The School of the Holy Spirit – 38 of 52 – Part 26 The Secret of Raising the spiritually dead in the secret place using prophet Elisha and the Shunammite woman’s example with 14 (Fourteen) spiritual applications during a counseling session – 4 of 12
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The School of the Holy Spirit – 38 of 52 – Part 26 The Secret of Raising the spiritually dead in the secret place using prophet Elisha and the Shunammite woman’s example with 14 (Fourteen) spiritual applications during a counseling session – 4 of 12
Otakada.org Content Count: 2,220,098
Date: Sunday, June 7th, 2020
Blog Link – https://www.otakada.org/the-secret-of-raising-the-spiritually-dead-in-the-secret-place
Podcast: anchor.fm/otakada.org
Quote on the secret place intervention, strongholds, demonic influence on Christians and going the extra mile as a people helper, spiritual warfare, mind:
“Relationship between Strongholds, Root Cause, Inner Healing and power of the Demonic to Influence Christians: A spiritual stronghold is a habitual pattern of thought, built into one’s thought life – like a 12-lane highway to a belief system that does not agree with Gods word. Satan and his minions want to capture the minds of people – born again Christians included, unfortunately, many are falling prey, providing dwelling places in their thought realm giving lawful access to demonic powers to inhabit, obsess and possess their minds: the mind is the citadel of the soul. He who controls the mind controls a very strategic place- our ingrained belief influence our thoughts, our thoughts influence our feeling and our feeling influence our actions – God help us if our belief is rooted in a lie from the devil, we will continue to struggle to bear fruits as Christians until we embark on deliberate and intentional inner healing and deliverance processes – For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents ], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [ the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere – For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood ], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,[ Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true ] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) then our total deliverance from demonic squatters and root causes is completed in Christ – It is not a one-off affair!” – Romans 12:2 Ephesians 6:12, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Hebrews 12:15 –– Monday Ogwuojo Ogbe – Otakada.org
“Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection. Success, popularity, and power can indeed present a great temptation, but their seductive quality often comes from the way they are part of the much larger temptation to self-rejection. When we have come to believe in the voices that call us worthless and unlovable, then success, popularity, and power are easily perceived as attractive solutions. The real trap, however, is self-rejection. As soon as someone accuses me or criticizes me, as soon as I am rejected, left alone, or abandoned, I find myself thinking, “Well, that proves once again that I am a nobody.” … [My dark side says,] I am no good… I deserve to be pushed aside, forgotten, rejected, and abandoned. Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the “Beloved.” Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen
“Many Christians… find themselves defeated by the most psychological weapon that Satan uses against them. This weapon has the effectiveness of a deadly missile. Its name? Low self-esteem. Satan’s greatest psychological weapon is a gut level feeling of inferiority, inadequacy, and low self-worth This feeling shackles many Christians, in spite of wonderful spiritual experiences and knowledge of God’s Word. Although they understand their position as sons and daughters of God, they are tied up in knots, bound by a terrible feeling inferiority, and chained to a deep sense of worthlessness.”
― David Seamands, Healing For Damaged Emotions
“It is Satan’s constant effort to misrepresent the character of God, the nature of sin, and the real issues at stake in the great controversy. His sophistry lessens the obligation of the divine law and gives men license to sin. At the same time he causes them to cherish false conceptions of God so that they regard Him with fear and hate rather than with love. The cruelty inherent in his own character is attributed to the Creator; it is embodied in systems of religion and expressed in modes of worship.”
― Ellen G. White, Great Controversy: Between Christ and Satan
“The nature of the enemy’s warfare in your life is to cause you to become discouraged and to cast away your confidence. Not that you would necessarily discard your salvation, but you could give up your hope of God’s deliverance. The enemy wants to numb you into a coping kind of Christianity that has given up hope of seeing God’s resurrection power.”
― Bob Sorge, Glory: When Heaven Invades Earth
“Spiritual warfare is very real. There is a furious, fierce, and ferocious battle raging in the realm of the spirit between the forces of God and the forces of evil. Warfare happens every day, all the time. Whether you believe it or not, you are in a battlefield. You are in warfare.”
