The Fundamentals of Faith – Part 10
Mark 11:22-26 (NKJV) 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 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. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Seven Steps to Prayer That Brings Results
- Decide what you want from God and get the scripture that definitely promises you these things.
You must base your prayer on the Word of God.
You cannot pray beyond your faith and you cannot have faith beyond the Word that you know and have in your heart.
John 15:7 KJV (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.
John 1:1-3 KJV (1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
God has attached Himself to His Word and you will never get Him to do anything apart from His Word.
You must have the Word in your heart because there will be a fight that must be waged for what you are praying for.
Notice Jesus used the same thing that we have in our arsenal to defeat the enemy. He did not use something that we don’t have access to.
Luke 4:4 KJV (4) And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
1 Timothy 6:12 KJV (12) Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
It may take time for you to receive the answer to your prayer.
Be prepared to stand and fight for what you have prayed and believed for with the Word of God.
- Ask God for things you want and believe that you have them.
Mark 11:24 NKJV Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Expressing a desire and asking the Lord for something are two different things.
When you ask you MUST believe that you receive the answer at the time that you pray.
There are two kinds of truth that we deal with:
- Sense knowledge truth that is based on what can be perceived with the five physical senses.
- Revelation truth from God’s Word.
These are OK with each other until they contradict. When they do contradict, you must get to the place that you automatically default to the revelation truth of God’s Word.
Romans 4:17 KJV (17) (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
A mistake that people tend to make is that they want to call things that are as though they are not INSTEAD OF CALLING THOSE THINGS WHICH BE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE.
- Never permit a mental picture of failure to enter your thinking.
Failure is not an option!
Uproot every thought, image, dream, impression, or feeling that is contrary to what you have prayed and believed that you received the answer.
All thoughts, dreams, images, impressions or feelings that do not contribute to your faith must be destroyed.
The enemy will try and get you to keep checking to “see” if the thing or situation has changed.
- Guard against every evil thought that comes into the mind.
Thoughts are governed by observation, association and teachings.
Stay away from places and things that do not support your affirmation that God has heard and answered your prayer.
Philippians 4:6-8 KJV (6) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
- Meditate constantly on the promises upon which you based the answer to your prayer.
See yourself in possession of what you’ve asked from and make plans accordingly as if it were already a reality.
Example of promise from your boss about a pay raise and we will go out and buy something based on that promise BEFORE we have seen one dime of the increase.
Proverbs 4:20-27 NKJV My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. (21) Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; (22) For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. (23) Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. (24) Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. (25) Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. (26) Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. (27) Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.
If you don’t see yourself with the answer, then the Word is no longer before your eyes.
Joshua 1:8 NKJV This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
If you don’t stand by the Word, as much as God wants to stand by you, He can’t.
- In your waking moments think on the greatness of God and His goodness and count your blessings and your faith will increase.
Lift your heart to God constantly in gratitude and increasing praise for what He has done and for what He is doing for you now.
Philippians 4:6 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
- Make every prayer relative to what you’ve asked, a statement of faith instead of unbelief.
You can say that you do have faith as easily as you can think thoughts of doubt and unbelief.
It is thinking faith thoughts and speaking faith-filled words that leads the heart out of defeat into victory.
Don’t undo your prayer of Faith!
Smith Wigglesworth said, “If you have prayed seven times for any one thing, you prayed six times in unbelief.”
Andrew Murray said, “It is not good taste to ask God for the same thing over and over again.”
Murray also said, “If, when you do pray again, what you’ve prayed for hasn’t materialized, don’t pray for it again in the same way because that would be unbelief. Remind God that you have already asked for it, and what His Word says, and tell Him that you’re expecting it and thank Him for it.”