Paul wrote, ‘From this time on we do not think of anyone as the world does. In the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks, but we no longer think of him in that way. If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!’ (v.16-17 NCV). Here’s something important that we need to keep in mind: When we’re trying to help believers who are struggling or battling with addiction or a physical problem, we should speak life to their regenerated spirit. We need to speak to the part of them that’s capable of rising up in faith and responding to God’s Word: ‘Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ’ (Romans 10:17 NIV). Faith comes by hearing what God thinks, says, and can do. Until God has been heard, the last word hasn’t been spoken. God instructed Ezekiel to stand in a valley full of dead bones and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life’ (Ezekiel 37:5 NIV). And it happened! Ezekiel said, ‘As I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together’ (v.7 NIV). Faith doesn’t deny reality or ignore what’s happening, but it does refuse to be intimidated, limited, or ruled by the circumstances we can see. ‘Spirit can be known only by spirit’ (1 Corinthians 2:14 MSG), so when someone is a redeemed child of God, we shouldn’t speak to their human mind. Instead, we should let God guide us in speaking His words of life and hope to their spirit.

What Now?

Offer to pray for someone who’s battling with a problem at the moment. Ask God to guide you in the right words of encouragement to speak over them.