― Pedro Okoro
“…sometimes we act as though God is obligated to make all our dreams come true and give a happy ending to every earthbound tale. We use verbiage like ‘God is head over heels in love with you!’ so much that we forget we live in a war zone, where live ammunition flies through the air and casualties still happen. And when we’re one of the casualties, the feelings that flood in cause us to either doubt ourselves and whether we heard God correctly (since if we had, wouldn’t we be out of prison?), or we doubt the goodness, love, or even the very existence of God Himself.”
― Sheila Walsh, The Storm Inside: Trade the Chaos of How You Feel for the Truth of Who You Are
Key Verses:
Matthew 6:6 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) 6 But when you pray, go into your [ most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.
Matthew 7:24-27 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) 24 So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [ obeying them] will be like a [a]sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.
25 And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand.
27 And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great and complete was the fall of it.
Revelation 3:18 Amplified Bible (AMP)
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold that has been heated red hot and refined by fire so that you may become truly rich; and white clothes [ representing righteousness] to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen; and healing salve to put on your eyes so that you may see.
Luke 21:34-35 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
34 But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed (weighed down) with the [a]giddiness and headache and [b]nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to [ the [c]business of] this life, and [ lest] that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose;
35 For it will come upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth.
Luke 8:41-56 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
41 And there came a man named Jairus, who had [for a [a]long time ] been a director of the synagogue; and falling at the feet of Jesus, he begged Him to come to his house,
42 For he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As [Jesus] went, the people pressed together around Him [almost suffocating Him ].
43 And a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years [b]and had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be healed by anyone,
44 Came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, and immediately her flow of blood ceased.
45 And Jesus said, Who is it who touched Me? When all were denying it, Peter [c]and those who were with him said, Master, the multitudes surround You and press You on every side!
46 But Jesus said, Someone did touch Me; for I perceived that [healing] power has gone forth from Me.
47 And when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came up trembling, and, falling down before Him, she declared in the presence of all the people for what reason she had touched Him and how she had been instantly cured.
48 And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your confidence and trust in Me) has made you well! Go (enter) [d]into peace ([e]untroubled, undisturbed well-being).
49 While He was still speaking, a man from the house of the director of the synagogue came and said [to Jairus ], Your daughter is dead; do not [f]weary and trouble the Teacher any further.
50 But Jesus, on hearing this, answered him, Do not be seized with alarm or struck with fear; simply believe [[g]in Me as able to do this ], and she shall be made well.
51 And when He came to the house, He permitted no one to enter with Him except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother.
52 And all were weeping for and bewailing her; but He said, Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.
53 And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing full well that she was dead.
54 And grasping her hand, He called, saying, Child, arise [[h]from the sleep of death ]!
55 And her spirit returned [[i]from death ], and she arose immediately; and He directed that she should be given something to eat.
56 And her parents were amazed, but He charged them to tell no one what had occurred.
1 Kings 17:10-24 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her, Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.
12 And she said, As the Lord your God lives, I have not a loaf baked but only a handful of meal in the jar and a little oil in the bottle. See, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it—and die.
13 Elijah said to her, Fear not; go and do as you have said. But make me a little cake of [it ] first and bring it to me, and afterward prepare some for yourself and your son.
14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: The jar of meal shall not waste away or the bottle of oil fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.
15 She did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.
16 The jar of meal was not spent nor did the bottle of oil fail, according to the word which the Lord spoke through Elijah.
17 After these things, the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.
18 And she said to Elijah, What have you against me, O man of God? Have you come to me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son?
19 He said to her, Give me your son. And he took him from her bosom and carried him up into the chamber where he stayed and laid him upon his own bed.
20 And Elijah cried to the Lord and said, O Lord my God, have You brought further calamity upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord and said, O Lord my God, I pray You, let this child’s soul come back into him.
22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the [lower part of the] house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, See, your son is alive!
24 And the woman said to Elijah, By this I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.
2 Kings 4:8-37 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
8 One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a rich and influential woman lived, who insisted on his eating a meal. Afterward, whenever he passed by, he stopped there for a meal.
9 And she said to her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God who passes by continually.
10 Let us make a small chamber on the [housetop] and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then whenever he comes to us, he can go [up the outside stairs and rest] here.
11 One day he came and turned into the chamber and lay there.
12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. When he had called her, she stood before him.
