Should we Pray According to God's Will or According to His Word?

Many years ago, I believed that when you pray, you should always pray according to God's will, and this sometimes amounted to very general, and not always heartfelt prayers of faith.  I didn’t really know of any other way, or additional way to pray.  For me, I thought it meant a passive resignation to let things be, and that there would be nothing more for me to do. Whatever happened, happened.  The problem with praying this way, however, is that it in no way grew my faith, and it did not always yield the results that I was hoping for. It also did little to nothing to increase the faith of the people I was praying for. Also, I was not drawn closer in relationship to God. 

When you think of it, can you really pray effectively if you don't know God's will?  Scripture is abundantly clear that God wants us to know His will.  For one thing, Jesus said that we are His friends, not His servants, and He has made ALL THINGS known unto us!! 

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 

God has always revealed His will to those who are close to Him.  Scripture records it over and over again.  There is absolutely no doubt that He wants to be in close relationship with us, and this includes our prayer life especially, the times when we stop what we're doing and talk to Him. 

If we pray "only" according to His general will, this can become a religious, fearful, unbelieving ritual.  We take our hands off completely, and we let God take control.  Now we can relax and not involve our faith at all.  We can start to become lazy, but "Faith without works is dead" (see James 2:17-26).  Without faith we cannot please Him (see Hebrews 11:6).  If we don't take Him at His Word, how can we say that we really believe in Him? 

Here is a question:  Do our prayers fill us with peace? Joy? More love for the Lord? Adoration? Worship?  Or is it just a passive resignation that we hope He hears and answers, and now we're done with it, but we have little assurance that He will answer? 

Php 4:6    Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Php 4:7    And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

The disciples didn't know how to pray, and so they asked The Lord.  An important part of the Lord's Prayer mentions God's will being done. 

Mat 6:10    Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 

Wow! That is a powerful prayer!  But there's more.  In the following verse, it is also something we participate in: 

Mat 16:19    And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

When we bind and loose, things happen in the supernatural.  This works when we need healing, finances, and any other number of things.  It is very powerful.  If Jesus gave us these keys, then He did for a very good reason, and we must make use of them. 

God wants us to know His specific will. We do this by renewing our mind: 

Rom 12:2    And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

Without getting into the Word, we will not transform our minds, nor will we know the will of God.  We will be so filled and focused with the thoughts of the world around us, and the many messages they send, that we will not be in tune with the Word of God, much less begin to understand His will.  The more we get into the Word, the more we understand what His specific will is. 

A way to ensure that we are praying according to God's will is to realize that the Holy Spirit is already making intercession for us.  We need to wait on Him, and also ask Him what specific prayer is needed, since He already knows anyway.  When we pray, we need to ask for His leading, for He is there to help us, and He wants to participate with us in the prayer: 

Rom 8:26    Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

Not until recently did I discover another way to pray, and that is to pray according to God's Word, and there's a big difference. When we literally speak God's Word, things happen.  His Word goes forth because it is living and active.  The angels respond and start to carry it out.  God responds to His Word.  When He hears it, He honors it.  But this is where we must understand what His will is, and ensure that it is not our own will.  This is where we can start to get confused, and start praying according to our will and not His will.  Regardless of the outcome, God desires that we pray IN FAITH BELIEVING, and even the faith we have is what He has already given us (see Hebrews 12:2a).   

And after we pray, we must continue to believe, and this is extremely important, because the devil will come around, and try and do his dirty work – he will try to steal, kill, and destroy (see Matthew 10:10).  He will try to destroy our faith with thoughts of doubt, fear and unbelief.  We must not give him a chance to do this.  We need to stand firm believing in God's Word instead, no matter how bleak things may look.   

Heb 10:23    Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 

The purpose of speaking God's Word, also increases our faith and the faith of those whom we are praying for.  

Rom 10:8    But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

Rom 10:9    That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10    For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

Notice in verse 9 in the following, it says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth."  Notice again in verse 10, "with the mouth confession is made." 

