The Bible in its current and final state contains 66 books. The collection contains the documentation of God’s acts and messages to mankind across generations. By reading the Bible therefore, we discover his general will for our lives. This is the LOGOS of God’s word.
But there are times when God uses His written word to speak to a specific situation or experience that we may be going through or a question that we are asking about His specific will as opposed to His general will for all mankind. God by His Spirit leads you to a portion of the Bible where the answer He intends to give you is documented and then He uses that portion or verse to speak to you directly.
That portion of the Bible will have an original context no doubt. But for this purpose, the original context is irrelevant. It’s a special message of God to you directly. The word will jump at you and speak to you so personally beyond its original context. That is when it is said that you’ve encountered the RHEMA of God’s word.
Many years ago, I had series of encounters with God which began in a revival meeting and continued many weeks after. It was such a tangible experience of God communicating my assignment in life and making exceeding great and precious promises to me regarding my life’s journey. But in the midst of this season of sweet fellowship with the Holy Spirit, I had a serious Business crisis. I was a professional Photographer and then I covered an event and unfortunately all the pictures got spoilt and my camera was stolen.
I was so down and confused. My question was, if God was with me (as He assured during the revival meeting encounters), why would this kind of thing happen to me? So I decided to enquire of God if He was still with me.
I went to a solitary place, locked myself in a room and prayed for about two hours one single prayer point: “Lord speak to me whether you’re still with me or not.” I was desperate to hear Him speak by any means including by His audible Voice if He chooses. At the end of 2 hours of prayer, I was tired and decided to take a rest.
As I sat to take a rest, I opened my Bible not knowing exactly where it opened to. Then my eyes was glued to the page it opened to and I was reading. I had not read many verses when I saw, “I AM WITH YOU and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” Genesis 28:15.
Until that point, I had never come across that passage before. In the original context, it was Jacob God was speaking to. But for this occasion God was using that record to speak to me directly in my present situation. And you see, this was too accurate an answer to the question I raised with God for more than 2 hours for it to be a mere coincidence. So I was sure this was God speaking to me directly by the RHEMA of His word. My joy knew no bound. I was sure God heard my prayers and had so quickly come to answer it. I left that place with a rock-solid assurance that God was with me despite the business challenges I was at the time going through.
You can be asking God whether to marry a brother who has come to propose and while the enquiry lasts, God draws you to a portion of the Bible where he says: “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.” 1 Sam 16:7. In a special way this portion of the Bible jumped at you unplanned and impresses on your spirit while you were in a state of praying and meditations. You will know that this is the Holy Spirit speaking by the RHEMA of his word.
Or say the portion you were led to is where it is written, “Take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid.” Maybe you’ve been asking God, “this brother that came, is he from you?” And then you’re led to this portion without premeditation and the scripture suddenly jumps at you while you study and impresses specially on your spirit. That’s Rhema.
Do you know what Rhema is now? It’s a popular and reliable way by which God speaks. He can speak to you from time to time through this means also.
But take note of the important preparations to hear God this way, judging by my personal story which I narrated above.
1. You must be in a state of desperation to hear Him. I was. How desperate are you Sister or brother? Hearing God often requires a level of desperation.
2. You must be ready to pray for a fairly long time. God hardly speaks outside an atmosphere of praying and seeking His face. Remember I had prayed for two hours before I had this experience.
3. You must be a student of the Bible for God to draw you to a portion of scripture that God desires to adopt to address your current questions.
Now over to you. Go and put this into practice and you’ll enjoy the rare excitement that comes with knowing the mind of God accurately.
Your brother,
Peniela Eniayo, Akintujoye
#resettingtheodds
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