During my communion time with the Holy Spirit, the Lord revealed the danger of us walking at cross purposes with Him in matters of the Spirit. One of the greatest hindrances to us experiencing the Lord’s miraculous power is our tendency to postpone His promises to the future rather than respond to Him in the present. We often avoid the uncomfortable steps of obedience required today, choosing instead to delay our action because it demands less of us at the present moment.

However the Holy Spirit is calling for the followers of Jesus to place a demand on the God of the now to act, and not rely on an imagined future we are constantly wishing for that often never materialises because we chose delay over immediate obedience. The Holy Spirit directed my attention to John 11:21–26, which reveals a conversation between Jesus and Martha following the death of her brother Lazarus. This passage reveals a pattern that often exists in us the followers of Jesus today.

Martha’s initial response to Jesus when He arrived was one of disappointment and accusation as she spoke these words: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” So instead of offering the sacrifice of praise commanded in Hebrews 13:15, she complained, blamed Jesus for arriving “late,” and failed to consider that He still had a divine purpose for that very day. Although she had previously witnessed His miraculous works, her immediate reaction exposed the reality of disappointment in her heart rather than expectancy of the miraculous.

Almost immediately Martha attempted to cover up her unbelief with familiar words of faith by saying these words: “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” The Holy Spirit highlighted that many of us as followers of Jesus similarly possess a “church-trained” language that sounds spiritual while masking the doubt in our hearts. Jesus, however, graciously received the words of faith she spoke rather than focusing on her weakness. As taught in Hebrews 3:1–3, Jesus is our High Priest and faithfully ministers over our confessions of faith that agree with the Lord’s will.

Jesus then declared to Martha His intention for that very day which was that: “Your brother will rise again.” Rather than her to embrace Jesus present word to her, Martha shifted the conversation to talk of future theology as she said these words: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Although doctrinally correct, her response completely missed the immediate work Jesus intended to accomplish because she allowed her knowledge of future Scripture concerning resurrection to rob her of present faith to experience that resurrection in the now of her life.

The Holy Spirit emphasised the fact that many followers of Jesus repeat this same mistake today. They seek to use their biblical knowledge about future promises of the Lord as an excuse not to believe the Lord for today’s manifestation. They forget that faith always takes in the now while hope waits for a future realisation to happen. However the Lord continually speaks in the present because faith is always now. As Hebrews 3:7–15 warns us clearly saying that, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” When the heart hardens against the Lord’s present instruction, His miraculous work is hindered.

Jesus therefore quickly redirected Martha’s focus to Himself in the present by saying to her that: “I am the resurrection and the life… Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26). He was not speaking about a future resurrection but was revealing to her that resurrection power was standing before her now. The Holy Spirit stressed that genuine faith always operates in the present. As Hebrews 11:1 declares, “Now faith is…” Faith is not postponed to another day but acts upon what the Lord is saying at this present moment.

Yet Martha again failed to engage with the present revelation and instead of affirming Jesus as the Resurrection standing before her, she replied, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Jesus was already present in front of her, yet she continued speaking of Him in future terms. Her religious understanding prevented her from embracing the immediate miracle available before her to experience. How many times have we allowed waiting for the future to rob us of the miracle present before us.

The Holy Spirit is calling for every follower of Jesus to examine their own life through Martha’s example and see just how many opportunities have been lost because present obedience to the Lord was postponed? How often have our future expectations replaced a present faith action? Many have unknowingly excused themselves using the correct Scripture as an excuse while missing the Lord’s intended miraculous manifestation for that day.

Although Martha eventually witnessed Lazarus’ resurrection from the grave, it was largely because Mary her sister approached Jesus differently, by allowing Him greater freedom to accomplish His purpose for that day. Even then Martha still continued to interfere, by objecting when Jesus instructed that the stone be removed by focusing on the odour of death that had consumed his body. Once again Jesus had to correct and rebuke her to keep her aligned with His purpose as He reminded her that if she believed she would see the glory of the Lord.

This action on the part of Martha demonstrates how repeated unbelief and natural reasoning can continually obstruct the work the Lord desires to perform in our lives. The Holy Spirit lovingly calls us the followers of Jesus today to identify and repent of every mindset that continually postpones the Lord’s present work to change our circumstances. Unlike Martha, who ended up receiving the miracle, many have missed opportunities without someone else standing in the gap to compensate for their unbelief, and have wrongly blamed the Lord for failing them when He was present to bring deliverance.

In reality, it was their inability to submit to the Holy Spirit’s present leading that prevented them from entering into His miraculous provision. However the Holy Spirit is offering a fresh beginning through these revealed words to you He is extending the grace to repent, abandon excuses, reject fear and doubt, and embrace the faith that believes the Lord in the now. So as we the followers of Jesus surrender completely to the present voice of the Holy Spirit, you will begin experiencing the Lord’s miraculous intervention in the current realities of your life rather than continually deferring His promises to the future season.

In the name of Jesus, may every mindset that postpones the Lord’s promises for your life be broken off your life. May the Holy Spirit grant you the grace to recognise His voice today, by responding immediately in obedient faith, and refusing to delay what He desires to accomplish now. I declare that every excuse rooted in doubt, fear, disappointment, or misplaced reliance on future expectations is removed off your life.

May your heart remain tender before the Lord, fully aligned with His present purpose and His present word to change your circumstances around. From this day forward, may you walk in “now” faith, as you experience the resurrection life and miraculous power of Jesus in every area of your life.

May the opportunities you once missed be replaced with fresh encounters, with the option for fresh obedience, and fresh manifestations of the Lord’s glory to fill your lives. As you surrender completely to the Holy Spirit, may your life become a continual testimony of His power working in the present, by bringing healing, restoration, breakthrough, and triumph, all for the glory of Jesus Christ. Amen.