13 And he said to Gehazi, Say now to her, You have been most painstakingly and reverently concerned for us; what is to be done for you? Would you like to be spoken for to the king or to the commander of the army? She answered, I dwell among my own people [they are sufficient].
14 Later Elisha said, What then is to be done for her? Gehazi answered, She has no child and her husband is old.
15 He said, Call her. [Gehazi ] called her, and she stood in the doorway.
16 Elisha said, At this season when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son. She said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.
17 But the woman conceived and bore a son at that season the following year, as Elisha had said to her.
18 When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father with the reapers.
19 But he said to his father, My head, my head! The man said to his servant, Carry him to his mother.
20 And when he was brought to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him and went out.
22 And she called to her husband and said, Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may go quickly to the man of God and come back again.
23 And he said, Why go to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath. And she said, It will be all right.
24 Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, Ride fast; do not slacken your pace for me unless I tell you.
25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her afar off, he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite.
26 Run to meet her and say, Is it well with you? Well with your husband? Well with the child? And she answered, It is well.
27 When she came to the mountain to the man of God, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came to thrust her away, but the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is bitter and vexed within her, and the Lord has hid it from me and has not told me.
28 Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me?
29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand and go lay my staff on the face of the child. If you meet any man, do not salute him. If he salutes you, do not answer him.
30 The mother of the child said, As the Lord lives and as my soul lives, I will not leave you. And he arose and followed her.
31 Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the child’s face, but the boy neither spoke nor heard. So he went back to meet Elisha and said to him, The child has not awakened.
32 When Elisha arrived in the house, the child was dead and laid upon his bed.
33 So he went in, shut the door on the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.
34 He went up and lay on the child, put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself on him and embraced him, the child’s flesh became warm.
35 Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro and went up again and stretched himself upon him. And the child sneezed seven times, and then opened his eyes.
36 Then [Elisha ] called Gehazi and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she came, he said, Take up your son.
37 She came and fell at his feet, bowing herself to the ground. Then she took up her son and went out.
Hebrews 12:15 – See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled
Introduction.
Dear friends I welcome you to the series on the school of the Holy Spirit. Today, we bring you –
The School of the Holy Spirit – 38 of 52 – Part 25 The Secret of Raising the spiritually dead in the secret place using prophet Elisha and the Shunammite woman’s example with 14 (Fourteen) spiritual applications during a counseling session – 4 of 12
The sub-series was started in Wednesday, made of 12 series to Equipping the Saints with Prophetic Biblical Counseling Skills to Help Self and Others through their Troubles
At Otakada.org, we bring YOU over 2 million contents for All Round Success for your Spirit, Soul and your Body all in one place! Check this out in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 2 Timothy 1:7 and Hebrews 4:12
Read – 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Amplified Bible (AMP) 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [ that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged—consecrated to Him—set apart for His purpose ]; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found ] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Together with you, we are building MASSIVE SPIRITUAL TEMPLES in people’s heart for the Spirit of God to dwell in and operate through with ease in these times and seasons, so stay with us and build with us! – Check this out in 1 Corinthians 3: 1- 17; Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 37:27; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 John 4:4
If you missed the last two series of Sunday and Wednesday as follows hereunder:
The School of the Holy Spirit – 36 of 52 – Part 24 The Secret of God’s Continuous Assessment of you and ministry relative to inner healing and renewal of the mind to the image and likeness of His Son + The Holy Spirit – Biblical Counselor in you, the BASIS and BASIC – 2 of 12
Follow this Link – https://www.otakada.org/secret-of-gods-assessment-of-you-and-ministry-relative-to-image-likeness-of-jesus
Weekly Motivational and Inspirational Stories for the Marketplace – The School of the Holy Spirit – 37 of 52 – Part 25 – Activating and Deploying Down to Earth Sympathy and Ruthless Openness in Christian Counseling Sessions with the Counselee + What is a Root Cause, What Strategies Should we use to Deal with a Root Cause and How do we get to the point of Decision about continuing with Counseling? – Can a Christian be possessed or under the influence of demonic spirit and How do we troubleshoot that? 3 of 12
Follow this Link
People come for counseling because they have experienced some sort of death. It may be the actual death of a loved one, the loss of a meaningful relationship, or lost dreams. It may be the death of hope that things can change in their lives, or they may be experiencing the terrors of the spiritual death of sin.
