Mark Affleck

A Breakthrough On THIS Is Impossible, Even For God

May 18, 2017
Spiritual Growth

That is exactly how I saw it early in my faith walk. I was immature and naïve.
  
Looking back on that now makes me sad because it was then, is now, and will always be FALSE for two key reasons: 1) We all will need some kind of breakthrough at some point; and 2) God PROMISES to help us through the barriers standing in the way. That is the TRUTH.
  
The need for a breakthrough could be in a damaged relationship, personal hang-up, habit or hurt, medical emergency, or some kind of financial crisis…to name a microscopic few from the seemingly endless list. That is the reality we get with life on earth. So the big question in our breakthrough quest is where to start.
  
My starting point begins with a pause to accept the inevitability of fierce blowback from the enemy. This helps me embrace God’s perspective that breakthroughs are always preceded by a tough stretch of road as we zip along the path of life.
  
In fact, Breakthrough Barriers are birthed by the enemy’s opposition!
  
This approach helps me be resolute in my expectant belief and faithful prayer for a breakthrough, even when it looks impossible.
  
GO ON A BARRIER-BUSTING HUNT
  
Here’s my Four-Step Breakthrough Barrier-Busting Plan:

  • Pray
  • Stand
  • Believe
  • Act

STEP ONE: PRAY
  
This is the imperative step in Breakthrough Barrier-Busting. The goal is to weaken spiritual opposition by bathing our breakthrough request in unceasing prayer that is specific, persistent, and expectant. Even when our prayer tank starts to empty, we need to stick with it because praying every day develops a “rhythm of faith” that gains strength with each prayer and repels our propensity to be pessimistic. To add even more strength to this step, I write down the journey’s most important aspects along the way to: 1) Stay positive when discouragement raises its ugly head during the fight; and 2) Have praise material ready to give God glory after the breakthrough is achieved.

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:12

STEP TWO: STAND
  
We need to stand up and establish strength in the early stages when barriers appear in front of our breakthrough. I am actually buoyed by this counter-intuitive thought–that we can be strong when attacked–because it means God is showing me that I am headed toward something significant. At this point it’s time to build our strength in Christ because the opposition is about to start its nasty and calculated stealth.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

STEP THREE: BELIEVE

It is critical to believe that God knows everything about the breakthrough we seek and the barriers in its way. We need to focus on God’s promise to show up in this difficult time and reveal his goodness and glory. Our role is to obey him and fully trust that he can pull off the impossible.
  
“Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” Mark 11:23
  
STEP FOUR: ACT
  
I learned the hard way that achieving a breakthrough goal does not happen by sitting on the couch waiting for a nice-and-tidy package to arrive. It’s the opposite! God is waiting on us to step out in faith and expectancy. Taking this active stance bolsters our trust in God’s supernatural power and puts us on the battlefield with him to be part of the process.
  
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12
  
IT’S ALL ABOUT FAITH
  
In the end, busting the barriers in front of our breakthroughs is all about faith and trust. We need to trust God completely when we are seeking a breakthrough. We need to trust God through the predictable delays and denials that send shockwaves of discouragement through our soul. And we need to trust God for direction back to him.
  
How about you?
  
What breakthrough are you searching for today? Are you taking steps to pray, stand, believe, and act? Give it a try.

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