Clearly, we need to pray both according to God's will, and according to His Word.  How do we do this?  First, we need to be in the Spirit, and not rely on our own understanding, or the flesh, to try and figure things out.  It is simply by doing what is suggested above in Romans 8:26 – we ask for the Holy Spirit's help and guidance, then we pray according to His leading.  After we pray, we need to stand firm in our faith that the Lord has heard and He is already answering.  A wonderful response is to also begin to thank Him.  By this time, we should be experiencing His peace and an assurance that He has both heard and He is also honoring our heartfelt prayer that has been uttered according to His will, and is in line with His Word.

Is Our Suffering of the Flesh or of the Spirit?

One of the most difficult things we can go through in life is when we or a loved one are ill in some way, and suffering.  This has recently been my experience, and I did not handle it well at all.  When illness suddenly hits a loved one, your whole world can feel like it is falling apart.  You can also go on a very disturbing and turbulent roller coaster ride with your emotions, as you see your loved one maybe show some improvement, and then the next day, no improvement.  In my own situation, I cried out to God and I prayed hard.  In fact, I prayed until I had a personal breakthrough to get some peace about it.  So I'd like to share what the Lord showed me about suffering.  He directed me to the following verses:

 2Ti 1:7    For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2Ti 1:8    Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

2Ti 1:9    Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

2Ti 1:10    But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

 The Lord gave me these Scriptures to show me that there are two kinds of suffering; one is to suffer in the flesh, and the other is to suffer in the spirit.  The second one has a purpose and it has power with it to overcome the suffering.  As Christians, we will suffer, but we are to only suffer for the furtherance of the Gospel.  Any other type of suffering is of the flesh, and manifests out of a heart of unbelief.  Unbelief is most pronounced when we are under severe trial.  When unbelief is present, fear comes in.  That's when we start to fall apart because we are not putting our trust in God.  When we put our trust in God, He gives us a peace that passes all human understanding.

 Suffering must be in accordance with His purpose and grace.  He gives grace where needed.  In other words, He gives us a buffer to deaden the pain as if it never existed.  While I was thinking about the two kinds of suffering, I realized that I had been suffering in the flesh because I was afraid.  I wasn't putting my trust in God for myself or my loved one.  The following verse also kept coming to mind:

 Psa 112:7    He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.

Every time I had a fearful thought, the Lord said that I was stepping into a land mine of fear, and I should get out quick.  When we are abiding in the Lord, our heart is stable, not fearful. There will be no rapid heartbeats or heart pounding because we will be filled with peace instead.

Fear blocks peace and blocks us from receiving the many Promises in God's Word that are ALREADY ours to take.  We are not given a spirit of fear, but love (without this we have insecurity), power (without this we are weak), a sound mind (without this we are confused and unable to make sound decisions).  All of these things, insecurity, weakness, and confusion are things of the flesh.  When we despair, we are not trusting in the Lord that He knows what He is doing.  The Lord wants to comfort us, but we must let go the fear, and take His Hand instead of clinging to the fear.

Have you ever wondered how the men in the Bible were able to withstand suffering and persecution?  They were in the spirit, not the flesh.  In other words, you can still have pain, grief, and so on, but no fear.  God gives you power, love and wisdom to overcome it and see you through.

Just remember that fear brings torment, and this is not of God.  Sometimes you have to deliberately fight hard against the fear.  You have to fight it until it leaves by using Scripture, and declaring the Word of God which always SUPERSEDES the fear.  When others pray and the prayers aren't getting through, it is likely fear that is blocking them.  The person you are praying for has to also let go of their own fear, command it to go until it is gone, then receive Jesus peace, their healing, and all the promises.  Fear will impede healing, faith will bring it to pass.

We also need to RECEIVE the promises just like when we get saved, we have to receive Jesus into our heart.  So we and those we pray for have to receive the healing, and let the fear go.

Every fearful thought is not of God, but we must be vigilant to not allow fear to overrule, and then fall victim to needlessly suffering in the flesh.  God has given us equipment to go through the suffering -- love, power and a sound mind.  When we dare to trust regardless of what we see in the physical, peace will be ours, and hope will fill our hearts.

