One day I prayed a simple prayer to the Lord. “Lord, I pray in Jesus’ Name, please remove anything that is hindering my walk with You.” Little did I know that a miracle would transpire. More importantly, little did I know what exactly He would remove!
Within two weeks after praying that prayer, during the night I felt as though something was happening inside me. It’s not easy to explain. Do you know the feeling when you kind of wake up but not really? I woke up just enough to feel something inside. I wasn’t afraid, but somehow I just knew. I felt a peace so there was no need to awaken fully and open my eyes, I just knew that something was going on inside of me – I was being healed. Like I said, it’s hard to explain. I just knew that something was happening, but it wasn’t an urgent feeling that I had to wake up.
When I woke up, I practically leaped out of bed. “My mother loved me!”, I exclaimed. I started leaping up and down and saying, “My mother really did love me!”. I knew deep within my heart and I was fully convinced that my mother loved me.
Well, let me explain this. You see, for my entire life I believed that my mother did not really love me. My mother died when I was 17 years old, and a little more than a year later my father died when I was 18. But for the time that my mother was alive, I believed in my heart that she really didn’t love me. My father, on the other hand, was a father and mother figure combined. When I was young, he would tuck me in bed at night, rub my back and talk to me about my day. My mother would stand at the door of my bedroom after I crawled into bed and would ask if I brushed my teeth. I don’t ever remember her coming to my bedside.
When I fractured my foot, my father came home every day at lunch to re-bandage and take care of my foot. My father taught me to read a map by having me navigate our way on vacation, and built the habit in me of remembering where he parked the car, and this occurred was when I was between 9 and 13 years old. Although he worked two jobs, he was endearing in his instruction and guidance toward me when he was home.
My mother, on the other hand, always had me leave the house. “Go out and play” was the most common phrase I heard. She enrolled me in so many lesson opportunities after school or during the summer, including not only learning how to play the piano and guitar, but also taking swimming, tennis, sewing and macrame lessons. She made me take a typing class one summer between sixth and seventh grades, and then another summer I had to walk to the YMCA to volunteer and take care of children. She made me enroll in Girl Scouts, and signed me up for a modeling class. This is all before I was 15 years old. One time, she suggested that I go to Europe for high school! I was floored. My reaction was why would I want to go to a foreign country for high school? For the year before she died, she would suggest various different colleges that she thought would be great for me to go to, but I made a mental note that these colleges were all located far away from where we lived.
Well, one would think that a mother like that would be great! What a wonderful way to educate their child and expose them to numerous different opportunities. Why didn’t I see it that way? Instead, I was sad and disappointed that my mother was pushing me out of the house all of the time. Through all this the message I received was, “Why doesn’t she want me? Why doesn’t she love me? Why does she always want me to leave?”
For Christmas, my mother would give me lots of gifts. Most kids would love this. I didn’t. My mother would be disappointed in my reaction at opening gifts and ask me why I wasn’t happy or excited. How do you tell your mother that you don’t want gifts – you want her affection? I didn’t want to receive gifts from her. I just wanted hugs or affection.
Here’s the thing. What did my heart say about my mother? She didn’t love me. My heart wanted a mother who was affectionate. I don’t know how to explain it. I knew that I knew that I knew that I knew that my mother didn’t love me. My heart was 100% confident in this fact.
Eventually, after my mother’s death, I understood my mother’s background growing up and she did not learn mothering skills. I learned that her mother died before she was 5 years old, her father was an alcoholic, and she was passed around from family member to family member while growing up. I understand. But head knowledge is different than what your heart believes. I knew in my head that my mother did not have mothering skills, but my heart was firm that she didn’t love me and as a result, I did not want to receive anything from her. And then when my parents passed away, I decided that I had to be self-sufficient.
So, decades later, when I asked God to remove anything that is hindering my walk with Him, little did I know that He would heal my heart toward my mother! During the night, while I slept, God healed my heart toward my mother! And that wasn’t even my prayer!! I asked God why my firm belief toward my mother was hindering my walk with Him. What I learned is this. Because I believed that my mother didn’t love me, I did not want to receive any gifts from her. As a result, I really didn’t want to receive support from people. I thought I had to be self-sufficient. However, God wants to give me things and my resistance to receiving things needed to be removed! He wants to be my provider. He wants to give me His blessings!
My belief that my mother didn’t love me spanned decades – yes, decades. But God healed my heart overnight – yes, in one night – while I slept! The elation that I felt that morning when I woke up was amazing. I jumped up and down for joy, I praised God, and I thanked Him for healing my heart! More importantly, my heart REALLY WAS changed as a result of His healing! After decades of a firm, 100% confident belief about my mother, God healed and changed my heart overnight. OVERNIGHT! I can’t begin to tell you what a freeing experience this was and how my heart also changed toward God. I am a child of GOD and He takes care of me!
God wants me to learn how to receive. So every time someone says, “I want to give this to you”, I can now say, “thank you!”. And, thank You, God, for healing my heart and changing my perspective!
When I asked God to remove what was hindering my relationship with Him, I never, in my wildest imagination, thought that it was my decade-old heart belief that hindered my relationship. Previously, you could not convince me that my mother loved me. After God changed my heart, I am confident that she loved me and you can not convince me otherwise!
God can change your heart, too! Do you know God? Would you like to know God? You can pray this simple prayer of salvation and by accepting Jesus into your heart, you can be saved, too!
Healing Scriptures from Dodie Osteen: The following is a list of healing scriptures Dodie Osteen, of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, stood on for deliverance from cancer. The scriptures are mentioned in her wonderful book about her healing – Healed of Cancer, by Dodie Osteen.
Exodus 15:26 Amplified Bible (AMP) Saying, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and will do what is right in His sight, and will listen to and obey His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord Who heals you.
Exodus 23:25 Amplified Bible (AMP) You shall serve the Lord your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst.
Deuteronomy 7:15 Amplified Bible (AMP) And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt which you knew will He put upon you, but will lay them upon all who hate you.
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 Amplified Bible (AMP) IF YOU will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 Amplified Bible (AMP) I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live and may love the Lord your God, obey His voice, and cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Joshua 21:45 God’s Word Translation Every single good promise that the LORD had given the nation of Israel came true.
1 Kings 8:56 Amplified Bible (AMP) Blessed be the Lord, Who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise which He promised through Moses His servant.
Psalm 89:34 God’s Word Translation My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Psalm 91:16 Amplified Bible (AMP) With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.
Psalm 103:1-5 Amplified Bible (AMP) 1 Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul, And all that is [deep] within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits; 3 Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy; 5 Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle.
Psalm 105:37 King James Version He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
Psalm 107:20 Amplified Bible (AMP) He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction.
Psalm 118:17 Amplified Bible (AMP) I shall not die but live, and shall declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord.
Proverbs 3:5-6 God’s Word Translation Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth.
Proverbs 4:20-23 Amplified Bible (AMP) My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh. Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.
Isaiah 41:10, 13 Amplified Bible (AMP) Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you!
Isaiah 43:25, 26 Amplified Bible (AMP) I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance [remind Me of your merits]; let us plead and argue together. Set forth your case, that you may be justified (proved right).
Isaiah 53:4-5 Amplified Bible (AMP) Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.
Jeremiah 1:12 Amplified Bible (AMP) Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.
Jeremiah 30:17 Amplified Bible (AMP) For I will restore health to you, and I will heal your wounds, says the Lord, because they have called you an outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no one seeks after and for whom no one cares!
