Do you know that at the heart of everything satan does is the attempt to prove God a liar? I know, I know, you're probably wondering why the devil would bother. Certain scriptures are likely flooding your mind right now. Could it be Numbers 23:19, which states, God is not human, that he should lie? There's also 1 Samuel 15:29 - He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.” Paul also said "it is impossible for God to lie" in Hebrews 6:18.
Although there's more scripture where those came from, the point is - God cannot lie. It isn't just that He doesn't lie. So, why would the devil bother to try and establish something that is impossible to prove? The devil knows it can't prove God a liar, but it also knows that it can make human beings believe the Lord is untruthful.
Now that we understand satan's objective, we need to recognize how satan tries to get us to agree with its wicked scheme. A chief example to learn from is in the Book of Job. The devil attacked Job because it wanted to prove God wrong. The Lord said of His servant in Job 1:8 - ...There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.
The devil responded that Job only honored God because he was blessed. From that moment, everything Job experienced stemmed from the enemy's desire to contradict God so it could call Him a liar.
For some reason, satan didn't learn from this and chose to mess with Jesus. During the temptation in the wilderness, the devil attempted to get Jesus to sin. Despite knowing He was the Son of God, it twisted scripture, hoping to push Jesus out of God's plan and timing for His life. If it had succeeded, it would have claimed the Lord was a liar. It would have said that God is no different from itself.
The devil is trying to achieve the same with you. It wants to manipulate you into thinking that God lies. So, take a look at your life. Where is the enemy telling you that God cannot move for you? How is the enemy trying to convince you that God is a liar? Is it regarding your prayers for people or your hopes for yourself? Is there a defect in your character that you've struggled to overcome? Is the enemy telling you you'll never be better than you are right now? Do you believe that God has failed you in some way?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, I pray the Lord will shift your perspective to reveal what you need to know about your season and His plans for you. I also pray that this message will edify.
God is very orderly and that order is reflected in nature as well as the spiritual realm. We often forget that a planted seed takes time to germinate. In addition, water and sunlight are needed for the plant to produce fruits. Sometimes, we willfully ignore the fact that this process impacts our prayer lives. Therefore, 'watering' via continued prayer is required, which is why Jesus said men ought always to pray (Luke 18:1).
We must also keep that prayer seed exposed to sunshine via Bible study and the proclamation of God's word over our petitions. And by holding onto our faith, we stand firm thereby keeping away the pests and other vermin seeking to destroy what is growing before its fruits feed us and others. Then there's also the fact God wants to transform us as we wait for the prayer seed to germinate into complete fulfillment. Imagine a farmer who plants but is too lazy to come back and weed. Or one who lacks the discipline to fertilize when needed?
Many of us want to throw the seed in the ground without performing the activities that not only strengthen us but strengthen what we've planted. God is not a magician. His way is to partner with His children, not do everything for them. If He did things that way, He'd infantilize His own instead of training them to become mature believers who do not shake in the face of smoldering firewood. We therefore must consistently play our role in the sowing and reaping cycle to enjoy fruits from our prayers.
This requires us to walk with the Spirit of God, submitting to His cautioning and direction so we exercise our faith and grow spiritually. While not easy, it is possible, and God delights in helping us do better each day so the impact of satan's resistance to our petitions weakens. God's mercy and compassion flow even when we mess up because He lovingly leads us to repent and be purified from our sins (1 John 1:7). And as we do what He wants in every area of our lives, we deprive satan of its goal of proving God a liar. We show satan the liar instead. Hallelujah!
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From JIR - Father Lord I lift up every prayer point raised here today. I pray that you answer all of our petitions according to your will IJMN Amen