Amazing Journey of Faith: Believing God For Strength and Breakthrough

Increase Your Strength For Breakthrough: Watch Dr. Bishop Tony Evans on The Prayer for Spiritual Power!

By Apostle Quinson Thomas. Updated on November 13, 2021

Strength and Breakthrough Tip: You must focus to realize the vision.

"Without focus nothing worthwhile is achievable.”

I like telling stories. It helps me to do what I like to do- and that’s talk! So the story that I’ve broken up like a screen play below will help you to see this principle# 12 through. I believe that it’s in this area that alot of us slip up. We talk idly without putting our Faith into action. So before I write a dissertation in this introductory paragraph, I’ll introduce the short dialogue below. I’ve entitled it, Faith without works is dead! Do you like the title? I do too!

Faith without Works is dead!

Shakoi: "Well you know Tommy, I have been called by God to be the head of a taxi-driving firm. And a unique firm too. One that shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with every tourist, everypassenger that gets into one of our cabs or our buses. We'll have a 24 hour radio station that will be placed in all of our vehicles!

There'll be news and the like, but every 10 minutes or so, we'll feature a testimony of How the Lord transformed the lives of our taxi-drivers. I'm even looking forward to at times sharing testimonies from our past passengers whose lives have been changed and transformed by the Gospel and the touching testimonies shared on the radio."

Tommy: "Woah, Shakoi! That's a wonderful vision you have there. What a calling! But, when are you going to get started with it? You're still working here with me at the local grocery store, man!"

Shakoi: "Well, you see Tommy, God has been leading me to start and implement many things already. I've been getting the legal work together, and I'm going out today to get 20 more drivers to start with and the sponsors that God has given me have been more that generous. This job, Tommy. This is capital.Our boss, Micky, actually decided to help me out when I told him about what God had called me to do. This is what Mr. Williams said.

Tommy: Mr. Williams? Tell me. What did he say?

Shakoi: He basically said, 'That's wonderful, Shakoi. How can I help?"

Tommy: "You've got to be kidding me!"

Shakoi: Well, Tommy, the rest is... what you see now. Praise God."

Tommy: "Wow!"

The End

Did you enjoy the story? Good.

Here’s what I want you to take away from the story for your strength and breakthrough.

Take-Away: Some people say that God helps those who help themselves. But that’s not in the Word of God. But what the Word of God says is: we are co labourers with God (1 Cor.3:9). Now you may be asking the question, “What does this have to do with fulfilling the call of God on my life?”, so I’ll go ahead and explain it to you from the story.

Story Highlights

Do you remember what Shakoi was telling Tommy in the beginning? If you don’t remember right now, you can always look back and see. Shakoi was telling Tommy all about God’s vision and plan for his life; about the firm, the radio station, testimonies and all of that. The truth is that sharing the vision is all good and dandy, but there’s more to running the race than mere idle words, as Shakoi explained to Tommy later on.

And this is the “more” that I’m talking about: We’ve got to put action to our words.

Habakkuk 2:1-4

1 I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. 2 Then the LORD answered me and said: “ Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it;Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. 4 “ Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

The Word says that we should make the vision plain so that he who reads it may run with it.

To Get The Breakthrough, We Have to Run the Race.

We want to reach the finish line. I know how that feels. Believe me, I do. But you have to start running the race in order to finish the race. At the end of the finish line is the place that God has promised you with all the “firms, radio stations, testimonies, etc.” but you have to run the race so that at the end you’ll have a greater testimony that you can share with someone who’s circling the start line and can’t get started.

Another Faith-Building Personal Story To Increase Your Strength

While I was away at school, the Lord told me to write a book. So I started. Just a couple thousand words into the book, I would stop and read it over, talk about it with friends, send it out to them by email and all of that.

I was so happy with the little that I had accomplished. However, it was after these small, thousand-word victories that I would face a lot of opposition because for some reason, I didn’t believe that I could finish this book. I would wrestle and do some more, and then I would talk about it and email it.

