ARE YOU READY FOR RESURRECTION?

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Are you ready for resurrection? As we continue unpacking the story of Lazarus found in John 11, let us look at some of the key points addressed in the same chapter. These points address our posture and responsibility to have our miracles manifest. And to experience the resurrection power of Jesus in our lives. What are the steps to having dead bones come alive? Can my dreams revive? Have you ever asked yourself these questions? This word, then, is for you. Let us dive right in.

How then can you experience resurrection?

First off it is important to know that before there can be resurrection, there has to be a death. So let me ask you this, have you experienced death in any area of your life? It could be the loss of a loved one or just the loss of something you hold dear. Sometimes it could be that you have gone through a very difficult period that has left you so worn out that something inside you just died. Can you relate?

How then can you experience resurrection?

For you to experience resurrection, you have to have a relationship with The Resurrection. So before we can go any further, let me ask you this, do you have a relationship with Jesus? He is The Resurrection and The Life.

Have a relationship with Jesus

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus all had a relationship with Jesus. In fact, we see that it is not only by association, but it was also by personal relationship. A relationship with Jesus is key for us to experience resurrection power in our lives and have the dead areas in our lives come alive. A relationship simply means knowing Jesus for yourself, experiencing that personal encounter that transforms you.

Having a relationship with Jesus will give you experiential knowledge of Him. Therefore, you will not go by other people’s experiences of Him but your own. You will have personal revelations of who God is to you. And you will be confident that the miracles will manifest because you have already experienced Him and you know that He is real. Experiential knowledge is key to experiencing resurrection. Mary and Martha already had a relationship with Jesus. So resurrection was just a fresh revelation of Jesus to draw them to another dimension. There are a variety of dimensions that Jesus wants you to experience, but it has to start with you having an initial relationship with Him.

There are moments in our lives where for there to be a change in our life, we will have to know Jesus for ourselves. Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?

Before Hannah received her miracle, she got to a point where she had to cry out to God for herself and really pour out her soul to Him. Hannah’s womb was dead, but it was through her experiential knowledge that her womb came alive. And she was able to give birth to Samuel and later 5 other children. It is in these personal moments that you will receive Downloads on what God wants you to do so that you can receive your breakthrough. Do you know that there are prerequisites to your breakthrough? And if you know this do you also know that it is in the relationship with God that you will receive the instructions needed to get your breakthrough? Your instructions will not be similar to someone else’s therefore doing what someone else did to gain breakthrough might not work for you.

God wants to have a relationship with you. He has so many mysteries that He wants to reveal to you and in so doing get you to the purpose He intended for you to have. There are greater levels of glory that He wants to take you and it is going to require you to know Him for yourself.

God told Moses in one instance to strike a stone so that water can emerge and when he did so, he received the miracle he was waiting for. In another instance, he tried doing the same thing, and instead, he was denied the opportunity of getting to the promised land. This goes to show that God has different strategies for different seasons and when you follow His leading, you will obtain your promise.

There is no way you can pour out your soul to a stranger, it takes some level of comfort to do so. Again, it is very difficult to feel safe to the one you are crying out to unless you intimately know them and trust that their intentions are good towards you. Mary and Martha sending that message regarding their brother to Jesus came from a place of trust and safety. They were aware that their relationship with Jesus would get Him to come through for them. This in no way portrays Jesus as One who will only move on your behalf if you have a relationship with Him. This just gives you the assurance that you can rely on Him because of your relationship with Him.

Ways which you can build a relationship with Jesus

Read the Bible- Reading the Bible will give you revelation knowledge of who God is. He has given us a detailed description of who He is in the Bible. And it is by you reading about Him that you get to have a relationship with Him. A relationship is built by spending quality time. And when you are reading the Word, you are doing exactly that
Prayer- Anytime you pray, you are communicating with God. And it is in so doing that you get to surrender even more to Him. It is in your surrender that your relationship with God is established. As you surrender your walls come down and you are able to let Him in.
Worship and praise. This is another form of surrender. Whenever you worship or praise, you give God the ultimate form of surrender. This also gives you room to trust Him even more. This in turn allows you to make room for a relationship with Him. It is difficult to worship God when you do not trust Him. The more you trust Him, the more the relationship is established.

So…

Do not mistake having a relationship with Jesus with knowing about Him. A relationship is built on trust and assurance that regardless of the situation they will be there for you. So again let me ask you, Do you have a relationship with Jesus? If not just say a simple prayer and ask Him to come into your life, forgive your sins, and give you a fresh start and allow Him to be your Lord and Savior.

Remember there is nothing magical about the prayer, it is just a declaration that stems from the heart. Should you choose to take this stand, know that Jesus is so pleased and has welcomed you into His family. He has translated you out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of life. Heaven is now celebrating your decision.

Obedience

The Bible tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice. When Jesus encountered Mary and Martha, He asked them to take Him to the tomb where they had laid Lazarus. This obviously was not an easy thing for them to do. But that is Jesus for you. He wants you to take Him to the tomb where you buried the unfulfilled dreams. The place that caused you pain. Their obedience meant them having to be okay going to the place where they had buried Lazarus.

The place that reminded them of what could have been. Jesus knew He was going to resurrect Lazarus but they did not and so they had to be okay facing their trauma and pain again. Jesus is asking you to take Him to that place where you experienced pain and trauma. He is asking you to take Him to where you buried the dreams. Where did you bury the very things that used to excite you? Have you lost all hope that things will change in your life?

There are miracles on the other side of your breakthrough. Are you ready to see God do amazing things in your life?

Are you willing to? He is resurrection power and He is the God of the impossible. But before you can experience resurrection, you will have to deal with going back to the grave, the stench, and the stone at the tomb. What this represents is the unmet expectations, the disappointment, the loss, pain, bitterness, anger, grief, and your strength. Jesus then asked them to roll away the stone and they had to give their yes. One thing to note here is that although Jesus wants to bring resurrection power in your life, He will not do it unless you consent. He wants to see you free and healed, walking in your purpose but He has to take you back for Him to heal you.

Taking hold of God’s word

Rolling away the stone means coming face to face with the lost dream. This could mean applying for that job again, opening yourself up to love again, or starting that business again. Basically doing the thing that failed again. The difference this time will be that you are not doing it alone. This time you are going on Jesus’ word and we know that His words are true and never go back to Him void. We also know that His words are backed by His power.

So will you resolve to trust Jesus when He asks you to roll away the stone? To go back to that place that caused you pain? Resurrection Power will flow in our lives when we surrender to Jesus’ will and go on His word. This will look different to each one of us. But as long as you heed to Him you can be sure that He who began it will see it through. You can also be sure that you are not alone so you do not need to be afraid. When Mary and Martha gave their yes, Jesus spoke a word to Lazarus, and instantly he was raised from the dead. Your obedience to God’s word will bring about your transformation.

Conclusion

It is not easy picking up the dream you had buried. It is daunting having to go back to the place that broke you, but sometimes Jesus will ask you to do that thing that failed again for you to experience resurrection. In such moments you will have to decide whether to follow what He is saying and risk going through that pain again or give up and let it die. Remember, Jesus does not promise us a pain-free life but His presence in the pain. And sometimes you just have to take it up and do it scared. Today I want to encourage you to face your fears and if God asks you to try it again, do not be afraid to. His words are true and are backed by His power.