When Thomas Edison had completed over 9,000 unsuccessful attempts at perfecting a light bulb, a newspaper reporter asked him if he felt like a failure and if he should give up. Edison simply stated “Why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitely over 9,000 ways an electric lightbulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp.” Edison passionately pursued his love to discover and create, and it granted him the victory of over 1000 patents to his name (see this reference).
We all want victory!
We all want to achieve the goals and receive the blessings God has prepared and ordained for us. I believe God has a promised land of blessing for each and every one of us. Some of these promised-land blessings are delineated in Deuteronomy 28:1-18, and as you read them, they will take your breath away. They touch every area of our lives! If you haven’t read them recently, do so now! All these promises are re-affirmed to us in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 1:20). Another amazing listing of God’s blessings toward us can be found in the 12 exchanges Christ provided for us at Calvary. Let’s make sure we arrive at our Promised Lands.
God’s Heart Toward Us
For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you shall call upon Me, and you shall come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek Me and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13).
Wholeheartedness Is Required
“All my heart.” That would be “wholeheartedness.” I would suggest that wholeheartedness involves laser-light focus, a passionate pursuit coupled with the attitude, “I must win this battle set before me, so I’m giving it all I’ve got until the victory is manifest.” Since I am fully consumed with the battle, my devotional time involves this pursuit. My reading and study time involves the pursuit. My spare time involves the pursuit. I must win. This victory will be one more evidence of God’s faithfulness and the truth and relevance of the Bible’s promises for us today. This posture keeps me in divine flow so God’s creativity and guidance can flow through me.
Why is wholehearted pursuit necessary? It is because God is a God who hides Himself (Isa. 45:15) and it is the glory of a king to search out a matter (Prov. 25:2). We are royalty (1 Pet. 2:9, kings and queens), so it is up to us to search and seek and pursue. I seek direction through God’s voice as I search for answers to release the victory. I seek power through His Spirit as I press forward with faith, hope and love.
God has ordained that His kingdom is not magic. It is a Spirit-led process where I cease my puny efforts. I see Him at my right hand (Acts 2:25; Ps. 16:8), and I ask for His revelation, anointing and power to flow. Then I tune to His river that flows within (John 7:37-39). I honor His voice, which comes as flowing thoughts, and His visions, which come as flowing pictures. I accept in faith that these things are flowing within me.
My Attitude in This Battle Is ‘I Have Already Won!’
I know I already have the victory in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 15:57) so I maintain a positive attitude, which helps a lot. It is hard to win if I don’t believe I will win. I smile and stay relaxed so the flow of the Spirit can continually guide. This flow is cut off until I cease my labors and enter into the state of rest (Heb. 3 – 4). In addition, His victory comes by hearing and following His voice. I know that by obeying His voice, I am assured of success. When the Israelites followed God’s voice in the wilderness and in the taking of the promised land, they won. When they doubted or did not follow His voice, they died. So I smile, relax, tune to flow, confessing I have this victory, even before the victory is fully manifest in the natural realm (Mark 11:22-24).
Relaxed optimism releases faith, hope and love (1 Cor. 13:13) which in turn open me up to heavenly brilliance, anointing and divine creativity. My attitude is, “I don’t have problems, only challenges that are already overcome in Christ Jesus!” Joy and thanksgiving flood my soul. I am in peace as I relentlessly pursue this victory. Kingdom anointing and power ride on the wings of kingdom emotions (Rom. 14:17; Matt. 14:14).
Is This Really a Balanced Lifestyle?
You might say, “Wholehearted pursuit of one specific victory doesn’t sound like a balanced lifestyle.” Maybe not. However, since I am in the middle of a war (2 Cor. 10:3-5), this means all my attention is focused on winning the battle before me. Once I win this skirmish, I will then give attention to other areas. However, right now, I am consumed with winning this particular battle. No half-heartedness allowed. No divided focus allowed. When a soldier is in the midst of an intense battle, he is 100% focused on winning that battle. Everything else dims into the background in that moment of time.
Personal Journaling Application
- “Lord, what is the passionate desire You have put in my heart?”
- “Lord, what gifts have You given me that can be used to make me victorious in the area of my heart’s passion?”
- Wholehearted Commitment: “Lord, I commit myself to achieving Your victory in this challenge so Your promises may be fulfilled and Your name glorified in my life!” {eoa}
Mark Virkler, Ph.D., has authored more than 50 books in the areas of hearing God’s voice and spiritual growth. He is the founder of Communion With God Ministries and Christian Leadership University (cluonline.com), where the voice of God is at the center of every learning experience. Mark has taught on developing intimacy with God and spiritual healing for 30-plus years on six continents. The message has been translated into over 40 languages, and he has helped to establish more than 250 church-centered Bible schools around the world.
This article originally appeared at cwgministries.org.
Curt Landry 
Michael L. Brown 
Rabbi Eric Tokajer