22/06/2011 - Follow the pre-established steps

• 
• 
• 
• 

“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.” (II Kings 4:5)
One of the prophets in Elisha’s days was irresponsible because he ran into debts and for that reason, after he died, his wife was in trouble and her children would have be sold as slaves for that debt to be paid off. So, due to those gloomy circumstances, that woman turned to Prophet Elisha to ask him for help. Had he been irresponsible too, he would have taken the money from the work of the Lord or he would have chipped in with other prophets to help that widow and her children and keep them from going through such tremendous humiliation and suffering. But because that prophet lived in the presence of the Most High he knew what should be done and gave her the message of God. That widow took the instructions as inspired words – not as an excuse from someone who was not willing to help her – and she acted exactly according to what she had been told.
She then borrowed many vessels – not just a few – and, along with her children, she went inside her house and shut the door. Note that a miracle usually does not occur among the curious and the unbelievers because telling everyone what you were told to do may hinder God’s move. Many wicked people pretend to be friendly but because they do not serve the Lord they might be commanded by the enemy to make certain comments and sow evil seeds around; as a result, those who will be used by the Most High might get confused and end up not believing.
Those who long for divine intervention need to believe that a miracle is something that goes beyond human’s capacity and that which is possible to occur does not require the Lord’s operation. For a blessing to be operated it must happen among those who believe and their children – those who believe too. Oftentimes even their families must be out of the covenant because if two of you agree on
earth concerning anything that people ask, it will be done for them by the Father in heaven (Matthew 18:19). Do not be deceived! That relative of yours who does not truly give himself or herself to God should not be present to a prayer of agreement. The mere fact that a person is a family member does not entitle him or her to receive the anointing that puts the divine power in action.
If necessary, ask somebody to cooperate. That widow should have prayed before but she did not understand God’s plan, so she turned to the prophet and as she received his counselling she had no doubts in her heart and immediately took action. That woman had to exercise her faith before her children, whom she had obviously taught that the Most High would not forsake. When they were instructed to borrow vessels in the neighborhood they fulfilled that command. It might have happened that someone among them had qualms about doing it, but even in that case the Lord does help those who put their trust in Him.
At that point that woman could not have any doubts and that is why she picked the jar of oil, raised it and poured a thin flow into the empty vessel. That liquid did not stop dripping till the last vessel was full. When she told her son to bring in another vessel and then the answer was that there was none left, the oil stopped flowing because God does not waste anything.
In Christ, with love,
R. R. Soares