"The Prayer of Faith"
Praise God! Open up with me to Mark, chapter 11. Mark, the 11th chapter. We are in our series on PRAYER. We've been taking up different kinds of prayer. In fact, our opening verse is Ephesians 6:18. I'll just quote it for you this morning. Ephesians 6:18. We have covered this many, many weeks. "Praying always with all prayer." Literally, the Greek says, "Praying always with all kinds of prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."
This verse really takes prayer and divides it into two categories. It calls it "all kinds of prayer" and "supplication in the Spirit."
And we first of all took up in this series, we took up a couple of lessons on praying in the Spirit. We talked about the creativity that God gives us while we pray in the Spirit, the mind of God comes to us, for there's times we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the will of God is given to us as we pray in the Spirit.
Praying in the Spirit is for you. The Bible says that anyone who prays in an unknown tongue edifies himself. "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost." When you pray in tongues, you make yourself sensitive to the will of the Father. Make yourself sensitive to the will of God.
And this morning, in that passage of Scripture, again it says, "Praying with all types of prayer and supplication in the Spirit." Then we went on talking about different types of prayer, and the first part of that verse deals with "all categories of prayer." We took up the prayer of binding and loosing. We took up united prayer. We took up the prayer of agreement, intercessory prayer. Tonight we're going to be taking up the subject of THE PRAYER OF WORSHIP. We took up the prayer of consecration and dedication and this morning we're going to be talking about THE PRAYER OF FAITH.
The thing that excites me about the prayer of faith, to me this is the pinnacle of faith. This is the pinnacle of prayer, is the prayer of faith. There's times it's great when you can be around a congregation. It's good to know you have a prayer partner you can call for agreement in prayer. But what about those times when you can't find anybody? Does that mean that you can't pray? The answer is no. In fact, really, the highest form of prayer that there is found in the Word of God is the prayer of faith.
Let's take a look at this in Mark, chapter 11. Two verses that you should know by memory. In verse 23 and verse 24, the disciples were asking Jesus when He cursed the fig tree, they said, "Lord, show us faith and teach us about faith and show us what You did with this fig tree." And Jesus began to explain to them about how He spoke to the fig tree. The power of words.
And then He says in verse 23, "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 you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them and ye shall have them."
In verse 23 and verse 24, we actually have two things. In verse 23 we have the power of words against the trials of life. Speaking to the mountains of life. But then in verse 24, we have the power of the prayer of faith praying it to God. In essence, what these two verses are telling us is that speaking to our problems and speaking to God, both come from the same source, and that is our heart and our mouth united together.
You know, I can't put it any stronger than this. When your heart and your mouth unite together around God's Word, supernatural things begin to happen. How did God create the universe? The Bible says in chapter 1 of Genesis that God spoke. Everything we find out that is around us in this universe, Colossians, chapter 1, tells us, Hebrews, chapter 1, tells us that the entire universe was put together by the words of God. Colossians eve n tells us that the universe is held together by the spoken Word of God. The Greek word there is rhema. It means the spoken Word of God.
When God spoke this universe into existence, it came into existence. I want you to know that that chair you're sitting on is held together by the power of God. This pulpit that I'm up here standing behind is held together by the power of God. Scientists today tell us that the amazing thing about solids are, there is more space in a solid than there is solid. That's hard to understand, that inside of this pulpit there's more space between the molecules than there is space of the molecules, and they said, in fact, if you were to remove all the space out of something this size, it would probably fit into the palm of your hand. That's how little matter there is around us, so therefore theoretically, everything should fly apart. Even scientists don't know why things stay together. But folks, we don't have to listen to scientists. We can open up the Word of God and find out everything is held together by the spoken Word of God.
I remember during the 60s, they said God was dead. Well, that's impossible. We wouldn't be here if God was dead. We wouldn't even be here to say God is dead if God was dead. Everything around us would fall apart. The universe would fly apart, because again, everything is held together by the Word of God. But God brought everything into existence. Why does it say over and over again in Genesis, chapter 1, "And God said...and God said...and God said...and God said...and God said." Why over and over and over again do we find that phrase? To drill into us from the very opening of the Word of God that what you believe and what you say has creative power.