I wasted a tonne of time just hovering over the base instead of hitting the ball out of the park. In a way, my idea of celebration, and talking was a way to motivate myself, but a the same time it was becoming a hindrance because my chatter wasn’t getting me to the end.

The devil traps you in sin whenever you disobey what God has told you to do at a certain time, even if it’s talking about what God has asked you to do.

23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.[a] (Rom. 14:23)

This text is about eating, but the underlying principle is the same. If you’re not doing what you know God wants you to be doing, you’re operating in sin.

And I was doing a whole lot of sinning by procrastinating.

Strength Increases When You Remain Focused About Your Breakthrough

Paul talks about forgetting those things that are behind and pressing on to the mark of the higher calling of God in Christ Jesus. However, for quite some time my chatter was keeping me in the place that I had already been- in the things that are behind me.

Chatting, and looking over, and emailing was my thing that kept me stuck in yesterday.

What’s yours? Maybe it’s purchasing all the tools and fixtures you need to build the business that God has shown you. Maybe it’s getting all the advice that you can possibly get even though you know that you have more than enough to get started. Maybe it’s talking about what God has shown you until the ‘perfect’ time comes.

The perfect time is when God says move in the face of obstacles because it is then that you abide in Him more than ever. The perfect time is when you abide in Jesus and do as He says when He says, for when He tells you, He has already orchestrated the time and the hour for optimum returns. All you’ve got to do is trust and obey Him.

To Get Your Breakthrough You Can't Just Talk. Many people stay in a perpetual cycle of inactivity because they talk and talk and talk and do nothing about building their strength for the breakthrough.

The Bible in Proverbs 14:23 says that much (idle) talk leads only to poverty- lack of drive, lack of faith, lack of the expression of the abundance of God’s love, lack of God’s resources.

Imagine This: A bunch of doctors standing around, equipped to do their work but not working. They’re just smiling and looking good when there are patients that need to be attended to.

“Oh look at me, I’m a doctor. I’ve got a vision from God. I’ve got a revelation and tools that I need. But that’s alot of work. I prefer to stand around and look nice, and just talk about my past successes in medical school.”

But, let’s look at this picture from a different mindset.

Doctor: “Can we please hurry this up. I have very important work to do. I have people that have been assigned to me and I can’t let God, who has placed me here, or the people that He has assigned to me, down. Only 1 second for this picture okay.”

When will we as Christians step into the work that God has called us to in His Son, Jesus Christ?

When will we stand up - fully tuned by preparation - and do the things that God would have us do instead of talking about it?

I made up my mind a long time ago, that come what may, as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Hallelujah. There’s too much at stake for us to just talk about things. Yes, there’ll come a time that we talk about what the Lord has done, but that would be as a testimony of God’s faithfulness in our lives.

To get the breakthrough, however, we have to go through the testing and be victorious in the end.

We, as the people of God, must have the boldness and courage to say, “Lord, Let your Kingdom come and let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

You must have the will to give what God has given to you to give when He tells you to do so. And to do that you must have your Focus on His Kingdom and His righteousness.

Imagine a person in a wheelchair.

Imagine a person in a wheelchair who’s reaching out for a glass. The glass is in your hand but you decide throw it in the recycling bin for it to go and come back to you again.

This is what we do when we procrastinate or wait for the “perfect” time.

It’s much easier to bury your gift than to share it with others. It’s so much easier to ignore God’s call than to answer it. But it’s slothful- it’s lazy- and this doesn’t please the Lord.

He has given you what’s His so that you can be a blessing, not to let a curse propagate.

So you’re reading this article that the Lord led me to write. Will you let your light shine and write the book that the Lord’s told you to write, or will you bury it until the call comes again?

Will you let your light shine and write and publish that song that the Lord has been speaking to you about or will you bury it until the call comes again?

I know that it’s hard at times when contending for your breakthrough because your strength feels small, but He Who is within you is greater that he who is in the world. Let’s do this. Let’s shake up this world for Jesus.