Joel 3:10 Amplified Bible (AMP) Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong [a warrior]!
Nahum 1:7, 9 Amplified Bible (AMP) The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him. What do you devise and [how mad is your attempt to] plot against the Lord? He will make a full end [of Nineveh]; affliction [which My people shall suffer from Assyria] shall not rise up the second time.
Matthew 8:2-3 Amplified Bible (AMP) And behold, a leper came up to Him and, prostrating himself, worshiped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cleanse me by curing me. And He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed.
Matthew 8:17 Amplified Bible (AMP) And thus He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, He Himself took [in order to carry away] our weaknesses and infirmities and bore away our diseases.
Matthew 18:18-20 Amplified Bible (AMP) Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven. Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them.
Matthew 21:21 Amplified Bible (AMP) And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done.
Mark 5:34 (AMP) Then He said to her, “Daughter, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in Me] has restored you to health; go in peace and be [permanently] healed from your suffering.”
Mark 11:23-24 Amplified Bible (AMP) Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].
Mark 16:18 Amplified Bible (AMP) They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well.
Luke 10:19 Amplified Bible (AMP) Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.
Luke 17:19 (AMP) Jesus said to him, “Get up and go [on your way]. Your faith [your personal trust in Me and your confidence in God’s power] has restored you to health.”
John 9:31 Amplified Bible (AMP) We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.
John 10:10 Amplified Bible (AMP) The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
Romans 4:19-21 Amplified Bible (AMP) He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.
Romans 8:11 Amplified Bible (AMP) And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.
2 Corinthians 1:20 Amplified Bible (AMP) For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20 Living Bible (TLB) He [Jesus Christ] carries out and fulfills all of God’s promises, no matter how many of them there are; and we have told everyone how faithful he is, giving glory to his name.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Amplified Bible (AMP) For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),
Galatians 3:13 Amplified Bible (AMP) Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified);
Ephesians 6:10-17 Amplified Bible (AMP) In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God, And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace. Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one]. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.
Philippians 1:6 Amplified Bible (AMP) And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
Philippians 2:13 Amplified Bible (AMP) [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
Philippians 4:6-8 Amplified Bible (AMP) Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
2 Timothy 1:7 Amplified Bible (AMP) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
Hebrews 10:23, 25 Amplified Bible (AMP) So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgment of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word. Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:35 Amplified Bible (AMP) Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward.
Hebrews 11:11 Amplified Bible (AMP) Because of faith also Sarah herself received physical power to conceive a child, even when she was long past the age for it, because she considered [God] Who had given her the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and true to His word.
Hebrews 13:8 Amplified Bible (AMP) Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages).
James 1:5 Amplified Bible (AMP) If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.
James 3:17 Amplified Bible (AMP) But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity).
James 4:7-8 Amplified Bible (AMP) So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].
James 5:14-15 Amplified Bible (AMP) Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides). And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord’s name. And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
1 Peter 2:24 Amplified Bible (AMP) He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 5:7-9 Amplified Bible (AMP) Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring in fierce hunger, seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset–rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.
1 John 3:21-22 Amplified Bible (AMP) And, beloved, if our consciences (our hearts) do not accuse us [if they do not make us feel guilty and condemn us], we have confidence (complete assurance and boldness) before God, And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him.
1 John 5:14-15 Amplified Bible (AMP) And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.
3 John 1:2 Amplified Bible (AMP) Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.
Revelation 12:11 Amplified Bible (AMP) And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].
Scriptures from Thurman Scrivner: The following is a list of scriptures used by Thurman Scrivner for his granddaughter’s healing. This is an amazing story. His granddaughter, Katlynn, was in a severe car accident. The doctors said that there were too many things wrong with her and they were emphatic that she would not live. Thurman Scrivner took God’s Word and declared them over her granddaughter for months. She is now healed and lives an active life. Thurman Scrivner discussed this miracle on the Sid Roth TV show. Click here to listen to his testimony.
Matthew 18:19 Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.
John 14:12-14 Anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
Isaiah 43:26a Put Me in remembrance; let us plead together: set forth your cause, that you may be justified.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
2 Corinthians 1:18-20 But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us–by me and Silvanus and Timothy–was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are ‘yes’; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.
James 1:6-7 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Luke 10:19-20 Behold I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.
Deuteronomy 6:4-10, 12 Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligentlyto your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you… then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”–that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved*.
*”saved” (in Greek, “sozo”) means saved, healed, delivered, preserved, & in health!
John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
John 16:23-24 In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
Acts 13:41 Look, you scoffers! Be amazed and perish, for in your days I am doing a work, a work that you will never believe, even if someone tells you.
James 1: 2-6 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
1 Peter 1: 6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
Matthew 8:16-17 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND HEALED OUR DISEASES.”
Hebrews 10:25 … not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
John 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Mark 16:18 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover
Romans 14:23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
NOTES from Thurman Scrivner: God’s Word really does work, but guess who’s going to make it work for you? YOU!–if you walk in obedience to His Word and if you take these promises and do what He says.
How do you release your faith? You speak it. What’s in a man’s heart comes out where?–his mouth (Matt. 12:34). That’s why God tells us to hide His Word in our heart.
What you see (in the natural) with your eyes is not reality. God’s Word is reality. This Book cannot fail you unless you doubt! Until it becomes a reality to you, you cannot receive something by faith that you don’t believe is yours.
A prayer Thurman prayed when he was in great need of a healing: “Life and death is in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), so one more time, Lord, I confess that You’re my healer, You’re my deliverer, You’re my Lord and my God. I John 4:4 says that greater is the Holy Spirit in me than the devil who’s here trying to make me sick, so I tell you, Satan, in the name of Jesus, to get out! I’m going to get up and go to work, and I’m going to have a blessed day today!”
Why is it so many Christians don’t produce any fruit? Where is fruit produced on the vine?–On the branches. Who are the branches?–We are. (John 15:2 says, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”)
More Scriptures:
Exodus 15:26 Obey God’s Word and be healed. and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”
Exodus 23:25 Serve the Lord and healing will be yours. “So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.
Deuteronomy 7:15 God takes all sickness away from you. “And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.
Deuteronomy 30:19 Choose to live. Be a fighter! “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live
2 Kings 20:4-7 (TLB) 4 So before Isaiah had left the courtyard, the Lord spoke to him again. 5 “Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people, and tell him that the Lord God of his ancestor David has heard his prayer and seen his tears. I will heal him, and three days from now he will be out of bed and at the Temple! 6 I will add fifteen years to his life and save him and this city from the king of Assyria. And it will all be done for the glory of my own name and for the sake of my servant David.” 7 Isaiah then instructed Hezekiah to boil some dried figs and to make a paste of them and spread it on the boil. And he recovered!
Joshua 21:45 God’s Word will not fail. Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
Psalm 30:2-3 (TLB) O Lord my God, I pleaded with you, and you gave me my health again. You brought me back from the brink of the grave, from death itself, and here I am alive!
Psalm 91:16 You will live a long life. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.
Psalm 103:1-5 One of God’s benefits is healing. Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 107:20 God’s Word is healing. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.
Psalm 118:17 God wants you to live. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
Proverbs 4:20-22 NLT My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.
Proverbs 40:20-22 The Word of God will save your life. My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
Isaiah 43:25-26 Plead your case to God. even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted.
Isaiah 53:5 Jesus bore your sins AND your sicknesses. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Jeremiah 30:17 God will restore your health. For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,’ says the LORD, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion; No one seeks her.”‘
Joel 3:10 You can find strength in God and His Word “…. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’”
Nahum 1:9 Your sickness will leave and not come back again. What do you conspire against the LORD? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.
