Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8 NIV)
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10 NKJV)
You know, there’s a lot going on in the world right now. I’ve been on a partial media fast, so I am not up to date on all the things, although I have heard that many foreign guests were very impressed with the friendliness, innovation, and fun of America they experienced at the World Cup. I do expect that there’s still tension in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine is not settled yet, and Republicans and Democrats are still fighting. So goes the world.
But, coming back closer to home, I know there are people who are struggling with health, marriages, finances, wayward children, and a host of other things.
This Sunday our church is having a “Breakthrough Sunday.” Our pastors believe that as we fast and pray this week, we are preparing to shift the spiritual atmosphere around these situations and see them broken – in good ways – for God’s Kingdom purposes. I don’t have any reason to disagree with this premise, but I had to stop and ask: what is a (spiritual) breakthrough?
If something breaks through something else, it’s usually not a good thing. If water breaks a dam, the downstream area will flood. If a fist breaks through a wall, the hole will remain.
But, maybe that kind of dramatic change is just what is needed. Paul warns us that, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV) These spiritual entities will not just roll over and go away if we hope that they do. Instead, we must fight – in the Spirit – so we can see breakthrough in places that are struggling.
As I think just about the people in our Life Group at church I know there are marriages that are struggling, people living with very challenging health issues, parents praying for children who have walked away from both their Christian upbringing and from honoring their parents, and families facing acute financial challenges. These are faithful people who have prayed, sometimes for years or even decades, for a change in their circumstances. They need a breakthrough.
They need the dam to break and health, reconciliation, and resources to be available to them.
They need the strong fist of the Conquering King Jesus to punch a hole in the spiritual things holding back the Abundant Life Jesus calls them to (John 10:10).
They need to know, as King David did, the Baal-perazim, the “Lord of the Breakthrough.”
Jesus said to ASK and we will receive, to SEEK and we will find, to KNOCK and the door will be open.
Paul counseled us to “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV)
Would you join your faith with ours, would you ask, seek, and knock, and would you seek the Lord and his mighty power so that we can all see breakthrough in our lives?
Lord of the Breakthrough,
We come to you today knowing your strength and power can overwhelm any and all things that come against us. We know that by your Spirit the spiritual mountains can be moved. So, today, we pray for breakthrough in the tough situations of our lives. We ask, seek, and knock for all the healings, reconciliations, and blessings you intend to give us. We ask in the name of Jesus for a breaking off of the rulers, authorities, and principalities of the evil one, so that we can live in the abundance of life lived with you. We pray for supernatural breakthrough in the situations we list here………
In Jesus’s name we pray, AMEN.
So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, ‘As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.’ So that place was called Baal Perazim. (1 Chronicles 14:11 NIV)
This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’” (Zechariah 4:6-7 NIV)