Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
In 2 Kings 4:8-37, we learn of a Shunammite woman who hosted Elisha. Elisha was touched by her kindness and prophesied that she will have a son. This was the woman's greatest need. She was wealthy and married but without a son. God honoured Elisha's words and she conceived a son.
When the son grew up, he fell ill and died in the arms of his mother. This Shunammite woman was a woman of great faith who understood the principles of faith:
1. SPEAK WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE:
When her son died, her husband was unaware of it. In 2 Kings 4:22-23, though her son was dead, her words revealed what she expected to happen : She called her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return."
He said, "Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath." And she said, "It will be well."
The Shunammite woman knew that humanly speaking, it was not well because her only son was dead. But she chose to look at things through the eyes of faith, and this made her to see the impossible becoming possible. She verbalised her expectations and so instead of narrating the sad incident to her husband, she declared - "It will be well."
Also, when she got to Elisha, he sent his servant to ask her: 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?'" And she answered, "It is well." 2 Kings 4:26
The Shunammite woman once again verbalised her expectations. She used the language of faith - calling those things which are not as though they are. Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. It was not well with her, for her son was dead, but by faith she expected a change, and chose to verbalise her expectations. The man of God sensed that something was wrong, so sent his servant ahead to the woman's house. The woman then exercised another principle of faith:
2. PERSISTENCE:
The man of God sent his servant to the woman's house with specific instructions as to what to do, and yet the lady insisted she would not leave the man of God. Her persistence forced Elisha to abandon whatever he was doing and followed her home. The first instruction given by the man of God to his servant bore no good result , for the boy still lay dead.
Elisha, the Prophet of God also exercised faith. He did not give up when the first attempt made by his servant to bring the boy back to life failed. In 2 Kings 4:32-35, we read - When Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed. So he entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to the LORD. And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm. Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself on him; and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes.
The man of God did not stop when the boy's cold dead body became warm, he persisted in faith until he sneezed seven times. The number seven means completion. Hence the man of God persisted in faith until what he wanted or perceived to see was accomplished and his task completed.
Whatever you desire to see must be verbalised, see it with the eyes of your spirit, hold it in your minds eye, then confess it and act it . Pray it into being, and do not stop until you see it come to pass.
WHAT IS NEXT?
