A mistake many people make is assuming wrong motives whenever a Christian exercises the "heart of a lion" concerning faith. Let me make something very clear about God's will and "word of faith".
There is either a submission to the will of God, or there is mo submission to God at all. There is no middle ground.
There can't be grey area, shadows, darkness, a "maybe", any opportunity for doubt where God is concerned. My wife and I have finally learned that when God puts something in our heart to pray and believe for, He always has a "YES, and AMEN ready. Even Jesus was prevented from doing many miracles in his own hometown, because of enough unbelief there to stop people from receiving them from Him. Doubt spreads like a melanoma cancer that can start as a spot on the skin, then destroy vital organs, affecting the doubter, making doubters out of neighbors.That is poverty of spirit. I will avoid all forms of poverty, trusting in every promise of God without apology.
Matthew 13:57-58 (KJV)
[SUP]57 [/SUP] And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
[SUP]58 [/SUP] And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
It is impossible to please God without faith and to expect anything from God apart from His precious word behind that faith. There can be no faith in things God doesn't endorse. Therefore, without bold faith, no prayers get answered boldly, but if awarded will be because I have studied the Bible, learned a lot of God's will, and have experienced many direct answers to prayer, I now act with boldness, not doubting. I am "word of faith" in everything I do. My only regret is not taking that step many years ago, as there is no doubt many more souls would have been saved. "Word of faith" exercise is mostly about preaching the gospel with power. Timid, uncertain, scripture starved preaching and teaching doesn't have power enough to get people to look up from their cellphones for an hour, but projects doubt and weak promises nobody sees value in. My model is Jesus' mode of speaking, sometimes soft and gentle, but like a lion when it is time to contend earnestly for the faith. Paul is another, Peter a great one too. None were wet noodles of the faith, all unashamed of the word of God. No excuses.
An example of extreme prosperity for me is to stand before hardened drug addicts with felonies, "toughie" newbies with their first significant misdemeanor on record, people a judge believes ought to be given a chance to avoid jail or prison, each facing more demands by society regardless. I teach and mix preaching in lessons straight from the word, mostly reading it with clarity, and explaining each verse. I do so by the amazing power of God, finding myself sometimes dropping to my knees from the words given to my mouth, and the guys and their wives/girlfriends doing so. Tears flow. Hardened men and toughened women raise their hands praising God for the first time in their lives. Their parents often start showing up, and their pastors come checking it all out. Most, it might surprise some here, were raised going to church all their lives. I have met with many of their pastors, already knew most. Many of those are sermon writers reading their own papers. Most don't preach the Bible, but talk about social issues. Many have sermon diaries dated for each Sunday in a year, cycling through the sermons over and over for decades. That is true for some Baptists, some Methodists, some Pentecostals, some Catholics, etc. Those pulpits need to always change every heart every sermon, equipping heaers to be doers with anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The prosperity I cherish the most is seeing the power of God manifested doing such things. I've occasionally come into some significant sums of money, inheritances, really blessed business deals, not one as exciting and blessed as seeing souls turn around within the hour. It is the supreme "high". It is true money doesn't create happiness, but folks mostly have to experience that before believing it. Addicts are quick to experience any high, but those times with God are on top of all. I come away trembling, deeply humbled, but greatly energized. They tell me crack is the usual ultimate that makes them feel like they are God for a few minutes a day. But one hour in His presence is enough to make crack of low esteem from then on. Convicted forgers realize the rush of stealing is nothing compared to this. Now the courts require more "program" lessons, so I will miss all that, but we're beginning a home Bible class for neighbors in as much need of the Lord as anyone else, plus other ongoing jobs for God.
I am not ashamed to exercise that same power towards financial blessing for myself and fellow gospel workers to do the work of the Kingdom, or to pay sudden large unplanned expenses. I tithe every dollar, and am living proof of God's blessings. No offerings are given off tithe money. I am plugged into His unworldly finance system to be able to help do what He wants me to do for Him. It is not God's will for Christians to have to let the tithe and offering plate pass empty, or to object to it. It takes money to promote the gospel, to make disciples of people, to keep ministry doors open, and not let a ministry suffer shame as beggars. Even Jesus had a treasurer, Judas (Jn 13:29). Paul made tents, supported himself as much as possible, though even multi-millionaires sometimes need a quarter from someone to feed a parking meter. Be ready to bless someone somehow, every time you leave your home, enabled by the Lord in faith. Pay your bills owed, not giving creditor's money away. By the prosperity God is pleased to afford me I always carry some cash to help someone, use cards to pay my own way. God points out the needs for me to tend to, or just be a blessing to a stranger He wants blessed for no apparent reason. I am not searching around for needs, picking out problems, or caught up in troubles, but am about my Father's business. It is fun. I could never have got to that point had I remained selfish or afraid to be a channel of blessing. God is willing to make that possible, but not through doubting. It is His delight to get a Christian built up so He can trust us with more and more responsibility.
A MISSION STATEMENT OF WORD OF FAITH
2 Corinthians 1:17-20 (KJV)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?
[SUP]18 [/SUP] But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.
[SUP]19 [/SUP] For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
[SUP]20 [/SUP] For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
May every Christian live that out daily. My wife and I pray that passage with our names called out, and those of our children, friends, anyone God wants us to pray for. Let God's promises be YEA for you always.
I have heard of Smith Wigglesworth and at first thought it was a bunch of malarchy (sp?) But when I began my own sawing off of the limb of the tree., these same principles you wrote here in your post I have no doubt this man of God did these amazing things. With God all things are possible and if we have faith as a grain of mustard seed...
