Rooted (Part 8): The Manner of Constraining the Lord

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Hello GTH Champions! Here is Part 8 of this ROOTED series, our guiding Word for 2021 at Revive Nations. To access the whole series, click here. Part 7 was a glorious revelation of how the Lord conceals His mysteries for the glory of our discovery! Now in Part 8, we look at how to constrain our Lord. Is this even possible? Join Prophet Shyju Mathew, Founder of Revive Nations, as we explore this powerful topic as deeply rooted believers in Jesus Christ!

Have you ever constrained someone to stay for a meal, to rest and enjoy a coffee, to linger a bit longer? In Luke chapter 24: 29, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus constrained the Lord, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And He went in to tarry with them.

Note: They constrained Him. Constrained is an active force. It was not easy for them to get Jesus to come. There was wrestling that had to be done. To constrain takes effort!

If you study the characteristics of God, you will see the same characteristics in His creation.

God created His angels to function like Him. They carry the principles of the heartbeat of God. Many times, when angels appear, there needed to be a constraining in order for them to stay.

Abraham constrained the three angels to stay for a meal (Genesis 18). Jacob would not let the angel that appeared to him go until a blessing was secured, and that wrestling lasted long through the night (Genesis 32).

Certain breakthroughs don’t come until you’re ready to wrestle for that breakthrough.

95% of the time, believers miss certain mighty breakthroughs that were supposed to come to them, because they did not have the spiritual stamina to wrestle until they have tapped into what they have received.

A Christian who does not understand this becomes a passive Christian.
A Christian who does not understand this becomes an entitled Christian.

What is your current capacity?

Are you willing to do whatever it takes to constrain the Lord?

In Jeremiah 29: 13 the Lord says, And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you.

The Law of Encounter requires you to seek God in order to find Him.

You’re not going to stumble upon Him – you are supposed to seek Him! Yet, in order for you to encounter the Lord, certain steps have to be followed.

In Luke 24:28, we read, And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.

The Lord Jesus is perfect, without knowing sin, without guile or manipulation, the righteous, perfect Lamb of God! Yet, the Scripture testifies, more than once in fact, He pretends to pass on. He pretends He doesn’t want to stay, but he wants to stay. He wants to dine in them, but He acts like he doesn’t want to.

What was the Lord’s intention? Why was He pretending?

Jesus is both the King, Who demands His people to follow a certain way, and at the same time, He is our loving Father, therefore, He teaches truth very patiently. As a King, He knows they do not have an understanding of Who He is. The disciples don’t know how to approach Him. They don’t know how to tap into His Grace. They don’t know how to access Him.

Now the Lord Jesus, He loves His disciples.

Yet their eyes are closed.

The Lord cannot devalue Himself and give to them for free, because anything that is given easily is devalued. He cannot diminish who He is, because He has stated how they must approach His Presence, how they must pay a price to access the King.

Yet, they don’t have understanding.

Being that loving Father, the Lord Jesus lingers a little longer, until they come to that truth.

It is like those moments, when we play hide and seek with our children. When we hide from them, it is not because we don’t want our kids to find us. When we hide from them, it is because we hope that they will locate us!

God is looking for people who will constrain Him.

God is looking for all of our heart, for our everything.

When you pray, is all your heart there? When you speak in tongues, is all your heart there? When you are singing, is all your heart there? When you are clapping, is all your heart there?

The principle of encounter requires you to give God all your heart. All 100% of you.

So here is the Big Question: Do you want more of God?

Will you draw near? What are you willing to do to constrain the Lord?

We hope this series is drawing you closer and closer to the Lord Who loves you! To hear this Word in full, click here. Please share this series with someone you love! May the nations be revived as the Lord releases this powerful invitation to all who are hungry for more of Him!