The Bible provides an excellent example that is applicable to counseling, in that it provides strategies for raising the spiritually dead to new life. Jesus provide an excellent example for us to follow. But today, I will bypass the Jesus example and go straight to the story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman. There also the story of Elijah and the widow who provided for Elijah during famine in the land in 1 Kings 17:17-24 but I will stay with the Elisha story because the Shunammite exemplifies faith like no other in the other accounts.
The story is found in 2 Kings 4 where the Prophet Elisha raises a young boy from the dead.
Elisha was a frequent guest in a special room prepared by a Shunammite woman and her husband. Despite the fact that this woman did not have a child and her husband was elderly and beyond child-producing years, Elisha prophesied that she would conceive and bear a son (2 Kings 4:16).
Just as Elisha declared, the woman gave birth to a son. Years passed, and then one day when the boy was out in the field with his father, he became sick and died. The Shunammite woman took her dead son to Elisha’s room and laid him on the prophets bed. She quickly saddled a donkey and set out with her servant to go to Elisha at Mt. Carmel. Imagine the thoughts that flooded her mind: Why had this terrible thing happened? Why had God allowed the son He had given her to die? Very often, similar questions are asked by hurting people: “Why did God allow this to happen to me?”
Although she knew her boys lifeless body lay upon the prophet’s bed, this woman did not focus on her tragic circumstances. She believed that if she could just get to Elisha, the prophet of God would be able to help her. She hurriedly prepared for her journey and told her husband, “It is well”, in answer to his questions regarding her journey (2 Kings 4:23).
When Elisha saw the woman coming at a distance, he sent his servant Gehazi to meet her and ask if everything was alright. The woman told the servant that all was well, but when she saw Elisha she ran to him and fell at his feet. Gehazi tried to push her away, but Elisha told him to leave her alone.
Did I ask you for a son? Didn’t I tell you, ‘do not deceive me’, the woman cried out in anguish as she shared her tragedy with Elisha (2 Kings 4:28). Elisha immediately commanded Gehazi to take his staff in his hand and run to the Shunammites house to minister to the boy, but the Shunammite woman refused to settle for that. She was desperate! She was determined to persevere until Elisha agreed to go with her. He was the prophet of God and she wanted him to cry out to God for the life of her boy (2 Kings 4:30). When Elisha saw her determination, he finally agreed to go with her.
This Shunammite woman was determined to persevere in behalf of her son regardless of the seemingly impossible circumstances. There may be tremendous obstacles standing in your way or the way of your counselee, barriers blocking you from receiving help. You must identify and eliminate these through the power of God.
Whatever need you or a counselee may face–whether it be a personal issue, an emotional problem, a financial need, or a physical challenge–you must focus on the faithfulness of God instead of the circumstances. Your faith must not be limited by the need, your own limited abilities, or by what you see with your natural eyes. You must persevere in the Spirit to receive a miracle.
Jesus taught that we should believe we have received what we have asked for when we pray. He said, “ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). By eyes of faith, look beyond the natural circumstances into the supernatural realm where all things are possible with God–including your own deliverance and that of those you are counseling.
The servant, Gehazi, arrived ahead of Elisha and the mother, entered the room where the lifeless body lay on the bed, and placed Elisha’s staff on the boy’s face. Nothing happened. Gehazi went to meet Elisha and told him that the boy had not awakened (2 Kings 4:31). This did not discourage Elisha, however. He did not reverse his direction to return to Mount Carmel. Elisha knew God’s power was stronger than death–and that same power is greater than any need you or your counselee may be facing.
When Elisha reached the house, he went into his room and shut the door. Alone in that room, facing the boy’s corpse, he began to cry out to God with great fervency. Then Elisha spread himself over the boy’s body and the life of God began to flow through him into the boy. The child’s body grew warm, but was still lifeless. Elisha got up and walked back and forth in the room.
A second time, Elisha stretched himself on the boy’s lifeless body and suddenly–the power of God broke the chains of death. The life of God entered the boy, raised him from the dead, and the child sneezed seven times as the breath of life entered into him. Elisha immediately sent for the Shunammite woman and presented her son to her alive and well.
New life. That is the purpose of biblical counseling.
Now let’s, explore the 14 application of this woman’s action in a counseling scenarios for us to learn from as we go out to help others.
