Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. Judges 6:36-38 NIVLessons From Gideon – Signs and Wonders Part 4 –
I have been journaling lessons from Gideon for over a year in different blog entries starting on July 26, 2020. This is the fourth dealing with the sign and wonders as evidenced with the fleece and dew. It has been a few months since the last entry, you may want to look back at these. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Hindrances.
Is there a faith focus perspective needed to participate in a miracle? Yes. The words that you pray flow forth from the focus of your faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by a word from God. The gospels record that Jesus performed His miracles because He was doing what He saw His Father doing in heaven. Jesus did what the Father asked and what He saw. His faith was always directed toward the suffiency and timing of His Father. Healings were never for show to impress others like Herod or other Pharisees who demanded a sign.
Let’s see how the focus of faith principle is illustrated in the miracle of the feeding of the 5000.
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6:5-9
Both Philiip and Andrew only had eyes to see the limitations. Notice the phrase “he already had in mind”. Jesus focus of faith had already been established that God wanted to feed the 5000. At the end of this event, Jesus revealed the purpose beyond meeting the physical need. HE was the BREAD of heaven. He was all that they would need for life everlasting. They wanted to make him king because of the sign and wonder, yet they were unwilling to entrust their entire lives to follow Him. Most everyone turned away after this miracle. Even after they left in the boat, the disciples kept thinking that Jesus was upset because they forgot to bring the physical bread. Miracles require the ability to see beyond the problem to the resources of heaven.
How do you know what is happening in heaven? The key is to follow the impressions that enter your mind about praying for good and life for others. The devil wants to kill, steal and destroy. Jesus is about life and serving others. Its not in the devil’s character to make you think about praying blessings for someone else.
I know this will be a little longer, but I want to give an excerpt from Smith Wigglesworth that exhibits the importance of focus of faith, both its limitation and its potential.
Smith Wigglesworth recounts this story of an encounter with a very dear pastor/ mentor whose wife was ill.
The man of whom I have been speaking came to me and said, “The doctor says that this is the last day that my wife has to live.” I said, “Oh, Mr. C. Why don’t you believe God?” He replied, “I have looked at you when you talked, and have wept, and said, ‘Father, if You could give me this confidence, I would be so happy.’” I said, “Could you trust God?” I felt that the Lord would heal her. I sent to a man and asked if he would go with me to a dying woman, and I believed that if two of us would go and anoint her according to James 5:14,15 she would be raised up. This man said to me, “Oh, why do you come to me? I could not believe, although I believe that the Lord would be sure to heal her if you go.” I sent to another man and asked him to go with me, and told him that whatever his impression was to be sure to go and pray right through. We entered the house. I asked the man to pray first; he cried in his desperation, and prayed that this man might be comforted after he was left with these motherless children, and that he might be strengthened to bear his sorrow! I could hardly wait til he was finished; my whole being was moved, I thought what an awful thing to bring this man all this way to pray that kind of prayer. What was the matter with him? He was looking at the dying woman instead of looking at God. You can never pray the “prayer of faith” if you are looking at the person who is needing it; there is only one place to look, and that is to Jesus. The Lord wants to help us this afternoon to learn this truth and to keep our eyes on Him. When this man had finished, I turned to Mr. C., “Now you pray.” He took up the thread where the other man left off, and went on with the same kind of prayer; he got so down beneath the burden I thought he would never rise again, and I was glad when he got through. I could not have borne it much longer, it all seemed the most out of order of anything I have heard; my soul was stirred. I was anxious for God to get to do something and to have His way. I did not wait to pray but rushed to the bed and tipped up the oil bottle, pouring nearly the whole contents on the woman, and I saw Jesus just above the bed with the sweetest smile on His face, and I said to her, “Woman, Jesus Christ makes you whole!” And she was not only healed, but was raised up in that very hour. Smith Wigglesworth - The Complete Collections of His Life and Teachings pgs 15-16.
Sometimes I have only had the focus of faith to pray for God’s peace and comfort like these two pastors. Smith had already focused his faith on seeing the woman healed. He also recounted others who believed if Smith would pray, she would be healed. Following faith will lead you to the edge of “this makes no sense in the natural” but I am declaring it anyway. After seeing what you see in heaven and hearing what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you – declare it as done here on earth.
God does bring comfort to our sorrows and these prayers are equally important. But you can also be the one to pray the prayer of faith as well as the one to pray for comfort. May you ask God to expand your focus of faith to see the authority and power of heaven be manifested here on earth….where you live.
Blessings Love y’all