When trying to figure out what God has for me in 2005, I was in deep personal struggle over every area of my life.
My Dad had already passed on some years prior, so there was not a father to get direction from. I had to sit with the word and the word was far better than any direction I could have gotten from anyone. My most favorite verse of the Bible then was 1 Pet. 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”
I spoke those words several times in almost all my prayers in Evboriaria, Sapele Road, where I lived. A community in Benin City, distance from the most attractive area in Nigeria.
I’ve since come to recognize that when everything else fail. The word of God stands alive. The word can change everything without being changed itself. The word, interestingly, cannot impact our life until it gets on the inside of us. God’s word is powerless in our life until its planted in our heart.
Peter puts it more clearly, “as newborn babe,” he said, he went further to encourage believers to seek and desire the word, as babies would desire milk for growth. Faith usually takes a more active position when the word takes a significant place in our lives.
The word was what Jesus used when giving specific instructions. The disciples used the word when hit by crisis. Every circumstance I know have always responded to the word.
God has already done his part, he gave us his word. It is the believers responsibility to speak God’s word. It is faith in the spoken word of God that makes the difference.
When we have a need, it makes sense for us to stand on the authority of the word. The word in your mouth carries the same authority and power as it would if it was coming from God’s mouth. I usually ask my friends going through crisis what part of the word are they standing on in regard to their situation. We can tell what we’ve planted in our life by what we are growing. When fear hit, if we’ve planted the word, we speak it.
I remember what the late Archbishop Idahosa once said, “when fear knocks at your door, send faith to open the door.” The faith we have is what gives our testimony power. It is response to the word, and because this word have integrity. Chris Oyakhilome, a Bible teacher would say, “faith is response to the word of God.” The kind of seeds we have planted in our heart shows up, or can rather be easily identified by what its been produced.
Inspirational Nugget = Your provision has been provided by his divinity before you had the need. Speaking the Word is what brings everything to reality.
Evans Akpo 