AS YOU HAVE BELIEVED

joaniemarie · Jun 25, 2017

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[TD="class: yiv4666679841mcnTextContent, align: center"]Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.
Matthew 8:13[/TD]
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[TD="class: yiv4666679841mcnTextContent"]- JUNE 24 -
DONE AS YOU HAVE BELIEVED

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What are you expecting God to do for you today? Do you believe that God will respond according to your expectation? When Jairus, distraught at the sickness that was claiming his daughter’s life, fell at Jesus’ feet, he entreated Jesus to personally come to his house to lay His hands on his daughter so that she would be healed. (Mark 5:23)

But do you know that Jesus can heal at a distance? He didn’t need to go to Jairus’ house to heal his daughter. Still, Jesus went and didn’t even chide Jairus for his little faith. He met Jairus’ expectation—his little daughter was raised from the dead that day. (Mark 5:41–42)

Why do I say that Jairus had little faith? Because there was a Roman centurion who came to Jesus about his servant suffering at home. He recognized the power Jesus had and asked only that Jesus “speak a word, and my servant will be healed”. (Matthew 8:8) Jesus told him, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” True to the centurion’s expectation, his servant was healed that same hour.

My friend, there is no particular level your faith must reach before God gives you what you are asking for. Your faith does not initiate God’s giving. He has already given to you all things that pertain to life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3) His blessings are pressing on you already! Regardless of the level of faith you are at, He will respond. Jairus needed Jesus to go to his house to lay His hands on his daughter, and Jesus did. The centurion only needed Jesus to speak a word for his servant to be healed, and Jesus did. He met both their expectations.

My friend, don’t fix your eyes on how much or how little faith you have. Fix your eyes on the One who loves you, who has already given you what you need. When you come to Him, simply believe that He is waiting to meet your expectation. He will say to you, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.”

Destined To Reign Devotional for 6/24 by Pastor Joseph Prince

I've been saved since 1982 but no one ever told me this is how to live the Christian life. To expect Jesus to do as He promised and give the gift of salvation yes., but not to also live life while here on earth the same way expecting Him to take care of all my other needs while living this temporal earthly life too.

From what I can see the reason most believers don't live this way is because we are so busy watching other people we have come to expect very little from the Lord while here. And since we are living in a fallen world where nothing is as it was meant to be when God first created the earth we are prone to the negative in life. We see it all around us so we allow it to infect us too as Christians.

So now I'm more determined not to allow the negative of life to invade my saved sanctified life. Jesus saved and sanctified me. I need to make sure I'm actively fighting the good fight of faith believing that Jesus will do all He promised to do and that my responsibility is to rest in all His provision for me. Then follow His leading and be at peace. The Bible says not to worry about tomorrow., to not fear or be dismayed..., to live by faith and not by sight.... to trust in the Lord with all heart and lean not to my own understanding. To acknowledge Him in all things and all my ways and He promises to direct my path and make it straight. No more zig zags.

The centurion believed and Jesus worked in his life. Jesus can work from a distance and He can work even with only a mustard seed of faith. Why does the Bible give examples of many different people all the time? And in these 2 particular people in the Bible the centuion and Jairus at this particular point in time? Both had needs and the Bible shows that Jesus answered their needs in different ways depending on the need. And Jesus met the people where they were. "As they believed"

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FranC · Jun 25, 2017

Interesting thread.

So if I ask God for something and I believe, that means I'll get it?
What if I don't?

joaniemarie · Jun 25, 2017

FranC said:

Hi FranC., we are told to learn and become acquainted with the will of the Father. One of the things He promises is to take care of us Psalm 23 is to be taken literally. I don't pray for a Mercedes but I have a reliable car., I asked for a home and He gave me a home. I don't pray for a million dollars but I have my needs met and then some. I'm a daughter in the Beloved and His promises are for me. The Bible tells us what things are freely given to us but many of us don't know what the Bible says and the promises that are ours.

FranC · Jun 25, 2017

joaniemarie said:

I once told a girl I know, who felt her prayers weren't being answered because she was going through a divorce, that we must pray in the will of the Father. She said it sounded like a cop out.

Sometimes it's not so easy to know the will of the Father. I've been Christian many years and I'm still not sure what this means.

Do you end a prayer with "In Jesus' name we pray" or "if it be Your will"?

I guess both.

Blain · Jun 25, 2017

The way I have always seen it is that it was never the amount of faith I had that was the deciding factor, There have been plenty of times when I desperately wanted something and I remember clearly telling father I don't have a lot of faith to give you but I offer you what little I do have, what you do with it is up to you.

