There are those whom the Lord calls and there are the few He chooses according to Matthew 22:14. There are those He handpicks and reshapes with His own hands like the potter does the clay according to Jeremiah 18:1-4.
God’s chosen vessels are guided by the Lord through difficult times, helping them overcome their fears and emerge stronger, much like David in Psalm 23:4 who went on to become King of Israel. Others are guided towards spiritual enlightenment and leadership, shedding their desires for material wealth and power, similar to Moses in Hebrews 11:23-26 who led his people out of bondage in Egypt.
Those whom God selects are frequently led through a challenging journey known as the wilderness, during which their character is shaped and refined before they are empowered to liberate others from spiritual constraints.
The Bible says in Luke 4:1 “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness”.
Every person chosen or handpicked by God to do His work must go through a wilderness experience where He humbles you and tests you to see the depths of your heart or what’s really in your heart. After you triumph in your season of testing, He fills you with His authentic glorious power of His divine presence to break yokes and to set the captives free.
The Bible says in Deuteronomy 8:2, “Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments”.
The gateway to receiving the true power of God is through a wilderness experience designed by the Holy Spirit hence, the Bible says that after Jesus entered the wilderness, He returned in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14 KJV).
The pathway to accessing the divine power of God involves undergoing a wilderness experience orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. As indicated in the Bible, Jesus emerged from the wilderness with heightened spiritual strength. Given that Jesus himself embarked on a period of wilderness before commencing his earthly ministry, it is certain that God will lead his chosen individuals through a similar process.
Each person’s wilderness experience is unique, as exemplified by the 12 disciples of Jesus who had to give up everything they had, including their careers and material possessions, in order to follow Christ and eventually become his apostles (Mark 10:28). The Holy Spirit determines the specific wilderness experience for each individual based on their calling and divine purpose.
Avoiding the wilderness is impossible, and shortcuts to achieving greatness do not exist. The only way to reach your promised land, the future planned by God for you, is by journeying through the wilderness. If you choose to ignore or skip this difficult path and instead prioritize fulfilling your desires and seeking power, your spiritual well-being will suffer greatly. Your life will be controlled by your fleshly desires, leading to negative consequences for your ministry in the long run.
There are numerous people in ministry at the current time who have fallen into the devil’s traps and are participating in various sinful behaviors. These individuals are struggling to resist the devil as mentioned in James 4:7, as they have not faced him in a challenging situation like Jesus did in the wilderness. It is essential to recall that Jesus successfully withstood three temptations from Satan during his time in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-12).
Satan is prevailing over many ministers today through sinful acts such as sexual sins, pride, lust for money, lust for power and witchcraft (manipulation, domination, and intimidation of others). The Minister must pass through the wilderness. When it’s avoided, Satan will have his way with them. The vessel of God must allow the Holy Spirit to strip them off their pride and break them in the wilderness or Satan will dominate them and strip them off their spiritual power like he did to Samson (Judges 16:21-30) and many others.
The process of God shaping His chosen vessel can be seen through the Lord’s supper in Matthew 26:26-27. The Bible says, “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples”. First, the Lord took the bread (this is when He chooses His Vessel). He blessed the bread by giving thanks (this is when He blesses you by allowing you to feel the joy of salvation through the infilling of His Holy Spirit). The Lord then broke the bread (this is when the Lord allows you to go through the wilderness where He shows you the nature of your own flesh and carnality (Galatians 5:19-21) and teaches you how to crucify your flesh. This is an experience that the Holy Spirit will design for you based on His assignment for you). The Lord then distributed the bread to the disciples (this is when the Lord releases you to the church and distributes you to the world to fulfill the great commission).
These steps are crucial to the success of the Lord’s chosen vessel. It is a process that will not only empower you but will also allow you to know all the devices of Satan that passes through the nature of the flesh. This process will also allow you to distinguish between the impulses of your own flesh, the counterfeit voice of Satan which attempts to imitate the voice of the Holy Spirit in your own mind. You will now engage in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12). If you fight the good fight of faith and surrender to the Holy Spirit, you will triumph and return in the power of the Spirit. The voice of the Holy Spirit will become clearer and no weapon formed against you shall proper.
I pray, the Lord strengthens those in leadership positions across the globe who are called and chosen to fulfill the great commission. That they may live a Godly life that reflects the character of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that the Lord will rescue ministers, those Satan has bound, deceived and is using as a tool to mislead many of God’s people astray.
Author: Pastor Andrew A Osei
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