We have been fashioned into the image of God. The very new birth makes us a child of God, an offspring of God. His Spirit comes to live inside of us. His Word becomes a part of us. We become part of His family. Therefore, we pattern ourself after God. In fact, in these verses where the disciples said, "Lord, teach us about faith," Jesus said, "Have the faith of God."
Literally, what He was saying was, "Pattern yourself in your faith after your Creator God." If you want to find out about faith, don't ask a hundred people. Go to God's Word. Find out how God operates in faith. Jesus had just given them an example. He spoke to a fig tree and the fig tree died. And the fig tree died, so much that the next day they could see the results of it. We have that power given to us through the words of our mouth and the Word of God that's hidden in our heart.
Notice with me in verse 23 again, He says, "Be thou removed, and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his [where?] heart...." But notice the next three words. "But shall believe...." "But shall believe" are tied into the heart. Notice this: "Shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe." Believing comes from our heart. This is how we're born again. We believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and we confess with our mouth Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
The very way we enter into the Kingdom of God is how that every miracle in our life should be patterned after that.
We have found out through prayer that God will answer the prayer of others for us. That's intercessory prayer. We have found out that two people can unite in prayer, and that's called the prayer of agreement. We have found out a congregation can lift up their voice. That's united prayer. We've talked about all different types of prayer, but we also come to this one. When there's no congregation to stand with you, when there is no prayer partner you can get a hold of, I want you to understand, you have a powerful prayer partner. It's called "the promises of God." The promises of God, because in essence, when you line up with the promises of God, you are uniting together in prayer with God. How many of you believe that God's a good prayer partner? After all, He invented the thing, didn't He? If He invented prayer and He knows all about it, then apparently if you're looking for a good prayer partner and don't have one at the moment around you, then look to God. He is an awesome prayer partner. He's the One that will bring it to pass.So verse 23 talks about the first use of our words and that is speaking to circumstances. The next thing in verse 24 is, we use the prayer of faith when we pray to God.
So again, verse 24 says, "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and ye shall have them."
Here's the simplicity of verse 24. When we pray, we must first of all have a desire. A desire is a goal. Now, this is real simple. You can write this down. The prayer of faith is not difficult. Oftentimes we have taught. Oftentimes we have set levels of faith, and we've often made this prayer of faith so complicated, so hard, that very few can attain to it. And man is the one who puts rules and regulations on the Word of God. God just simply establishes principles here. The first thing, folks, is if you're going to pray the prayer of faith, come with a desire. Come with a goal. Make sure that desire is in line with the Word of God, that's true. But folks, if you're following after God each and every day, you're in love with Him. You love to pray. You love to quote God's Word. You love to come to church, but I can tell you this. Your desires will be in line with God's Word. If you're not living a life of sin, then you're going to have desires which will line up with God's Word. Therefore, the verse says again, "I say unto you, what things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them...." "Them" what? Them desires. When you pray, believe that the desires are coming to pass.
So many people pray the problems. I'm going to say that again: So many people pray the problems. "Lord, I have this, and Lord, there is this in the way, and Lord, there is that in the way, and Lord, there is this in the way." Folks, speak to the problem and pray the answer. Speak, don't pray the problem. Speak to the problem.
The first verse there told us that the powerful use of the Word of God is speaking to problems. Therefore, folks, listen. It's not just enough to get rid of the problems. You want the desire to replace the problem. Oftentimes we only want to just get rid of the problem. We don't have anything planned in its place.
I think back in the 60s and 70s, I remember the Hippie Generation that rose up. Man, all they wanted to do was overthrow. Overthrow. Overthrow. But they had nothing to put in its place. And a lot of Christians are the same way. All they see is problems. All they see is negative things. All they see is the things going wrong around them, but they have no answer as to what to replace it with.
Folks, it's one thing to get rid of cancer. It's another thing to come back with divine health. It's one thing to get rid of that financial problem. It's another thing to come back with an answer that you can live on. Income you can have coming into your life.