Many times I ask for the impossible even though in the back of mind I already know the answer is no or wait and sadly I am always right however I continue asking even when the answer is always the same because I have hope I wouldn't bother asking if I didn't believe the answer would be yes even a little. I offer him what little faith I have and then leave the rest to him, normally the answer is always no or wait and as hard as it is to do sometimes the only thing I know to do when the answer is always the same is trust him.

I don't believe in the impossible because I have seen or received it because honestly I haven't, I believe in the impossible because I believe in him it was never my own faith or my own strength that was the deciding factor nor was it ever the answers of my requests. Believe me the things I ask for day to day and the impossible that I believe is possible is greatly needed and God knows this but it has be according to his timing.

FranC · Jun 25, 2017

Blain said:

The way I have always seen it is that it was never the amount of faith I had that was the deciding factor, There have been plenty of times when I desperately wanted something and I remember clearly telling father I don't have a lot of faith to give you but I offer you what little I do have, what you do with it is up to you.

Many times I ask for the impossible even though in the back of mind I already know the answer is no or wait and sadly I am always right however I continue asking even when the answer is always the same because I have hope I wouldn't bother asking if I didn't believe the answer would be yes even a little. I offer him what little faith I have and then leave the rest to him, normally the answer is always no or wait and as hard as it is to do sometimes the only thing I know to do when the answer is always the same is trust him.

I don't believe in the impossible because I have seen or received it because honestly I haven't, I believe in the impossible because I believe in him it was never my own faith or my own strength that was the deciding factor nor was it ever the answers of my requests. Believe me the things I ask for day to day and the impossible that I believe is possible is greatly needed and God knows this but it has be according to his timing.

Jesus said if we have the faith of a mustard seed we could move mountains or trees, depending.
He said whatever we ask in his name the Father will give us.

I've always had a problem with this.

Do we get more than we could bear?

Blain · Jun 25, 2017

FranC said:

It takes only a quarter of mustard seed of faith to make the heavens themselves weep, the thing is there are many factors to consider. First sometimes we confuse what we want with what we need and he gives us what we need before our wants, second sometimes we confuse our own will and desires with his, third the timing of the answer yes can vary sometimes it's instant other times it take forty years and fourth sometimes the answer is simply no.

For me when i pray and ask for things it's almost always because I feel lead to, there seems to be a kind flow in my prayer life, if I pray or ask for something and it just doesn't feel natural or feels forced or fake and if it doesn't have that flow to it then it never does anything at all.

But when my prayers feel natural and come from the heart and when I can feel the holy spirit in them like a flowing river in my words then even when the answer is wait even then my prayers have an effect. I have always seen the prayers of a pure soul as smoke of the greatest sacrifice to God rising from here all the way to heaven and to his nostrils and even if his response to the prayer is no or takes time the prayer is a sweet aroma and fragrance to him because of the heart the prayer itself came from.
I do not doubt that if God lead me to I could easily walk on water easier than breathing or call the rain to suddenly downpour in the middle of a cloudless day but you see his will and ours is often times very different and even if one believes they still have to wait for him to give the command

FranC · Jun 25, 2017

Blain said:

It takes only a quarter of mustard seed of faith to make the heavens themselves weep, the thing is there are many factors to consider. First sometimes we confuse what we want with what we need and he gives us what we need before our wants, second sometimes we confuse our own will and desires with his, third the timing of the answer yes can vary sometimes it's instant other times it take forty years and fourth sometimes the answer is simply no.

For me when i pray and ask for things it's almost always because I feel lead to, there seems to be a kind flow in my prayer life, if I pray or ask for something and it just doesn't feel natural or feels forced or fake and if it doesn't have that flow to it then it never does anything at all.

But when my prayers feel natural and come from the heart and when I can feel the holy spirit in them like a flowing river in my words then even when the answer is wait even then my prayers have an effect. I have always seen the prayers of a pure soul as smoke of the greatest sacrifice to God rising from here all the way to heaven and to his nostrils and even if his response to the prayer is no or takes time the prayer is a sweet aroma and fragrance to him because of the heart the prayer itself came from.
I do not doubt that if God lead me to I could easily walk on water easier than breathing or call the rain to suddenly downpour in the middle of a cloudless day but you see his will and ours is often times very different and even if one believes they still have to wait for him to give the command

Hi Blain
I can't believe your age. You sound older and very wise.

Many years ago a girl I know lost her faith because of unanswered prayer. I like to say that God is not Santa Clause. We can't make a list and expect to get items on it.

But prayer is mysterious to me. Does prayer make God change His mind?

Just thinking out loud.
Your post is beautiful.

