Have you heard the story about the man stranded in a flood? As water rose, he cried out to the Lord, “Save me!” Then, along came a man with a boat. He said, "Hey, jump in the boat. I'll save you." The drowning man replied, "No, no, no. I'm crying out to God. The Lord is going to save me." The man on the boat left. Shortly after that another man on a boat came. The same thing happened. Then, along came a man in a helicopter. He urged the drowning man to grab onto the ladder, but again, the drowning man declined, stating that the Lord would save him.
Of course the man died. He stood before the Lord and said, "What's the deal? I cried out to you this whole time. I trusted you to save me. I knew you were the savior. You were the one I chose. I was faithful." Then, God replied "I sent you two men in a boat and a helicopter with a ladder. What else did you want me to do?"
The Lord is supernatural. He has the power to reach down from heaven or work any type of miracle. God is also a very practical. He works through His people. Have you ever been like this drowning man? Have you ever resisted the breakthrough you’ve been crying out for?
There are a couple of reasons why people do not accept the help God sends.
Help may come in a form you don’t recognize.
You may have been expecting it to come in a certain way, much like the man who was in the flood. God often answers the prayer for an oak tree with an acorn. You want a plant, he's going to give you a seed. God is going to answer in a form that's smaller, perhaps, than what you have in mind. We need to ask Him for discernment to see the answers to our prayers. God may provide you with an opportunity, but you are still responsible for taking advantage of that blessing. Plant the seed and water it.
Help may require you to embrace some changes.
When you ask for a breakthrough, you are asking for a change. You often resist that change, because even though there are things you want to change, there might be pieces of those things that you want to keep. People like the comfort of the familiar. You have to be willing to let go of everything to let in new answers.
Take advantage of the blessings God has planned for you. Recognize the ways He is answering your prayers, and be prepared to make changes that will impact your life and relationship with Him.