Clear Out Room For God To Move | Steven Furtick

This year, think about all the things you want God to do in your life—and all the things I hope He does in mine, because I have my list too. But the real question is: Have you made room for God to work in your life? Whatever your answer is, it’s okay. That’s where we’ll begin. Remember, what started as a roof turned into a room, and that’s a revelation in itself.

The roof can become a room. The roof is the highest point of the house, which is significant. If she had looked around the house, she wouldn’t have found space for the prophet to stay. Sometimes, you need to go higher to see the opportunities God has given you. Tell your neighbor, “I appreciate your opinion, but sometimes I need to go higher.”

“I know you might not think I can do it, but it doesn’t matter if you believe in me. I know I might not look capable, but that’s okay because man looks at outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” If you’ve been dealing with rejection from those who didn’t see your potential, or missed opportunities because you didn’t fit the mold, I’ve got a word for you: Go higher! There’s room on the roof. I almost preached an entire sermon called “There’s Room on the Roof.” What is impossible for man is possible for God. His ways and thoughts are beyond ours. I’m going higher this year, heading to the top floor in 2024.

In 2 Kings 4:10, we read, “One day when Elisha came, he went up to the room she made for him and lay down there.” She built that room without any hidden agenda. Motives matter. She built it because it was the right thing to do. She made room for God’s purpose and aligned with God’s timing, not her own. Some of us struggle to be used by God because we want to control when He can act in our lives—only when we’re ready, rested, and set. But she had a different kind of obedience to God.

Here’s the first lesson for you: To see God move in the way you’re dreaming about, you must be obedient. I didn’t expect applause on that, and you didn’t give me one, but that’s okay. I was ready for your reaction. Yet there’s nothing in the Bible that says God told her to build the room. He didn’t say, “Build a room, please.” Why? Because God had other options. Anyone could have built that room, but it was a privilege to obey God.

Sometimes when I greet you, I want to say, “Thank you for coming to church,” but honestly, that feels wrong. I’m genuinely grateful you’re here, but we didn’t do God a favor by coming. We know that, right? God wasn’t waiting for you to worship to gain power or for someone to praise Him to make things happen. He doesn’t need us, but our obedience is what He desires.

The obedience I’m talking about is different from what we understand as obedience in our culture. We’re surrounded by too many opinions and distractions to truly respect the power of simple obedience to God. I won’t lie and say I always know exactly what God is telling me to do, but when I do know and choose not to obey, it blocks me. I start blaming everything around me, but what I’m really struggling with is what’s blocked inside of me. This woman’s obedience wasn’t to the word of a man or a social media influencer—it was to the will of God.