Let’s press through when everything seems to be going the wrong way. Let’s follow Jesus wherever He leads us, and destroy the works of the devil in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you ready? Are you with me? Let’s start by giving that guy the glass.

Prayer and Fasting Also Do Wonders for Increasing (or rather Activating) Spiritual Strength For Breakthrough

Watch This Amazing Video By Pastor Jentezen Franklin

To Increase in Strength To Get The Breakthrough You Must Remain Resolute In Your Persistence

We lose the ability to stay in the game because we lose sight of our Source.”

Have you ever had ice cream before?

Many people all over the world enjoy ice cream. I like it too. But I didn’t ask whether you like ice-cream just so that we can have a discussion on ice cream, but I’m helping you to see something that many who have given up on truly fulfilling their destiny have failed to see.

This is it. On a hot day when you’re tired and hungry, and everything that can be shaken out of you is shaken out, you’ve got to keep licking on the ice-cream. In other words, in order to truly reach that place that the Lord has promised you, you have to stay in His Word. You have to seek Him diligently. You must NOT lose sight of your Source.

You have to keep licking that icecream. The Bible says, Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalm 34:8)

There are seasons of revelation that the Lord has appointed that will lead to manifestation of a greater vision and the way to get to the fulfillment of the vision. But, if you don’t stay in the game, you’ll never get to those seasons!

Some people don’t understand this, because they think that God doesn’t want to feed them. But He does. He wants to fill you to overflowing. But the bible says this- They that come before the Lord must first believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.(Hebrews 11:6)

I told you to keep on licking that icecream because just as the icecream provides your body with enough substance to keep going, and thus experience all that your walk entails, so too your persistence and diligence to seek the Lord at all times enables you to get those rewards that will enable you to walk out your walk successfully- to His glory , praise and honor.

I know I’ve had many questions about my God-given destiny in Christ. I’m sure that you have to, and that’s why you have to seek the Lord. You have to seek the Lord because He is the author and finisher of your faith.

The Lord is the One who will equip you to fight the good fight of faith and achieve the victory. You’ve got to seek Him in order to be promoted to the place in and through Him that He has called you to be.

Here’s Something Important

He doesn’t give it to you all at once because you would not have built up the faith to carry the load and blessings all at once. So, in His wisdom, He gives you little by little, step upon step, and precept upon precept, so that when you get to the place that you’ve seen far out in the distance( and even further than that), you’ll be able to administer your authority and position in the Lord effectively.

“2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.(James 1:2-4)”

In the times when you are weak and don’t know the way forward, don’t just sit down and wallow in self-pity!

Say to yourself, “I’ve got a destiny to fulfill in Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour. I know what I’ll do. I’ll keep tasting that the Lord is good. I’ll keep licking my ice-cream - His Word, His promises, His plans for my life."

You have to come to the place where every moment of the day you’re thinking about Jesus and satisfying that hunger by seeking Him- either directly through His written word and through the direct counsel of the Holy Spirit or by wise counsel through men and women of God who are anointed by the Holy Spirit to teach, and preach and empower you with His Word.

 You have to be persistent to the point that you say, “I’ve got to have me some Jesus!”

Here’s someone that kept on licking the ice-cream.

Let’s get down to business quickly. You’ll be able to find it in Luke 18:35-43. It reads:

35As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."38He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"39Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"40Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41"What do you want me to do for you?""Lord, I want to see," he replied.42Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. 

When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Can I tell you a little something about this man?

 1)This man had a revelation

He knew something that some of the people around him didn’t know. Have you ever felt like that? Okay, while you’re confirming God’s grace upon your life, I want you to look at verses 37 and

38. The people called The Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. They called him based on birth place, or on what they’ve always known. The people couldn’t see Jesus for all that He was. In the same way, some people can only see Jesus as the guy in the Bible.

Sure they know He’s the Son of God, but that’s all they know. They don’t want to experience Jesus in the now. They don’t want to experience Jesus because it’s too crazy.