Malachi 3:10 Obey all God’s commandments and receive all His blessings. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
Matthew 8:2-3 It is God’s will for you to be healed. And behold, a leper came and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean. Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Matthew 18:18 You can take authority over the sickness in your body. “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 18:19 Agree with someone for your healing “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
Mark 5:25-34 NKJV 25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
Mark 10:51-52 (TLB) “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “O Teacher,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said to him, “All right, it’s done. Your faith has healed you.” And instantly the blind man could see and followed Jesus down the road!
Mark 11:22-23 What you say will make a difference. So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
Mark 11:24 Believe, and you will receive. “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Mark 16:17-18 Have someone lay hands on you for healing. “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; “they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
John 9:31 Worship God. “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.
John 10:10 The devil wants to kill you; God wants to heal you. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Romans 8:11 The Spirit of Life is making your body alive. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
2 Corinthians 1:20 God is for you. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 Cast down those thoughts and imaginations that don’t line up with the Word of God. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Galatians 3:13-14 You are redeemed from the curse. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Ephesians 6:10-17 Be strong in the Lord’s power. Put on His armor to fight for healing. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
Philippians 2:13 God’s will — healing– is working in you. for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
2 Timothy 1:7 Fear is not of God. Rebuke it! For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Hebrews 10:23 You will not waiver in your faith. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:35 You can have confidence in God and His Word. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ has never changed. What He did in the Bible, He will do for you today. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
James 5:14-15 Be anointed with oil by a Christian who believes in healing. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
1 Peter 2:24 Jesus has already paid the price for your healing. who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.
1 John 3:21-22 God answers the prayers of those that keep His commandments. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
1 John 5:14-15 Be confident in your prayers. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
3 John 1:2 God’s highest wish is for you to be well. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou may prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers.
Revelation 12:11 Give testimony of your healing. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
NOTE: This website is not affiliated with Dodie Osteen or Thurman Scrivner’s ministry.
Click here for a printable daily confession of healing by a 97-year old man!
Meditate on these scriptures till they get into your very bones. Seek God concerning them and wait on Him. Let Him speak to your heart, that is the basis of faith – ‘Faith comes by hearing’. Faith is what will heal your body. Faith comes alive when the word on the page becomes the word in your heart. Once it comes, speak it out and walk it out in healing and health. Divine healing takes work but it is absolutely yours for the taking. Go for it with all your heart.
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Our scripture reading began with Romans 10:8-10, which says, “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
In Part 1, we explored the truth about the importance of believing in your heart and the effect of confessing words with your mouth.
Now let’s look at what happened to a blind man in Mark 10:46-52, “Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.”
Here’s the story of a blind man who had obviously heard about Jesus’ miracles of healing for other people. And, believing what he had heard about the healings of others, he cried out for Jesus. We don’t know why others wanted to hush him – it could have been his disciples trying to determine who would be healed or maybe Jesus was busy with someone else and they didn’t want to interrupt the Master – but what we do know is that this blind man was determined to receive his healing.
The blind man was so determined, in fact, that he called out even more to Jesus even when those around him told him to be quiet. Now, when the blind man received the word that Jesus was calling for him, he threw off his outer garment, and went to Jesus. Why would he throw off his outer garment? I’ve heard some bible commentators say that it was his coat he threw off of him, and that blind people during Jesus’ time had to wear special coats so that others could distinguish them from the rest of the population.
While we don’t know why the man threw off his garment, what we do recognize is that this is a definite sign of his believe – his faith – his knowing in his heart that he was going to be healed. After all, if he thought for a moment that his sight may not be healed, he wouldn’t have thrown off his garment. If you had a seed of doubt and couldn’t see, would you throw away your garment – especially since you had to beg for money?
In this case, the “why” isn’t important – what is important is the act of him confessing with his actions. He also confessed his believe by saying the words. Jesus did healed people in different ways. Jesus asked him what he wanted. Again, we don’t know why Jesus asked the man what he wanted. But, what we do know is that Jesus oftentimes asked people questions or made comments in order to get people to confess their beliefs out loud – using their mouth. Once the man confessed what he wanted, Jesus response was, Go your way; your faith has made you well”. Jesus obviously wanted to hear the man’s verbal confession.
Jesus’ healing of this blind man correlates well with the verse in Mark 9:23 (NLT), when Jesus said to another person who was asking for healing, “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
Here’s another verse that reiterates the importance of believing and confessing with your mouth.
“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23). Notice in this verse that the word “believes” is mentioned once and the word “says” is mentioned three times! And, the next verse continues, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:23-24)
In Matthew 15:11, Jesus tells us, “It is not what people put into their mouths that makes them unclean. It is what comes out of their mouths that makes them unclean.””
And, Numbers 14:28 says, “So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.”
What you SAY is what you GET.
Do you believe in your heart that your prayers are answered? If so, praise God that they are answered! Verbally confess to the Lord your thankfulness that your prayers are answered. If you doubt, then get back in that prayer closet and read God’s Word. Find 1-2 bible verses that apply to your situation, and meditate on those verses. Ask God to reveal the meaning to you and to give you insight into what’s going on in your life. Remember, your relationship with God is just that – a relationship. He loves you and wants you to put Him first. Show Him you love Him by spending more time with Him!
Remember: Do you speak faith-filled words or fear-filled words? God explained to me one time the importance of my words, and how they are seeds. Your words are seeds that are planted, and once they take root, they grow into trees. Those trees bear fruit – they will either produce good fruit or bad fruit. God also explained to me that this is a spiritual law. In fact, He told me that this spiritual law works in everyone’s life, whether you believe in Him or not!
Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”
Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
JOURNAL:
Find scriptures that apply to your life and meditate on them. Write down the verses on 3×5 cards and keep them with you. Remind yourself of these versus by thinking about them and speaking them out loud. Start speaking what God’s Word says about your situation. Fill your mind with the living, breathing, active Word of God so that your mind has a firm foundation!
Write down the verses and phrases that line up with God’s Word that you will declare today that will help you persuade your heart that God’s promises are true for you today.
THANKSGIVING:
Remember to thank God and honor Him with your words. You may want to begin your praise to God with a verse from the Bible or a song you’ve heard.
PRAYER: Lord, I ask in Jesus’ Name that the Holy Spirit would give me insights into your Word as I read the Bible and that you would renew my mind and give me wisdom. I also pray that You would put a guard over my mouth, and that the Holy Spirit would quicken my heart to remind me how to improve my relationship with You, my God. “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1)
WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU THINK GOD IS SAYING TO YOU TODAY:
Right Thinking, Right Words, Blessed Life – Daily Devotional (Day 14)
Romans 10:8-10 “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
Let’s ask the obvious question. Is it really as simple as confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and as a result of this you will be saved? The answer to this question is unequivocally, yes.
But here’s something to think about – note that we don’t have to confess this truth over and over again in order to continue to be saved. The Word does not say to confess this over and over again in order to keep your salvation.
You say it once – it’s done. This same spiritual law applies to our prayers. Let’s take a look at some of the miracles Jesus did during his life on earth. For example, in Matthew 21, Jesus found a fig tree and when He only found leaves on it, He cursed it. It died. Jesus didn’t have to curse it over and over again. It was done when He said it. The disciples marveled at the fig tree withering and asked Jesus how the fig tree withered. Jesus answered them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:21-22)
Note that Jesus didn’t tell the disciples that they have to ask over and over again. The stand-out verse here is Matthew 21:22, which says “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” And, it’s also worth noting that Jesus confessed with his mouth and believed in His heart that the fig tree would wither!
