And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age ~ Genesis 21:1-2a
Introduction:
The presence of God is a quintessential supernatural experience we all should aspire to have, and be determined enough to keep in our lives. Our success in life, homes and businesses is dependent on how much of God we have in our spaces.Even the quality of our Christian faith depends on how much of heaven we have in our hearts.
Jesus’ life and ministry thrived on the abiding presence of the Father, which He fully enjoyed. Ever before He commencedHis gracious works on earth, He established an open-heaven access. Though He came from there, He still ensured He maintained constant touch with base till the end (John 8:28-29).
Divine visitations always bring about sweet manifestations of God’s incredible power and goodness in the lives of the visited. This is true whether He personally shows up or He deploys His covenant emissarieson the assignment (Luke 10:1-9).
God is very eager to visit His people again this season! And by this message, He’s marking and scheduling you for His special life-changing visitation. Alleluia!
The Manifestation of the Incredible Power of God’s Visitation
No matter how difficult any circumstancemight be, when God steps in, His glory changes the story, and His majestic power forcefully terminates every satanic contradiction.
Some years ago, I was requested to pray for a woman who had been bedfast for several weeks. When I saw her, I became very concerned in my spirit because of the helpless state I met there. But then, I had an assurance within me that God was going to help her.
After sharing few words of encouragement with her to focus her faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, we offered a short prayer to the Lord for her healing. At that instance, there was nothing to suggest that anything had happened, but by the following day she had become healed, whole and agile.
Later in her testimony, she said in the night after the healing prayer, she had an open vision, wherein she saw someone that looked exactly like me in her room, dressed as a medical doctor, who administered some medical procedure on her and made her to swallow some pills. Immediately she became completely healed.
Certainly, that was not me or any other human being, but an angel of the Lord who visited her to carry out our order for her healing. And after that supernatural visitation, the rest was a story of God’s glory.
The incredible power of God’s visitationalso fences off attacks of the devil, and nipsthe future plans of the wicked in the bud. The King of Syria, in one of his battles against Israel, erroneously thought that there was a black sheep within their camp because even their well kept military plans were always foiled by Israel (2Kings 6:8-12).
No, it wasn’t any human being playing the double agent, but the Lord Himself handicapping the enemy via the prophetic ministry of Elisha.
Furthermore, God’s visitation enforces thefulfillment of prophecies from dateless pasts, and terminates age-long barrennessand reproaches (Genesis 21:1-2). It puts a perpetual end to any present exile experience, and grants instant restoration to His people (Jeremiah 29:10).
When God sees our pain, He comes in His power to relieve us of our anguish.Thereafter, seasons are shifted, the enemyis defeated, breakthroughs occur and new things are supernaturally birthed for us. In the end, Jesus Christ gets all the glory.
Provoking The Power of the Lord’s Visitation
Undoubtedly, it is God’s earnest desire that all His children should regularly enjoy the incredible power of His visitation. Nevertheless, it’s our personal responsibility to make deliberate preparations for this.
Preparation is an essential groundwork for greatness, and the very backbone of prominence (Proverbs 6:6-11). We mustfully prepare because, as people say, opportunities dance with those who are ready at the dancing floor.
The Bible is replete with examples of men and women who enjoyed divine visitation at different times and in various forms.Abraham stands out as a reference point for supernatural blessings (Galatians 3:13-14). Nevertheless, we must be ready to walk in his steps to enjoy a guaranteed access to this order of blessings (Isaiah 51:1-3; John 8:39; Galatians 3:29).
Abraham was a very spiritual man, and full of integrity (Genesis 12: 1-3; 14:21-23). Hehad strong faith in God, with a fair share of prosperity mentality (Romans 4:1-21; Genesis 13:14-15). He was a liberal soul, and a tither (Genesis 18:1-10; 14:19-20).
Of course, Abraham was also very diligent in business (Genesis 13:1-2). These outlined above are some of his salient attributes that we are encouraged to sincerely and earnestly imitate.
Meanwhile, our wise preparations must also include a lifestyle of righteousness, prayerfulness, thanksgiving, fasting, purposeful living, true obedience and earnestness in taking stands that favour the Lord’s covenant demands (Psalms 15:1-4).
A practical demand of the covenant that can provoke divine visitation for anyone, any day and everywhere, is the giving faith(1Samuel 1:11). Abraham’s life clearly exemplified this fact (Genesis 15:9-21).
God told him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. As he wanted to carry out the instruction, God provided him a lamb for the sacrifice instead, and swore to bless him (Genesis 22:1-18). Consequently, Abraham ended his journey a roundly blessed man (Genesis 24:1).
God also visited, with diverse blessings, many other Bible characters — Job, David, Solomon, Peter, etcetera — who offered acceptable sacrifices unto Him (Job 29:2-11; 2Samuel 24:24-25; 1Kings 3:1-13; Luke 5:1-10). God is immutable; if we care to do what they did, we will certainly get what they got.
Meanwhile, every significant encounter in the Christian life works by faith (Matthew 21:20-22). Faith’s adventures sometimes appear risky, but that’s what makes it a worthwhile walk. It was risky when the three Hebrew boys said they wouldn’t bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image; eventually, God showed up for them in a unique way.
Real faith in Christ works wonders! The woman with the long standing issue of blood said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." She did, the power of God hit her immediately, and she was healed of the affliction (Mark 5:25-34).
Beloved, God is very eager to visit you in your plight. Right now, He is rending the heavens by the power of His Spirit to come down and eliminate darkness in all its shades and forms in your life-space (Luke1:78-79). May you not be found unprepared on the day of His visitation, in Jesus Name.Amen. Happy Sunday!
____________________
Archbishop Taiwo Akinola,
Rhema Christian Church,
Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Connect with Bishop Akinola via these channels:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bishopakinola
SMS/WhatsApp: +234 802 318 4987
