KEY SCRIPTURE: Acts 2:22. “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:”

Miracles, signs and wonders are a powerful means of advertising the gospel. Every minister or child of God must pursue it for a greater impact of God’s work. (Please read 2 kings 6:1-7) In the preceding passage, Prophet Elisha made an axe head to float on the surface of water, after it sank into the river. What makes some men so powerful to work great signs and wonders? Our key scripture gives a clue. It says Jesus was approved of God. Approval always demands meeting certain requirements or standards. The approval of a man results from one’s pursuit of God. Every man that God has used mightily pursued after God with all his heart. Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart”.

What does it entail in pursuing after God? Elisha is a typical example of one who pursued after God with all his heart. When Elijah first met him and cast his mantle on him, he responded by killing his bullocks which he ploughed with and gave it to the people. He then followed Elijah and served him (1 kings 19:19—21). He pursued diligently till Elijah was taken to heaven. He demonstrated his readiness to follow God by always doing what the Spirit required of him. He passed the Naaman test when he refused to take the presents, he brought to him. Following after God means seeking to know Him, his power and to run away from everything God disapproves. It involves developing a personal relationship with God

When one pursues after God in the way described above, he grows in the knowledge of God. His faith in God also grows. It is the growing of one’s faith that brings this approval of the man. The bible calls it being justified. It is only the just who are approved (Rom 5:1) The just live by faith (Rom1:17) Faith in God is the means by which God works miracles through his servants. Heb 11:2 “For by it the elders obtained a good report ‘The path to being approved of God, begins with pursuing after God. The more you honor him by doing the word, God works through you. This grows your faith and will result in God approving you for more signs and wonders.

CONFESSION

 I abide in the Lord and His word abides in me I pursue   after God with all my heart. Through knowledge of God and His word my faith grows exceedingly. God honors my faith by working out signs and wonders through me.

FURTHER STUDIES

Philippians 3:12-14. “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also, I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.

Philippians 3:10. “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”