I often find myself in situations that need a supernatural breakthrough from God. In fact, I feel that God sometimes intentionally places us in situations or around people that he wants to release a breakthrough in. Can you relate? I believe God does this so he will draw out what He has put inside of us. He wants us to use our authority and faith to pray and ask him until the breakthrough comes. He wants us to ask him for strategic solutions that can only come from His counsel. He is, after all, the Wonderful Counselor. "...His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor.." Isaiah 9:6 He is the Refiner. He wants to refine us. He wants to produce persevering faith within us. For You have tried us, O God;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
You brought us into the net;
You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins.
You made men ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water,
Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance. Psalm 66:10-11 When we get a bad report. When someone we love walks away from Jesus. When a sudden financial problem comes up... the temptation is to feel defeated before we even face the problem. We offer up half-hearted, unbelieving prayers without truly thinking God will turn our situations around. So how do we live an overcoming life? We must learn to contend for breakthrough.
What is breakthrough?
First, I want to share a little with you about contending for breakthrough. What is breakthrough? Here's the definition from Merriam-Webster: Breakthrough: 1 warfare: an offensive military assault that penetrates and carries beyond a defensive line 2: an act or instance of moving through or beyond an obstacle //a breakthrough in the talks between the region's leaders //a breakthrough agreement 3a: a sudden advance especially in knowledge or technique //a medical breakthrough b: a person's first notable success //a breakthrough novel //the actress's breakthrough performance
Let's take a look at these 4 definitions of breakthrough and how we can apply them to the spiritual principle of breakthrough.
Warfare of Breakthrough
What is breakthrough using these terms to translate it into the Christian walk? Let's take a look at the first definition above. We wage warfare on the enemy of our souls who has stolen from us. We breakthrough into his camp and retrieve what is rightfully ours. What belongs to us? Abundant life. "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come that they may have life and life abundant!" - Jesus, John 10:10 Jesus gave us a promise that we may have abundant life. What does that look like? A life filled with peace, joy, health, goodness, hope, and purpose. God doesn't promise a life free from suffering, but there are benefits He freely gives us. We must rise and engage in warfare to retrieve our inheritance in Christ. This is what I am praying today, that God would help us identify the strategies of the enemy in our lives to steal, kill, and destroy, and that we would live on the offensive: let's take back what is ours!
When we contend for breakthrough in an area of our lives, we are looking for God to help us move beyond seemingly impassible obstacles.
Breakthrough to Overcome Obstacles
"For in You I can charge an army, and with my God, I can scale a wall." -Psalm 18:29 The Red Sea is one of the greatest stories of breaking through a massive obstacle. When you are facing the giant or the mountain in front of you, you must remember what God has already accomplished.
This is the power of the testimony. There is a root in the word testimony that means "do it again!" When we remind ourselves of the things God has done, it's like we prophesy to our obstacles, "God can do it again!" I was contending for a breakthrough for many, many years. Years of tears, years of prayers. At the end of 2017, I was asking God for a word for the New Year. Suddenly, I heard him say, "This will be the year of divine interruptions!" I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit strongly. What did it mean? Many months later, God broke through in my life in a radical way. In only one day, one of the biggest mountains of my life moved. It was impossible without the help of God - and he did it suddenly. It was a true divine interruption. It was only by his grace. No matter how big your obstacle, God will give you the power to breakthrough. ‘Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone
With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!"
Zechariah 4:7
Never-been-done-before Breakthrough
"I would be the first person in my family to do this if it works out!"
"We've tried and haven't had a baby. Is it even possible?"
"I don't know if I'd be capable. I've never done anything like this in my life. I would need God to breakthrough for me."
When we walk through challenges with Jesus and prophesy breakthrough to them, and pray without losing heart, something incredible happens. God produces an anointing through us that empowers others to step into breakthrough, too. Yes, it can be painful. Yes, it can be hard. Yes, many times, it feels like you are battling for the next level alone. As you're going through this, remind yourself that the reward will outweigh what you're currently suffering through. Jesus is with you, and he is teaching you your authority in Him. He is producing new wine in you and fresh oil. It's not just for your benefit; it's for the benefit of others God calls you to reach.