 

HOW TO BE HOLY & FEAR GOD - PART 2

In the previous blog I shared my own personal experience with the holiness of God and the fear of God.  This blog is a continuation of this important issue.  The guest on the Christian TV show that I recently saw who was talking about holiness and the fear of God quoted 2 Corinthians 7:1: 

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 

This verse is where people can start to think that holiness has something to do with what WE do, and herein lies the danger and the confusion.  If we try to be holy in the same way that we would try to gain salvation by our own works, we are bound to fail.  It is like us trying to live a sinless life.  We will fail.  Only Jesus lived a sinless life.  This doesn't mean we are not to live holy lives, for Scripture exhorts us to do so, as the following testifies: 

1Pe 1:13    Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1Pe 1:14    As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

1Pe 1:15    But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

1Pe 1:16    Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 

So what does this mean to be holy without resorting to our own works that are bound to fail?  When I think back to my own previous study about holiness when I wrote my book, Victory Over Backsliding, and when I also studied it in Bible School, I learned that holiness means to "be separate," or, "set apart." 

2Co 6:14    Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

2Co 6:15    And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

2Co 6:16    And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

2Co 6:17    Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

2Co 6:18    And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

How do we separate ourselves? We must be aware of our idols.  In my research for the book about backsliding, I discovered that it was idolatry that was the downfall of Israel time and again.  Idolatry will affect our hearts and we will no longer sense the awesomeness of His presence.  When idolatry is present, we must consecrate our hearts, walk away, and renounce anything in our lives that has taken the rightful place of God.  This can be any number of things.  Idolatry results from taking on the ways of the world, anything that takes our affections away from God, and anything that takes His place.  We need to regularly and fearlessly be willing to let God take inventory of our own heart, and by prayer and the revelation of God, let Him reveal to us what our idols are that are subtly taking His place.   

Holiness doesn't mean asceticism, like physically separating ourselves from the world around us and living in a cave, or wearing special clothes to differentiate ourselves, or following religious ritual to show people how holy we are. It has to do with our own heart.  God knows our heart already, and if we are allowing Him first place.  He wants to be Lord of us no matter what the personal cost to us.  This is the true test of a holy life - are we willing to obey Him?

HOW TO BE HOLY & FEAR GOD - PART 1

In my previous blog, I talked about some confusion surrounding the fact of our assured salvation, and that some people believe we can lose our salvation if we do not do enough good works.  Today, I'd like to talk about another area where confusion sometimes arises, and it has to do with living a holy life and fearing God. 

A very popular speaker and author of several Christian books with topics timely for today has written a book to address what it means to fear the Lord, and he also talks about holiness for every Christian.  The two must go together, holiness and the fear of God. One of the things we must be very careful of, when it comes to understanding holiness and the fear of God, is that we don't get into our own works to try and bring things about.  It is not about being religious, it is about recognizing who God is, and how we are to respond to Him. 

In thinking about how to live a holy life, in addition to looking at many Scriptures, and what I had already been taught, and what has been revealed through God's Word, I had to look back on my own life in order to begin to understand what it means to me to live a holy life and fear God.  So I will begin with sharing my own experience with fearing God.

I confess that I was once a backslidden Christian, and I was filled with a fear of God, not a holy reverential fear, but a terror of the Lord for how He was going to punish me for living a life NOT according to His Word.  This fear came to a head when I suffered with a nervous breakdown.  Part of that terror was real because I was in a head-on collision, and I became unconscious.  During that time, I entered into another realm, and I knew I was dying unless the Lord spare me and let me wake up.  During those terrifying moments (maybe 20 minutes?), my life flashed before me, and I felt my life slipping away.  I had absolutely no idea that I was even saved at that point, and I KNEW BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT HELL IS REAL, and I was on my way there unless God would intervene.  Dear friends, please DO NOT let anyone persuade you that hell is not a real place, because it is.  We need to warn people. 