In Matthew 9 there were two blind men who followed Jesus, desiring to be healed. In Matthew 9:28-29 it says that when Jesus “entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” These blind men confessed with their mouth and believed in their heart that Jesus would heal them.
Did the blind men have to ask over and over again to be healed? No.
In Matthew 8, a Centurion found Jesus and said to Him, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented”. Jesus offered to come and heal the servant. The Centurion responded with a bold statement. The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
The Centurion simply believed in his heart and confessed with his mouth that if Jesus were to simply say that his servant was healed, the servant would be healed. Jesus marveled at the Centurion’s faith, and responded in Matthew 8: 13, “go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.”
Do you believe in your heart that your prayers are answered? If so, praise God that they are answered! Confess with your mouth that your prayers are answered and praise Him! If you doubt, then get back in that prayer closet and read God’s Word. Find 1-2 bible verses that apply to your situation, and meditate on those verses. Ask God to reveal the meaning to you and to give you insight into what’s going on in your life. Remember, your relationship with God is just that – a relationship. He loves you and wants you to put Him first. Show Him you love Him by spending more time with Him!
Remember: Do you speak faith-filled words or fear-filled words? God explained to me one time the importance of my words, and how they are seeds. Your words are seeds that are planted, and once they take root, they grow into trees. Those trees bear fruit – they will either produce good fruit or bad fruit.
Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”
Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
JOURNAL:
Find scriptures that apply to your life and meditate on them. Write down the verses on 3×5 cards and keep them with you. Remind yourself of these versus by thinking about them and speaking them out loud. Start speaking what God’s Word says about your situation. Fill your mind with the living, breathing, active Word of God so that your mind has a firm foundation!
Write down the verses and phrases that line up with God’s Word that you will declare today that will help you persuade your heart that God’s promises are true for you today.
THANKSGIVING:
Remember to thank God and honor Him with your words. You may want to begin your praise to God with a verse from the Bible or a song you’ve heard.
PRAYER: Lord, I ask in Jesus’ Name that the Holy Spirit would give me insights into your Word as I read the Bible and that you would renew my mind and give me wisdom. I also pray that You would put a guard over my mouth, and that the Holy Spirit would quicken my heart to remind me how to improve my relationship with You, my God. “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1)
WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU THINK GOD IS SAYING TO YOU TODAY:
Right Thinking, Right Words, Blessed Life – Daily Devotional (Day 13)
Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Out of the heart your mouth speaks. In other words, what you speak and your actions reveal what’s really in your heart. It’s important, therefore, that we guard what we think and how we feel in order to protect our heart. In Proverbs 4:23 we are told to “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life”. (Amplified version)
Every aspect of our life and every decision that we make is a product of our sense of self. What do you truly believe in your heart about yourself?
The greatest ongoing struggle of every human is the conflict between the thoughts of the mind and the beliefs of the heart. Our thoughts are intellectual and are based on that which we learn or we’ve perceived by our five senses. The thoughts coming from our heart are intuitive and based on the beliefs that create our sense of self. They include emotions.
What you expect to come true is often what you make come true. You may see this in everyday life. We all know at least one pessimist who expects things to go badly, and is always complaining about the things that have gone badly. And we all know at least one optimist who expects good things to happen. The optimist doesn’t dwell on the negative, but rather continues to work on the positive, making those good things happen more often.
Whether you are unconscious of your expectations or not, attitudes influence your life, including what you think about yourself and how you treat others.
Now we’re not talking about positive affirmations here. We’re talking about meditating on the truth of who you are in Christ (God’s Word) in order to get the truth into your heart. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”. By accepting Jesus Christ into our heart, our sins are forgiven and the righteousness of God flows in our heart. We should, however, guard our heart and our mind, as well as feed our soul with God’s Word by reading the Bible. While reading, the Holy Spirit will bring scriptures to mind and will teach you the promises of God.
Every aspect of our life and every decision that we make is a product of our sense of self. What do you truly believe in your heart about God and His promises?
Let’s take a look at the children of Israel. Remember their adventure from Egypt to the Promised Land? Why did it take 40 years? Because of unbelief in God’s promises. There’s no doubt the children of Israel experienced hardship. God tested them but only tested them to see if they believed in His promises. Did they believe or not believe what God said He would do? When they believed God’s Word (promises), their faith passed the test and they experienced the promise. When they doubted the promise, they limited their experience with God and became subject to their circumstances, which were often destructive. More often than not, they let their mind be taken captive by their fearful emotions. They limited God’s ability to deliver them out of their fears by concentrating on worrying and fears! And, worse yet, their unbelief in God’s promises kept them wandering around the desert for 40 years!
The Spirit of God is always trying to lead us into all the possibilities that God has in store for us. Allow God’s Word to permeate your heart. Read it daily. When the truth of what Jesus has done for you and who you are in Christ takes root in your heart, you will be free from the fear that binds you to lack and open your heart to all the possibilities that God has in store for you. Open your heart and mind today to all of God’s possibilities!
Here’s the key – You are the righteousness of God in Christ. You have all the promises of God. Now, meditate on God’s promises in order to get the truth of God’s promises from your mind into your heart!
Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”
Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”
1 Peter 2:24, “who Himself [Jesus] bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed”
Deuteronomy 8:18, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth”
Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
JOURNAL:
Find scriptures that apply to your life and meditate on them. Write down the verses on 3×5 cards and keep them with you. Remind yourself of these versus by thinking about them and speaking them out loud. Start speaking what God’s Word says about your situation. Fill your mind with the living, breathing, active Word of God so that your mind has a firm foundation!
Write down the verses and phrases that line up with God’s Word that you will declare today that will help you persuade your heart that God’s promises are true for you today.
THANKSGIVING:
Remember to thank God and honor Him with your words. You may want to begin your praise to God with a verse from the Bible or a song you’ve heard.
PRAYER: Lord, I ask in Jesus’ Name that the Holy Spirit would give me insights into your Word as I read the Bible and that you would renew my mind and give me wisdom. I also pray that You would change my heart and remove anything that is hindering my relationship with You, Lord. “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1)
WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU THINK GOD IS SAYING TO YOU TODAY
This is the third article in a series of discussions that explore why people choose to leave the Christian faith in the living God.
These discussions started when someone asked me, “Why do you think people disconnect or unhook from knowing God?” We know that God’s Word says that He never leaves us nor forsakes us. But why do we choose to pull away from God?
The trial of your faith is this: Will you continued to stay hooked and love Jesus, and believe in Him when you don’t know why and you don’t understand what’s going on?
I’m exploring some ideas, and this is the third idea in a series that discusses this issue. In Part 1, the Lord explained to me that people pull away because they’re offended with God because the thing they were expecting to happen did not happen the way they thought it would or should. In Part 2, the Lord also explained another reason why people disconnect from God is that they consider, think about, ponder upon, mull over and generally consume their mind thinking about their problem or problems instead of seeking God.
The third idea, as the Lord revealed to me, is that His children don’t spend time with Him by praying, praising Him and reading His Word (the Bible), or they’re in sin and have separated themselves from God. There are all kinds of religions. But there is only one true God. And God wants a relationship with you.
