Unleashing God’s Power for Breakthrough in Your Life

By Chip Ingram

Have you been praying for God to help you make BIG changes in your life, but you’re struggling to believe that He wants to?

Many of us are in dire need of a breakthrough, whether it’s in overcoming an addiction, getting past the shame and guilt from our past, or repairing atroubled relationship. Sometimes, it seems like no matter how hard we try or pray we just can’t seem to get victory in our lives. Sound familiar?

So how does breakthrough happen?

Breakthrough isn’t something we wait around hoping God will do some day, some time. Even though God has already promised this for our lives, it is something we initiate.

First, we must understand that breakthrough is something God can and wants to do.

Whether He does this in families, small groups, churches, and even in whole cities and nations, God’s deliverance comes by having a clear, strong vision of His goodness and mercy.

Jesus is here with unlimited power and He wants to unleash it into our impossible situations. And He wants to give us breakthrough because it’s always Hisdesire to do good to us, and everyone around us.

Ever wonder where the “good” in this life comes from anyway?Most of us look to the world system for good things. We spend our energy, our time, our thoughts and our money on the stuff in this world that won’t trulysatisfy.

But only Jesus is our true source of gladness, satisfaction, great relationships and prosperity. And only He is good (Psalm 23). After all, it’s God’skindness that leads us to repentance, not guilt or condemnation (Romans 2:4).

So, whatever the breakthrough we long to see happen in our lives or in our families, it will come not when we’re down on ourselves, but when we begin to grasp the truth that God cares about us and those around us.

The God of the universe wants us to believe that He’s so good and powerful that He would use ordinary people like us to receive His extraordinary power inour impossible situations and then pass it on. It’s never just about us!

Second, to receive God’s breakthrough, we need to “make room” in our hearts and relationships.

The biggest breakthrough in all of the Old Testament is in Isaiah 54. Here’s what the prophet Isaiah says to Israel during a time when they didn’t havemuch hope and they were in captivity:

“Enlarge the place of your tent,stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to theleft; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. (Isaiah 54:2-3)

God was preparing the Israelites for their breakthrough by telling them to “enlarge their tent” – or make room – for God’s blessings that were promised.

In the same way, we also need to “make room” for the huge blessing that is coming when we ask God for a breakthrough.

In the first book of the New Testament, James wrote to a group of Christians who were being persecuted and kicked out of their homes. They needed God’sdeliverance like never before.

Here’s what he instructed them to do:

God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, yousinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humbleyourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:7-10)

Part of what it means to “make room” is realizing the idols in our life and getting rid of them. We do this by resisting the devil and humbly submitting toGod — whatever we’re dealing with – our addictions, our pain, our status, our time, our jobs, etc. It’s about saying to God, “I’ll do life yourway.”

And as we turn toward God and submit ourselves to Him, we also identify the activities, thoughts, and motives that we know are wrong and choose tostop them. This is true repentance – to turn from our sin – and humbly turn toward God. And when we do, He promises to lift us up and turn things around.

Will breakthrough happen overnight? No! It will require courage! But I want to encourage you to take heart because God’s desire and promise is to give usHis supernatural power and blessing when we turn to Him and trust Him for our strength.

 

For additional information on how to experience breakthrough, visit our Small Group resources or listen our Weekday Radio Archive where you can access all of our previously aired radio broadcasts.

 

Written By

Chip Ingram

Founder & Teaching Pastor, Living on the Edge

Chip Ingram is the CEO and teaching pastor of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry. A pastor for over thirty years, Chip has a unique ability to communicate truth and challenge people to live out their faith. He is the author of many books, including The Real God, Culture Shock and The Real Heaven. Chip and his wife, Theresa, have four grown children and twelve grandchildren and live in California.

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