Stirring the Heart of God

Wednesday 21 December
READ: Gen. 22: 1-10
MORE LESSON: Gen. 22: 11 - 18

God will do great and mighty things for a man who will stir Him up. There are things you do that stir God to action on your behalf. When you touch the heart of God, you will see His hand move on your behalf. 2 Chron 16:9 says, for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him . . . . God is willing to show Himself strong on your behalf, but there are things you need to do to stir Him up.
The following are things you can do to stir God to action on your behalf:
1. Praise Him: praise moves God. When you want to stir God to action concerning your matter, you need to give Him heartfelt praise. When your situation is adverse and you still give God quality praise, you will see His hand move for you. Always be grateful and thankful for whatever the Lord has done in time past before you make the next request. Don't complain about what you have not got, praise Him for what He has done for you in the past and then praise Him in advance for the things you don't have yet.
2. Pay your vows to Him: if you make a pledge out of faith to God, and you pay your vows and pledge even though it is not convenient, you have stirred the heart of God and committed Him to action. Psa. 50:14 says, Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High. And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me.
3. Make sacrifices: when you live a sacrificial life towards God and His Kingdom, you will move Him to action for you. When God saw that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son for Him, He was stirred to bless him with an irrevocable blessing (Gen 22: 15 – 18). When Solomon sacrificed one thousand sheep to God, God showed up that very night to impart uncommon glory on him. You can stir the heart of God by your sacrifices.
4. Live in righteousness: Enoch walked with God and he was no more for God took him because he pleased God. You can touch the heart of God by righteous living; righteousness stirs God up and sin turns Him off. In our world today, you may have to pay a price and do without some things in order to maintain your righteousness with God but when you decide to stand firm for righteousness despite the cost and price, you will stir God up to bless you.

Prayer/Action
* Sing songs of praise to God.
* Ask the Lord to remember your vows, sacrifices and to remember you for good.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
This month, I shall not sleep the sleep of death, I shall not walk into my enemy's trap, I shall live to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, in the name of Jesus.