We have been spending these past weeks looking at the promises of God, and many of you have sent in excellent questions. Today I want to answer five of them directly and practically so you can move forward in obtaining what God has already spoken.
As it is written in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”
**Question 1: How Do I Identify Which Promises Apply to My Specific Situation?**
All the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ. In the broadest sense, you can open the Bible and know that every promise belongs to you because you are in Christ. Yet wisdom requires us to look at context.
Some promises were spoken to specific people at specific times. When God told Israel He was giving them the land from the river to the sea, that was their inheritance. I cannot claim literal real estate in Israel on that basis. But I can zoom out and ask the Lord, “How does this apply to me spiritually?” The same God who gave land to Israel will give you the right place, the right provision, the right sphere of influence.
If a ten-year-old reads promises about finding a spouse, those promises are real but the timing is not yet. Some things we grow into. Ministry gifts and callings are chosen by Jesus, not seized by us.
The bigger problem in the body of Christ is not that believers ask for too much. It is that we ask for too little. There is far more prayer and praise going up to heaven than there is faith coming down to receive. Take any promise, study its context, and if you are unsure, ask a mature believer. Then grab the heart of God behind it. A promise of children to a woman can become a promise of spiritual fruitfulness to a man. Use common sense, but do not limit God. You are not asking for too many promises. You are probably not asking for enough.
**Question 2: What Does Acting on Your Belief Practically Look Like?**
Faith without corresponding action is incomplete. Yet faith does not come by doing things; faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Once faith is in your heart, action will naturally follow.
Years ago I asked the Lord for a laptop computer because I knew I was called to travel. I felt Him say yes, and from that moment I began to thank Him for it. For six months I carried that laptop in my heart before I ever held one in my hands. One day in a store I saw a laptop bag. The Lord said, “Buy it.” It took every penny I had at the time. My wife looked at me and said, “But you don’t have a laptop.” I answered, “Yes I do. The Lord gave it to me six months ago.” That purchase was an act of faith.
Sometimes the action is dramatic; sometimes it is simply rest. Early in our marriage I was anxious about paying rent. I paced the floor at 3 a.m. praying frantically while my wife slept peacefully in the next room. The Lord spoke to me: “Your wife is exercising more faith than you are. She is asleep because she believes I have this.” He who has entered His rest has ceased from his own works. Going to sleep can be an act of faith.
For any promise there is something you can do. If you are not sure what it is, ask the Holy Spirit. Faith does not come by forcing action, but when you truly believe, you will act.
**Question 3: Isn’t Guarding My Thoughts and Replacing Doubt with Praise Just Positive Thinking or Denying Reality?**
No. Positive thinking and denying reality are both different from biblical faith.
If I have a visible tumour on my arm and someone asks about it, saying “There is nothing wrong with my arm” is a lie. That is denying reality. Being positive about the tumour (“It’s not so bad, maybe it’s benign”) may feel better than negativity, but it still has nothing to do with faith.
Faith sees the lump, acknowledges it is real, but denies its right to remain and its ultimate permanence. I am saying this problem is temporary; God’s Word is eternal. The lump is factually present, but it is not ultimate truth. Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s Word will never pass away.
There is a difference between what is presently true and what is eternally Truth. Faith does not pretend the unreal is real. Faith proclaims that the unseen is more real than the seen. I can hold a Bible in my hand; that is true in the moment. If I drop it, the fact changes. But God’s promises are anchored in eternal reality. Faith stands on what God has said even when circumstances have not yet lined up.
**Question 4: How Long Should I Speak a Promise Before I Expect Manifestation?**
You should continue speaking the promise until it happens or until you go to heaven. The goal of confession is not to twist God’s arm. The goal is to change you, to displace unbelief and fill your heart with faith.
I once woke with a painfully stiff neck. I walked the floor repeating “By His stripes I am healed” for a long time, trying to force God to heal me. Finally the Lord asked, “If you believe you are healed, why are you still trying to get healed?” The moment that truth dropped from my head to my heart, the pain left instantly.
Many people confess the Word while still trying to earn the answer. Confession changes us. Abraham did not begin fully persuaded; he became fully persuaded. Your faith should move from faith to faith and from glory to glory. If you are confessing and sense no growth inside, you are probably moving backwards. You do not wait for God; you wait on God. Keep speaking until the promise is more real to you than the problem.
**Question 5: What About All the Negative Words I Have Spoken in the Past?**
Do not live in fear of past negative words. Bring them to the cross in one honest moment. Tell the Lord, “I have spoken foolish things. Forgive me. Let the blood of Jesus cleanse every idle word.” Then take authority over those words, break their power, and believe they are nailed to the cross.
If you have spoken negatively over your children for years, repent, ask forgiveness, and declare that those words are cancelled by the blood. Then begin to displace them daily with truth: “All my children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be their peace.”
Hold the position that the negative words no longer have authority. Satan has been stripped of power in that area. The blood has washed you. From this day forward you are blessed. Fear of “spooky” curses only gives them place. Stand in the finished work and keep speaking what God says.
Selah.
**Scriptures for Study:**
2 Corinthians 1:20, Mark 11:24, Hebrews 4:3, Romans 4:20-21, James 1:6-8, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:6-8, Isaiah 55:11, Joshua 1:8, Hebrews 11:1, Genesis 26:12, 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, Ephesians 3:20, 1 Peter 1:23, Proverbs 18:21, Matthew 12:36-37, Numbers 23:19, Psalm 119:105, Jeremiah 1:12, Hebrews 10:23, 1 John 5:14-15, Galatians 6:9, James 1:22-25, Romans 10:17, Psalm 34:1
**10 Questions for Reflection:**
1. Which promise are you currently asking for too little instead of too much?
2. What one small action could you take this week that demonstrates you believe the promise is already yours?
3. Are you denying the reality of a problem, or are you denying its right to remain?
4. In what area have you been confessing the Word while still trying to earn the answer?
5. How can you tell if your faith is growing or slowly dying?
6. What past negative words do you need to bring to the cross and cancel today?
7. How will you displace old words with daily confession of God’s truth?
8. When doubt tries to return, what praise will you immediately offer instead?
9. Are you waiting for God or waiting on God in this season?
10. What promise will you begin to dream with God about until it becomes believable in your heart?