Blain · Jun 25, 2017

FranC said:

I cannot take credit for anything all I just spoke was taught to me by God. Prayer in and of it's self is in fact mysterious, in fact mysterious is a perfect word to describe prayer because it isn't simply asking God for something or even simply communication with him it goes much deeper than even that.
Prayer is a special connection between the hearts of us and God and there are many ways of praying that are special between certain people and God. David was a psalm writer and singer he wrote and sung his prayers in a way that was deeply profound between him and God and in a way that is not for everyone. I myself am a word weaver like David before me and when I write my prayers I can connect to god in a way that others who are not writer at heart might not be able to others sing their prayers and others still don't even have to say anything they can simply be still and be with him and this in it's own special way is a special kind of prayer that only the heart can speak using words with no voice and a voice spoken with no sound.

Every child has their own way of communicating with him and it's all simply beautiful to him, many would be surprised how his heart leaps inside him just by hearing from us even if it's us running to him in tears and sadness he wants to be close to us and wants to be our own personal diary. As for your question yes prayer can change his mind in fact sometimes the only way he will change his mind about something is if we ask him to, he takes our feelings and our suggestions into account he cares about what we have to say and is willing to take our requests into consideration

joaniemarie · Jun 27, 2017

FranC said:

Hi Fran., Not at all. Tagging on the end of each prayer "In Jesus Name" or "If it be Your will" are not magic words that move God. It's about relationship and knowing our Father's love for us in Christ. Jesus was His best and we can trust that everything else after Him is extra. But those extras are things we need while here on earth and things that He uses to show us each day that He can for sure be depended upon. He knows we need His presence each day and the security of His love to take care of us and get us through life. He knows our frame that we are but dust and very needy.

We need to know we have our Father's ear and the only way we can know this is because of the gift Jesus gave us., His righteousness. When we go in Jesus name we know we are heard because all our sins and all our failures were swallowed up in the blood of Christ on the cross. We have all things now pertaining to life and godliness. But unless we walk in that truth by faith., we will not see it in our lives.

I'm sorry you told your friend that because she got a divorce God was not hearing her. Because if she was a believer she is always heard by the Father. Jesus promised us He will never leave us or forsake us. Never. Going through tragic times in our lives whether due to our own stupidity or our own failures and ignorance does not cause the sacrifice of Christ to be of no effect.
What causes the grace of God to be of no effect is when we believe we get grace because of our deserving it. The definition of grace is unmerited and undeserved love and favor.

Believing we earn grace.,that is what shuts off the grace of God as well as the promises if we steadfastly hold to our own righteousness and not the righteousness we got from Christ alone as believers. I believe that is why so many are not healed or delivered from their problems. Many of us Christians think we are earning the love and hand of God in our lives. That is what the devil counts on and keeps sticking to us., the refusal to believe God's love for us is that encompassing and that gracious.

We humans are used to living ungraciously and don't even think it is right to expect grace. The belief that we get what we deserve is instilled in our minds and hearts from birth. It's the human way of life.

But in Christ we are supposed to adopt the new and living way each day as we find out more and more about Jesus and His grace and truth. (grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ) And when we trust Him and His standing given to us by His grace we are able to access all the promises as we go along in life and learn about them in Christ. The 'how too' of all of the promises as we go along., we learn as we go along. We don't get all the truth in a giant boat load all at once. For some reason God wants us to walk by faith while we are here. He promised never to leave us or forsake us especially while we are trusting Him to get us through the way He promised. We need Him most when we are the most stupid and foolish. He gave us grace for this very reason "for such a time as this"

Those who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true. That's where these great songs come from., people who wrote them have dared to walk by faith and not by sight. And have discovered He will not leave us while we are depending on Him. The danger only comes when we depend on our own righteousness and goodness and smarts as we walk on this earth. When we have a PlanB it won't work out in the long run. It only keeps us blind to grace through faith. Living by our PlanB gives us a false security and one that is no secure at all. In time it will totally let us down.

I often think of sheep trying to walk on their own without following the shepherd. They eventually fall into snares and traps and bushes. The shepherd always leads the sheep., he doesn't drive them. The sheep willingly follow Him but the sheep who have not learned to follow and I dare "say out of a learned habit"., they are the ones who are in danger from the elements and the wolves. The shepherd was there but the sheep decided to go their own way depending on their own resources.

So just like Jesus our Good Shepherd He leads us and never drives us. He is concerned with our well being and is there at all times to make sure of it. But if we take on depending on ourselves and our PlanBs., He is always there but we don't receive all He has for us. We end up getting just small smidgens of Jesus and His provisions in our lives and we are foolish enough to think it's because He is denying us all the good He promised. But the truth is we have walked by our sight and not by faith in His love and grace for us.

