May I add that sometimes people do not hold on to their prayers, hopes, dreams, and visions long enough. We must never give up. God hears us the moment we begin to pray. He then sets the wheels in motion for the accomplishment of our request. It may take months or years before the circumstances are appropriate and the prayer is refined so God, others, and we will be blessed by the answer.

A delay in the answer to our prayers does not mean we shall never receive. We are to keep on believing, keep on hoping, keep on trusting, keep on committing. We keep our vision bright and shining from youth through to old age. One day, when we least expect it, the answer will come, and it will be a tree of life. "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it" (Proverbs 10:22).

Jesus said, "If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it."

It isn't faith that brings the answer, it is Jesus who brings the answer.

Don't ever give up on your dreams. Look always and only to the Lord Jesus Christ. If your vision truly will bring you lasting peace and joy, the answer is coming. Only believe.

Notice (Joshua 3:13) that the path opened as soon as the priests stepped into the water. We have stated that this kind of courageous and obedient faith is required if we are to follow the Lord into the land of promise.

We may prefer that God part the river so we can march across in obvious safety. The idea of stepping into the river and then having it part is not always a pleasant prospect.

God is moving today. God is bringing us to spiritual control over the material creation. Satan has kept the creation in spiritual slavery, in sin, in rebellion, in separation from the glory and peace of God's Presence.

It is not possible we can overcome Satan while we are living in the flesh, while our life and behavior is dominated by our self-will and self-seeking.

Only "dead men" can overcome the devil. Only "dead men" can "fall on the sword," the Word of God, and not be wounded (Joel 2:8). The control of God's creation can be taken from the enemy only by living dead-men. The Lord always seeks to slay us before He brings us before the Pharaoh of this world.

By what means does God slay us? By the cross: the cross of trouble, the cross of perplexity, the cross of persecution, the cross of being cast down by circumstances, the cross of always bearing about in our physical body the dying of the Lord Jesus, the cross of denying ourselves what we desire fervently.

God must have an army of saints who are dead to themselves and alive in the resurrection power of Christ.

To be continued.