So in verse 23, we speak to the problem, getting rid of it. But in verse 24, we pray the answer. We pray the things that we desire.So it says again, "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them...." Believe at the time you pray that your desire has come to pass. You have paved the way, first of all, by your confession against the fig tree, against the mountain, against the circumstances, against the sickness, against the financial problem. You have spoken against that financial problem with the Word of God and then next of all, you pray and you pray what you want to replace it. You pray your desire. "Lord, I desire this, and Lord, while I'm praying, right now I believe that I have received it." And when you walk away from that time of prayer, the Bible says you shall have it, meaning it's on its way, folks. It's on its way.
Let's take a look at James, chapter 5. James, chapter 5. James, chapter 5. Here we have it actually defined as the prayer of faith. The prayer of faith. James, chapter 5, and verse 14 - "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed any sins, they shall be forgiven him."
Look at all these wonderful answers to prayer. The sick person is saved. The Lord raises him up and sins are forgiven. But notice, it is classified here as "the prayer of faith." To be honest with you, the prayer of faith is the most powerful prayer you can pray.
Let's define "what is the prayer of faith." Faith cometh by what? The Word. And hearing by the what? Word. So that in essence, prayer, the prayer of faith is praying the Word of God. Confession is speaking the Word of God.
Let me tell you something and qualify this as best I can. Confession is not just saying good things. Confession is not just saying positive things. Oftentimes we have called it a positive confession. Folks, the world can have a positive confession. Why, the whole world wants to have positive vibes. They want to have positive things. They want to walk in whatever they want to walk in, but they always are talking about, "We need positive things and this and that," so we talk about, "Say positive things." So even the world knows that when you say positive things, good things begin to happen, but folks, I can tell you, it's not supernatural till a believer, born-again person from the recreated spirit begins to speak the Word of God.
Jesus didn't say to Satan, "Just get out of My way." He didn't just say, "Get out of My way, Satan, and have a nice day." He didn't say some positive things to the devil. He quoted the Word to Satan and Satan departed for a season. He will come back, but folks, when he comes back, let him be met with the same thing. A heart and a mouth filled with the promises of God. The confession that God speaks of, when God spoke and said, "Let there be light," and He spoke and said, "Let the creeping things bring forth." When He said, "And the earth to bring forth and vegetation," and He created man, with all the things He said, He spoke from what He believed in His heart. So in essence, we take what God says in the Word that's been given to us and we make it a part of our heart. It comes out as confession against the things of life. We speak against the mountains, against the trees that stand in our way, but on the other hand also, we use it in prayer back toward God. For God has declared in His Word in Isaiah that "My word shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that which it was sent to do."
One of the things it was sent to do was be an answer to prayer, and therefore it has to return from us back to God in prayer and that's where the power of God goes into operation. His Word in your heart and His Word in your mouth. Well, shout. Thank you. Hallelujah!
So again, this is the most powerful prayer we can pray. Understand this, this prayer is literally agreement between you and the Word. You're simply taking the Word. How many of you know, you might agree with some person and they really aren't in agreement? That's why we talked about last Sunday night, the prayer of agreement. Man, there's some qualifications on that. First of all, make sure you're both praying the same thing. Make sure you're both praying for the same thing, the same answer. Make sure that you're both in fellowship with God. There's a number of prerequisites that go along with that, but how many of you know, you never have to ask God, "God, do You really mean what You say?" Is there a possibility I'm praying one thing and You're praying another? If it's the case, then you're the one praying the wrong thing. He's praying the right thing. So the Word of God is always right. You can count on it. So here's a prayer partner that never fails. Here's a prayer partner you never have to phone up. Here's One you don't have to get out of bed. This is One that's always ready. This is One that never has had a bad day and you have to actually coax your prayer partner into having a good confession and a good prayer with you. God's always prepared. God's always right. And again, His Word is always there.
So again, the Word of God is a perfect prayer partner who never can fail. So here's what it comes down to. The thing that's responsible on your part is to find out what the Word of God has to say, and that's where we come back to what the Word of God has many, many subjects and many, many scriptures and many, many promises on different things. And you and I need to learn to go to the Word of God and find out exactly what the Word of God has to say.
