Signs & Wonders
By David O. Oyedepo
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit (John 3:8).
By redemption, every child of God is ordained to operate naturally in the supernatural. However, until we engage the keys that unlock the supernatural, we cannot be in command of same. For instance, when we have the key to a door we desire to access, we have dominion over that door. Likewise, when we have the keys to walking in the supernatural, we operate in the supernatural, naturally.
What, then, are some of the vital keys to operating in the supernatural?
- We must be committed to developing our faith: We are empowered to command the supernatural by faith. Jesus said: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father(John 14:12).
We secure the hand of God that provokes the supernatural through faith. As it is written: Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? (Isaiah 53:1; see also 1 Kings 18:44-45).
We must understand that faith naturally puts us in command of the supernatural. This is why it is wisdom to commit to building our faith because it is our strength of faith that defines our level of command of the supernatural. Concerning the heroes of faith, the Bible records: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens (Hebrews 11:33-34; see also Daniel 6:23; John 14:12).
Thus, the stronger our faith, the higher our level of command. However, we do not wait for our faith to be built; rather, we must take personal responsibility to build it. Just like a sportsman must be committed to building his muscles if he must win continuously, we must be committed to building our faith in order to operate in the supernatural, naturally. For instance, building our physical muscles requires good nutrition and exercise; similarly, we must build our faith muscles by feeding strong on the Word, which is the principal source of faith. We must also feed on anointed books, which enlarge our understanding of the word of faith. Daniel said: …I Daniel understood by books…, and as a result, he was among the most gifted men in Bible history. Anointed faith books are boosters of faith because faith is a direct product of spiritual understanding of the truth (Daniel 9:2; Acts 8:30-35).
Remember the Bible says: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).
The second ‘hearing’ in the above scripture connotes understanding, which simply means being able to see what God is saying. Every time we see the truth, faith rises and the brighter the truth, the stronger our faith; the stronger our faith, the higher our level of command of the supernatural.
Paul said: The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. No doubt, he became a most gifted apostle and he flowed in abundance of revelation. He came to a point that he could boldly say: For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith (Philippians 1:21-25; see also 2 Corinthians 12:7; 2 Timothy 4:13).
That is, his dominion over death was demonstrated. Furthermore, he confidently declared: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13).
This stemmed from his addiction to the Word, which built his faith because revelation is the mother of faith. We cannot be committed to the Word and not grow in revelation and we cannot grow in revelation and not grow in faith. Moreover, we cannot grow in faith without growing in the command of the supernatural. It’s all a function of committing ourselves to the study of the Word and the practice of same and then, we start changing level from glory to glory.
We must also understand that faith has unlimited capacity for growth and as we grow from one level of faith to another, we go from glory to glory. The Bible says: For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17).
It is also written: But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18; see also John 11:40).
Therefore, it is time to take responsibility for building our faith to enhance our level of command of the supernatural. Remember, the level to which we develop our faith determines our level of command of the supernatural.
- Be Committed to growing in power: We recognise from scriptures that spiritual empowerment is in levels. In an encounter with God, Prophet Ezekiel narrates: Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over (Ezekiel 47:1-5).
‘Water’ in the above scripture represents the Holy Spirit and its various levels of empowerment―ankle level, knee level, loin’s level and levels that could not be passed over, which is where Jesus operated. The Bible says: For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him (John 3:34).
However, it is important to understand that though empowerment is in levels, it is always at a cost. The cost of growing in power is prayer and fasting, which is a non-negotiable requirement and the purchasing power for empowerment. It is written: Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6; see also Matthew 25:8-9; 2 Corinthians 11:27).
It is impossible for anyone to walk in power consistently without subscribing to the demands of prayer and fasting. The Psalmist said: O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee (Psalms 63:1-3).
The “thirst of the soul” is the expression of our desires on the prayer altar and the “longing of the flesh” is the fast that it is coupled with.
However, it is important to understand that it is the combination of power and authority that gives us command over any issue of life. Jesus called His disciples and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases; yet, they could not cast out the devil out of a demon possessed man. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him why it was so, He replied: Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you (Matthew 17:19-20; see also Luke 4:36, 9:1).
As believers, we must understand that though faith confers us with authority, it must be coupled with power for delivery. Authority has no relevance without power. When the Apostles were empowered by the Holy Ghost, they prayed and great power manifested. We also understand from scriptures that when Jesus fasted, He returned in the power of the Spirit and the people saw the mighty power of God. That means our change of level in the school of power will lead to our change of level in our command of the supernatural (Luke 4:14, 9:43; Acts 1:8, 2:1-5, 4:30-33, 5:12, 15).
- Be committed to giving towards Kingdom advancement endeavours: Our commitment to giving towards Kingdom advancement empowers us for supernatural prosperity. As it is written:But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33; see also Haggai 1:5-13; Malachi 3:17-18).
‘God first’ does not only apply to soul-winning and follow-up of new converts, it also applies to our finances. Everyone who is genuinely committed to Kingdom promotions with his or her finances, naturally commands financial abundance and supernatural breakthroughs (Genesis 22:16-18).
It is important to understand that commitment to giving towards Kingdom advancement endeavours empowers the saints for supernatural prosperity. However, supernatural prosperity is an entrustment, not an achievement. That means God only entrusts it to those He can trust. Jesus said: If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?(Luke 16:11)
Our capacity to promote God’s Kingdom determines the level of His wealth that He can entrust to us. Therefore, the bigger our hearts for God’s Kingdom, the greater our access to His resources. We must understand that only celebrated distributors of God’s wealth, in promoting His Kingdom and the welfare of His people, are eligible candidates for the command of supernatural prosperity (Haggai 2:3-9; Zechariah 1:17).
Furthermore, our commitment to advancing God’s Kingdom is the gateway to an open heaven order of wealth. As it is written: Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant(Psalms 35:27).
When we serve God with our resources, He takes pleasure in our prosperity. It is impossible to be a Kingdom promoter and not live in financial fortune. All we need is the giving grace, which can be accessed through prayers, because the altar of prayer is the altar of grace (2 Corinthians 8:3, 7; Hebrews 4:16).
As you engage these vital keys, I decree that you will begin to command dominion, naturally, over life’s situations in Jesus’ name! Remain ever blessed!
Jesus is Lord!
Prophetic Blessings
- Every generational curse in your lineage ends today!
- The negative impact of curses in your life is written off today!
- The stress in your finances is declared over today!
- This year is declared your year of financial turnaround!
- I decree an end to every negative trait in your family in the name of Jesus!
- The siege over your life and business is over!
- Whatever is resisting your glorious destiny in Christ is destroyed in the name of Jesus!
- Every siege of misfortune and stagnation in your family ends today!
- It’s a brand new day for your family!
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