Have you ever cried out to God for a breakthrough in an area of your life? Maybe you want to see God heal a relationship, or move you on to the next season of your life. If you are in this place, I have encouragement for you. There isn’t a 3-step plan to get you to your breakthrough, but since we are always moving in some direction, it may help you focus your steps on the way.
If you’ve been reading this series of posts from my journey through unemployment, you know it’s been a process. Each month I’ve had to trust and lean into God in a new way. He revealed things to me along the way that brought healing, understanding and hope. I was laid off in March 2012, but by August I had entered into a new revelation about process. I learned to love the process after being told I didn’t get a job I really wanted.
I also learned that God loves process.
The Scriptures are filled with examples of how He takes people on a journey. If God didn’t love process, there wouldn’t be journeys. In one second a prayer is answered; you are healed, you meet your spouse, you have a new job. But once that prayer is answered, you offer up another, and the process begins again. Life if a series of processes strung together by promises.
So why love a process?
Process reveals our strengths.
It’s as if God takes a magnifying glass to our strengths so we can thank Him for showing us where we’ve grown and how we’ve overcome. Then those areas are ones in which we can encourage our brothers and sisters. There have been times I’ve seen growth in my life only because I was pressed and responded differently. No one was more surprised than me!
Process reveals our weaknesses.
Under the magnifying glass, we have a choice to make. What will we do about the things we didn’t know were there before? We can choose to thank God for showing us these areas of weakness. We must display our open and empty hands for Him to fill them with His power. A broken and contrite heart He will not despise. God hears our cries and shows compassion on us. We must humble ourselves so He can exalt us. I can see God smile when we thank Him for what He is doing in our lives—even when we can’t see the finished work. Plus it just makes the enemy mad because what he used to try to hurt us is just bringing more praise to God. Although hurting the enemy isn’t my motivation, it is empowering to strike back sometimes.
Process reveals our degree of intimacy with God.
Gold is refined under intense heat, and the process is necessary for the gold to be as beautiful as it was created to be. In the same way, you are in the process of being made into who God originally designed you to be. Because of the fall, we were separated from God. Because of Jesus, we have access to God. The time that lingers in seasons and between breakthroughs is a time for rejoicing, because it is in those times that the most beautiful things about you are being created. God is longing to talk to you about the desires of your heart. The process is an opportunity to pursue God’s presence and wait upon Him for revelation. I needed to slow down, and the process allowed me to see that God was wooing me.
Time for Breakthrough
So, I realize I haven’t directly answered the question about how to get a breakthrough. There are many great sermons that will tell you to pray, fast, repent, give financially, etc., to receive a breakthrough. All of those are great ways to get to the next level with your relationship with God. For instance, when you want to get to know God’s heart on something and sacrifice activity for prayer, you can’t help but go deeper with God. Depth with God always leads to more revelation than you had before. It can feel like a breakthrough in your heart, even if circumstances don’t change.
So, just receiving the process and acknowledging it is part of God’s plan is a breakthrough.
On one last note, I want to encourage you that when God delays something, it’s for a purpose. If you feel you’ve done everything to facilitate getting your breakthrough and it’s still not coming, then stand on God’s promises. Write out the verses God has encouraged you with on sticky notes and post them all over your house. Or write out the verses that you know are true about God’s promises for you. Believe His Word. Stand on His Word. Because His Word never fails.
I also want to shed light on a tactic of the enemy: He wants to tell you that your breakthrough isn’t coming because you didn’t pray enough, fast enough, repent enough or give enough. Those are lies! God would never say that to you, so it comes from the the pit of hell. We were not saved by works, and we don’t receive breakthrough because of works. I’m not saying go on sinning and expect a breakthrough. I’m saying when you’ve done everything you know to do, stand. The enemy wants to keep you from God by giving you reasons to accuse yourself and avoid God. He will whisper lies that cause you to accuse God. God is good and has great plans for you. We can make the process longer by being disobedient, but even in that God isn’t upset with you. He will get His work accomplished in you. You are His son/daughter, and He will stop at nothing to pursue you and help you fulfill your destiny.
Submit to the process … enjoy it while you are there.
In the process, I stopped pursuing goals and promises. I pursued God. And then I started to enjoy the steps along the way. Each day was an opportunity to learn more about the Father and what He thought about me. The process has become as fun as the fulfillment of promises.
Praise God for the process. Let Him remind you of the work He is doing in you. Declare His promises over you. Breakthrough is coming …
Jill Monaco is the founder of Jill Monaco Ministries, a nonprofit organization committed to loving people the way Jesus loves. She is a popular speaker, blogger and the publisher and editor-in-chief of Single Matters magazine, an online webzine for Christian singles over 30. She has a passion to inspire others to have an intimate relationship with God. Her desire is for them to live intentional lives empowered by the knowledge of who they are in Christ, and walking with authority in the sphere of influence He has entrusted to them. She is known for captivating audiences with her high-energy, humorous approach to life’s serious issues. Her faith-filled and transparent stories encourage listeners to become all that God has created and redeemed them to be. Jill has been featured on “LIFE Today” with James and Betty Robison and spoken to audiences of thousands. Her career includes 20 years as a professional stage and TV actor, a talent agent, and 10 years in Christian ministry that included leading worship and directing the artist relations and events program for a mission agency. Currently living in Dallas, Texas, Jill loves mint chocolate chip ice cream and finding excuses to wear yoga pants. She looks forward to having her own family someday. Until then, she works very hard at earning the title of favorite aunt to her five nieces and nephews. Connect with Jill on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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