Turn with me to Proverbs, chapter 4. Proverbs, chapter 4. We're probably for most of you not covering any Scripture you haven't heard before. But we're reemphasizing the fact that you should know and should understand. Proverbs, chapter 4, look with me at verse 20. Proverbs, chapter 4, look with me at verse 20. Three verses that to me summarize the prayer of faith, summarize in three verses the things we need to do and the things that God will do when we come to Him with His Word.
First of all, it says in Proverbs, chapter 4, and verse 20 - "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
"Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
"For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh."
Let me just ask a question. How many of you right now are facing or are in the midst of a problem right now? Hold up your hand. Okay. That's good. Put your hand down. Let me ask you, how many of you are not in the midst of a problem? You've come through one and now you're okay? Okay, things are pretty much good in your life? Okay. Well, I can tell you, it's now the times between those problems that is the time to get filled up with the Word of God.
It's not, listen, the Word of God is not a crash course when a problem comes along. Too many Christians, now listen, God will bring you through in those times. Now, I can tell you this. The best prayer you can pray is not "Help, God." But a lot of us have been there. In fact, probably every one of us have been there. During those good times we became slack on the promises of God, slack on our Bible study, slack on listening to tapes. We begin to let off of our prayer life, our praise life, our worship life, and we got caught up in the things of life and Satan came along and blind-sided us and we found our Word level deficient. I mean, we looked at our fuel gauge and it was over there close to empty and that little red light was about to come on saying, "You're not very good right now." And so what we did was we cried to God, "God, this thing has come on me. I don't think I have time to even do a lot of study or a lot of prayer. Lord, just help me." How many of you are glad that God will come through in mercy and help us? But how many of you know, that's simply a warning, don't do this again? But so often we do it again, and we do it again.
The Bible says in Proverbs 6, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard." He's simply saying, "If you won't prepare in the good times for the bad times that are going to come along." "Well, I just don't think it's our good confession to say bad times are going to come along." Folks, confession or not, bad times are going to come along. You live in the devil's world and it has not been cleansed yet of the devil. Won't be till Jesus comes back. Satan's lease is not up, but God has given us His Word in the midst of the devil's world to overcome the problems, but you must as this Word says, "Attend to his word. Incline your ears to his saying. Don't let them depart from your eyes." The ant knows that the times are going to come, winter is on the way, so during the summertime, stocks up for that time.
Folks, we should know that there is going to come a time when Satan will attack us with sickness. He's going to come against us with poverty. He's going to come against us with symptoms of lack. But the good news is, even though he does come against us, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, the Lord will deliver us out of them all." But there comes a time, folk s, we have to understand, it's not when we just give up on God's Word. Just say, "Well, God's going to take care of me." God takes care of you when you stand on His Word. He will bring you through with His mercy. He will bring you through with His grace, but He also wants you to take His Word and make it a part of your everyday life.
Folks, I'm simply saying that worship, praise, the Word of God, and next of all, listen to me very carefully. We shouldn't do all these things just because an attack is going to come along. Folks, the more you study God's Word, pray and praise Him, it becomes a part of your life to where you can't do without it.
I don't just study because a problem's going to come along. I study because I love God. Man, I would just praise Him because I know there's going to come an adversary against me. I praise Him because I know in my heart I love the Lord and desire to come into His presence. It's not something I have to force myself to do. It's something I can't wait to do. That's why from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, His name is to be praised.
So verse 20 says again, "My son, attend to my words; incline your ear unto my sayings.
"Let them [them words and them sayings] not depart from your eyes; keep them [them words and them sayings] in the midst of thine heart.
"They are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh."
Well, let's break these verses down first of all. Again, he's speaking to Christians because he says, "My son. My son." Although this was David talking to Solomon, it's God talking to us. Notice, he's not telling this to the world. I can tell you this. The world can't hide His Word in their heart because their heart is not the temple of God. It's not the place where the Spirit of God lives. He's speaking to us as Christians, and here he's going to be talking about the power of His Word in our heart.
