As the new year approached, I began to think about the things God had done for me in 2022. God has been so good to me. Even in the most difficult times, God has proven himself as faithful time and time again. He has moved me out of situations I never imagined being able to leave. Before January hit, I asked God, “What do you want me to focus on for the New year”? I waited for an answer from God. Then, two weeks before the end of 2022 he came back to me with an answer early in the morning as the day began.
As I slept in bed one gloomy morning, God woke me up to the sound of rain and light wind. I could feel the creeping of seasonal depression approach and decided to command my morning with God’s word versus sit and let the enemy begin picking at my thoughts. Gently I pulled my tape assembled bible and opened it to the book of Matthew. God led me to Matthew 17:20. It read, “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Bible NLT)
Reading Mathew 17:20 gave me chills. I immediately lifted out of the bed and began crying. I knew God was speaking to me directly in that moment. For years, I have let depression, anxiety, anger, and unforgiveness be the mountains that kept me from joy. This year was different though. Different, because God was using Matthew 17:20 to tell me that my faith, even as small as a mustard seed would be enough to speak to the mountains in my life. I began pacing in the bedroom gearing up my stale vocal cords to speak the word aloud. I yelled out the verse into the air and began letting the presence of God shift the atmosphere. I invited the holy spirit into the room and my skin began to tingle. I could feel the air thicken with the lord’s essence. My voice began to rise, and the mountains in my life that had burdened my spirit for so long were about to be under attack by my tongue. “Depression, MOVE”, “Anger, MOVE”, “Sadness MOVE”, “Lack MOVE”. As I yelled at the mountains, my shoulders began to release and I could feel the weight of the world lift off of me and God’s presence encompassed the room.
Suddenly, light began peeking through my window, silence was broken by a bird song and melodic drips of leftover rain. The sun moved over my home, and as my voice declined, I could hear the echo of God saying, “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” That day was life-changing for me. God answered my prayer for the New Year with a promise that whatever mountains I have the faith to speak to, will be the very same mountains that God CAN move out of my way.
We all have mountains that we face in life. Whatever mountains you face today, I encourage you to take the mustard seed of faith in your heart, raise up your voice, and tell those stiff mountains to move out of your way. God is paving a road, and he needs you to speak the mountains off the trail and make room for you to walk into your promises and blessings. The Bible says that we only need the faith of a mustard seed. When God works, he doesn’t always need us to do grand things. Sometimes all he needs from us is a little bit of faith so that he can move those mountains that we think are impossible to overcome. Speak to the mountain of depression and tell it to move. Speak to the mountain of anger and tell it to move. Speak to the mountain of fear and tell it to move. Speak to the mountain of sickness and tell it to move. Speak to the mountain of debt and tell it to move. Speak to the mountain of your marriage and tell it to move. Speak to the mountain of trauma and tell it to move. Whatever mountain stands in your way, speak to it, and with the faith of a mustard seed say, “MOVE”. Then watch how God moves in your life and opens up a path to the promise.
A prayer for the mountains in your life:
Dear Father God,
We come to you today with the faith of a mustard seed as we speak to the mountains in our life. Father, we ask you to help us to have faith that you can do anything and all things. No matter the size of the mountain, we know that our faith in you can make it yield to your presence and eventually move. Lord, we trust in your word and believe in your power. Give us the authority to move mountains and overcome the valleys in our life. With you all things are possible, and we command the mountains to move right now in Jesus’ name. Amen.
JaNae Reese
IG: @ Guavasgrace
Reference:
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20 NLT Version
1 comment
Yes to all of this! I can relate to so many things that you shared. Thanks for the encouragement and the reminder to speak MOVE to any and everything standing in my way!