Do you have a hard heart?

Have you ever asked yourself, “How do I get the finished works of Christ to manifest in my life?” For example, your healing, or your deliverance from addiction, or your financial prosperity? Do you know how to intelligently respond when things don’t manifest in your life?

Mark 6:52, AMP, says this: “For they failed to consider or understand [the teaching and meaning of the miracle of] the loaves; [in fact] their hearts had grown callous [had become dull and had lost the power of understanding]. This is recorded following the story where Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread, two fish, and fed thousands what I call a “two-piece fish dinner” (Mark 6:38-44). He then sent His disciples on ahead of him in a boat to Bethsaida. Later that evening, Jesus joined them, walking on the water. They screamed in fear when they saw Him walking toward them, thinking He was a ghost. But Jesus comforted them saying, “It is I, be not afraid” and joined them in the boat (vs. 45-51).

How is it possible that after witnessing the miracle of Jesus feeding thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish just hours earlier, the disciples hearts had “grown callous” so quickly (vs. 52, AMP)? Didn’t they realize that if Jesus could perform that miracle, seeing Him walking on water shouldn’t have shocked and caused them so much fear? As this scripture stated, their hearts were hardened. So, what does that mean to you and I?

A hardened heart is what happens when you don’t consider and ponder a thing. A hardened heart is evident when you can relate more to the natural, than to the supernatural. It’s when you’re more moved by what you see, than what God has promised. If you’re “surprised” when your prayers get answered, you have a hardened heart!

Manifestation requires focus! What are you giving your attention to? You have to focus and give attention to God’s promises. Whatever you focus your attention on is what will dominate you. The thing you consider the most is what will manifest in your life!

To “consider” means to think on; to think carefully about; to contemplate; to bear  in mind; to take into account; to ponder; study; examine, and meditate upon. There are a lot of things we consider in life, and give our attention to: your wife; your husband; your relationships; your kids; issues at work and home; our iPhones, iPads, and so on. There is a competition going on for your attention, which is why you have to take authority over your thought life.

How many more months will you walk around defeated and depressed? How many more years will you be stuck in places that you hate? If you want the finished works of Christ to manifest in your life, you have to give your attention to the invisible things that’s He’s already made available for you, like healing, prosperity, etc. You have to become a good custodian over your thought life. What you neglect is what you’re going to be hardened to. The Scripture says “attend to my words” (Proverbs 4:20).

Overcoming failure begins in your thought life. You have to decide to think a thing on purpose! Success and victory in a person’s life is based on his or her thought process. Start thinking about what you’re thinking about! Adjust your thinking to be in line with God’s Word. Think and talk about God’s mighty power and His precious promises!

So now, armed with this information, what are you prepared to do? It’s time to get rid of a hardened heart and live your life as if the supernatural, is natural! Praise God!
“Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God” (Romans 4:20, NLT).