So first of all, he says, "My son." He wants us to be a member of his family. He's speaking to the children of God. Now again, the word here used as "son," but it refers to daughters also. Just happened that Solomon was his son, but this refers to all of us in God's family.
He says, first of all again, that we must be members of the family of God and then he goes on and says, "Attend unto my words." Would you underline the word "words" and just simply put up there "the Word." That's the Word of God. The Word of God. When God says, it's not just a word from heaven. Oftentimes, the Spirit of God may come and give us a word from God, but folks, he's simply saying here, the words he's referring to are the thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of promises found in the Word of God.
I have found that scholars have ranged it all the way from some 3,000 promises in the Word of God to over 7,000 promises in the Word of God. Folks, you know what that is simply telling me? There is more promises than problems. Now, you might lay all your problems out there, but I doubt very seriously you can come up with 3,000 of them. I doubt seriously. Yo u can lump them all together in categories that you want to and probably couldn't have over twenty or thirty different categories of problems. But I like that. God just simply swamps us with answers for what problems we have. I mean, it's like Adam and Eve in the garden. One no tree and perhaps millions of yes trees. Of course, they went for the one no tree, but again, it's kind of like God is swamping you with good things for one bad thing. So I don't care what problems in your life, He has literally swamped you with words and promises.
So he says here again, first of all, "Attend to my words." What does that word "attend" mean? Well, the word is actually an agricultural term. It's to attend to a garden, to attend to plants, to attend to those things, and anyone knows, especially this time of year, you plant the flowers out there and you thought when you first planted them you got rid of all the weeds. Well, they, you know, they somehow resurrect on you, don't they? "I thought I had enough Round-up on them." Nope, nope, here they come again. And so all the different things you try to, you know, you mow your lawn and guess what? You've got to mow it again another week from now. And all the different things you have to do, but again when it comes to a garden, you've got to keep the bugs away. You've got to do all the different things. Fertilizer has to be right. The right amount of watering, and that means to attend to it.
So the Word of God is not something that you just study once and never have to study again, because thoughts will come against it. People will come against it. Your flesh will come against it. Demons will come against it. The lusts of this world will come against it. There's always the weeds of life trying to interfere with the promises of God.
One of the parables that Jesus talked about was the good man goes out and sows seed and during the night while he was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed tares among them. Folks, the good things are the promises of God and the other things are the reports of men. Satan will make sure that right beside your plant he's going to put a report of man, he's going to put a negative of this, he's going to put something that somebody said about it there, and make sure that it's always a good loved one that you have trusted for a long time that says these kind of things. It's saying here again, "The Word of God must be taken in, but you must attend to it."
Then it goes on to say, "Incline your ear unto my sayings." Well, underline the word "sayings" and put above it "the Word." Same thing. Whether it's called "My words" or whether it's called "My sayings," it's still the promises or the Word of God. There are many synonyms in the Word of God for the Word. In fact, one of the longest psalms we have, the longest psalm we have, is Psalm 119 and there are literally, literally many, many words in there, perhaps somewhere around twenty or thirty different words in there which are synonyms for the Word of God. His precepts, His principles, His promises, all the different things that are brought out there, synonyms for the Word.
But again now, he says, "Incline your ear unto my sayings." Incline your what unto My sayings? Your ear. Why is the ear brought out? Because this is a gate in which seeds of Satan are sown. The eargate. In other words, you take the Word of God and attend to it, but where does Satan decide he wants to send the seeds in first of all? The first place he'll send it in is the reports of men. The reports of men. The reports of men can be sincere. The reports of men can try to be as honest as they can, but folks, if it disagrees with the Word of God, go with the Word of God.
This verse says again, "Incline your ear unto my sayings." The word "incline" means you have to take it and you have to force it to the Word of God, because your ear wants to gravitate toward what people are saying. Your ear is often looking for another answer to the problem. God says, "My Word is the answer to the problem. My promises are the answer to the problem." Therefore we need to incline our ear to it.
So when the reports of men come along, we're not mean to them. We're not disrespectful to people. But folks, when it's all said and done, we come back to our house at night, we incline our ears back to the promises of God.