2Co 5:10    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

2Co 5:11a   Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;  

It is interesting that this car accident did nothing to change my heart, but added a great deal of nervous fear and anxiety in general.  And so I continued living my backslidden lifestyle.  All that time, deep down in my heart, I wanted out, but sin had not yet finished its course in my life, and I had to experience it in full before it finally died, and I got to live again, to live a brand new life in Jesus.  So you can be in the midst of living a sinful life, you can pray for release from your sin which has you under its bondage, but until it (sin) has run its course, God knows you will not be ready to give Him your all.  If we read Romans 7, the Apostle Paul explains how sin reigns and rules in our fleshly body until Jesus delivers us from it. 

It wasn't until a few years later, after the accident, that I came face to face with the reverential fear of God, and for the first time ever in my life, I understood a Holy God, and I understood what holiness means.  He brought me to a place where I could finally let the sin go, and instead, love Him with all my heart, soul, strength and mind.  I understood holiness while I stood in His sweet and powerful presence, and I repented of all my sin, and He took it all away instantaneously.  I was washed clean, and then filled with a love that I can't explain to this day!  The terror type of fear of God was gone, and in its place a reverential AWE OF GOD to think that He would love me like that filled my being!  This is how I understand the fear of God -- a Holy God forgave a sinner like me, and He will remember my sins no more.  HOLINESS AND THE FEAR OF GOD IS THE RECOGNITION OF A PERFECT GOD LOVING UNDESERVED SINNERS LIKE US!  It is realizing what He did for us, suffering and dying for us on a cruel cross and BECOMING OUR SIN for us, so that we would escape eternal punishment and separation from Him.  He wiped our black slate clean.  What a wonderful Savior! 

That is the reverential fear of God – it is when we respond to the awesomeness of God with singleness of heart, and we are in awe of Him.  From such an experience, we willingly and gladly submit our heart and life to Him on a daily basis.  The fear of God is to realize who we are in light of who He is, that we are unworthy to be the recipients of such an unconditional love.   

To try and live a holy life apart from repentance of our own sin is IMPOSSIBLE.  No one knows their own heart, only God does.  David lived with unconfessed sin for two years before he repented of it, and David was considered a friend of God.  How could this happen?  Well, sin hardens our hearts and sears our consciences, so we will continue living a sinful life until God deals with us.  God used a prophet Nathan to remind David of his unconfessed sin.  When it was revealed to David, he cried out one of the most beautiful prayers of repentance ever recorded in the Bible: 

Psa 51:2    Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Psa 51:3    For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Psa 51:7    Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psa 51:10    Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Please stay tuned for Part 2. 

Can a Believer Lose Their Salvation?

Recently, I was both stunned and dismayed to hear a very popular radio preacher talk about the works of a believer, and that a person can lose their salvation if they fail to produce works or fruits for God.  Perhaps this is an area that many Christians wonder about, or are confused about.  I know I struggled with it for many years, until the Lord taught me directly in His Word what the many passages referring to works and fruits actually mean. 

First of all, I'm going to agree on one point with the radio preacher that it is crucial that we bear fruit for God and for His Kingdom.  It is HOW we do so that is also crucial to understand and do, because there's one way we do it that will bear NO FRUIT, and the other way (as I'm going to point out in this blog) that will never fail to PRODUCT FRUIT for the Kingdom. 

The first way, which the preacher never fully explained well, likely because he doesn't understand it or believe it himself, are the works that you and I do on our own, without the empowerment, anointing, or direct instruction from the Holy Spirit.  These are called the works of the flesh.  They may still be what we would consider "good" works, but they are the works that will not stand the test of fire of our works when we get to heaven: 

1Co 3:11    For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1Co 3:12    Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 1Co 3:13    Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

1Co 3:14    If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

1Co 3:15    If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Also, God's view of our own good works is very different from ours, so we better get this right: 

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 

It is abundantly clear in Scripture that we are not saved by works: 

Tit 3:5    Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 

Eph 2:8    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9    Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Good works stem out of a close relationship with Jesus: 

Joh 15:4    Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Joh 15:5    I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

These are the works that last, the gold, silver and precious stones.  When Jesus is working through us, these are the works of the Spirit spoken of in the following: 

Joh 14:12    Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 

What works was Jesus referring to?  It always had to do with either healing, deliverance, or raising the dead, and so on.  They were works that were "supernatural," works that could only be done under the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.  Why?  So that men would know it was of God, and not of man.  Works are intended to advance the Kingdom of God.  They have to be greater than the works of man so that God is always glorified and not the person doing the works. 

