Look at the miracles that happen. They spoke something. He said with a loud voice, raise up! There's always someone who's got to give voice to God's plan to do something, and then they have to act, so isn't it interesting. First He built expectation; got them all in crowds ready to have a meal. Secondly He took what they had, thirdly He looked up to the source that could make this have impact - and the next thing He did was He spoke over it, He blessed it or spoke positive creative words over it. Then He said now go do something with it and you notice this; the bread never multiplied until they took it and started to give it out. It was in the actual giving out that the miracle happened.
So when I just asked her to come up I had no idea what God was going to do, but I expected that if I would just look to the source something would start to happen and it started to happen. That's how the realm of the spirit operates. Now here's the last thing. The last thing is this; Jesus made him pick up all the pieces. Now was that because He's a Greenie or what? He made him pick up all the pieces and put them all in baskets and when he finished he had 12 baskets. Twelve is symbolic of God's government or God's kingdom, so what it's saying is this is how the kingdom operates.
Now, in case you thought it was not important each time Jesus did that miracle He made them pick up the remains. Is it because He's green? Not at all. There was a purpose in it. What He wanted them to do was to see the 12 baskets and remember what they started with and have a visual picture in front of them of what a miracle can do. This is just the scraps. This is the stuff they didn't eat.
Later on when their faith failed them at a certain point He said haven't you learnt anything? Remember. Remember the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, the 12 baskets. In other words what He's saying is go back and remember the miracle and what you saw because that's crucial to teach you about flowing to the next level that I want you to grow in.
Now how many people have had God move in your life at one point or another? God's come and broke through? I think most of us here have something you remember, something. Remember it, because what God did then, that's your learning step to actually believe Him for more to happen. You've got to remember things God has done. I'll just finish with this simple thing.
I was in a meeting one time. I walked in this meeting, there's a guy a wheelchair there and I was a bit upset - thought oh, they'll bring Him up at the end of the meeting and I'll pray and nothing will happen. I'll be a bit disappointed. I just hate wheelchairs and I'm thinking like this you see and sort of by the time I got to my seat I was sort of in a state about wheelchairs - just don't like them. And anyway, so the Lord said you need to change your attitude; meditate on the miraculous, meditate on the healing - and I stood there meditating for quite some time and suddenly in a moment I knew in my heart he would be healed. And at the end of the meeting we prayed for him, the guy got up, walked and then he was saved.
It was the first time I ever in my own ministry saw someone come out of a wheelchair and I learnt from it. I learnt the power of setting your mind on the source and seeing in the spirit God at work doing things through your life. It's incredibly powerful. In fact until you train yourself to see like that you probably won't see much actually out work.
So there it is, how miracles happen. Notice, you've got to take what you have, you've got to take risks, you've got to be willing to step out and engage and allow God to help you, as you take what you have, make it available to God and you know, build expectation; today when I pray for someone something will happen for them. You've got to build that expectation around your life and then look to God, look to the source and start to speak and act on what you believe God is showing you - and you might be surprised. So let me just finish with a couple of questions. Let me finish with a couple of questions. I want you to close your eyes and just have a think about this for a moment, just a few questions and then we're going to just open our hearts, just respond to the Lord tonight because I believe He wants you to see things happening in your life.
Here's the first thing, see, do you see needs around you? Number one, do you - can you see the real needs around you or do you need to start prayer walking or praying and looking for people, starting to ask God to open your heart to the need. See, what is your response to the needs around you? Do you say it's not my problem or are you feeling that compassion is growing? You see, notice in that example that we had tonight, just the wonderful way when someone was moved with compassion God came through and a tremendous amount was raised to help people in need.