Another way you incline your ears to the promises of God is keep your ears filled with the Word of God. What do I mean by that? Folks, stick your cassette tape in your car instead of your local country and western music. Instead of your rock favorites, place in the Word of God. Play a tape of healing. Play a tape of prosperity. Play a tape that will bless you and feed your heart to where you incline your ear unto His sayings.
And I have found this. I don't even have to listen to a tape that's specifically on my problem. Anything from the Word of God helps to fill the answer in my life. God can take Scriptures from all over the Word and apply it right to where I need it. So again he says, "Incline your ear unto my sayings."
Look at verse 21. "Let them [them what? Them words. Them sayings] not depart from your [what?] eyes." We have to keep them in front of our eyes. Say, EYES. Thank you. We had ears before. Now we have eyes. These are the gates of which evil seeds are sown. Notice again, we have to attend, watch the garden of God's promises and it says here, because why? Evil seeds can come through the ears. Evil seeds can come through the eyes. So we have to not let them depart from our eyes.
Now, we see the things around us. We see the world around us, but we also need to keep our eyes and the attention focused on the Word of God. So I see this as not only good tapes, folks. You need to have good books. Good books. Nothing wrong with TV, but you can monopolize your whole night. Go read. Take the Word of God. Open up your eyes to the Word of God. Keep the promises in front of your eyes.
Notice then, it goes on to say, "[Then] keep them in the midst of your [what?] heart." See, this is what he's talking about. Seeds of God's Word can be removed. This is the purpose of Satan. He comes to steal the seed that is sown in our heart. If he can't steal it immediately, then he'll sow tares around it. He will make sure there are weeds around it. He will make sure there are thorns and thistles that are there because the object is if he can't steal the Word, then choke it. But this Word says again, "Keep it in the midst of your heart."
Folks, listen, here's how to do it. First of all, till the garden. That's attend to it. Next of all, incline your ears to His sayings. That way evil seeds can't come in and lodge. Next of all, keep your eyes on the Word of God. Therefore, nothing that you see can come in and take root in you. Therefore, it will keep them in the midst of your heart.
Then verse 22 goes on to say. "They are life to those that [what?] find them...." Life to those that what? "Find them." Folks, here's one of the first things you need to do if you have a problem. First things to do if you have a financial need. First thing you need to do if you have a sickness. Go to the Word of God and find them. Find them what? Find them promises that promise you what you want.
Notice, "What things soever you desire." But where do your desires come from? Your desires come from searching out the Word of God.
Oftentimes I will ask a person, "What Scripture are you standing on?" They'll say, "Nothing in particular." That's exactly what you're going to get as an answer nothing in particular. You have nowhere you're going. You have no goal you're shooting for.
Folks, I'm going to tell you something. The promises of God are buried, but listen, not very deep. Not very deep. Folks, I have found this. Five or ten minutes, I can find a lot of Scriptures that deal with what I'm going through. But it did take a little bit of shoveling and digging around to find them. It's like buried treasure, but God didn't bury them in the core of the earth. He didn't tell us it's going to take weeks to find them. So he says here again, "They are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh."
God's Word brings spiritual life, His Word also brings health to our flesh. Every area of life spiritual or natural can be handled through this verse of Scripture, so it's simply saying, "A prerequisite before you pray, a prerequisite before you speak God's Word, and that prerequisite is search out the Word of God. Find the promises of God. Plant them in the heart, the soil of your heart."
Next of all, keep your eyes and ears focused on the Word of God. That will keep them in the midst of your heart. Then again, it will become life to those that find them. Life to those that seek them out, and health to all their flesh.
Turn with me to one more verse of Scripture. Romans, chapter 10. Romans, chapter 10. He says, "Keep them in the midst of your heart." But what happens once they're in our heart? Well, that's the good news. Now that it's in your heart, let it out of your mouth. Romans, chapter 10, look with me at verse 6.
"But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (That is, to bring Christ down from above:)
"Who shall descend into the deep [into the abyss]? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
"But what saith it? The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach."
You know what this verse is saying? Folks, when you run into a problem, quit running around looking for an answer outside of yourself. Even if Jesus could come back from heaven and stand in front of you, it would be no more powerful than the Word that is in your heart, spoken by your mouth.
