Because I’m in the healing ministry, people often ask me, “What does the call of God feel like?” I respond that my calling was always in me, but I didn’t realize it until my father, Rev. Oral Roberts, laid his hands on me and prophesied my calling. As we stood there in faith that day, all that God had placed within me came pouring out.
“Richard, when the call of God comes on your life, you just know,” my dad would say. “You know that you know that you know.” And he was right. That day, I just knew what I was called to do. Since then, I’ve pursued the healing ministry all my life.
For many Christians, the call is to the marketplace—the business world where they can influence others for the Lord, prosper and help fund the spread of the Gospel. You see, Biblical principles operate in the marketplace, just as they do in the church—but we have to learn to plug into the grace of God to walk in them and experience success.
I recently spoke with Dr. Bill Winston about faith, the marketplace and the call of God on the Expect a Miracle podcast. A former fighter pilot turned successful businessman, entrepreneur and pastor of a 20,000 member church in Chicago, Bill also heads the Joseph Business School, a world class institution that equips entrepreneurs in practical and biblical principles. He also has a new book, Faith and the Marketplace, which explains the business and faith lessons he has learned over the years.
“If you’re looking for a person who received God’s grace, you’re looking at him,” Bill said. “I received the grace of God to fulfill my calling. People in the marketplace need faith to succeed in their profession.”
It wasn’t until Bill gave his life to the Lord that he began to do well as a marketing manager. But when he did, God prospered him and gave him success.
This principle is the same for every area of life. God’s grace is essential to our success because we can’t accomplish what we’re called to do without the Lord. Our calling comes forth as we trust the Lord to give us grace for it and then walk it out, doing what He tells us to do.
Your calling will always be in you—but you may not know it at first. I believe God does it that way because, often, His vision is bigger than we could imagine. Sometimes God doesn’t let us see all of it at first. He waits until we can handle it better.
But when the time is right, He’ll reveal to us what He has called us to do. In Bill’s case, he had to put God first in his life before he was successful at work and in ministry. In my case, I waited in faith until, one day, I felt called to speak out someone’s healing in a service in which I was preaching. The prayer seemed small, and even strange, but I obeyed it:
“Lord, heal that man’s big toe.”
And you know what? God did it! The man later contacted me to share his testimony. Since then, I’ve moved in a powerful healing anointing.
Let God reveal the calling He has given you—and trust Him to give you the grace and faith to be a success. What He’s done for me and for Bill, He will do for you.
Listen to the full episode with Dr. Bill Winston. For more inspiring interviews like this, listen to Expect a Miracle with Richard Roberts on the Charisma Podcast Network. {eoa}
