Change Been A Long Time Coming? Powerful things happen overnight!
Holding onto hope when change feels slow? EEW Magazine Online Founder, Dianna Hobbs, reminds you that God is a God of the sudden overnight miracle. Be encouraged by biblical stories of swift breakthroughs as you await your own!
Photo: Getty/ Illustration: EEW Magazine Online
I think we've all likely heard this popular saying, or at least some variation of it: "Nothing good happens overnight. Greatness takes time."
Ever heard that?
While this is true in most cases, there are divinely orchestrated moments when God flexes His power by causing inexplicable breakthroughs, sudden shifts, and mind-blowing miracles to manifest overnight.
Today, I have been sent to awaken your faith and expectation for the unconventional move of God that's right on your doorstep. Something great is about to happen for you!
The Natural Rhythm
Recently, my son Kaleb and I were heading out to run errands when he made a simple observation that struck a chord with me. He paused to admire the full and vibrant tree in our front yard and remarked, “There are many reasons why I love and respect Daddy. One is how he cares for nature.”
I’ll tell you why he thought of his father when looking at that particular tree. When Kenya and I first purchased our family home, the tree that now stands so proudly was ailing, with sparse leaves and a bent trunk. It looked like it was carrying the weight of the world.
So, Kenya decided to nurse this tree back to health. Thankfully, his hands were familiar with restoration, having volunteered with Re-Tree WNY. This is an organization that was founded after the snowstorm of October 2006 blasted our region. I’m from Buffalo, NY, where it snows a lot! During this particular snowstorm, blustery winds and heavy snowfall left our community's trees damaged under the weight of the snow. Some 57,000 trees were lost on public streets and parks, leaving splintered wood and broken branches lining the roads, a haunting view of the fragility of nature.
Kenya used the skills he learned with Re-Tree—replanting, tending, and reviving—on our own front lawn. Our tree, with its bark turning green and its posture slumped, seemed beyond help, honestly. But Kenya knew he could save it, though it would take time, for he understood that like all living things, healing and growth follow their own natural rhythm.
He started by carefully pruning the weakened, leafless, lifeless branches, then securing the tree with wooden posts and wire for stability. This support stayed for a year. And I’ve got to be honest, I would walk by that tree and see no progress; it looked just as dead and diseased for many months despite Kenya’s best efforts.
As the seasons passed, my skepticism was replaced with surprise when a remarkable transformation took place. The tree that once struggled to stand now soared upward, its leaves bursting forth in a vibrant dance of green. It became more than just a fixture in our yard; it morphed into a symbol of resilience, bearing fruit and providing shade. The journey to its revival, though slow, was so rewarding in the end!
Kaleb and I were looking at all the leaves hanging over our lawn, marveling at their progress. He even snapped some photographs of the tree. In fact, Kenya just said to me a few days ago, “It’s time to prune the tree again.”
Disrupting the Predictable Rhythms
As I think about this tree's transformation, it reminds me of a profound truth about life and faith. Just as the once weak and sickly tree required time, care, and patience to reach its full strength and potential, so too do many aspects of our lives. Life's greatest gifts—blessings, breakthroughs, and miracles—very often unfold in their own time, gradually and deliberately.
However, there are moments when God intervenes in extraordinary ways, disrupts the predictable rhythms of life, and brings about swift change in unexpected ways. I often remind you that we serve a God who specializes in the improbable, the implausible, and the impossible, and who can turn the tide in the blink of an eye. And for someone reading this, God sent me to tell you something: you have been expecting slow, deliberate growth, but God is preparing you for sudden, miraculous change.
Who is this prophetic word for? Grab it for yourself by faith. I sense in my spirit that an overnight breakthrough is on its way to you. My assignment is to prepare you for the swift shift that awaits.
Let me reiterate: things don’t always unfold this way. God never promised that every time we pray, the answer will appear right away. But there are seasons when He flexes His power to act immediately.
God Proves A Point
Consider the popular ancient saga of Jonah during the reign of Jeroboam II. To give a brief summary of the well-known, oft-told story: the mighty Assyrian Empire, with its formidable capital in Nineveh, loomed large over the ancient world, majestic and powerful. Yet beneath its splendor lurked darkness and exceeding wickedness. The Assyrians, known for their military might, cruelty, and ruthlessness—including the devastating fall of Israel's northern kingdom in 722 BC—were both feared and resented.
Even so, God showed them mercy by sending Jonah, a prophet among the Hebrews, to confront Nineveh's corruption, warn of its impending downfall, and preach repentance. Understandably, Jonah wasn’t thrilled about evangelizing the Hebrews’ arch nemeses. But after trying unsuccessfully to escape his assignment, Jonah relented and entered Nineveh, declaring, "In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown," as God had instructed (Jonah 3:1-4).
The entire city, from royalty to common folk, clothed themselves in sackcloth and ashes, a symbol of their contrition. And God, in His infinite mercy, spared them from ruin (Jonah 3).
Jonah, who found himself grappling with God's compassion towards Nineveh, withdrew from the city, constructing a shelter to witness Nineveh’s fate from a distance. He was hoping God would still destroy it.
Instead of seeing his wishes fulfilled, Jonah got a divine lesson in mercy. Here's how: God caused a plant to miraculously grow overnight, providing Jonah with comforting shade from the blistering sun, which brought him great joy. Yet, as quickly as it rose, the plant was struck down by a worm sent by God, leaving Jonah exposed once more to the harsh elements, feeling faint, and so upset, he wanted to die (Jonah 4:8)!
God took the occasion to reprimand Jonah, telling him—and I’m paraphrasing— ‘Uh, sir, you are upset about what happened to this plant, but you didn't plant it. You didn't help it grow. It grew overnight and died the next. If you are sad over this plant, should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, My creation, where there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand misguided people—and also many innocent animals?’
Nobody can teach a lesson and prove a point quite like our God.
As you see, this comprehensive narrative in Jonah offers an incredible example of divine compassion and mercy, and God's readiness to forgive the repentant—but that's not all.
With God All Things Are Possible
The plant and how it came into existence, though it isn't the main focal point of the story, showcases God's dominion over the natural world. Even though the greater lessons surrounding God's inexhaustible wisdom, unconditional love, and unfailing mercy overshadow the brief emphasis on the plant, I don't want us to miss this God-flex that is sitting right here before our eyes.
For a moment, consider the fact that in the vastness of nature, no plant can rise overnight to provide shelter from the sun. As the tree in my yard demonstrates, growth is typically a steady, gradual process unfolding over weeks to years. But in the scriptural account of Jonah, we behold a divine act: God commanding a plant to ascend from earth to sky in the span of a night!
Such miraculous growth, beyond human capability, mirrors the truth of Matthew 19:26: "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
This single deed unveils the Lord's mastery over the laws of nature and His ability to exceed our wildest expectations. Let me stress that the story of Jonah unfolds with various important themes. It even includes parallels to the death and resurrection of Jesus as mentioned by the Messiah Himself in Matthew 12:40. It's a rich story that can be unpacked for days. But we also can't miss the hand of God at work through this plant that sprang up overnight.
It is a reminder of God's power to do things we least expect and quicker than we anticipate. I prophesy to you today that a quicker-than-expected breakthrough is coming to your house, declares the Lord. He is causing an unusual, out-of-the-ordinary, atypical, unconventional blessing to manifest soon. It’s going to happen at warp speed. Get ready for your overnight transformation.
He’s going to perform miracles while you sleep, work while you're resting, and answer prayers before you even finish asking. His Word declares in Isaiah 65:24: “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (KJV).
“While you’re sleeping, God is working. While you’re praying, God is answering. While you’re professing His promises, God is fulfilling them. It’s already done!”
See What God Can Do Overnight
Whenever internal doubt or external skeptics whisper in your ear that your prayers can’t and won’t be answered overnight, call to mind the faith-building stories in Scripture to disprove this erroneous assumption.
God broke Paul and Silas out of prison overnight, as they prayed and sang hymns unto the Lord (Acts 16:25-26).
God miraculously freed Peter from prison overnight, as he was asleep in chains, and the saints were up praying (Acts 12:5-11).
God rained enough Manna from Heaven to feed all of Israel in the wilderness overnight, as they slumbered (Exodus 16:4).
God provided a massive catch of fish for Peter and the disciples overnight, after the previous frustrating night of catching nothing (Luke 5:4-7).
God ended severe famine in Samaria overnight, providing abundant food and dropping prices to all-time lows, after the Syrian army occupied them and left them with no food (2 Kings 7:1-4).
The greatest example of all is when God raised Jesus from the dead overnight, and the women arrived to find the tomb empty at dawn on Sunday (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1). They had to run back and tell the disciples, “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said” (Matthew 28:6).
Powerful things happen overnight!
You’ve Got A Promise
Perhaps you're facing seemingly insurmountable odds, and it appears that there's no way possible that things can turn around for you. Don't worry, friend.
Whenever there is a problem, God sends a promise. And whenever there's a promise, there will be a performance of His word. So, get ready to see things turn around.
Tell sickness, I’ve got a promise. Tell lack, I’ve got a promise. Tell fear, I've got a promise. Tell doubt, I've got a promise. Tell anxiety, I've got a promise. Tell depression, I've got a promise. Tell heartbreak, I've got a promise. Tell, frustration, I’ve got a promise. Tell the enemy, I’ve got a promise!
If God made you a promise, you’ve got a reason to praise. So, lift up a praise to God in the midst of adversity, knowing full well, without a doubt, something powerful is going to happen for you overnight.
In the book of Joshua, chapter 23, verse 14, before Joshua died, he said these words to Israel’s leaders: “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, rest assured that not one of the promises God made to you will fail. Friend, the same God who was faithful to Israel is faithful to you. You can rely on His unfailing word, trust in His infinite wisdom, and cling to His faithful promises. Whatever you’re facing today, He gives you this promise of hope: He will turn it around in your favor sooner than later.
Pray This Prayer:
God, thank You for reminding me of Your power to turn things around quickly and Your faithfulness to perform Your word consistently. Even though I am facing mountains that appear immoveable, rough roads that look impassible, and circumstances that seem impossible, I declare by faith that You, oh Lord, will swiftly shift the situation and cause all things to work together for my good. Thank You in advance for what’s already done! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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