December 16, 2010
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Six things to do when things seem hopeless by Darrell Copes
God is rapidly moving on the earth and things are beginning to look like Acts 1 again – suddenly. The saints are moving out in the streets full of the Holy Ghost. People can get touched by God even in the parking lot of White Castle. Church is extending beyond the four walls.
Six things to do when things seem hopeless
1. Make up your mind that you are going to do what it takes to deal with your situation.
2. Turn to the right direction. When Hezekiah found out that he was going to die, he turned out to the wall and prayed to God. He did not speak to the prophet or someone else, He went straight to God.
3. Plead your case.
Isaiah 43:25-26 I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted.
James 5:16-17 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
Psalm 34:4-6 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.4. Remember that the battle is not yours. It may feel like it is yours, but the battle is the Lord’s. If you give it to Him, He will fight it for you.
2 Chronicles 20:15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
5. God gives direction.
When Moses was at the Red Sea, God said to Moses, what’s in your hand. Under God’s direction Moses’ rod was used to part the Red Sea. Listen to what God instructs when your situation is tough. He can make you see new ways to use what you have.
Jehoshaphat turned to God for direction, and when God told him that the battle was the Lord’s, Jehoshaphat put the praisers first, which is contrary to what would make common sense, but praise and worship of God went first and God won the battle.
Saul on the Road to Damascus had a run in with Jesus, and was blinded. He had to obey God to go to the city. (Acts 9:1-19) God told Ananias to go to the street called Straight and pray for Saul that he would receive his sight. Ananias tells God that Saul was trying to kill believers, but God told him that Saul/Paul was His chosen vessel. Ananias obeyed God and Saul regained his sight, to become a powerful influence on the Church. From Ananias’s point of view this did not make sense, but God can use surprising things and people for His purposes. Follow God’s instructions.
6. No matter the circumstance give God praise and thanks.
The best way to change your circumstances is to give God praise and thanks. You are thanking God for your future blessings. In all things give thanks. Give thanks in your situation and through your situation. You put your praises up first, knowing that the Lord is moving.
2 Chronicles 22:20-22 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever.” Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
When they began to sing and praise, then the Lord sent an ambushes against the enemy.
They had instruction from God. When God gives us instructions we need to do them, then God can act. It is our obedience that matters.
They did not know how God would act in their situation, they believed God and acted. You do not have to know how God will act in your situation. What matters is that you obey God. Praising God is important. Heaven goes in motion as your praises go up.
Praise is the number one weapon against the kingdom of darkness.
Darrell said to us, if we are not actively praising God here at church, how are we praising God at home?
King David said, Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Because you love the Lord and are saved, does not mean that your life is affliction free.
Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Make up your mind that, no matter your situation, you are going through and you will keep praising the Lord.
Stir up your Spirit, stir up your faith. You can’t bless and thank God and stay in unbelief. As you bless ad praise God, you will see God.
Kenneth Hagin, a great evangelist, was sick with an incurable disease. The doctors sent him home to die. He decided that he wanted to be able to see the sun and set out to reach a tree on the property. He had been bed-fast, but kept praising God and praying the truth of God’s Word. He decided he would make it to this tree, about a mile away from where he was. He started out crawling to the tree, thanking the Lord. He determined to praise God and reach the tree, whether he received his healing or not. One hour he praised God, after the second hour he was able to lift his hands a bit because some of the strength had returned to his hands. After the fourth hour of praise he was able to praise in a loud voice. As time went by he was totally healed, singing and shouting praise to God.
We pray, but where is the thanksgiving? The scales are off balance in Heaven, more requests than thanks for what God has given us.
When you praise you gain boldness in prayer and that leads to your healing. Even if you still are manifesting symptoms praise God, saying, “Thank you Jesus that I am well. Don’t give up, keep praising.
God does not want us to stay in the same situation we are in. That is why we have to pray the truth of God. If we talk about the toughness of our circumstances our faith shrivels. Talk about faith instead.
Paul tells us that faith is in the heart and the mouth. We don’t want to worship God only from head knowledge, but rather from heart knowledge. God wants our hearts armed with faith.
There are steps that we take in our circumstances:
Asking
Believing
PraiseWe start in the natural, with the bad report, the picture. Wondering how this is going to happen? We ask, then believe God will deal with our situation, then start praising. At first, as Darrell says, our praise may be as dry as Rice Krispies. Praise anyway, even if you don’t feel it. Praise has nothing to do with feelings. As you begin to praise in the flesh, your spirit locks in with Words. And as you keep praising rivers of living water will flow from your praises.
You were created to magnify God.
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed. There are times when we need to turn our face to the wall and pray and praise God with thanksgiving. Darrell had to do this with some tough financial situations. He and his wife and the rest of his group prayed with their faces toward the wall, and their praise and thanksgiving delivered them from their challenge.
Psalm 91:1-2 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”
The rest of Psalm 91 is also awesome to read and study.
Because we are part of the Kingdom of God we do not need to fear, for God will help us to supply all our needs. As we turn to God in praise and worship, the Holy Spirit will give us God ideas to help our circumstances. The Holy Spirit will lead us, and as we obey we grow out of our circumstance.
Go in prayer and end up in praise. You are going to your Father, and He loves you.
If you a castaway on a island and you put a note in the bottle, if you don’t put the cap on the bottle, the note will be destroyed and not reach someone to send you help.
Our praise is like putting the cap on our bottle of prayer. Praise helps us keep our focus.
Psalm 126:1-6 When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South. Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Singing and laughing seals the deal.
What the devil hates more than anything else is when we laugh at him. We spent some time laughing at the defeated foe, the devil. He has lost and knows it. God has won the victory. Throw your head back and laugh for joy at God’s victory over the enemy.
I pray you are laughing at the enemy and praising your way to victory.
Heather