The Bible says the soul that sins will die, that the wages of sin is death, and that sinners are dead in their transgressions. People coming to you for help are dead in sin, have buried dreams, lost hope, and dying relationships. The following spiritual applications, drawn from this account of Elisha, may be applied as you provide counsel to raise the spiritually dead.
Have faith. The mother did not just accept the child’s death. The normal response would be to weep, call professional mourners, and prepare the body for burial. Instead, she laid him on Elisha’s bed, shut the door, and went to get the prophet. Taking the dead child to the prophet’s chamber was an act of faith in itself, as she most likely recalled the well-known miracle previously done by the Prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24). This woman did not wait for the prophet to take him into the room. She took him there, expecting a miracle. God has raised spiritually dead men from the beginning of time. Your privilege, as a biblical counselor, is to take unsaved and troubled people–just as they are–to the place of a miracle.
Note this woman’s faith when she responded to her husband’s questions, “It shall be well” (verses 23-24). When you begin to act by faith, your faith multiplies. By the time she neared the prophet’s dwelling place, her faith had increased (verse 26). When Elisha sent Gehazi to question her, she no longer said, “It shall be well.” She said, “It is well.” It is not only important for you, as a counselor to have faith, but you must instill faith in the counselee that things can change. Prepare them to receive a miracle!
Make haste. Note in 2 Kings 4:22 that the woman said, “That I may run.” You must make haste to raise the dead because souls are perishing right now, today, this very hour. Relationships are shattering. Homes are breaking up. Bondages are engulfing people in a death-like grip. Someone is at the point of suicide. There is no time for years of extended counseling. The miracle is needed now!
Break with tradition. In verse 23, the woman’s husband questioned, “Why are you going?” It was not a traditional time to go to the prophet such as on the new moon or the Sabbath. To counsel biblically, you will have to break with tradition. People may tell you, “This is not the way we do things.” They may claim your methods are faulty and unscientific. But if your counsel is based on God’s Word, it will work! Guaranteed success!
Show compassion. The dead will never be raised by “Gehazis” who have no compassion (verses 25-27). When this woman came in search of life, Gehazi wanted to send her away–which is what many church leaders are doing today–referring people with needs to others so they do not have to deal with their problems. But the Prophet of God did not send her away. He showed concern and asked, “Is it well with you and your husband and the child?
There are people who have struggled “up the hill” to get to you and are falling at your feet with great needs. Do not thrust them away. Do not refer them to unbelieving counselors, or suggest secular rehabilitation programs. Have compassion for them and do not turn them away. You have the Holy Spirit within you–the same spirit and power of Elijah–and you can minister life to their desperate needs.
Become personally involved. Elisha first sent his staff with Gehazi to raise the child from the dead. But you cannot send powerless men (like Gehazi) or substitute measures (represented by the staff) and expect a miracle. We take practical ideas of secular psychology and lay them upon the spiritually dead, but they have no more effect upon a needy soul than did Elisha’s staff. New life will not flow as long as you are placing an indifferent hand upon spiritually dead men and women. Hurting people can settle for nothing other than the power of God that is able to breathe new life into dead souls.
Follow the master’s example. In 1 Kings 17:17‑24, the Bible records the story of Elijah, who was Elisha’s mentor, setting the example for raising the dead. If Elisha had followed that example, he never would have sent Gehazi with his staff to try to do the job. Elijah had personally ministered to the dead child, and Elisha must do the same. In order to raise us from the death of sin, Jesus Christ came into this world. He came where we were. We too must go to hurting people with the message of new life. If you are to raise the dead, you must come into contact with death and the dying. You must go where they are–the streets, the drug houses, the jails and prisons. You must become personally involved with the spiritually dead.
Recognize the seriousness of the condition. Gehazi did not really believe the child was dead. He reported back that “The child is not awakened.” Gehazi spoke as if the boy was only asleep, but Elisha knew the child was dead (verse 32). Unbelievers lost in sin are not just sleeping. It is a serious condition. People who are blind to their conditions are dying spiritually, and they will never be raised to new life until you recognize this fact and lead them to recognize and deal with it themselves. Anger is not just a trait passed down from your Uncle John. It is wrong. Abortion is not a personal choice. It is murder. Adultery is not just an affair–it is a deadly sin. If you will raise the spiritually dead and minister to needy people, then you must be able to acknowledge the reality of their desperate conditions.