So you see, the will of God is learned as we go but the most important starting point is Trusting in the Lord with all our hearts and leaning not to our own understanding., and in all our ways acknowledge Him., and He WILL DIRECT OUR PATHS AND MAKE THEM STRAIGHT. God has not made His will hard to find. We have made His will hard to find. But His Holy Spirit will get us back on track if we allow Him too.

oldethennew · Jun 27, 2017

ending our 'prayers', 'in Jesus' Name or if it is, 'Thy will be done', are definitely NOT 'tags',
what an unkind and faithless thing to say...most say these things in total Love/Faith/and Hope...

FranC · Jun 27, 2017

Blain said:

I cannot take credit for anything all I just spoke was taught to me by God. Prayer in and of it's self is in fact mysterious, in fact mysterious is a perfect word to describe prayer because it isn't simply asking God for something or even simply communication with him it goes much deeper than even that.
Prayer is a special connection between the hearts of us and God and there are many ways of praying that are special between certain people and God. David was a psalm writer and singer he wrote and sung his prayers in a way that was deeply profound between him and God and in a way that is not for everyone. I myself am a word weaver like David before me and when I write my prayers I can connect to god in a way that others who are not writer at heart might not be able to others sing their prayers and others still don't even have to say anything they can simply be still and be with him and this in it's own special way is a special kind of prayer that only the heart can speak using words with no voice and a voice spoken with no sound.

Every child has their own way of communicating with him and it's all simply beautiful to him, many would be surprised how his heart leaps inside him just by hearing from us even if it's us running to him in tears and sadness he wants to be close to us and wants to be our own personal diary. As for your question yes prayer can change his mind in fact sometimes the only way he will change his mind about something is if we ask him to, he takes our feelings and our suggestions into account he cares about what we have to say and is willing to take our requests into consideration

Thanks Blaine.
I read this twice.
I wish I understood prayer like you do.
You give me inspiration!

I'm much older than you too.
I talk to God all day.
I should set aside a special devotional time every day.
I know most persons do this.

Thanks for the input!

joaniemarie · Jun 27, 2017

oldethennew said:

And some of us HAVE used those words as a tag on as we were taught to do (and we know who we are). Just like praying before meals. We were taught unless we said those words at the end of our prayers God would not hear us. Just like so many other religious ideas man has come up with when we read the Bible and make a religion out of a verse and use as a tag on at the end of a prayer. If that isn't you than you have nothing to be concerned., about or insulted about. But then., maybe you didn't finish reading my post?

FranC · Jun 28, 2017

joaniemarie said:

John 14:13-14 would apply to the above. It's just something Jesus said. I don't understand what a tag is. Jesus just said to do this...

WingsOfFidelity · Jun 28, 2017

My husband and I have been going through a very tough time. (It has nothing to do with our relationship.) We have been praying for God to us get through this. Reading this thread was something I needed. Thank you very much!

tourist · Jun 28, 2017

WingsOfFidelity said:

Marriage does indeed have many ups and downs and at times the struggle may seem to heavy to bear. I have prayed for God to be with you in this current tough time and for your marriage to be stronger for having endured, and with the grace of God, overcome this present adversity.

Stephen63 · Jun 28, 2017

FranC said:

1John 5:13These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

Hey, FranC,
Asking according to His will to me involves a few things.

We can know God's will if we know His Word. This should excite us to "study to shew ourselves approved" that if we know God's word, we can ask accordingly.
We can know God's will by following the leading of the Holy Spirit. It's the Holy Spirit that brings the Word to our remembrance, as well as speak to us in dreams & visions. When in doubt, see if the leading lines up with the Word.

Sometimes we don't think we get an answer from God, because God has a time & place for all things. We have to be patient with Him.

Grace777x70 · Jun 28, 2017

WingsOfFidelity said:

The hearing of the truth that is in Christ always brings "life" to us. Be encouraged. He will be faithful to you and your husband.

You can rest in the knowledge of Him - He will "caught in the act of being Himself" towards you...

Crustyone · Jun 28, 2017

FranC said:

Your friend may not have been ready to accept blame for what God din't do for her. I think you told her correctly. As for the ending of prayer I just say Amen as Jesus taught in the Lord's prayer. When we consider that Jesus is the Amen (Revelation 3:14), I consider it enough. There is no problem with going above and beyond, but God knows our hearts.

Stephen63 · Jun 28, 2017

joaniemarie said:

Now there's evidence that Joseph Prince is WOF, saying God is waiting to meet your expectation. Just name it & claim it.

It's really sad with all the good devotionals out there that folks decide to scrape the bottom of the barrel.

AS YOU HAVE BELIEVED

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