The well-known radio preacher went further into John, and this is where he got confused, thinking that the following verse mean that you can lose your salvation if you're not producing fruit: 

Joh 15:6    If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 

Notice the phrase, "abide NOT in me."  Bible scholars agree that Jesus is either talking about a non-believer here, or He is referring to the works of a believer who is not fully consecrated in the Spirit, and his works are useless.  Therefore, those works (similar to the wood, hay and stubble in I Cor. 3 above), will be tossed aside and burned.  Backslidden believers may have one time produced fruit, but they have slidden away from the Lord, so they must first be dealt with before they can produce fruit once again. 

Works of the flesh stem from a fractured, and in many cases, a non-existent relationship with Jesus (religious works like all the religions of the world who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus). These same people may allow all kinds of sin in their lives and feel no conviction that they are living in error.  They weigh their good deeds against the bad, and think that this is how God will determine whether they are saved or not. Yet, nowhere in Scripture does it say this!  So we must question whether people who have not yet confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior and do not yet have a desire to live for Him are really saved in the first place!  Their works and lack of fruits (of the Spirit) will reveal whether they are of God or not. 

What are the good works that people think of when they read these Bible passages talking about works?  They might think of religious acts, like helping others, sacrificial giving like the Good Samaritan, visiting the fatherless and the widows (pure religion), setting up social networks to help street-people, women who are abused, and so on.  Yes, many people may get helped, and even saved.  But in order for any of it to be effective, the following must be evident: 

1Ti 1:5    Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned [not hypocritical]: 

In other words, the good works must be done out of a pure heart of love from the Father's heart to ours, with a strong conscience that it is what God has ordained us to do, and with a strong faith that will really get the job done to God's glory. 

I'd like to share some powerful verses that are promises to every believer, and provide an assurance of our salvation, regardless of works: 

Joh 6:39    And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

Joh 6:40    And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 

Joh 10:28    And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Joh 10:29    My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 

1Th 5:9    For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 1Th 5:10    Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 

Rom 8:34    Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Rom 8:35    Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom 8:36    As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rom 8:37    Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rom 8:38    For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Rom 8:39    Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

In this day of apostasy and false prophets, we must be very careful what and who we listen to, to see if they are truly of God.  The radio preacher I heard had mixed truth with error, and clearly, did not have a true grasp of his subject.  I urge every reader of this blog to check the Scriptures for yourselves whenever anything you hear or read gives you a sense that something is amiss.   

1Jn 4:1    Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

When someone mis-handles a topic as critical as our assured salvation, and has caused confusion, fear, and doubt, then we must consider him as someone not trustworthy to handle the Holy Word of God.  May we be ever vigilant to keep and seek out the Truth of God's Word entrusted to us.  Amen!

Does It Matter What we Say? - Part 2

In a previous blog, Does it Matter What we Say?  I talked about going beyond just reading the Word of God, and to start verbally speaking it out loud.  So in this blog, I'd like to talk about the ability and power of the Word of God that can change us, alter our outlook, and change the world in which we live, and do so all according to God's will for our lives.  I'd also like to discuss how, as Bible-believing and professing Christians, we can partner with God through agreeing with His Word, and how this changes our prayer life, our relationship with Jesus, and increases our faith. 

I also shared how God's Word is "living" and active."  It is a "living Word."  The Word tells us in Romans 12:2 that it has the ability to transform us from what we are now, to what God intends us to be in Him.  We start with salvation where we are forgiven, cleansed, our sins pardoned, and our assured eternal destiny in heaven.  Although this is phenomenal in and by itself, our salvation comes with many additional benefits, such as living a victorious life over the flesh, the world and the devil, wisdom, health, and living the abundant life that He promised us, and so on (the number and magnitude of His promises are really staggering if you look them all up).