But, you know that you aren’t a Jesus of Nazareth person, but you’re a Jesus, Son of David person.

And that’s what this man called the Lord Jesus Christ because he had a revelation of Jesus. He wanted more than just walking around with Him, or having a casual relationship with Him. He wanted all of Jesus!

He didn’t want just what others had told him that he had come to believe, but he also wanted the experience to be able to tell someone of the goodness of God as a result of the revelation that he received about Him.

This man had to get revelation from God because he was not satisfied with his natural sight! His natural sight was void of what he knew God had for him. It simply wasn’t enough for him. It just wouldn’t do. This blind man, represents the place that you may have been, because, like that blind man, you have not seen what the Lord has promised you with your natural eyes yet! What you have seen is what you have always seen and what many around you have always experienced- darkness- that which is void of God’s Word.

But, you aren’t without hope because you’ve received the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. And God has given you the vision.

Let Jesus Be Your Strength and You Will Get The Breakthrough!

You may not be able to see it there with your natural eyes like this blind man, but you’ve got the vision, just like he did, that Jesus is the answer. He’s the way-maker, the Miracle-worker.  God Almighty.

And God has satisfied your desire to see with your natural eyes what He has promised by giving you revelation of Jesus- that He isn’t just Jesus of Nazareth, God’s Son who was here over two thousand years ago, but Jesus Son of David- the promised Messiah and God in the flesh who is now right there where you are, taking up residence within you by His Holy Spirit. And He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ever think, hope, or imagine according to the power that works in you. You see, you have to persist in faith. You have to put some action to your faith. That takes us to the second nugget about this man.

2) He persevered to the end.

As mentioned earlier, this blind man knew what was available to him in Jesus and sought after it, facing many struggles until he finally made it there. He had perseverance. Do you have perseverance?

Don’t have much of that? Hang on.

The testing of your faith will produce that as patience has its perfect work in you.(James 1)

Perseverance is an important key to getting the victory. Let me show you how important it was in my own life and ministry.

To Get The Breakthrough You Have To Hold on Even When Your Strength Feels Insufficient

There came a point in my life where I felt that all hell was breaking loose. Ever had one of those times?

The closer that I got to Jesus, the more I faced opposition, not only on the outside, but it was affecting my body, particularly my skin. In fact, this opposition came right around the time when the Lord was using me in the healing ministry.

I would pray for others, and they would be healed. People with Colds, Fever-like symptoms, headaches, pain in the legs,  and people in need of sight- restoration were the type of people that Lord was healing through me. But the more that I poured out, the more that I suffered in my own body. There have been times of complete exhaustion, and fatigue. But, I still went on.

The goal to see many healed, and witness the power of God in present times was too great. And even greater than that - the salvation of lost and desperate souls who need our Saviour, was continually before me.

 I would write and study, and pray and soak in the presence of the Lord so that I would have something new to share with God’s people as I gathered my strength in the Lord Jesus to be able to be a light in this world.

My desire to bring glory and honor to God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was ever before me.

There is a reason why the Apostle Paul encourages us to Fight the Good Fight of Faith. Getting to the place of promise isn’t going to be easy. But, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You have to persevere in this fight. The Apostle Paul encourages us to “Fight the good fight of Faith,” and that’s what God is calling you to do.

To stand up and say, Jesus Christ is Lord!

You Have Great Strength! Greater is He Who Is In You Than he who is In The World.

I know at times it gets difficult, but in all things know that you are a conqueror through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to beslaughtered."[l] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans8:35-59)

That scripture seems to be popping up alot, doesn’t it? It’s one of my favourite scriptures in the bible.

Persistence is Key To Your Breakthrough

The persistence that I’ve been alluding to in this chapter results in the praise of God being shown, communicated, and related to those around you.

Can you hear the man there trying to locate Jesus? He locks into him, and the people try to silence him but he remains true to his purpose, he remains true to what was revealed to Him. He remains true to the revelation that this man Jesus does wonders and miracles, and heals people. He knew that this man Jesus was not just an ordinary man but The Messiah, the Son of God who came into this world to save us. 

