Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
–Matthew 21:18-19
One thing that stands out to me is the word immediately. IMMEDIATELY.
If God created us a little lower than angels. If He made us to have dominion over this dimension. Then we should walk with authority. The elements should submit to the words we declare.
The fig tree must wither.
This is God’s design for mankind.
For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet
– Psalm 8:5-6
If there are areas in your life that aren’t bending to your command, it’s time to do some spiritual investigation. If you want to shift things in your life this year, here are a few areas to start with: prayer, righteousness, fasting and worship.
1. How’s your prayer life?
Prayer prep work:
Effective prayer begins with repentance and forgiveness. Have you taken some time recently to search your heart for areas where you need to repent? Have you searched for areas where you may still have some unforgiveness? Perhaps some past hurt has left your heart still bruised, and you’re still unable to fully let it go. Take a moment to search your heart right now and confess whatever comes to mind.
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
– Mark 11:25
Repentance and forgiveness are key, so be thorough. And when in doubt, confess, forgive, repent, move on. Don’t let the enemy convince you that a particular issue is not a big deal. It’s always a big deal.
Prayer:
When God created the earth, He gave us dominion to rule in this domain. God gets involved in our earthly affairs when we invite Him, through prayer. You may want something from God. You may need something from God, but God needs you in order to bring it to pass. He needs you to open up the Bible and come in agreement with His word. As you pray, are you mindful to pray the word? One of the most effective strategies in prayer is to declare the word of God.
It sounds so simple, right?
Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted
– Isaiah 43:26
God has said put Him in remembrance of His word So go ahead. Remind Him of what He said in His word. Come in agreement with what He has said in His word. Stand on the this declaration. That…
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away
– Matthew 24:35
An excellent example of agreeing with the word of God can be seen when David wants to build a house for the Ark of the Covenant. Initially the prophet Nathan hears this plan and thinks it’s a good idea until God appears to him that night and says no. God tells Nathan, I’ve said no. Go and tell David thus… and thus… (You can read the full account in 1 Chronicles 17)
A beautiful thing happens towards the end of this chapter. David drops a major key for us.
He accepts the words of the prophet as coming from the mouth of God, and then David re-states what the prophet has just told him and agrees with it. Here’s what he says:
And now, O Lord, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said. –
1 Chronicles 17:23
There’s no question that David knew the right keys to access the favor of the Most High God, so why re-invent the wheel? Do like David and agree with the words that come from the mouth of God. Find verses in the Bible that address your concerns and use them in prayer. Saturate your prayers with them. Use your voice to agree with the word of God. Follow David’s pattern and SPEAK it out.
2. Are you living righteously?
Righteousness is not the absence of sin, it’s about having a heart that strives to repent and turn away from sin. It’s about striving to sin no more. It’s about knowing the will of the Father and seeking to do that which pleases Him. It’s about living in constant repentance. Search your heart and repent of every sin that comes to mind. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you things that lie dormant.
Some may feel, it don’t take all of that, but it does.
The key here is this: the presence of sin is like a gate that blocks God’s ability to be close to you. This is what sin does. It creates a wedge or barrier between you and your God. So dealing with sin is mandatory if you want to access the things of God. If you are looking for a breakthrough in any area, start with repentance. And guess what? The good news is that repentance is just between you andGod. Nobody else has to know what you’re confessing.
3. How’s your fasting life?
This morning I was reminded about how often Jesus woke up early in the morning to pray. And how seriously He took fasting.
His ministry began with a 40 day fast that left him physically weak but prepared Him for the spiritual work He was about to embark on. So if Jesus fasted in order to be able to walk in power, shouldn’t you?
So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
-Matthew 17:20-21
Jesus is saying that there is a certain level of spiritual oppression that can only go out through prayer and fasting. There’s just no other way.
If you’ve been wanting to start incorporating fasting into your Christian lifestyle, we have a resource that can help. Visit our resources page and download the Fasting Toolkit for free, or click the link below.
4. How’s your worship life?
My sister and I are constantly talking about worship, and we both agree that WORSHIP IS THE KEY. All you need from God is wrapped up in your ability to worship. Worship is where it’s at. If you can use the key of worship it will open up the door for you, and God can fill and heal you in every area where you have need.
So WORSHIP. Get in the presence. Worship is the Key. Worship was the Key of David. Worship is YOUR key as well. It will open doors for you so seek His presence and then…
Rest there.
Ya’ll, let’s get the foundational issues right this year, and win in 2022!
