Can We Really Live By Faith In God's Promises?

Jesus said “Ask and it will be given to you”.  This is an outrageous promise to make if one had no ability to fulfill.  He even goes further and says; “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you desire and it will be done for you”.  As if desiring and asking are the only limits to what one can have in life! 

People put Jesus’ claims to the test.  A man blind from birth ran to him asking for sight, and he got it.  A woman with 12 years of issue of blood pushed into the crowd with the desire to be healed and when she touched the hem of his garment, she was instantly healed.  Four men dropped their paralyzed friend from the roof into the place where Jesus was sitting, and the paralyzed walked carrying his own mat that he was dropped in through the roof.  Lepers were cleansed, deaf heard and mute spoke, dead came back to life, food multiplied, water changed, fish gave up gold, storm obeyed, demonic spirits submitted, mysteries revealed and the list could go on and on to show the power of Jesus to fulfill his promises.

Then how about us?  Can we trust his promises now?  To assure us Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away”.  Paul confirms this by saying “no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ”.

Then why don’t we as Christians see this happening in our lives?  There are countless Christians who have experienced the fulfillment of God’s promises.  “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever” says the Bible and he does fulfill his word in our lives.

Faith plays the most important role in experiencing the fulfillment of God’s promises.  James said; “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do” (1:6-8).

If faith and asking backs our desiring; God will fulfill his promises no matter how impossible it might be in our sight. 

Therefore,

1.    Desire:  How strong is your desire?  How passionate are you about the thing you want God to do in your life?  Can you name and number the thing you desire from God?  Can you see it?  Can you put your finger on it?   Is your desire in line with the Bible?  If it glorifies God, if it brings joy to your heart and edifies others, you can pretty much be sure for God to answer your prayers (unless God has something better than what you desire).

2.    Believe: Do you have God’s promises backing up your desire?  Do you believe in those promises?  Does your heart beat faster when you think on those promises?  Do you feel the love of God pouring out into your heart when you think and memorize those promises?  Do you feel your inner confidence rising up, widening your chest?  Those things happen to those who truly take God’s promises at face value.

3.    Ask: Now, asking is not begging.  Asking is letting your desire to be spoken out of your mouth, and then going to God with his promises as if to remind him of what he had said.  Tell God all about your desire in greater details.  Tell him why you want it.  Speak out the promises of God when you pray.  Do it continuously.  Keep thinking about it and keep speaking the promises  of God from your mouth.  Meditate on God’s word even as you go about your daily life.  Don’t be anxious thinking whether God will do it, but be expectant in your imagination as how you will react when God does it.  Think as how your life will be different once God grants your desire.  Paul said “we do not live by sight but by faith”.  You may not have it right now with you in the physical realm, but you've got to see it as though you have it in your spiritual realm. 

God hasn’t changed his ways of answering our prayers.  Just as God did for all his children down through the ages; he does the same for us even today.  But can we believe like Abraham did?  Jesus said, “Everything is possible for him who believes”.  Abraham believed.  Mary believed.  Thomas believed.  But Jesus said “Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have believed”. 

Don’t give up your desire.  Keep watering it with the promises of God and in due time you will see the harvest.