Because of that obedience, God exalted him and multiplied his greatness! He has now been given the greatest of all names! The authority of the name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence! Everything and everyone will one day submit to this name—in the heavenly realm, in the earthly realm, and in the demonic realm. And every tongue will proclaim in every language: “Jesus Christ is Lord Yahweh,” bringing glory and honor to God, his Father! Philippians 2:9
Awhile back, we were given some explanation for challenges my son had faced for years. It was heartbreaking and we began the hard work of formal and home therapy programs.
After we had understanding of what we were working with, I began to fight for breakthrough in a way that I never had previously: joyfully and passionately reveling in the fact that this diagnosis, and the reality we experienced daily, did not rival Jesus. I began to declare, sing, and speak of how nothing—even this—could rival the power and solutions that Jesus had to offer.
To my exhausted self... I spoke and sang about his reign, reminding myself that even though I couldn’t fathom how, it would be so easy for Jesus to change it all in an instant.
During his meltdowns... I looked helplessness in the face and sang about Jesus’s breakthrough.
To my fearful heart... I declared that his is the advancing Kingdom—even over my home.
Every time I did this, big internal shifts would happen, even in that moment. Sometimes one of these things would reemerge. I would serenade it again, and the helplessness, fatigue, and fear would bow under truth. It was one of the richest processes that I have experienced so far.
After about six months of this process, the breakthrough extended beyond internal miracles. We began to taste of the fact that Jesus had real solutions to our real issue—that our situation could not rival him. He brought a sudden breakthrough and healing and it changed our son’s life and ours. Our son was re-tested and barely registered with the challenges he had lived with for years of his life—confirming what we already knew we were seeing.
A struggle doesn’t just fade in light of Jesus in some metaphorical way; it shrinks because real solutions come through Jesus’s power: healing, creative solutions, breakthrough. Every sickness or problem that tries to exalt itself through rendering his children powerless, afraid, and wounded has to bow a knee at the name of Jesus. And as it does, our realities can really begin to shift.
Romans 6:9–11 unfolds the richness of his power: “And we know that since the Anointed One has been raised from the dead to die no more, his resurrection life has vanquished death and its power over him is finished. For by his sacrifice he died to sin’s power once and for all, but he now lives continuously for the Father’s pleasure. So let it be the same way with you! Since you are now joined with him, you must continually view yourselves as dead and unresponsive to sin’s appeal while living daily for God’s pleasure in union with Jesus, the Anointed One.”
The variety of miracles I have experienced or partnered with since—simply through lifting up the incomparable Jesus—have delighted and surprised me. The list of breakthroughs I have witnessed for myself and others includes a seized-up back released, breakthrough in an anxiety disorder, severe disc degeneration in the back resolved, conception after infertility, painless childbirth, lupus labs coming back clear. Daily I am being convinced more that nothing rivals Jesus—and because of this, daily, I am singing about him a little bit louder.
REFLECT AND RESPOND
What situation in your life or the life of a loved one feels impossible to see changes in? Bring it to mind and experiment with this simple exercise: Turn on some worship music that lifts Jesus’s name high (“What a Beautiful Name” is one song suggestion). For five minutes, give yourself permission to believe that Jesus could and wants to bring breakthrough to it, and enjoy not having to be able to see how he could. Sing and worship Jesus, as if you are standing over the problem you have in mind and are enthroning Jesus there. Notice the internal and external shifts and celebrate each time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anna Mullikin has served with Novo since 2006. She and her husband Alan are passionate about the most vulnerable around the world, and currently working to see healing and gospel movements among the youth and children of Redding. Anna leads Novo's Prime Healing Prayer team.