(Psalm 23: 1 – 6)
After that, I taught on the principle that
obedience precedes the overflow and I used the first public miracle of
Jesus to explain the principle. Although obedience is a major key to
receiving an overflow, there are other factors that can also contribute
to it. These points are based on our Bible Study on the Theme – The Lord
is my Shepherd.
1. There has to be a cup or a vessel for God to fill:
This means unless we come to God we cannot experience an overflow and we
must also come empty. In Luke 18: 9 – 14, Jesus told the parable of the
proud Pharisee and the humble Publican who went into the Temple to
pray. It is only an empty vessel that God can fill to overflowing. It is
only a sanctified vessel that God can fill to overflowing. Present
yourself as a living sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1-2).
2. We must exercise our faith in God: Unbelief or doubt
is the enemy of faith. In II Kings 7, the word of the Lord came through
the Prophet Elisha that there shall be a miracle of overflow. Everybody
believed the word of God except a man who doubted. He said even if God
opened windows in heaven the prophecy could not happen. The man perished
because of his unbelief. On the other hand, those who believed the
prophet’s word experienced an overflow.
3. We have to depend on the Holy Spirit: God does not
only want us to enjoy an overflow in material things, He also wants us
to enjoy an overflow of His anointing. In Acts 2, the Apostles
experienced an overflow of anointing on the day of Pentecost and since
then, their lives were never the same again. Ordinary fishermen became
mountain movers, unlearned men became miracle workers and kingdom
pillars, all because of an overflow of anointing.
4. We have to discover our gifts: In Prov. 18: 16 the
Bible says the gifts of a man will make room for him and bring him
before great men. The gifts of Joseph made room for him and he stood
before Pharaoh. He also became a ruler in Egypt. The gifts of Daniel
made room for him and he became a ruler in Babylon. Our talents and
abilities will cause us to experience an overflow. There are many living
in the world today who enjoy a life of overflow because of their gifts
and talents.
5. By offering our sacrifice of praise and worship: God
inhabits the praises of His people and He appreciates it when we give
Him worthy praise. He even performed and is still performing the miracle
of overflow through praise and worship. In II Chr. 20, King Jehoshaphat
was invaded by three armies but instead of surrendering in defeat, he
cried out to God for help. God asked him to assemble praise singers and
to sing His praise. Jehoshaphat received a miracle of overflow through
his praise of God. We also can receive a miracle of overflow as we sing
the praise of God.