As I study the Bible, I am sometimes surprised at the portions of scripture that the Holy Spirit allows to stand out.

I was recently reading about the life of Peter and was empathizing with him for his unfruitful night of fishing, as I thought of my many proverbial ‘nights of unfruitful fishing’. I believe that many of us can relate, as we have, on occasion, ‘labored all night’ with nothing to show for it. Have you been burning the midnight oil, burning the candle at both ends, investing, striving, and straining, and still have empty hands?

In this short article, I’ll share some of the insights that the Holy Spirit laid on my heart.

Firstly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with good, honest labor. Some Christians go to the extreme of thinking that life is supposed to be a leisurely stroll with God providing while we expend no energy. As a scientist, atrophy comes to mind whenever I think of that scenario.

As I continued to read the scripture prayerfully, the Holy Spirit said, ‘You sometimes pray and receive the answer but don’t follow through to the manifestation of the answer.’

Imagine being an expert in your field who has unfruitfully done everything within your power to achieve results, only to be comforted by someone with zero experience, not even a novice, but a non-starter in your field, giving you advice.

That’s exactly what happened with Peter. After fishing all night and catching nothing, a stranger on the shore tells him to ‘cast his net on the other side’.

The advice made no logical sense. It’s like standing on the left side of your studio to paint and selling no artwork, then having someone advise you to stand on the right side of the studio to paint instead, as a solution to your problem.

How many of you have had a similar experience? I’m sure if you pause and ponder you’ll recall at least one instance where you received and shrugged off a prompting to do something seemingly insignificant as a solution to a problem. If you’re drawing a blank, just as the Holy Spirit makes you more aware of His promptings.

Someone reading this felt a prompting to enter their home through the rear door instead of the front. To go into the office 30 minutes earlier a few days in a row, and do nothing but sit quietly for the 30 minutes. To park at the end of the lot and walk instead of using your spot right in front of the building. To stop at the supermarket and buy an avocado when you have a tree laden with avocados in the backyard.

I recall a friend who worked at the World Trade Center before 9/11 telling me that she woke up and just didn’t feel like going to work that day. Because she wasn’t sick and had no real reason not to show up, she pushed past the prompting and went to work, but because she struggled with getting dressed, she was so late that she never actually made it to the building, but got turned back in the subway.

Sometimes, those promptings are for our preservation, and sometimes, our answers or solutions lie in those seemingly foolish or insignificant promptings that we receive from the Holy Spirit.

I am positive that there was no way that Peter could have perceived the catch he would have brought in just by switching his nets to the other side of the boat.

I can sense the Holy Spirit saying to someone, ‘Humor me,’ just be obedient and let me be God. Just pass by that rebellious child and smile, don’t say a word, just smile. Just add a red dot to that painting, it doesn’t even have to be visible. Just drink a glass of orange juice instead of your usual glass of water.

The miraculous happens when we choose to be obedient. If Peter had dismissed the seemingly clueless stranger, we wouldn’t be contemplating his actions today. He wouldn’t have become a significant figure in Christianity, he would have remained Simon.

For example, the cure for your illness isn’t in the pills, please continue to take them, but share the love and hope that you’ve found in Christ with your neighbor, in obedience to your Abba Father, and you’ll be healed.

Today I want to join my faith with someone reading this and encourage you to obey the prompting that the Holy Spirit is placing on your heart right now. I declare that out of that simple act of obedience, God will completely turn around your situation, immediately.

It goes without saying that it’s impossible to follow God’s promptings if you don’t know his voice. Thankfully, if you are a believer, you do know His voice according to John 10:27 which says, “My sheep recognize (know) my voice….” The more time we spend in conversation with the Holy Spirit, the more familiar we become with His voice. Do you need to carve out some time to spend in conversation with our Heavenly Father so that you recognize even his quiet whispers?

Father, I thank you for your children reading this today, and I pray that you would help them to be intentional about spending time becoming more familiar with Your voice. Help them to act in simple obedience and allow the answer that has already been provided to be manifested in their lives. As they walk over to the other side of their boats and drop their nets, the schools of fish that have been patiently waiting to be caught will cause their nets to break with abundance.

Father, I command the cycle of scarcity and lack that had been like a noose around their necks, to be broken off this very instant. I command every spirit of fear to flee. May they each walk fully in the joy, peace, and freedom of your abundant life, that has been made available through your shed blood at Calvary. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Thanks for reading this. Please share your thoughts, and share this with a friend. Be blessed.