Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
I think I have had more than my fair share of problems over the past few years. Some I brought upon myself and some were because I got caught up in someone else’s shipwreck. Regardless of the source of the problem, I have had to learn how to face my problems and deal with them or be overrun by them.
When I find myself in a problem one of my best prayers is, “God, please help me.” That is an awesome prayer, but there were also times when all I did was complain and stress about my problems. Jesus taught that when you face problems it’s not enough to just pray and certainly don’t complain or stress over them. You have to speak to your problems (Mark 11:22-24).
I’ve learned if you don’t talk to your problems, your problems will talk to you. I have had so many hard days and sleepless nights because my mind was filled with negative, worrisome and stressful thoughts. When you start talking to your problems things shift in your favor. You sleep so much better.
It’s not a coincidence that God chose a mountain to represent our problems. Mountains are big. Mountains seem permanent like they’re going to be there forever. You may be facing a situation now that looks like it’ll never change. I know it may look hopeless, but it is not.
You prayed, you believed, you’ve quoted scripture. We should do all of that, but if you’re going to see the problem resolved, you’ve got to start talking to it. When you speak from a heart of faith something happens in the unseen realm. The forces of darkness are defeated. The enemy begins to tremble (2 Cor. 4:13).
It may not happen overnight. You may speak to your problem and it looks the same month after month. Don’t worry about it. In the unseen realm, things are changing in your favor.
Jesus talked to a tree (Mark 11:12-14)! Among other things, Jesus spoke to bad weather, water, fevers, sickness, dead people and demons and they all obeyed Him when He spoke. And He tells us to speak to our problems in His name (John 14:12-14). Jesus didn’t pray about the fig tree. He didn’t say, “I’m believing it’s not going to produce any fruit.” No, He commanded it to not produce fruit. Jesus walked away and it didn’t look like anything had happened. The tree appeared outwardly just as healthy and green as it was before.
I’m sure some of His disciples whispered, “It didn’t work. Jesus must be losing some of His power.” The reality is the moment He spoke that tree started dying. In Mark 11:20 it says, “Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.” In the morning means after the night is over. We go through a time of darkness when it will look like nothing is happening. Don’t be fooled, daybreak is coming and you will see.
Here’s a big key I had to learn: my problems respond to my voice.
Your friends and mentors can build you up with counsel and scriptures. You can listen to music that will encourage and inspire you. You can try all pop theology’s teachings on problem solving. You can speak what Bill Johnson, C.S. Lewis or Joel Osteen speaks, but in the end the thing that counts most is what you are saying. You are not a parrot, don’t act like one.
Your problems are paying attention to what you’re saying. They will respond to your voice. When you rise up in real faith and with your own voice speak to your problem, then the forces of heaven come to your aid and the forces of hell begin to retreat.
Another key is to stop talking about your problem. The more you talk about your problem, the bigger you make it. When you talk about something, you magnify it. I am not saying to deny or ignore the problem. Jesus recognized the problem, spoke to the problem and went on about His business.
When Peter saw the fig tree had withered away, Jesus told them, “Have faith in God,” or literally, “Have faith of God.” Jesus has offered all of us His faith to speak to our problems. Believe that, receive His faith and start speaking to your problems.
Many Blessings, BW