Bold Claims

Joshua 14:¹² “So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.”

Caleb made bold claims. The problem with some of us is that the claims we are making are too tiny. Where did the Lord promise Caleb the hill country? It is not in scripture. How did he know that was where God had promised him? In his heart, he knows, that he knows, that he knows that he knows that was his promised land. Listen, until you know, that you know that this is my inheritance in God, it eludes you. But when you know that you know that you know, you claim it. When we came to the land God’s Favourite House Headquarters sits on today, everywhere was swamping. I jumped the fence and entered this land from the car park area at night, so nobody was there. I took the sand and I jumped back out.

Then I took it to my prayer place and said, ‘This is the land, Lord, the promise you have given me’. Where was it written? In my heart! Many of you are letting your spouse pass you by. You know that this is your spouse, but you are still posing, still proving, still crossing your legs, and still playing Ludo. Who told the woman with the issue of blood that if she can only touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, she will be made whole? Who told her? You need to make bold claims. Most times, we are waiting on God, but God is saying, ‘It is before you.’ What do you want? When God said to me towards the end of 2020 that 2021 is the year of Lifting, I made what I consider bold claims. As you would discover with Caleb and with us, bold claims birth bold prayers.

So, I made what I consider bold claims, and they were like bold prayers. By May 2021, the things that I considered bold claims and bold prayers, God had answered them. And it looked like it was not that big in the first place. But it was big for me at that time, and I am still grateful to God. However, in retrospect, it does not look big anymore. But the truth is, I can now make bolder claims and I am thinking. The truth is, you do not make bold claims haphazardly, you need to think. God is saying to you make the bold claims, pray bold prayers. Stop praying prayers that your neighbour can answer for you. Pray bold prayers that only God can answer. I cannot emphasize this enough. Who told the prodigal son to go back to his father’s house? His heart.

The U-turn he made was from his heart. In his heart, he knew that he needed to go back and that birthed a bold step, a bold claim, a bold prayer. The walls of Jericho have fallen, what mountains are you laying claim to? What bold claims are you making, what bold prayers are you praying?

Prayer: Father, I ask today that You will give me the mountains that You promised me, and because You are with me, I drive out every giant occupying it, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen!