PRAY, BELIEVE, RECEIVE
Jesus said “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt … you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matt 21:21-22
There’s a progression here. When you pray, if you BELIEVE you will RECEIVE. Faith is the currency of heaven and we see from scripture it is not the amount of faith that’s significant, but simply that faith is evident.
The man whose son was afflicted with the evil spirit, said to Jesus “I believe please help my unbelief.” Jesus replied “everything is possible to him who believes.”
Jesus responded to everyone who came to Him seeking healing, irrespective of the sickness, spiritual or physical, with the same response – He reached out and healed them. A notable exception was the woman with the issue of blood, After suffering for 12 years she reached out and ‘extracted’ her miracle from Him – however His response was the same – “Daughter your faith has healed you.” (Mark 5:34)
That’s why we must take a stand against unbelief. It will rob us every time if we let it. Jesus said to the 2 blind men in Matthew 9:27 “Do you believe I am able to do this (heal you)?” They responded with “Yes Lord” and He said, “According to your faith it will be done to you.” It’s clear a response is necessary on our part when we come to Him for healing or anything else. The Bible says “without faith it’s impossible to please God.” (Heb 11:6)
I heard it said recently “doubt is just faith in the wrong God”. When we listen to the enemy’s lies, it is so easy to begin to doubt all manner of things:- God’s goodness, His faithfulness or even His ability to ‘rescue’ us from the situation in which we find ourselves. It’s not about living in denial but denying the problem or issue the right to take pre-eminence in our thoughts or emotions.
We must choose to stay focussed on the One who went to the Cross, bled and died so we might live in freedom from the enemy’s schemes.
It is interesting to contemplate how much time or attention we would give to a person who had been convicted of multiple counts of fraud, lying under oath, murder or vandalism. Yet when we listen to satan’s accusations or threats that is exactly what we are doing. Jesus said “the enemy only comes to rob, kill and destroy” – John 10:10. Fortunately He went on to declare He came so we could have abundant life.
Many times, we have had people come for prayer to the Healing Rooms and they’ve said they’re not sure if they have enough faith to believe for their healing. We are able to encourage them those praying for them have the faith to believe FOR them. This is in keeping with scripture as seen in the account of the four men who ripped the roof off a house and lowered their paralysed friend before Jesus feet. (Mark 2:1-5).
I believe many people believe God CAN heal, or meet their needs etc, but let me encourage you to make His great and precious promises your own! Put your name on them and speak them out over your life!
His very nature and character is to heal, save, restore, redeem and deliver and He paid the ultimate price to ensure we could live in freedom. Don’t settle for remaining in a place where Jesus paid for you not to be. He came that we might have life and have it to the full.
On several occasions, in the last 16 years, He has sovereignly brought deliverance from demonic oppression to the guest in just a few minutes of prayer.
The world in which we live in July 2020 is a vastly different place to what it was even 6 months ago. None of us know what the future holds but we know WHO holds the future. The one thing of which we can be sure:- Jesus is still on the throne and has a remarkable plan for your life and mine. He is the One who remains unchanged, the same yesterday, today and forever and the One who still heals, saves, restores and delivers.
“This is the reason I urge you to boldly believe for whatever you ask for in prayer—believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24 (The Passion Translation)