God wants a relationship with everyone. But, He’s also given us a free will. In other words, He will reach out to you, but if you keep ignoring Him, he will wait for you. More importantly, and because of our free will, He wants you to reach out and seek Him. After all, Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” And, in Deuteronomy 4:29 it says, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Why do people separate themselves from God? They don’t spend time with Him, or reading His Word. His Word – the Bible – is like a letter that He’s written to you. Reading His Word is getting to know God.
If you stop seeking God, you’re sending a message that you don’t want Him in your life. Instead, why not seek a relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit by spending time with Him in prayer, praise and reading His Word? In James 4:8 we are reminded to seek after God. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” What does “double-minded” mean in this verse? When you look up the original Greek word, it means “wavering, uncertain, doubting”. In other words, if you are double-minded, that means you doubt God.
In this same James 4:8 passage, the word “cleanse” means to “to free from defilement of sin”, while the word “purify” means “to make pure, purify, cleanse”. But here’s a startling fact – another reason people do not have a relationship with God is because they’re in sin and their sin has separated themselves from God.
Have your sins have separated you from God? Yes, there’s no doubt that God will forgive you if you come to Him and ask – in fact, ask Him to not only reveal if you’ve done something that needs to be forgiven but ask Him to show you what you need to do differently in order to improve your relationship with Him. Let’s take a look at a few verses that discuss this subject of separating yourself from God.
Isaiah 59:1-2 (The Message version) – “Look! Listen! God’s arm is not amputated—he can still save. God’s ears are not stopped up—he can still hear. There’s nothing wrong with God; the wrong is in you. Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God. Your sins got between you so that he doesn’t hear.” Here are the same verses in the New Living Translation – “Listen! The LORD’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.”
Jeremiah 25:5 “Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have withheld good from you.”
Jeremiah 2:17 – “Have you not done this to yourself by your forsaking the LORD your God when He led you in the way?”
Jeremiah 4:18 – “Your ways and your deeds have brought these things to you. This is your evil. How bitter! How it has touched your heart!”
Psalm 107:17 – “Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted.”
Jeremiah 2:19 – “Your own wickedness will correct you, and your apostasies will reprove you; Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the LORD your God, and the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord GOD of hosts.”
But here’s the good news! In Ephesians 1:7 we learn that God forgives us, as “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”.
How do you get back on track with your relationship with God? First, Seek God and ask Him to show you where you’ve sinned. Second, ask God to forgive you, in Jesus’ Name. Third, repeat of your sins. Our God is benevolent and kind. He will forgive you your sins. Second, spend time with Him. Pray, praise Him and read His Word!
Let’s get one thing straight. There is only one living God – our creator. There is only one way to get to God – through Jesus Christ. In Romans 10:9, it says that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Here’s the good news! Jeremiah 29:13 – “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
Prayer: God, I ask in Jesus’ Name that you forgive me of my sins. I also ask in Jesus’ Name that you reveal to me anything I have done to block my relationship with You, and to remove these blocks. I want to confess my sins to you and ask you to forgive me. I repent of my sins. I love you, Lord, and I ask that you fill my heart with your love and forgiveness, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
This is the second article in a series that discusses the issue of why people disconnect from God and forsaking the Christian faith. It started when someone asked me, “Why do you think people disconnect or unhook from knowing God?” We know that God’s Word says that He never leaves us nor forsakes us. But why do we choose to pull away from God?
The trial of your faith is this: Will you continued to stay hooked and love Jesus, and believe in Him when you don’t know why and you don’t understand what’s going on?
I’m exploring some ideas, and this is the second idea in a series that discusses this issue. The first idea, or reason why, is that people become offended or upset with God because the thing they were expecting to happen did not happen the way they thought it would or should (see Part 1). They stayed offended, even to the point of getting mad with or pulling away from God, instead of seeking God for the answers.
The second idea why people disconnect from God is that they consider, think about, ponder upon, mull over and generally consume their mind thinking about their problem or problems instead of seeking God. In other words, they dwell on thinking of the problems or issues instead of seeking God or reading God’s Word to find the answers. They stop reading the Bible and start considering more of the world. They stop seeking a personal relationship with the living God. They stop trusting God.
Let’s read Jesus’ description of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:18-23 (AMP):
“18Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower: 19While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside. 20As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy; 21Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away. 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit. 23As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty.”
Do you have fear or turmoil over your situation? Consider the Word of God. Consider means to think about, meditate, and roll it over and over in your mind.
What do you think about? Do you think negatively about your spouse and other people begin to look better? You’re beginning to destroy your marriage and pull away from God.
What do you think about? Do you think you’re a failure and can’t succeed? Did you know that God’s Word says otherwise? Everything we put our hands to prospers, according to God’s Word. [Psalm 1:1-3, Deuteronomy 28:8, Psalm 35:27, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Isaiah 48:17, Proverbs 10:22, to name a few] Ask for God’s wisdom and blessings, and then praise God that it’s done.
Satan fights against you – he takes away the Word from your heart. Thoughts come your way that suggest you think about things that bother you or make you angry. You have the free will – the choice – of whether to think about your circumstances or situation, or whether you choose to go to God in prayer as well as seek God through reading His Word.
“What if it doesn’t work?” You’re a failure already by thinking that. You need to make a commitment and stand on God’s Word. Find out His promises and choose to not only mediate on God’s Word but stand on it – believe it. If you resist the devil – he will flee from you. You need to consider Jesus – the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).
You don’t have to be afraid of anything. You do, however, need to read and study God’s Word – His promises. In 1 John 5:4, it says that “this is the victory that overcomes the world even my faith”. Operate in faith and you have to win. Refuse to quit. Continue to go into extra innings until you win. Our God – our Father – owns the baseball, the bat and the stadium.
Once you make a decision like that then everything you believe for will come more quickly.
Satan knows if you’ve established God’s Word in your heart – and believing it, or if you’re close to wavering. If Satan can see you’re going to waiver, he’s going to push you even harder. He knows when you’re breaking point is. You keep fighting – you don’t say “it isn’t working”. When you make up your mind and there’s no turning back, Satan has no choice but to leave.
I have made up my mind to believe God. I am determined to stand on God’s Word. I make a commitment. If you have not made that type of commitment, you’re a failure already. God asks for a total commitment because you love Him. If you resist the devil, he’ll flee from you. As you get stronger and stronger, you’re faith continues to increase.
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 NLT)
The more of God’s Word we’ve stored in our heart, the more confident we become of who we are in Christ. What happens when we read God’s Word? It not only gets planted in our heart, just like a seed, but it also renews our mind. As it says in Psalm 119:11, “Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Reading God’s Word is how we renew our minds. The Holy Spirit will help to plant the Words of God in your heart, but only if you choose to read the Bible. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Remaining steadfast regardless of our circumstances can be a challenge. I really appreciate God’s encouragement to remain confident in Hebrews 10:35-36, “35So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.”
And here’s the same verse in the Amplified version: “35Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. 36For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.” The word “fearless” in this sentence really stands out to me. Our fearless confidence comes from knowing in our heart that God’s Word is true and He is faithful to perform His Word.
One day, the Holy Spirit explained to me a process He called, “Our Daily Life Cycle – How to Succeed”. Here’s the sequence:
Seeds start with what we see, what we read or what we hear.
