BREAK THROUGH! In these difficult times, everybody expects to receive his or her own breakthrough. Some may claim they have already gotten theirs and can tell you how it came about. Perhaps they went to a magician, a sorcerer, a so-called prophet. But is it a GENUINE breakthrough?
First what is “breakthrough”? The Chambers Dictionary 1998 edition defines a breakthrough as: “the forcible passage through a barrier or the solving of a problem (especially scientific) after much effort, opening the way to further development.” Take note of the underlined words. Human effort and intellect are so limited that they cannot by themselves achieve genuine, lasting breakthroughs.
The Christian knows that genuine breakthroughs can only come from God, so he prays earnestly for it in the belief that the harder he prays the greater the chance of getting the needed breakthrough. He is right, but only partly right. Let me explain.
Christ taught us to pray intensely and persistently until we get a “breakthrough”. Remember the parable of the widow and the unjust judge in Luke 18:1-8. By verse 8 we discover that the key to that woman’s success was not the QUANTUM of her prayers but the QUALITY. The decisive ingredient of that quality prayer was faith. Her faith drove her to hang in there, untiringly, expectantly, persistently – and breakthrough came!
The apostle James helps us even further to define the kind of prayer that produces breakthrough. Yes indeed, there is a type of prayer that breaks through while others merely scratch our problems and barriers on the surface and leave them there. James 5:13 -18 reads:-
Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH. Elias (Elijah) was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
You will notice that in these 6 verses, the word ”pray” or “prayer” occurs 7 times. Bible numerologists hold that “6” is the number for man, and the number “7” stands for spiritual perfection. The clear message is that MAN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY. MAN’S PRAYER MUST FALL PERFECTLY IN LINE WITH GOD’S HIGHEST WILL.
The religious, political and social corruption in Elijah’s days was so deep and hardened that it needed a breakthrough from God to change the situation. Elijah’s anointed preaching had failed so far. So he prayed. Take note however that it was STRATEGIC prayer. “Lord, let a long drought and famine come on the land for a specified time, to break the people’s pride and godlessness, and turn their hearts to you.” At the end of the specified time, he prayed earnestly again. “Let the rain fall NOW”. The old Testament account is in I kings 17:1 and 18:41- 45. James reveals in his own account that even the prophetic declarations given by Elijah came AFTER he had spent time in breakthrough prayers before God, and God did exactly as Elijah requested.
James the apostle stirs up our Christian praying with this challenge: LOOK YOU TOO CAN HAVE A MIRACULOUS BREAK THROUGH LIKE ELIJAH HAD, IF YOU PRAY QUALITY PRAYER LIKE HE DID. What a challenge!
Just before issuing this challenge, James told us what Elijah’s quality prayer contained.
Verse 15c: “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man …” That is the PRAYER THAT BREAKS THROUGH. What do these three underlined words convey? Follow me closely.
“A RIGHTEOUS MAN” Two major ingredients of the righteous man are:-
1. purity of heart or holiness in relation to God.
2. pure-heartedness, just dealings and love in relation to people.
These two go together. Christ called them the two greatest commandments. When he was teaching the great lesson of our need for a forgiving spirit, our Lord made it clear that no prayer, no matter how fervent or effusive, has any chance before God if our relationship with any fellow human is strained or if one has neglected the care of the weak in society. (Mark 11:25-26 Zech. 8:16-17 Prov.21:13 Psalm 15:1-5; 66:18) If you are this righteous person, God is waiting to grant your breakthrough prayer. But add another ingredient...
“EFFECTUAL” Both in the Greek original and the modern English, this word calls for “something that works powerfully to produce the desired effect”. What is it? Heb.11:6 says that without FAITH no man, no prayer, can please God. Christ called it the single element that gives force to your thoughts and words, that moves your mountain as soon as you give the command, the one power that could make an unfriendly judge to bow to a poor widow’ wishes. Recall that in Luke 18:8 Jesus Christ after praising that poor widow for her breakthrough, posed the question: WHEN THE SON OF MAN SHALL COME, SHALL HE FIND FAITH ON EARTH? True faith is so precious, so rare, that the lack of it has crippled our prayers in this generation. So you find Christians jumping from one prayer house or sorcerer or prophet to another like grasshoppers, seeking solutions and breakthroughs that never come. The result? BREAKDOWNS. But if you have this faith, be assured that God is waiting to release the answer to your breakthrough prayers. But you need to add the final ingredient…
“FERVENT PRAYER” These two words in English are actually one word in the original Greek scripture, and stand for “heartfelt supplication”. “Fervent” means earnest, passionate, ardent, heated in feeling. Tell me what else can spark holy heat in a believer’s heart if not the fire of the Holy Spirit! I am not speaking of false fire like that of Baal’s prophets in Elijah’s time. Many churches and “Christians” badly need to purge themselves of the noisy, carnal shouting “prayers” that only achieve “break-voice” rather than breakthrough. Praying in the Holy Ghost as Apostle Jude instructed (Jude 20b) is not a mere advice. It is imperative. It is not just about speaking in tongues. In fact according to Romans 8:26-27 it could be severe groaning in the spirit! At that point, the fire within surpasses human speech or expression. When Elijah fell on his face on Mount Carmel praying for rain, he was not waving his hands shouting and stamping his feet for God to send the rain. He prayed in the spirit! And he got his breakthrough. As you join the Elijah “club” today, your breakthrough prayer will rise to God’s presence.
I urge you to take up this powerful, all-availing key and turn the door of God’s treasury for your breakthrough. I feel in my spirit that we are entering a new year, a new season of miraculous prayer-answers, a time of mind-boggling testimonies. Don’t wait until some archbishop or prophet or pope prays for you. Pray that EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER OF THE RIGHTEOUS. Your breakthrough is on the way!
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