“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also able to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.”
Romans 4:20-22
In the above scripture, the Lord describes how Abraham was able to receive the promise of God. He believed God was faithful to do what He said He would do. When God promised Abraham that he would be the father of multitudes, the circumstances said the opposite. Abraham and Sarah were already well along in years and had been unable to have children. However, Abraham chose to believe God more than what he could see.
Romans 4:17-22 says: “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. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also able to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.” It is no accident that God changed Abram’s name to “Abraham”, which means “Father of multitudes.” By doing this, it caused Abraham to speak God’s promise over himself wherever he went. Not only that, but those addressing him throughout the day were speaking the promise of God over Abraham. Every time he heard his name spoken, he heard the promise of God over his life. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (see Romans 10:17). Therefore, faith was being built up in his heart regarding this promise. He kept hearing himself called “Father of multitudes” and that got down into his heart. He believed it, he spoke it, and he eventually received it!
Jesus teaches us that faith is truly simple. In Mark 11:22 He described the formula to answered prayer: “Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
The Lord shows us it is the same formula throughout scripture. We must believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths. The same way we received salvation (confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead), is the same way we receive everything else in life. (see Romans 10:8-10) This works in both the positive and the negative. The devil knows this, so he tries to keep believers using their faith in the negative. Many people are so trained to assume the worst, or the negative about a situation that they need to re-train themselves to think like God. They need to have the God kind of Faith. When we are in the God kind of faith, we expect the best. We know that God does exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think! He is El Shaddai, the all sufficient one! He is more than enough! He’s Jehova Jireh, Our provider! He is Jehova Rapha, our healer! He is so much more!
Many people are programmed to assume the worst about a situation or think negatively, and they don’t even realize it. They may say phrases like “I can never seem to get ahead” or “I knew it was too good to be true” or “that’s just my luck”. These kinds of phrases are toxic. They go against the promises of God and build fear, not faith in people’s hearts. Make an effort to notice what you are saying throughout the day. Are you speaking words that line up with the outcome you desire? Are they words that agree with what God declares about you? If not, then make a determination that you will only say what you hear your Father (God) say, so that He can do the works. Take time to feed on the word to build your faith.
As we get in the Word of God, and pray God’s promises over our lives, it helps us to re-train not only our thinking, but it increases the God kind of faith in our hearts! As we keep confessing what God says about our situation, we end up re-training the way we talk. When we finally get to the point where what we believe in our heart, is what we say out of our mouth, then miracles happen!
Take time this month to turn off every negative conversation, every negative newsfeed, and instead immerse in the Word of God. As you do, faith will increase more and more. Then suddenly, the God kind of faith will explode in your heart, and you’ll speak with your mouth and have exactly what you say! It may take time to manifest, but it will! The moment you pray and believe it, is when you received it. It’s like ordering a package online. The moment you place the order, it’s yours. As far as you are concerned, it’s a done deal and you make preparation for its arrival. You don’t go back throughout the day and order it again and again simply because you don’t see it yet. You understand that when you ordered the package online, everything goes into process to bring that order to you. The fulfillment process begins, and it’s just a matter of time before you receive it. This is the attitude we need to take in prayer. Once we place our request, we understand it is now ours. All we have to do, is make preparation for its arrival. In the natural, sometimes packages do get cancelled. However, in the spiritual, the only way your order can get cancelled or delayed is with words of unbelief and doubt. If that happens, don’t worry. Just repent, get back on your faith walk and God will fulfill that order! The angels are dispatched on your behalf. All heaven and earth moves and responds to your faith filled words. You have a heavenly fulfillment center far more reliable than any online warehouse! Therefore, stand firm in faith and watch God fulfill His promises in your life!
Further reading: Romans 4, Hebrews, 11, Mark 11, Genesis 12:1-5, Genesis 17:1-9, Genesis 18:9-14, Ephesians 1:17-23