The soil is what we think about – what we meditate on. If you have good soil, you will control your thoughts and emotions to align with God’s Word and promises. Can I say this? Yes, I can – think positive thoughts. Give time and attention to thinking on the uplifting events, thanking God for what He has done, is doing and will do for you. If you have bad soil, you think on negative things, you harbor unforgiveness, resentment or ill-will toward others. And this unforgiveness, resentment or ill-will toward others breaks your fellowship – your relationship – with the true and living God. God wants to have a real relationship with you – He wants to speak to you. But how does God speak to you? He speaks to us in a still small voice, and sometimes in a loud voice. But, more importantly, He speaks to you through His Word. Yes, the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word. It’s like a letter. If someone sent you a letter, you would consider it as that person speaking to you, only in written form. They want to tell you something, and they want to tell you something in writing. It’s the same way with God. He wants to tell you something, and in fact, He’s already done it. He’s written you a letter, and it’s called the Bible.
The germination of the seed occurs in our heart. The more time we give to a thought, the more it gets into our heart. We can choose what we think about. There’s that free will, again. Yes, God has given us a free will. It’s our choice what “seeds” we allow ourselves to see, hear and read. It’s our choice what “soil” we want by thinking on the positive things of God or the negative things of the world. The seeds that grow in your heart produce fruit.
As the Holy Spirit explained to me, our words and actions are the result (fruit) of what’s been growing in our heart. Our lives are influenced by the type of fruit we’re producing, either good or bad fruit.
The interesting point that the Holy Spirit said to me about this thought process is that this is how our thought, mind and action processes work whether you believe in God or not!
Remember that God made you and I in His ‘likeness’ (just like Him) and ‘image’ and He gave us the same ability to change things that He has by using the most powerful force in the known universe: FAITH! (the absolute trust and confidence in God’s Word).
So what’s the first thing we should do to change our attitude, get back on track with having a real relationship with God, and thus change our circumstances and our life? Seek God first!
In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” What things will be added? Let’s look back at verses 30-32, which say, “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” What things will be added? Our daily needs.
Not only will He meet our daily needs, but our God will also give us the desires of our heart. Psalm 37:4-5 is a great promise: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.”
Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is. He responded in Matthew 22:37-40 as follows: “Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
I love the version in Mark 12, beginning with verse 29 which says, “Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”
One of my favorite promises in God’s Word is Jeremiah 29:11-12 (NIV). “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” It’s a verse that He’s spoke to my heart time and time again.
So I know that God has a purpose for your life. I understand the importance of spending time reading His Word and getting to know Him. Spending time with Him is like getting to know a new friend or potential spouse. It’s an excitement like none other! When God speaks to you, it’s the father, friend and confidant unlike anyone you’ve ever known before. So I pray, “Father, in Jesus’ Name, I ask that You would cause my heart to want to put You first in my life.”
Prayer:
Lord, I will believe in You always. Lord, forgive me for ever doubting You. Forgive me for ever questioning You. I will not deny You, but I will confess You. Father God, I believe in You. I’m finished waivering. I’m through doubting. No matter what is happening – no matter what I understand or don’t understand – I trust You. I trust You. I trust You. I give you my life. I give you my heart without reservation. And as You help me, I will believe in Jesus. I will serve You. I will follow You forever. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
The trial of your faith is this: Will you continued to stay hooked and love Jesus, and believe in Him when you don’t know why and you don’t understand what’s going on?
Someone recently asked me, “Why do you think people disconnect or unhook from knowing God?” We know that God’s Word says that He never leaves us nor forsakes us.
But why do we choose to pull away from God? I’m exploring some ideas, and this is the first idea in a series of blogs that discuss this issue.
The first idea, or reason why, is that people become offended or upset with God. After all, it happened to Peter! All 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) discuss the story of Peter denying Jesus three times. In John 18, verses 18, 25 and 27 we read that Peter denies Christ 3 times. Peter’s faith was tried 3 times and each time Peter was asked, he become more upset – the result was Peter demonstrating an attitude of being offended.
What does it mean to become offended? When someone feels offended, they feel hurt, angry, shocked, bitter, stung to the heart, and the result is that you no longer believe. You can see that Peter stopped believing and denied that he knew Jesus. By the time the third occurrence of someone asking Peter if he was Jesus’ followers, Peter responds adamantly with “I don’t know this Jesus”. Oh, what a far cry from a few hours ago when Peter said to Jesus “I’ll die for you.”
How did this change? What happened? How did Peter go from “I’ll die for you” to denying Jesus? Let’s explore this further.
First, what does the Word say about denying Jesus? Let’s take a look: John 16:8-9: “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me”. What is “the sin”? The sin means not believing on Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:12-13: “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” Matthew 10:32-33: “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Luke 12:9: “But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” Is it serious when you deny Jesus? Absolutely.
Second, why did Peter deny Jesus? Peter denied Jesus because he became offended. Jesus warned His disciples. People will do bad things to you. People will not accept you. Jesus said don’t be offended – don’t stop believing in Me, don’t stop identifying with Me – don’t deny Me. In 1 John 2:22-23, we’re reminded again about the importance of not denying Jesus. “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
This was the test that came to Peter. What did he do while standing by the fire? Deny Jesus. If you had talked to Peter just a few hours before this, I think you would have come away saying that there’s no one more committed to Jesus than Peter. Peter loved Jesus, believed in Him and was committed to Him. Remember in John 21 when a disciple recognized Jesus on the beach, Peter dove into the water to swim to shore – he couldn’t wait. Peter claimed that he would die for Jesus at the last supper. And yet a few hours later, Peter said that he didn’t know Jesus. Jesus said don’t let anything cause you to be offended at Him.
Jesus forewarned His disciples. In Mark 14:27, it says “Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night,[a] for it is written: ‘ I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered’ [Zechariah 13:7]”. The Amplified version of the Mark 14:27 scripture says, “And Jesus said to them, You will all fall away this night [that is, you will be caused to stumble and will begin to distrust and desert Me], for it stands written, I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”
Look at the phrase “cause to stumble and will begin to distrust and desert Me”. That’s what happens when you’re offended. You get hurt, then mad, then shocked, then get bitter and then you can unhook and stop believing. Jesus said it would happen to all of them that night concerning Jesus. Look at these verses: Mark 14:28 “But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.” Mark 14:29 “But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.” Peter is saying – no, nothing will separate me from you. In Mark 14:30 (NKJV), “Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” Peter response in verse 31, “But he spoke more vehemently, ‘If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’ And they all said likewise.”
Peter was adamant – I will not deny you. Peter fully intended to follow up on this. In fact, Peter pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of someone who was attacking Jesus. Peter’s heart and his actions were saying, “this is my Jesus, I’m with You until the end.” UNTIL – Jesus said, that’s enough. Put up your sword. What? Stop defending Jesus? Why? That’s when Peter was shocked, and he was upset, and he didn’t understand, and he got angry, and he got hurt.
Peter’s been with Jesus for years now. Peter has seen Jesus stand up against the Pharisees and Saducees, look at them in the eyes and put them in their place when everyone else ran scared. He’s seen Jesus cast out demons. He’s seen Jesus walk on water, speak to the wind and the waves, and he’s seen Him raise the dead. He’s seen Jesus talk to Elijah and Moses. He’s heard the voice of God speak out of the cloud and say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
Peter never imagined or believed that Jesus would allow them to take Him much less kill Him. Peter was prepared to die for Him. But Peter wasn’t prepared to stand by and watch them take Jesus. It’s not the thing you’re prepared for that tries your faith so much. It’s the thing you haven’t thought about. It’s the thing you haven’t conceived. That’s what’s going to try your faith. And that WILL happen to EVERY ONE of us.