This is what it means to be a forerunner. You're blazing paths of breakthroughs that others will travel on. In your personal breakthrough, you're re-writing your family's generational history. Where there were curses, now blessings can freely flow. You're not just fighting for you. You're fighting for who's coming after you. Your ceiling will be their floor.
Sudden Breakthrough
As I started writing the title for this section, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper to me, "Write about the power of fasting." There are some breakthroughs in our lives that need an extra push of power. And that comes by fasting. It's a mystery to me, but God honors fasting. It's our way of saying, "God, I am hungry for you. I am desperate for you. I live by Your words alone. I need you to step in. I need you to bring breakthrough! In Mathew 6:16-18, Jesus addressed fasting in his sermon on the mount. “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
As we approach the new year, God may be calling you to fast. Pray about it, and see if there is a seemingly immovable circumstance in your life that you can bring to the Lord as you fast for his will to be done.
Sometimes, it takes a long time for a SUDDENLY moment. What if you knew you were only one month, one week, one day away from your breakthrough? But you needed to keep contending?
Don't give up! Wrestle in prayer with the Lord of the breakthrough!
Lord of the Breakthrough
Throughout history, God has revealed more of his nature through various acts he performs for his people.
So David went to Baal Perazim and there he defeated the Philistines. He said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies like a flood.” And so that place is called Baal Perazim." - 2 Samuel 5:20 The name Baal Perazim means, "Lord of the breakthrough." This name and location is mentioned again in Isaiah 28:21,2
"The Lord will fight as he did at Mount Perazim and in the valley of Gibeon, in order to do what he intends to do—strange as his actions may seem. He will complete his work, his mysterious work." It is mysterious when God brings a breakthrough. But He is Lord of the breakthrough. It is in his very name to breakthrough our enemies, help us overcome obstacles, gain victory in warfare, and bring about a sudden victory. Wrestle in prayer with the Lord of the breakthrough!
The Persistent Widow
We can learn a lot from the story of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. Let's take a look.
"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
There is something about persistence that God honors. When we keep coming to him about the same issue, believing he will move, it is an act of faith. It's simple. Follow Jesus' encouragement to persist in prayer. Don't lose heart. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking until the door opens!
The Power of the Prophetic to Breakthrough
A few years ago, I was leading at a night of ministry. I saw a guy in the back of the room who I had never spoken with. I felt led to give him a prophetic word. I asked him if I could encourage him, and he said yes. I felt the Lord show me a picture of a giant iceberg and a ship breaking through the middle of it. I felt like God wanted to encourage him that He was bringing him supernatural breakthrough. I didn't really know what the word would mean to him, but the picture I was getting was really strong, so I trusted God with it. He didn't give me much feedback about the word when I was finished, but I felt like I said what I needed to share. Over a year later, this person was giving his testimony at a church, and I happened to randomly scroll by on social media to see the livestream. I started watching, and what he said surprised me. He said, "A girl named Mariel gave me a prophetic word a while ago about an iceberg and a ship breaking through it. This girl didn't know me at all, but the word was very meaningful to me. I had been dealing with addiction, and in my studying about how to get free, I found out that psychologist relate addiction to an iceberg. When she gave me the word, it gave me the strength to start fighting for freedom because only God would have known my issue." This is the power of the prophetic, my friends. We prophesy BREAKTHROUGH to situations. If it looks bad, we get a word from God and prophesy the OPPOSITE and trust the Lord of the breakthrough to BREAK. THROUGH. Of course, I didn't know what he was struggling with. But isn't the love and power of the Holy Spirit beautiful to speak to him in a way that he needed? He is the one who bears witness in our hearts when we get a word. He is the one who convicts the world of sin and righteousness. (John 16:8). Thank God that is not up to us!
Prophetic Breakthrough in the New Year Friend, I pray right now that God would give you a rhema word for 2021. I pray he would release supernatural breakthrough to you and your loved ones. I pray we would be astounded by what God does in and through our lives as we step into a New Year. I pray the miracles, signs, and wonders he performs would only lead us closer to the heart of Jesus.
Blog tags:
Prophetic, prophetic words, Prophetic ministry, prophetic word of the year, prophetic gift, daily devotional, prophetic words 2023, prophetic message
