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 light bulb 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 1,000 patents to his name.
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 reaffirmed to us in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 1:20). Let’s make sure we arrive at our promised lands.
A Summary of God’s Heart Toward Us
A summary statement of God’s heart toward us would be: “‘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.” The only things we are to be wholehearted about are things relating to our love and obedience to God and His direction for our lives.
I am constantly asking God for His guidance, direction and anointing in the projects He sets before me. I pursue them in obedience to His voice and rely on His anointing, wisdom, power and favor to flow through me, granting me success. Gaining this victory will be one more piece of 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.
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 (kings and queens [1 Pet. 2:9]), 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 experiencing His kingdom is a Spirit-led process where I cease my efforts. I look and see Him at my right hand (Acts 2:25; Ps. 16:8). 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 Challenge Is ‘Jesus Has Already Won This Victory for Me!’
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 and confess 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 opens 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).
Personal Journaling Application
- “Lord, what is the passionate desire You have put in my heart that I am to pursue at this time?”
2. “Lord, what gifts have You given me that are to be used to make me victorious in the area of my heart’s passion?”
3. “Lord, I commit myself to achieving Your victory in this assignment so Your world will be blessed, Your name glorified and Your promised fulfilled.”
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 (cwgministries.org) 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 50 languages, and he has helped to establish more than 250 church-centered Bible schools around the world.
For the original article, visit cwgministries.org.
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