What is the trial of your faith? Peter’s faith was tried. Peter became offended. In 1 Peter 1:6-9, Peter discusses “the trial of your faith” as follows: “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
What is the trial of your faith? The trial of your faith is this: Will you continued to stay hooked and love Jesus, and believe in Him when you don’t know why and you don’t understand what’s going on? It’s not the thing you’re prepared for – it’s the thing you haven’t thought of – it’s the thing you don’t understand.
There are all kinds of Christians who have been offended. They don’t understand. Did you hear that phrase? They don’t understand why someone did something. They don’t understand why somebody didn’t do something that they thought they should do – they had it in their mind that it should go a certain way and it didn’t. They became offended.
Peter had a certain scenario in his mind, didn’t he? He whipped out his blade, cut off the guy’s ear, and he probably thought that Jesus would do something amazing. He always does – He always did. Think about what Peter witnessed. Jesus just got through saying, “I AM” and everyone fell on the ground! What do you think? Do you think this is going to turn out bad? No! We’ve been here before! Jesus is going to do something amazing. Jesus told Peter to stop and put your blade up. Peter sees that Jesus is going to allow them to take him and kill him? Peter became offended. Over the next few hours he trails off – he’s hurt; he’s mad. Why is Jesus doing this? He doesn’t understand.
And so Peter begins to question what he believes, which is what offense is designed to do. If Jesus just lets them take him and He dies, does that mean that He’s not the Messiah? Are all the things we’ve done all these years meant nothing? Have I done something wrong by being a part of this?
When you start questioning what you believe, you start wavering; you start doubting, and the moment you do, fear rushes in. And so when someone says, “Aren’t you one of them?” fear grips Peter and he responded, “no”. It’s not the thing you’ve prepared for – it’s the thing you haven’t thought about. It’s when it didn’t go the way you thought it would. It’s when you don’t understand. It’s when you start asking “why”.
Let’s look at John the Baptist. In Matthew 11, John the Baptist had been thrown in prison, sitting there night after night. He became offended – angry, hurt, shocked, and ceasing to believe in someone you should believe in. John was the one who stood up and pointed at Jesus and said, “Behold, the lamb of God”. He said it so convincingly that his own disciples followed Jesus. After hearing everything Jesus has done, he’s sitting in jail. He sent people to ask Jesus if he was the one. Matthew 11:2-3 “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? John was the one that said, behold the Lamb of God! John was the one who baptized Jesus and heard God’s voice reaffirming Jesus.
What’s happened to John? He’s become offended; fear has come in. Jesus told the messengers who were sent by John to go back and tell John, “the blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Matthew 11:5-6)
Jesus basically said, John – you already know the answer to that question. Don’t be offended in Me. Don’t quit believing in Me. Don’t unhook from Me. John probably never thought he would be sitting in a jail cell as the glorious end to all of his hard work preaching. He’d confirmed the fulfillment of scripture and now he’s going to sit in a jail cell and face execution? John wasn’t prepared for that – he hadn’t planned on that. He hadn’t thought about it. That’s what tries your faith.
What is the trial of your faith? The trail of your faith is – Are you going to stay hooked – are you going to still love Him? Are you going to still believe in Him – when you don’t know “why” and you don’t understand? It’s not the thing you’re prepared for – it’s the thing you haven’t thought of – it’s the thing you don’t understand.
The trial of your faith is this: Will you continued to stay hooked and love Jesus, and believe in Him when you don’t know why and you don’t understand what’s going on? Why do people disconnect from God? Why do they, for example, stop going to church? Something different happened than how they had planned. They prayed and prayed and thought it would happen according to how they prayed and it didn’t happen that way. They stood and made confessions and it didn’t turn out the way they thought it was supposed to. It looked like the need didn’t get met and so they became offended. “Well, I just don’t understand.” “I don’t know why it happened this way.” “I don’t understand”.
It’s more than you just not understanding – it’s turned into you’re offended. You’ve unhooked – you’re no longer believing Him. It’s all right to ask a question “why” when you want to learn and you want to understand. “Lord, why did this happen? I’d like to know – I’d like to understand.” But it’s NOT all right to demand, “WHY?” That’s not OK – that’s never OK. That’s not a question seeking wisdom and understanding. Demanding “why” is questioning the character of God. It’s accusing Him of being unfaithful. WHY didn’t You come through for me? WHY didn’t you do this? WHY did you let this happen? You were offended. You were shocked that it went a certain way, didn’t turn out a certain way, and so now you’re unhooking and not identifying with Him anymore, and dangerously close to denying.
Is this serious? Yes. You may say that you don’t understand –but there’s a lot you don’t understand. “But I don’t know why” – all that proves is that you don’t know something! You know that God has NEVER failed anybody and He never will ! He’s faithful – He’s true – He’s good. And YOU have to make up your mind that “NOTHING is going to separate me from Him, His love, His goodness. No matter what I see or don’t see, or understand or don’t understand, I know this – I still love Him. I still believe in Him. I still trust Him. And I’m not going anywhere – I’m staying right here. I’m trusting in Him. I’m staying hooked with God. I’m going to believe in what He told me to believe.”
God said to the person who trusts Him, He will manifest Himself. Believe God and stay hooked with God. Don’t become offended, and especially don’t become offended in God. Luke 22:31-32 – “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
What is the trial of your faith? It’s not God who’s being tested; it’s not His Word that’s being tested – it’s YOUR FAITH that’s being tested. That your faith FAIL NOT. And when (not if) you get straightened up – help your brothers by strengthening their faith. Luke 22:56-60: “But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.”
Peter became offended – he was shocked and he didn’t understand. Peter unhooked. Do you have to unhook because you don’t understand? When something happens and you don’t understand, and you don’t know why – that’s the time to reach down and believe God. I don’t know, but I know this – I’m not going anywhere – I’m staying with God – I’m staying with Him – and I’m staying with what He told me to do. I trust You, God. Luke 22:61-62 “And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.”
Why did Jesus turn and look at Peter? You can be forgiven of all sins, but if you don’t believe Jesus – if you deny Jesus – you’ll die because of your sin. Jesus looking at Peter was His way of reminding Peter of His words – He brought Peter back to reality.
Repent from being offended – don’t unhook from Me. Peter’s denial of Jesus is written in EVERY account of the 4 gospels. It’s written so that YOU WON’T BE OFFENDED. You have to recognize what the enemy is doing to you and GIVE IT NO PLACE in your thoughts, your heart or your life. It’s when it’s going a different way – it’s when you don’t understand why – it’s when you’re shocked, angry, hurt and upset – that’s when you look up and say, “Lord, I don’t know what’s going on. I know You didn’t miss it. If anybody missed it, it’s me (it’s us). I don’t understand, but I know this – You’re a good God. I know this – You’re a faithful Father – I know this – You’re a righteous and just and fair in everything you do and everything you don’t do and I TRUST YOU. I BELIEVE WITH MY LAST BREATH I TRUST YOU. I WILL BELIEVE IN YOU. I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU. I WILL NOT DENY YOU.”
You don’t have to understand to believe this. Lord, I love you. Lord, I believe in You. I trust You. Are you offended? Are you hurt? Have you cut yourself off from God? Have you denied being a part of going to church?
Don’t deny the truth – Jesus is the Word, Jesus is the Truth. Don’t unhook just because things didn’t go the way you thought they should – the way you expected – the way you prayed. Was Jesus’ faith tried? Yes. As He hung on the cross he said, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” Jesus passed the test. Did He deny the Father? No.