How often do we have people calling us and just on the phone, "You've got to help me. You've got to help me. You've got to help me." They're trying to just pass this guilt on about somehow you're responsible for their life.
Folks, we'll give you what we have, but the purpose is coming down to this. Without the Word of God in your heart, without it being spoken out of your mouth, God may work some miracle, that's true. But what he's simply saying here is, you have an answer closer than the counselor at Grace Fellowship. You have an answer closer than Pastor Bob. You have an answer closer than the Prayer Tower at O.R.U. You have an answer closer than the prayer group at Rhema Bible Training Center. What you have is Jesus Christ and His Word in your heart. Let it out of your mouth. That's what the righteousness of God says. Once it's in your heart, let it come out of your mouth, and the same creativity that created the universe and the earth by the spoken Word of God will speak answers into your life and command mountains to be cast into the sea.
Well, hallelujah! Well, give the Lord another hand. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Let's take one more look, you don't need to turn there, but again I want you to just look with me at Mark 11:23 and 24. "Speak to the mountain, pray to God. Speak to the mountain, pray to God." From your heart comes a voice at the mountain and a prayer toward God, a voice at the mountain and a prayer toward God. What if that mountain in your life is sickness? Let me ask you a question. Did Jesus ever speak to sickness? Oh, yes, He did. He rebuked the fever in Peter's mother-in-law. Did He ever speak to circumstances? Yes, He spoke to the fig tree, commanded it to die, because that fig tree stood in His way. He spoke to problems...and He spoke directly to Satan himself. So whether it was a sickness, whether it was a fig tree that wouldn't bear fruit, or whether it was Satan himself, He spoke the Word of God. When He spoke to Satan, He said, "It is written...it is written." He spoke to that fever and rebuked it. We have the power to rebuke our problems in the name of Jesus.
So Jesus spoke to a storm and commanded it to stand still, because God's Word was dwelling in His heart.
I like what it says over in Romans, chapter 8. It says, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" It's one thing to say Jesus spoke to circumstances, it's one thing to say that Jesus spoke to problems, but folks, we have the same right and that verse of Scripture tells us, "What shall we then say to these things?" We say, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" What do we speak to? Well, it tells us in the verses that follow.
"Who shall separate us from the love of God? shall tribulation?" No. "Sickness?" No. "Distress?" No. "Persecution?" No. "Famine, nakedness, peril, or sword?" The problems we face in life, these are the ones we speak to.
Folks, if the problem in your life today is famine, lack of food, lack of supplies, poverty in this earth, then this verse says it's time to speak to it and say, "Poverty, if God be for you, you can't be against me."
It's time to speak to sickness and say, "Sickness, if God be for me, you can't be against me." But again, it comes by searching out the promises of God.
Let me say that again: Attend to My words. Search it out first and find the promises of God. Then like a seed that is planted, begin to watch over it. Make sure the bugs don't attack it. Make sure the weeds don't rise up. Make sure it's got plenty of water. Make sure it's got the fertilizer. All the different things that come from your daily walk of sanctification with God. Keep it in front of your eyes. Keep it in front of your ears. Incline your ears to His saying. Keep it in front of your eyes. Then it will remain in your heart. Then it is life and it is health. When it comes out of your mouth, it is powerful. That is the prayer of faith. The prayer of faith.
I want you to bow your heads for just a moment. Bow your heads for just a moment. I want you first of all to begin to relook at that problem. What have you been doing about it? You've been running from here to there, saying, "Oh, if Jesus would just come and stand at the foot of my bed, and if I could just find a prayer partner that would agree with me." Looking every place except your own heart. I'm here to tell you this morning, it's time to open up God's Word. In fact, the best time to start is this afternoon when you get home and begin to dig around and find the promises of God. They are life to those that find them, life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh. It's time for you to find the promises of God and begin to attend to them. And after they have been in your heart, begin to speak them out. Speak to your problems and command them to go. But then begin to pray that desire, that answer that you have toward God, and watch Him bring it to pass. He said, "You shall have it."
Bob Yandian
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