So what happens when we feel we are not really living the abundant and prosperous life that we have been promised in God's Word?  I think a few things have happened.   We have spent less time in God's Word, and in prayer, and we have not affirmed and repeated the many appropriate Scriptures of promise enough times every day to let it really sink in!  So when we become too busy, or too tired, we lose out on all that God intends for us to have.  We start to live by how we feel, rather than on what God's Word says.  Think back to how you got saved.  Were you relying on your feelings to determine the course of your life and destiny, or did you rely on the truth of God's Word, believe His Words are true, and then accept Him into your heart?  Didn't you notice an almost immediate change?  Your thoughts changed, your desires changed, your life changed!  At least I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that mine did!

When we do start to spend the time in the Word, and verbally affirming it and confessing it, we begin to change as it says we will in Romans 12:2.  We begin to see the results of what we believe according to the Word of God, and of course, the will of God.  When we confess something, things happen.  We actually become what we confess that we are.  Our body reacts, our mind changes, our feelings change. Things happen in the spiritual realm.  Our words go forth and "accomplish" what we say, both good and bad. 

As a rule, we need to affirm verbally what we have and who we are in Christ every day and perhaps several times a day.  Here are some verses to refer to and affirm when we are faced with various difficulties:

By our confession, we are healed: 

 James 5:16    Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

When we are ill, we need to affirm the following verse:

Isa 53:5    But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Similar to Matthew 16:19, our words can bring deliverance or keep us in slavery to sin, sickness, and everything else that the devil throws our way.  When we feel bound by something, or oppressed, we need to affirm the following:

Mat 18:18    Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

2Co 3:17    Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Joh 8:36    If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Our words can bring encouragement where discouragement reigns:

Rom 8:37    Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Our words will put our confidence in the Lord to supply all of our material needs:

Php 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

When we are feeling weak and unable to do something, we need to confess:

Php 4:13    I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 Agreeing with the Word of God

In my course of reading a book about the importance of what we confess and profess, I had not previously thought about whether the words I speak are in agreement with God's Word or not.  How could I expect God to answer my prayers if they are pathetically lacking in faith in Him, and I really don't believe He hears, and He will answer me?  How do you feel if someone you truly care about asks you for something, but they only half-heartedly believe you will provide it for them (even if you've always been faithful to provide for them), when clearly it is your pleasure to give them what they need?  Would you still want to give it to them?  Here's what Jesus says:

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

In a relationship, it is very difficult to thrive when you are in constant disagreement.  It says so in the Word:

Amo 3:3    Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

We need to be in agreement with God's Word and with Him, and we do so when we agree with what His Word says.  In the following verse, we see that when two people agree on something in prayer, it shall be done!  So do not be afraid to call a friend when you need prayer.

Mat 18:19    Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Jesus has said this verse somewhere else before, and he emphasizes, "Again I say unto you," to drive home the point.  He says if "two of you shall agree."  Agree with what?  We receive an answer when we agree with God's Word, and with God's will.  What are the criteria?

 Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

We must abide in Jesus, and digest His Word, and not just take a passing interest in it.  When we confess God's Word as right and altogether true, we come into agreement with God's Word.  We will become what we confess.  If, for example, we go around believing we are tired and weak all the time, we will most likely remain in that state.  We must rise well above our feelings, and agree with the Word of God.  What does God's Word say to us in each difficult situation we face?   I have given you several examples above.  For every situation we face, there are verses we can say and claim as our own until we truly believe we are what God's Word says we are, and we receive what He says we already have!  This is truly how faith works.  So we need to get into the habit of affirming and agreeing with God's Word over ourselves, our loved ones, and for whatever purposes God has set before us.  May we do so today and without delay, and continue to do so every day.  What a wonderful change we're going to see!   

Does it Matter What We Say?

Not too long ago, I started reading a book that explained the importance of verbally confessing and professing the Word of God.  The book used many pertinent Scriptures.  But since the book was about confessing the Word, rather than just silently reading the Scriptures suggested, the author encourages readers to start reading them out loud.  So I did.  Following reading the book, I started verbalizing Scripture much more often than I had done previously.  I often quoted verses I had memorized as a child.  At first, it seemed strange, but then after awhile, I began to notice a marked difference in my prayer life, and in my spiritual life in general.  I noticed that my prayers (especially for others), were more filled with faith than they had been before because I had quoted Scripture in the prayers themselves.  

