In the kingdom of God, God always is the first one to move. God is always first in reaching out to you. Our response to the Holy Spirit when God is reaching out to us determines our destiny.
There was a season when I had been getting out bed every morning for several months, usually between 4 and 5 a.m., reaching out to God for some major answers. Now, I am not an early-morning-prayer type of person. I like praying later in the morning or late at night. But I was determined for my breakthrough in my life and ministry.
One morning I became overwhelmingly exasperated. My heart was frustrated and annoyed. I lifted up my voice and said, “God, I have been reaching out to You for weeks. I have been pursuing You with all my heart. Where is my breakthrough?” Then I heard His voice to my heart. It was like a thought, but I knew it had not come from me. His voice said, “You think you have been pursuing me. You are confused, as I am reaching out to you. The breath you feel on the back of your neck, that’s me. That is how close I am. I am pursuing you, and I will never stop. You are the object of my love.”
Nothing changed that day except for my love deepened for the one who was reaching out to me. That was the day I discovered the supernatural power of reach. I believe those who understand the power of God’s reach in 2019 will experience a year of great harvest both in their lives and ministry.
The Bible is full of examples of the importance of reach. The clearest example of this is God Himself. The entire Bible is the story of how much God loves us and what He is willing to do for that love. He reached for us first in the beginning, even when He knew we would turn away from Him and choose sin (See 1 John 4:19). He reached for us by making a way to restore us back to Him and gave His only Son to die so we could live in His presence for eternity. He reaches for us now, every day, through blessings, His Word, His Holy Spirit and even through other people. There was never, is never and never will be a time when God is not reaching for us and pursuing us with His love.
Jesus teaches us to reach for God. When Jesus went to the cross, died, overcame hell and death, and then resurrected, He tore the veil between us and God. Jesus made a way for us to be able to reach out to and communicate with God for ourselves.
Nonetheless, it is up to us to reach for Him. We cannot develop our relationship with God if we do not spend time with Him. You don’t have to make it complicated. You can simply pray throughout your day and thank Him in your heart. God is always with you, so talking to Him is one of the easiest things you can do. You can also reach out for Him by spending time in your Bible, worship, tithing and going to church.
Jesus also teaches us to reach to others and bring them to God. Why is it that when we first accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we don’t just pop up into heaven? What is the point of spending 80-plus years around distractions, pain, sin and grief? We are still here because we have a job to do. There are billions of people in the world on their way to eternal separation from God and suffering, and they don’t even know it. It is our job to reach those people with the love of God and help bring them to Him. Thankfully, God didn’t leave us to this on our own. God shows us how to love in His Word and moves us to love through His Spirit.
The next time you are afraid, alone, happy or going through a big life moment, remember you don’t have to go through it alone. Reach to God, because He is reaching to you. Then reach to other people to help show them they can be connected too. This connection with Him and with other people will change your harvest this year and forever after. {eoa}
Mikel French has challenged spiritual awakening all across America, where many celebrations extended into multiple weeks, and has conducted celebrations in France, Sweden, Russia, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Germany, South Africa, Malawi, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Haiti, Japan, Singapore, India and Thailand. He conducted an outreach celebration in Manila, Philippines, reaching 200,000 teenagers with the Book of Hope. Through the generous support of partners, he has presented the message of Jesus Christ to millions of people in the nation of Russia through televised citywide soul-winning celebrations. Mikel considers it an honor to assist in conducting the annual pastor’s conference, where thousands of pastors from Russia’s 11 time zones come for training, teaching and equipping. Mikel and his wife, Marsha, reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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