You’re not above Jesus – your faith will be tried. Make up your mind today. It doesn’t matter that you don’t understand everything. Don’t question God’s faithfulness or goodness in your life. There are things in your life that come along that will catch you off guard or shock you. Remember – don’t look at the situation, rather, look at God’s Word – God’s promises.
What does the Bible have to say about it? “Lord, the situation doesn’t change anything. I love You, I believe in You, I trust You, and I’m staying with You.” I really appreciate God’s compassion with Peter. Even though Peter had denied Jesus, when Mary and the women went to Jesus’ tomb, the angel told Mary and the women to “go tell the disciples and Peter”. Mentioning Peter by name was a way of letting Peter know that all is well – it was a comment to Peter that would provide some comfort. When Jesus appeared to the disciples after He was resurrected, Jesus asked Peter 3 times if he loved Him and asked Peter to feed His sheep. Jesus hasn’t disowned Peter. Jesus knew that Peter didn’t want to continue to deny Him. Jesus is helping Peter to get past this by asking Peter to do something for Jesus. If Jesus asks you to do something – don’t become offended, don’t be upset and do whatever He asks. Peter left and fed God’s sheep.
So even if your faith was tried and you failed – you got shocked and hurt and mad and upset and you didn’t understand something so you chose to unhook from having a relationship with God, it’s bad but it’s not the end. If you come back to Jesus, He’ll forgive you and receive you. Not only that, He’ll give you something to do – He’ll let you have a part. Now that’s a magnificent expression of the love of God. Isn’t that wonderful?
Prayer: Lord, I will believe in You always. Lord, forgive me for ever doubting You. Forgive me for ever questioning You. I will not deny You, but I will confess You. Father God, I believe in You. I’m finished waivering. I’m through doubting. No matter what is happening – no matter what I understand or don’t understand – I trust You. I trust You. I trust You. I give you my life. I give you my heart without reservation. And as You help me, I will believe in Jesus. I will serve You. I will follow You forever.
Can something that is made of iron float in the water? Not in the natural. Can something made of iron sink in the water and then rise to float on top of the water? No, not in the natural. Can miracles happen? Yes, miracles can and do happen. So what happens when an axe handle made of iron drops into the water, sinks to the bottom, and then reverses itself and floats to the top? It’s called supernatural – a supernatural miracle!
And, in fact a miracle like this did happen in the Bible! In 2 Kings 6:1-7 (Amplified version) we read about a miracle performed by Elisha:
“One day the guild of prophets came to Elisha and said, “You can see that this place where we’re living under your leadership is getting cramped—we have no elbow room. Give us permission to go down to the Jordan where each of us will get a log. We’ll build a roomier place.” Elisha said, “Go ahead.” One of them then said, “Please! Come along with us!” He said, “Certainly.” He went with them. They came to the Jordan and started chopping down trees. As one of them was felling a timber, his axhead flew off and sank in the river. “Oh no, master!” he cried out. “And it was borrowed!” The Holy Man said, “Where did it sink?” The man showed him the place. He cut off a branch and tossed it at the spot. The axhead floated up. “Grab it,” he said. The man reached out and took it.
In the King James Version, in verses 6-7 it says that “the iron did swim”. It swam to shore, and Elisha told the man to reach out his hand and he took it. This means that the axe, made of iron, actually floated up to the surface and then moved toward the shore, where the man could reach out and grab it.
The first thing we notice is that a supernatural miracle happened here. An axe head floating up to the top of a river is impossible – in the natural. It’s also impossible for it to move toward the shore while still floating. But God can work in the supernatural – and cause a miracle right before our very eyes. This was the fifteenth miracle performed by Elisha out of 32 total recorded miracles. Remember, Elisha had a double portion of the Spirit and power of Elijah.
But here’s another twist to this already interesting story. Notice that there’s no record of Elisha getting upset, experiencing worry or exhibiting fear. As the person cried out their concern, Elisha clearly displayed a clear head – no worry or fear. Instead, he took action. He cut off a branch and tossed it in at the spot where the axe head dropped into the water. Without any record of Elisha saying anything, the axe head floated to the top and moved toward shore.
Elisha knew that God would work on his behalf. Are you confident that God will work on your behalf? Are you confident that God can and will work miracles on your behalf?
This miracle wasn’t a life-threatening need. This was a simple need of losing something and then finding it. God can and will take care of all of our needs – no matter how small or how insignificant they may seem. He simply asks us to believe. In Mark
Matthew 21:21-22 in the Message version explains it like this: But Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don’t doubt God, you’ll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you’ll tell, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.”
Here’s the message: How do you get prayer answered? One of the most important aspects of prayer is that when you pray, you believe you have received your answer. Then, thank God that He’s answered your prayer.
In Mark 11:24, Jesus reaffirms this by saying, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” But don’t forget verse 24, which says, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Believe for your miracle today!
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Right Thinking, Right Words, Blessed Life – Daily Devotional (Day 12)
Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
What is faith? Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Do we all have faith? Yes, we all have been given a measure of faith. As it says in Romans 12:2-3, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
Notice that Romans 12:2 talks about renewing your mind. How do you renew your mind? By reading God’s Word – the Bible. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus talks about having faith the size of a grain of mustard seed. “So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.“
Are you concerned about a lack of faith? Don’t disqualify yourself for promises of God based on past failure, perceived lack of faith, or previous wrongdoings. In Romans 3:21-22, we are all righteous in God’s eyes because of what Jesus did for us on the cross – if we believe it by faith. “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). Because Abraham believed God, God credited that to him as righteousness. Abraham wasn’t perfect. After all, Abraham committed adultery with Hagar and had an illegitimate child by her. But, throughout all of Abraham’s problems, Abraham never stopped trusting God. The Bible doesn’t say that a righteous man never fails. The Bible says in Proverbs 24:16, “A righteous man falls seven times, but he gets up again.” It also says in Psalm 37:23-24, “The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord….Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with the right hand of His righteousness.”
Having faith in God means that you believe that God always loves you and you are considered righteous even though you may have fallen. You may have sinned, messed up or failed, but you are still righteous in God’s eyes and He still loves you. The proof that you are righteous is the fact that you get back up! Have you failed? Feel like you’re weighed down with sin? Get back up – get back in the game – get your heart to believe that no matter what’s happened, God still loves you. You still have the free gift of righteousness because you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior.
God wants you to believe in His promises. In Hebrews 11:6, it says that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Renew your mind daily – read God’s Word daily. This increases your faith, and as a result, helps to get your prayers answered! Matthew 21:21-22: So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Here’s the key – Have faith in God and do not doubt! Remember, whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.
SCRIPTURE MEDITATION:
James 1: 2-8 – My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Mark 11:22-24 – So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Find scriptures that apply to your life and meditate on them. Write down the verses on 3×5 cards and keep them with you. Remind yourself of these versus by thinking about them and speaking them out loud. Start speaking what God’s Word says about your situation. Fill your mind with the living, breathing, active Word of God so that your mind has a firm foundation!
Write down the verses and phrases that line up with God’s Word that you will declare today that will help you persuade your heart that God’s promises are true for you today.
THANKSGIVING:
Remember to thank God and honor Him with your words. You may want to begin your praise to God with a verse from the Bible or a song you’ve heard.
PRAYER: Lord, I ask in Jesus’ Name that the Holy Spirit would give me insights into your Word as I read the Bible and that you would renew my mind and give me wisdom. “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1)
WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU THINK GOD IS SAYING TO YOU TODAY:
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FAITH IN GOD DAILY 
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