IF YOU ARE STARTING OUT SOMETHING NEW (Minsitry, Business and others)
My spiritual father taught me something critical especially when it comes to starting out a vision: He said you must pray in the right people and at the same time pray out the wrong person.
I learnt later that what the devil cannot stop by opposition or persecution, he tries to stop by infiltration. If he cannot stop the work, he invests in joining the work. A lot of assignments have been derailed because the devil planted his vessels to join the work.
Balaam and Balak could not defeat the Isrealites by placing a curse upon them. It did not take long for Israel to almost self-destruct through sexual sins. They gave room for the daughters of the land to infiltrate their camp.
Nehemiah and Ezra could not be stopped by opposition when they were rebuilding Jerusalem. Guess the next strategy of the enemy: They asked if they can help to build. They wanted to infiltrate.
The devil knew he could not stop Paul through opposition. He tried infiltration. He got a demon-possessed girl to announce their assignment. It sounded good until Paul picked that something was odd.
Jesus spent all night praying before he called his 12 disciples that he designated as Apostles. If Jesus will fulfill his assignment, he must not miss out on choosing the one who will likely betray him. Without a betrayal, there will be no crucifixion and there will be no resurrection.
After Habakkuk waited on God to know what God will say to him, God told him two important things: First, write the vision clearly. Second, Be careful the person who runs with the vision with you.
How did I know this?
Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.
(Habakkuk 2:2 NLT).
The one who joins you in a vision must be able to carry the correct message to others. That was what Paul was telling Timothy about faithful men who can teach others (2 Tim. 2:2).
But God then goes further to warn Habakkuk about at least one type of person he must pray away from his vision and another type of person he must pray into his vision:
Who should I pray out?
“Look at that man, bloated by self-importance— full of himself but soul-empty…”
Who should I pray in?
“But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive.”
(Habakkuk 2:4 MSG)
You do not want a proud man to join you to build. He will wreck the work. Your heart must cry for loyal and stable men who are really alive with a right standing with God.
May God’s vision for you not cave in to infiltration. Amen.
Temiloluwa Ola, Eruwa
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