Just how important does the Word place on us to share verbally and declare the Word of God?  Let's see what the Bible says.    

We choose life or death by the words we speak: 

Pro 18:21  Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 

Jesus said we ourselves will determine whether or not we are justified or condemned by what comes out of our mouth: 

Mat 12:34    O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Mat 12:35    A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Mat 12:36    But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Mat 12:37    For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 

Our salvation has everything to do with a "hearing of the Word": 

Joh 5:24    Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 

If we are just giving mental assent to the Word (silently reading and agreeing with it), our testimony and the Word of God will not be heard.  It must be verbally expressed.  People's eternal lives are at stake, so we cannot shrink back and be afraid to clearly state what the Word of God says. 

In Romans 10, we have a treasure trove of verses having to do with the importance of hearing the Word, and also verbally confessing it.  Look at these verses: 

Rom 10:8    But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; Rom 10:9    That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10    For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

In verse 8, it is "the word of faith," which we preach.  This is not our own words; this is the Word of God.

In verse 9, we are saved by the confession of our mouth, and the belief that God raised Christ from the dead.

In verse 10 we see the importance of the confession of our salvation. 

We need to ask ourselves, When was the last time I made a confession of my salvation (my personal testimony), to someone who is lost, without Christ?  When was the last time I shared an answer to prayer to testify to someone of the mighty works of God?  The more we confess what God has done and is doing for us and through us, the more assured we become of the power and truth of God's Word. 

Later in that same passage in Romans, we learn that faith comes by hearing: 

Rom 10:17    So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Hearing means that we physically "hear" it.  When my husband commuted to work each day, he listened to Bible tapes.  This is how he learned much of the Bible.  He was driving, and so he couldn't stop and read and take notes.  He simply "listened" to the Word of God. Years later, when he was writing as a commenter online, that same Scripture that he had listened to while driving, came to mind, and he was able to exhort, rebuke and teach the Word that he had heard. 

While it is important to attend church to "hear" the Word of God, we must be personally disciplined to hear it every day of the week and not just on Sunday morning!   

Another reason why it is important to express verbally the Word of God and the testimony of our salvation is because this is what gives us the ultimate victory over Satan's daily attacks, the enemy of our souls.  Take a close look at the following verses: 

Rev 12:10    And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Rev 12:11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 

They [we] overcame [overcome] him by "the word of their [our] testimony."   

We are to be fully clothed in spiritual battle dress to counter-attack the enemy: 

Eph 6:16    Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Eph 6:17    And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

In verse 16, it is the "shield of faith" that stops Satan in his tracks.  What is the shield of faith, but the "word of faith" spoken of earlier in Romans 10:8.  If we read the many accounts of Jesus ministry on earth, we notice that He did two things – He spoke the Word of God (what was already written), and then what the Father was giving Him currently to say. 

Luk 24:27    And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 

Joh 12:49    For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

Joh 12:50    And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. 

Also, it is important to speak the Word of God because it is "living and active."  When it is spoken, things happen supernaturally.  We get saved, but we also continue to be sanctified, as the Word reveals to us what is of the flesh and what is of the Spirit: 

Heb 4:12    For the word of God is quick [living], and powerful [active], and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

So when we boldly proclaim the Word, there will be a reaction.  We will change, and our thoughts will change (see Romans 12:2).  It is powerful, and it will not return to God void (more on this in another blog).  

There is so much more on this topic, and as I said, I would like to continue this important topic in another blog.  For now, I would like to challenge every Bible-believing Christian to start repeating, out loud, the Word of God, both as you daily read Scripture in your devotional time, and also consider quoting Scripture when you pray.  This will put you in agreement with God's Word (I'll share more about the importance of agreement in the next blog).   

A few final verses: 

Psa 145:5    I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

Psa 145:6    And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

Psa 145:7    They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. 

May God Bless you as you boldly proclaim His mighty Words and works! HE is worthy ... AMEN!