A few nights ago, God reminded me of a prophetic word I received over 25 years ago. When I first heard the word, it made no sense to me. Yet, that one word has become a principle God uses in my life over and again. I believe He is reminding me of this word once again because it applies to where we are today, in this season.
I remember the word as if it were yesterday. The prophet said, “God is taking you into a place of intimacy in Him. He has great things for you, but you cannot receive them right now. You must increase your capacity to receive before you can have them. In these intimate times with God, you will increase your capacity to receive all God has for you.”
The truth is when our faith is increased, enlargement comes. How much we receive is entirely up to us.
Presently, I once again find myself in another season where God is saying. “You must increase your capacity to receive.”
This word no longer confuses me as I have seen the fruit of it many times in the past. I fully understand God is saying, “I have something for you, bigger than you can currently imagine. Therefore, you can’t receive it at the moment, however, when your capacity to receive is enlarged, it will manifest before your eyes.”
I realize how our world looks today, yet I firmly believe we are in a season where God has great things for us. Many of us will receive them – we will heed this word and get about the business of increasing our faith – which will enable us to receive ALL God has for us.
Sadly, some will not, some will read this word and think, “Yea, I have heard it before.” They feel much like Peter who has toiled all night and became weary. Yet even Peter launched out into the deep one more time.
God can only give us what we have the capacity to receive.
Remember the widow woman? In 2 Kings 4:2-6 scripture says, So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors–empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So, the oil ceased.
The oil only ceased when she had no more containers to hold it. Had she gathered a hundred more containers, increasing her capacity to receive, the oil would have continued to flow. It is the same with us. Our faith receives and produces what it has the capacity to receive. When our faith is increased, we will experience increase.
You may be asking, “How do I increase my faith?” I can show you in the word of God.
Let’s look at Romans 4:16-21; Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed–God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
These awesome scriptures show us exactly how to increase our faith.
First, we see how God works; He calls those things which do not exist as though they do. We have to declare and decree what the word of God says in the midst of impossibilities.
Secondly, Abraham hoped against hope – he believed when there was no reason, at least not one he could see, to believe. His faith was grounded in the promise of God alone.
Third, he did not consider his own body or Sarah’s body.
They were well past child-bearing age, but Abraham refused to consider that fact. He refused to think about it, to dwell on it. And He refused to allow the facts to move him off the truth. He stood firm on God’s promise.
Fourth, he allowed no unbelief. He refused doubt and unbelief.
Fifth, he was strengthened in faith.
This word strengthened means he increased in faith and continued increasing. One translation says, “He increased in faith by giving glory to God.” We see here that Abraham was indeed, increasing his capacity to receive.
I once heard Keith Moore say that a heart of thanksgiving increases your capacity to receive.
If we complain and talk negatively about the promises of God, we are wavering. The Bible says that person will receive nothing from the Lord. However, if we cultivate a heart of thanksgiving in the midst of our stand of faith. If we continue to give God glory while we are waiting for the manifestation of the promise of God, then our faith increases.
Finally, Abraham was fully convinced that God would do what he said he would do.
Does God have something so big for you that you don’t have the faith to receive it? Do you feel it stirring on the inside of you? If so, begin today strengthening your faith and enlarging your capacity to receive. When your capacity to receive is in line with His promise, the manifestation will come. He cannot deny Himself or His word. Our job is to increase our capacity to receive, His job is to manifest the promise. And He is faithful to His word.
Each thing I mentioned is vital; confession, hope, refusing to look at circumstances and refusing unbelief. These are all important things, but remember the main thing, sitting at the feet of Jesus, spending time in the presence of the Lord…this will increase your capacity like nothing else, don’t neglect intimate times with God. Just as Jesus told Martha, “Mary has chosen the most important thing…sitting at My feet, spending time with me.” So, it is with us.
It’s time my friends, to increase our faith and receive all God has for us.
Meditate on this:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
