God of Resurrection

Photo by Zac Durant

And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out.

2 Kings 4:20-22

The Shunammite woman had made a place for Elisha the prophet. And because of the honor she had shown him, Elisha wanted to repay her by doing something for her. Elisha’s servant noticed she was childless. So Elisha prophecies to her that she was going to have a son. She was so full of unbelief that she tells him not to lie to her. But God gave her son. After a while, the child falls sick and dies. 2 Kings 4

But what the Shunammite woman does is prophetic.

What do we do when the promises we received from God die? Do we turn to God in accusation or do we believe Him for a resurrection?

Power of silence

When the Shunammite woman noticed her son was dead she doesn’t run around wailing. She tells no one, not even her husband. She calmly picks up her dead son and places him in the upper room where Elisha used to stay. She keeps it to herself to protect her faith. Believing God for a resurrection requires a different level of faith. We see the Shunammite woman protecting her ability to believe God for this miracle by not engaging people and allowing their unbelief to color her faith.

We will need to cover our dead miracles in order to believe God for a resurrection. We will need to guard our faith and make sure that we are not allowing unbelief to enter into our realm of faith.

This is a principle for walking in great faith. We have to learn the art of protecting our faith.

A few years ago, I was praying for a job. Through a dream, God revealed to me that I was going to get it. I knew who to call to connect me to this job. I applied and was called for the interview and did the interview, sure that I was going to get this job. A week later, I received an email informing me that I didn’t get it. I honestly thought it was a mistake. How? This job was mine by prophecy yet here I was on the other side of a dead promise.

My hope had been greatly deferred. It was such a loss because I had received it by prayer and faith. It felt as if God had been unfaithful. A few days later I had a dream and I saw my name being removed from the list. Somebody had stolen my inheritance of a job! I was mad. I felt led to fast and pray for a reversal. I fasted and prayed (again) for this job. Two months later I received a phone call to report to work. I didn’t do another interview. I started the job immediately. The God of resurrection had resurrected this opportunity for me.

In this season I remember just keeping it to myself, I didn’t tell my family about it. I did it secretly because I didn’t want their unbelief to stop me from reversing what the enemy had taken. I remember them being shocked when told them I got the job. I was able to command a resurrection for something that was dead in my life.

Prophesy to your situation

So she sets out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her coming. He said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. Run at once to meet her and say to her ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?” She answered, “All is well.” 2 Kings 4:25-26

She doesn’t start a long sad story about how God had been unfaithful. She just says, “All is well.” She is not in denial nor is she lying, she is speaking from the realm of faith. All is well because God is still on the throne. Even when she doesn’t know how He was going to do it. She speaks by faith, it shall be well.

Prophesy to yourself, speak to that circumstance. Remind yourself of His faithfulness. Say, “God is good to me and I will see His goodness in this situation.” Give God praise for the miracle even before you see the miracle. Order your heart by faith until you see what you are believing for.

Pour out your distress to God

We not only prophesy but remember to deal with the pain in our hearts. There is a place for grieving and weeping in God, this is how we heal. We don’t pretend the pain isn’t there. We bring it before God and allow Him to heal us. Even as we believe for a resurrection

When she gets to Elisha she does something different.

And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, “ Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.” Then she said, “ Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘ Do not deceive me? 2 Kings 4:27-28

The Shunammite woman runs to God through Elisha. She didn’t hesitate to run to God. In her bitter distress, she remembers who her helper is. In her grief and disappointment, she runs towards God, not from Him.

You could be disconnecting yourself from God because you have walked through a disappointing situation. Like the Shunammite woman, we can take our distress to God. We can weep at Jesus’ feet; we can bring our questions to God without fear. We can show Him what we cannot show others. He is our father and will not turn us away.

Shutting the door for prayer

When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD. 2 kings 4:32-33

Intense prayer requires shutting the door. When we are praying for difficult things, there is a need to close the door behind us and pray without being distracted. When we are praying for things that require great faith we need to shut the door to some people. Elisha doesn’t pray in front of the Shunammite and Gehazi. He shuts the door to the house and prays alone.

There are some things God will ask us to enlist the help of others but there are things He will ask us to bring to Him alone. This is where we shut the door and not tell people what we are believing or praying for. We stay in there until we receive the miracle.

Elisha doesn’t pray once and says, “Well I tried my best.” He prayed until he received the miracle. He didn’t leave that room until that child got up.

Maybe your prayer will need a few hours, or it will need a few months or years. Whatever it takes don’t walk out of that room without an answer. If you heard God about that promise then stand in faith and prayer until what’s dead comes back to life.

Refuse to take no for an answer concerning that dead marriage. Refuse to take no for answer concerning that ob or opportunity or ministry. Refuse to take no for an answer concerning your health. Refuse to take no for an answer concerning your children. Don’t stop until you see the promise come back to life. Pray until heaven moves. Don’t quit after a few tries, tell yourself the only thing that will make you stop is the answer coming.

Faith that overcomes

So he called to her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” She came and fell at his feet bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out. 2 Kings 4:36-37

The Shunammite woman received her son back from the dead. Nothing is impossible for our God. He can resurrect anything. All He requires is our partnership of faith here on earth. Without our faith, God’s hands are tied. It required the faith of the woman and the prophet to bring back her child. If we have no one to believe with us, Jesus will believe with us and bring us to the realm where resurrection becomes possible.

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.” 1 John 5:4

If we will stand on faith, we will see God do greater things in our lives.