|
The Parable of the Sower
Mk 4 The parable of the Sower outlines a good assessment of how the devil will try to keep you from receiving the Blessing. For the unborn and baby Christian he will snatch the word before it reaches the heart. Unless the person is under an anointed ministry where the devil is helpless most people remain in darkness. For those who receive the word with joy many will not persevere and when trial or tribulation occur, they abandon the pursuit of the goal. Yet if a person makes the word his priority and receives the Holy Spirit that person will continue the journey. What follows is usually a time of peace and relative prosperity. Yet this is not the finish line. The next ploy of the enemy is to distract the Christian from the goal. He does this by creating situations that can cause the Christian to be consumed by the cares of the world and the lust of other things. This is a mighty deception. If we do not know how to respond to what appear to be almost impossible situations, the devil has succeeded. When my father was no longer able to take care of himself I placed him in an assisted living facility. I took out a home equity loan, took over his bills, his medicine, and began the process of selling his home in a deflated market. I was forty thousand dollars in debt, the house not sold for seventeen months, and the bank stopping withdrawals on the loan. By the grace of God I made it my number one priority not to let the cares of the world choke the word so it would not bear fruit. What I did was have a personal prayer meeting with God every day. I would put on soft instrumental music and begin the meeting. I would sing psalms and hymns and praise the Lord. Then I would thank him for all my blessings and all the good he has done in my life. Then I would spend time in intercession, not merely praying for me but for all the people God has placed in my life. I would then go into silence, waiting on the Spirit, praying in tongues or waiting for a word of prophesy and would finish when the Spirit led me to. That is how I did it. In about three months everything was resolved. Within a short time God separated me to live alone and one night in the summer, the Spirit of God came into me like a mighty rushing wind. From that point on I have lived in the Blessing. If you are in the Lord for a long time and are experiencing worldly cares and spiritual distractions I suggest you try initiating a personal prayer meeting! God bless! |