bless you with it.

There was also the story of a young man (Jabez), who as the scriptures says:

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.”

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NIV

Jabez changed his personal situation in life, and turned around his destiny on the earth, by getting alone with God, about the situation which his parents had brought upon him. He never consulted with any man. He changed the story of sorrow in his life, to that of prosperity and abundance. He knew that only God could change the misfortune, which his parents had brought upon him. 

Yet there are many today who will first consult with the doctors, and try all kinds of medications, before they will even remember to pray to the God who created the human body. 

When they are facing marital problems, they will spend all their money consulting people, who can’t fix their own marital issues. Yet God has always been there with them in the midst of it all.

When they are in debt, they will consult with the financial advisers, who will tell them to borrow more money. But the God who is more than enough has never changed. His word says not to owe men any debt (Romans 13:8).

But if Jabez could get alone with God, rather than with the world that gave him sorrow; there is no reason why you can’t do the same thing. The God who changed the story of Jabez is able to change your own story also. The good news for you is that, you can change it faster than Jabez did.

If only you will empty yourself of the craziness from the world, that you are holding on to, and start embracing God’s promises for your situation, until they saturate your heart. Then those promises of God will start coming out of your mouth to change your situation, just as Jabez was able to call upon God one on one to change the curse into THE BLESSING. Your mouth got you into all these. And it’s only your mouth that will get you out.

You will need to first develop a personal relationship with God, and with His Spirit who lives in you. That’s why Jesus said:

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 6:6 NIV

What Jesus basically was saying here is that, your prayer time should be “an alone time” with God. This means you should literally forget about seeking help from men. That’s why He said to “close the door and pray”, while you pray. He is not telling you to alienate yourself from the world; but He is telling you to get intimate during your prayer time with “your Father, who is unseen”. Your reward in prayer will give you a pathway into prosperity.

According to the word of God through the Prophet Jeremiah:

“This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.”

Jeremiah 17:5-6 NIV

As long as you continue to seek the help of men, when God’s help is readily available to you: then you won’t be able to see the prosperity which God is offering you. You will not see what belongs to you, even though it’s right under your nose. 

How can you possibly be telling God that you have faith in Him; when deep in your heart you know that, you are really seeking help from men. 

You can’t be alone with God, while at the same time you are relying on the help of men. By relying on the help of men, you are telling God that you don’t really need his help. You are telling Him that you don’t trust in His help.

God expects you to shut the door of your heart on the help from men.  Empty your life of all the schemes, and ways of men for your prosperity. Get alone with God, and let His presence fill you up. He will then begin to show you what to do in your situation. 

Do you remember the reaction of the disciples to the five loaves and two fish, just before Jesus fed the five thousands. They literally didn’t believe initially that, He could feed such a large crowd with so little. They were thinking in the way of the world, even while Jesus was right beside them.

They told Jesus:

“Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?””

John 6:7-9 NIV

They could not imagine that Jesus could do what He did; just as the widow who met with Elisha never knew that the small jar of oil which she had, could actually pay off all her debts and prosper her. 

Turn away from those norms of the world to follow God’s word

God’s blessing is waiting for you

There are many “vessels” of God that the world, Churches and denominations has turned away from today. They have been ostracized, ignored and written off completely by them. But God wants to fill these vessels up, just as the widow filled up all the vessels, that she could get into her house to the overflow. 

Our Father in Heaven is always looking for “empty vessels” that He can bless. He will never ostracize or turn away from any of His creations, that will come seeking fellowship with Him. As long as they are emptied of the world’s cunning ways while seeking Him, they will find Him. 

Are you experiencing some spiritual emptiness at heart right now? Don’t seek to fill up that emptiness with the opinions of men. God wants to get one on one with you. He is seeking to be alone with you. 

Or do you feel like you have nothing to give, to the people that the Lord has called you to Minister the gospel to? Or you may just be thinking that it’s just too hard to get the work done. With God all things are possible (Mark 9:23).

There are others today who are also suffering from a low self esteem of themselves. They see themselves as unworthy of the calling, that the Lord has given to them. 

This sense of low self esteem has denied them, of the very best that God has for them. The lack of understanding of who they really are in Christ Jesus, is robbing them of the goodness of God in their lives. And that’s exactly what the enemy wants them to believe. 

There is another group of Christians, who are just full of everything, that the world around them has to offer. The desires in them for the pleasures of this world, has deprived them of so much blessings from God. They’re never satisfied with anything that they are doing. They are never satisfied because, they are not spending enough time alone in God’s presence. They will rather spend more time with the world, than spend quality time with God alone. They are praying, but they are unable to get intimate with God through prayer.

It’s a beautiful and fulfilling experience to just stay there in God’s presence, muttering His promises before Him every day, and just allowing Him to fill you up. 

I enjoy doing that every day together with my wife. It doesn’t matter how long we have to spend in His presence. We love to just stay right there with Him, fellowshipping with Him together. The whole world can wait, but that special moment with God is always everything to us. 

And God wants to share those moments with you also. Stop rushing in and rushing away from His presence, without being alone with God daily. It is a transformational experience. It does take a lot of self discipline, diligence and sacrifices to be able to do this.

So, what are you willing to sacrifice daily, so as to be intimately alone with God? Is your relationship with friends keeping you away from good quality time alone with God? Most of them are not really giving any spiritual inputs to your Christian life. And you know it. This may be your best moment to sacrifice your relationship with them, for a deeper relationship with God. It will change your Christian life.

Learn to plan your day ahead. Set aside time each day for that moment with God. You may need to sacrifice your television moments for that time with God. Or sacrifice those irrelevant things, that are hindering your relationship with Him. 

As David said of his own personal experience, while being alone with God:

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”

Psalm 130:5-6 NIV

That’s exactly what it means to be alone in God’s presence. You are spending quality time alone with Him, by just sitting, standing and waiting on Him. The early morning hours when everything is so peaceful, and everyone else are still asleep is the greatest time for this. It is the time of the day when God’s Spirit is moving, as He is looking for someone to fellowship with. That’s the moment His Spirit will start saturating you, with His presence as you are waiting.

This was what Isaac was doing as he was waiting on the Lord for his wife (Rebekah). The scriptures says:

“Now Isaac had come from visiting Beer-lahai-roi and was living in the land of the Negev.  Isaac went out to meditate strolling in the field at dusk. Then he lifted up his eyes and saw, behold, camels were coming. Rebekah also lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac. Then she fell off her camel”.

Genesis 24:62-64 TLV

Are you daily spending enough time in God’s presence. The Lord is seeking not only to have fellowship with you. He wants His presence to fill you up. That’s the pathway to your prosperity – learning daily to be alone with the Lord who prospers you.

You can’t be giving Him excuses for not making yourself available to Him. He sees those excuses as disobedience to Him. You can’t let the bad feelings or foreboding get in the way of your relationship with God either.

The world is getting more and more dangerous to live in without Him. That’s why He is seeking to pour Himself into your life, so that He can help you overcome the world. He can’t do it, as long as you are putting your confidence in men, or in the systems of this world, instead of trusting in Him. Your prosperity is waiting for you in His presence. So go ahead and begin to tap into it now. Start spending each day in His presence alone.

1 Comment
  1. Augustus. 5 years ago

    Dear Pst. Abraham,
    I’m grateful to have received your Encouraging and educative in-depth look into the bible full of revelation newsletter on weekly basis. By reading and going deep into studying scripture by scripture I’ve gain a lot of knowledge and revelation. May God grant you more grace and revelation so that you can reach many more with the word of God all over the world.
    Thanks
    > Augustus.

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