More in 24!

One of the things Greta and I love to do is to ask the Lord for prophetic insight for each new year. A theme will usually come which we will pray into and also use for the preaching/teaching ministry God has given us. Over the last few weeks of 2023, the phrase “more in 2024” kept coming to me. As I studied many scriptures with the word more in them, three stood out especially.

MORE THAN CONQUERORS

Speaking of the opposition and trials that Christians face, the apostle Paul said:

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37 NIV)

The world has become more volatile, more opposed to Christianity, and the devil is more active – all signs Jesus said that would precede his return. But God’s more will always conquer evil’s more. We are more than conquerors over these things, through Christ. This includes addictions, character flaws, and other areas we may struggle with.

If we have failed many times, it’s easy to believe that we will never have victory. To feel a condemned failure. To fear the next fall. Fear will rob us of victory. But if we believe and pray, and resist the spirit of defeatism, we can expect to conquer things we have never been able to before in 2024.

MORE THAN WE CAN ASK

Another scripture that stood out was Ephesians 3:20 (NIV):

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

Dare to ask big in 2024. Dare to think big. As long as it is God’s will, he will do more than our biggest request. He always has a way of surpassing our expectations to remind us how kind and amazing he is, leaving us in awe of him.

For example, I released my latest book How to Pray – and Change Your World in 2022. At the time, Greta and I prayed that the Lord would take it far and wide, to light a fire of prayer in all who read it. A copy fell into the hands of a New Zealand missionary to Mongolia who sent it to a church leader there. That leader liked it so much that he translated it. Between the missionary, our home church, and our ministry we raised enough finance to print 5000 copies. Last year, these were all distributed free of charge to the Mongolian church.

Such was the hunger, that one woman drove fifteen hours through a sandstorm, snowstorm, and an engine breakdown to get three copies!  Because of the demand, another 5000 copies are being printed for distribution in 2024. A donor has already covered the cost of this. 10,000 books on prayer are going to make a huge difference to that nation. Outer Mongolia – we never thought God would do that!

You may not have written a book. But you may have desires and God-dreams for yourself, your family, church, business, nation, and this world. And God is waiting to awe you with his “immeasurably more” if you dare to ask and think big.

ALL THE MORE

Finally, a third scripture caught my attention.

 “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  (Hebrews 10:24-25 RSV)

The Day is the return of Christ when we cross the finish line and receive our reward. Things will get tougher nearer to his coming, but we can encourage one another. A word, a good work, a smile, sharing truth, praying for one another – encouragement is the language of heaven.

But encouragement can’t work in isolation. It works best in community: small groups, church gatherings, friends meeting.

In the early church, there was a man called Joseph. Acts 11:24 says he was a good man full of the Holy Spirit and faith. He loved to encourage people. He did it so much that the apostles nicknamed him Barnabas which means ‘son of encouragement’. When Saul the persecutor of the church was converted, many believers thought he had faked his conversion so as to infiltrate the church. Barnabas, however, believed in him, encouraged him, and helped launch him into ministry. Saul became the great apostle Paul.

If there had been no Barnabas, there might not have been a Paul. You never know the outcome when you encourage someone. You help them become who God wants them to be. You help them cross the finish line.

As we enter this new year, let our declaration be, “More in 24!” Believe it, pray it and expect to be amazed by what God does.