Do not be defeated by failure. The first attempt to raise the dead child by using Gehazi and the staff failed. When you fail in one attempt at counseling, do not give up. Do not infer from failure that you are not called to the task or that the Word is insufficient to meet the need. The lesson of failure is not withdrawing from the mission, but persevering and changing your methods to follow the Master’s example.
Resurrect life in the inner chamber. Elisha went into the inner chamber, the place where he regularly prayed to God. You must go into the “inner chamber” of prayer, shut the door, and intercede for hurting humanity. Prayer is a vital part of preparing for and providing biblical counsel.
Know the source of your power. As he entered into that inner chamber, Elisha already knew the source of his power. The mantle of God’s anointing rested upon him and he knew it was tried and proven. The reason counseling sometimes fails is that some counselors do not believe miracles are for today. If you want supernatural answers, you must believe in a supernatural God who can save, heal, and deliver. God’s Word has not changed (Psalm 119:89). Jesus Christ has not changed (Hebrews 13:8). The promises of salvation, healing, deliverance, and miracles are still in effect today.
Know the objective. Your objective is not to cleanse a dead body, embalm it with spices, or cover it with fine linen. These are all improvements to a decaying corpse, but you still have a dead body. Your objective is not improvement. Your objective is new life through Jesus Christ!
Be willing to be stretched. One would think a grown man would have to contract himself on a child, but instead the scripture says he stretched himself. Reaching out to hurting men and women is a stretching experience. You must stretch yourself to step out of your comfort zone in order to counsel and help others. When Jesus would raise us from spiritual death, He came into this world of sin and died Himself–arms stretched out upon the cross.
Be alive spiritually. Dead men can’t raise the dead. Elisha stooped over the corpse and placed his mouth upon the mouth of the dead child. He placed his eyes upon the boy’s eyes, his hands upon the child’s hands. The warm body of the man of God covered the cold body of the child. As Elisha covered death with life, the warmth of his body entered the child. If you are dead yourself, this will not happen. Placing one corpse upon another is hopeless. It is vain for dying people to gather around another dead soul and expect resurrection. If you are to counsel effectively, you must have life yourself!
Settle for nothing less than life. The flesh of the child became warm, but Elisha did not just settle for this promising sign. He would settle for nothing less than true life. It is not improvement you are after, but new life! Not mere emotionalism, but true change! Elisha walked back and forth, waiting and no doubt calling upon God. Then he stretched himself upon the child again. This time, the child sneezed seven times. The word “sneeze” as used here actually means “gasped”. As the child gasped for breath, new life entered his body and his eyes opened. The young man was resurrected to new life.
When dead men and women gasp into their beings the transforming Word of God and the breath of the Holy Spirit through biblical counsel, they too will experience new life. Using the Word of God, the power of prayer, and the mantle of God’s supernatural anointing–you too can raise the dead!
Prayer
Father, we thank you once again for the lessons you have brought our way as we meet hurting people everyday on our journey here on earth. Give us a heart of sympathy Lord God. Help us to be alive ourselves to the fact that there is nothing you cannot do as we make ourselves channels of your blessings to others who are hurting at this time. Give us a tenacious heart that is driven by love for you first and foremost. Thank you Lord for giving us the grace to represent you correctly as we raise the dead, spiritually speaking to a new life in you in Jesus name, amen
We declare the dead raised, the hopeless and the helpless restored to the glory of your name, the name that is above every other name, the name of Jesus Christ, in Jesus name, amen
Our Father and our God, We thank You for the privilege we have to gain access to your presence 24/7.
Now, experience all round-success this week and beyond as You are led by your closest friend – The Holy Spirit!
Remember, we are one in Christ Jesus – Only in unity we can have lasting and far reaching impact – Engage!
Ephesians 4:4-6 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) 4 [ There is ] one body and one Spirit—just as there is also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received—5 [ There is ] one Lord, one faith, one baptism,6 One God and Father of [ us ] all, Who is above all [ Sovereign over all ], pervading all and [ living ] in [us] all.
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Shalom!
Monday Ogwuojo Ogbe
e-discipleship at Otakada.org
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Originally posted on June 6, 2020 @ 5:29 pm