Can you hear him persevering and being bold in his assertion with what was revealed to him? Do you see yourself there in his shoes?

Now we know from the passage that this man was completely healed of his blindness. Glory to God. But, let’s look at the praise to God that resulted from his persistence in following through until the end.

The Praise of God was shown

The Word of God affirms that we are now God’s own people to show forth or proclaim the praises of him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light (1Peter 2:9). The end result of your persistent boldness, which is made up of persistence, truth, and revelation is the showing forth of the praises of God. People often refer to praise as being that which we do when we open our mouths and shout Hallelujah.

Praise is often only looked at as the dance that we do in the presence of the Lord. But, Praise goes much further than that. Praise, in addition to being spoken about or depicted, is meant to be expressed by God Himself, through the Holy Spirit that now dwells within you.

Reason for Your Strength and Breakthrough: God wants you to proclaim His praise with and in your life.

9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1Peter2:9- 10)

You see, there are many that will never step foot in a church building, but will take notice of the fruits of the Gospel in your life. Some will not listen to what you have to say, and sometimes will even silence you, but when they see the fruits that you have been speaking about, then they’ll shout and praise the Lord.

What am I saying?

Let’s say that you were extremely poor, and couldn’t get anything done. You couldn’t pay your rent, and you couldn’t support your family with the little that you had been earning. But you know that the Lord had given you a word that you will be a powerful support to those who were just like you, struggling and crying over their inability to provide for those they love. At present, the way seems bleak. Your family and friends tell you to give up on that fantasy that you call a word that the Lord gave to you, but you persist.

Every day you wake up with the word from the Lord burning in your heart. You spend time in his presence learning from him and yielding to His will and purpose in your life. Finally, 3 years later, you’re a millionaire businessman- teaching others how to come out of poverty and use their wealth and resources to finance the work of God’s Kingdom and The Lord’s purpose.

“Wow!” may be the expressions that people use when they see you bringing cases upon cases of food and books to their dilapidated homes as you say, “Jesus is my way maker. And without Him I can do nothing.”

Breakthrough Gives Your Praise Substance In The Physical World and This Gives God Glory.

Can you imagine what would happen as praise breaks out in that place as those who knew you before the Lord prospered your way begin to praise God for helping you and making a way where there was no way?

Now the praise has substance -the way it should be. God wants everything to be filled with His praise and your persistent boldness in reaching out to the Lord, as you’re led by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the glorious plan that He has for your life will result in God’s praise having material substance.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

The Word of God declares that when the man began to praise God that others who were around him began to Praise God as well. You see, it’s not enough to talk about God’s praise. God wants you to proclaim His Praise! Hallelujah! He wants those around you to see what He can do, and who He is and His power. The Lord wants you to let your light shine, and then share your proclaimed testimony of His power to save and deliver in your life.

“Look at the economy,” one might say. “Look at my health,” another might say.

But look at what happens when the Lord prospers your way and heals you of your infirmities.

You’ll be able to say, “Look at what the Lord’s done in my finances. He is worthy of all the glory, honor and praise.”

You’ll be able to say, “Look at my health, y’all! The Lord healed me. He is the Lord, my healer. The Lord is good, and His love endures forever!”

Think about the many people who would be saved after seeing and hearing the result of your endurance and persistence in the Lord when the Word is backed up with signs following.

Just like Paul and Silas endured by abiding in the Praise of God, the Word of God, who He is, and saw results, so too will you as you endure by abiding in His Word. For as you praise Him, and abide in Him,( not being far from Him but always in His presence, delighting in Him) your endurance and persistence will be met by the Word of God being confirmed with signs following. This simply means that your life becomes a praise offering to the Lord.

Don’t you want to give the Lord that joy? I know I do. Be persistent. You'll acquire the strength. And by God's grace, you will break through!