On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:11-19 (ESV)
This Sunday, my pastor called people up to the front of the church for prayer. He specifically called for people who need a word from God that will change their situation. When he prayed for the people who came up, I started thinking about that phrase…
“A word from God that will change your situation.”
God speaks and things change. He spoke all of creation into existence. When He speaks into our lives, we are transformed.
In Genesis 1:27, the bible tells us that God made man in His own image. We were patterned after God, and our words have power too.
Proverbs 18:21 tells us,
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue,and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
Our words are powerful. They can keep us trapped in patterns that are not beneficial to us or they can be a catalyst to change that will transform our lives.
This has to be something God is really trying to get through my head right now because last week, our youth pastor preached on it.
When the two things come together, it is a double whammy. If I get a word from God and then speak it over my life, building up my faith and reminding myself of Who God is and what He has said, I am setting myself up for miraculous breakthrough in my life. Wow! Explosive power!
Then, this morning when I turned to Luke 17 and read this miracle of Jesus, I was struck by the process of the miracle. There are other miracles where Jesus does something, like smearing mud on a blind man’s eyes (John 9:6), in order for the miracle to happen. But this time, Jesus simply speaks.
Here is the sequence of events:
1. 10 lepers see Jesus from a distance.
2. They believe he can make them well and call out to him.
3. Jesus speaks, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”
4. The 10 lepers head off to obey.
5. They are healed. Boom! Miracle!
6. 1 comes back and thanks Jesus, while praising and glorifying God.
I think we can learn so much from this simple yet stunning miracle story.
1. See Jesus, even in the midst of our situation.
2. Believe in the power of God.
3. Listen for the word from God.
4. Act on it.
5. Watch for the miracle with a heart of expectancy, belief, and gratitude.
6. When it happens, give glory and thanks to God.
Jesus says at the end, “Rise and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
That’s really the point of this study on miracles, isn’t it?! We are seeing the miraculous works of God and they are building our faith We build and develop our faith in God so that when we are facing impossible situations ourselves, we remember to look to God for the solution, believe that He will respond, hear what He is speaking over us, and act on it.
What is the word God has spoken over your life?
It might a phrase or picture that pops into your head in a moment of prayer of worship. It might be a scripture that you can stand on and believe in. It might be a moment in teaching or preaching.
At that instant, everything inside of you comes alive and your faith in God leaps up. That is the word from God for your situation. Hold onto it. Speak it over your life. Act on it. And watch for His miracle.
Action Step: Confession time! I stole this from my mother-in-law. She is a powerful woman of God. Around the fourth of July, she was telling me how she declares scripture over her life. At the end of Ephesians, Paul tells us to “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. So, she wakes up in the morning and says, “I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. My body is strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. My mind is strong in the Lord and in the power of His might…” I love it! Our action step today is to take a verse that you can apply to your life. Feel free to use this one or one that is a word from God for your situation and declare it over yourself. Write it down and keep it handy so you don’t forget to do it daily. God’s word combined with power He has put in our tongues can revolutionize our lives.
Dear God, thank you that your words are powerful and that You have given our words power to transform. Give us ears to hear what You are speaking over us and courage to act on it. Help us see You in all our situations. Build our faith as we study Your miracles. In Jesus’ name, amen.