HOW TO TAKE THE
ANSWER FROM GOD
“ . . . without
faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews
11:6.
“For we wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places.” Ephesians 6:12.
Real praying isn’t
just saying a lot of words easily --- PRAYING IS HARD WORK --- IF YOU ARE
TOUCHING GOD, SATAN IS INFURIATED AND WILL WITHSTAND YOUR PRAYERS UNTIL YOU GIVE
UP, OR UNTIL HE IS DEFEATED BY YOUR PERSISTENCE! FAITH DOES NOT LET GO UNTIL THE
ANSWER COMES! DON’T QUIT BEFORE THE JOB IS DONE!
Prayer is a battle
--- the battle is not to get God to hear --- the battle is to WREST THE ANSWER
FROM THE HANDS OF THE DEVIL! Just as Daniel kept holding on in prayer and
fasting until the answer was wrest from the hands of the devil, we will have to
contend for our answers until the victory is ours.
When Daniel
started praying’ the Word says, “ . . . I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek
by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:” Daniel
9:3, and Daniel 10:2,3 says, “In those days I Daniel was mourning three full
weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither
did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”
After a week of
fasting and prayer, DANIEL DID NOT FAINT AND QUIT --- he kept crying out to God.
He was determined to SEEK UNTIL HE GOT HIS ANSWER! Two full weeks rolled by, and
still no answer! Still Daniel kept right on asking.
In the meantime,
what happened? The “prince of the kingdom of Persia,” a messenger of Satan,
withstood God’s angelic messenger for twenty-one days. There was a battle in the
atmospheric heavens, as the angel stood his ground. Michael, the archangel,
entered the battle, and the victory was won. IF YOU WILL HOLD ON WHEN YOU ARE
FASTING AND PRAYING, GOD WILL GIVE YOU THE ANSWER IF HE HAS TO SEND THE
ARCHANGEL HIMSELF TO HELP TAKE THE ANSWER FROM SATAN AND GET IT TO YOU.
Student, learn to
labor steadfastly in prayer until your answer comes. “ . . . always laboring
fervently for you in prayers, . . .” Colossians 4:12, was not just for Paul and
his followers. IF WE GET OUR PRAYERS ANSWERED, WE WILL HAVE TO LEARN THAT PRAYER
IS HARD WORK. Remember, we are not wrestling “ . . . against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12.
Daniel may have
had a witness in his spirit that God had heard his prayer, for he knew the
secret of receiving from God. He may have felt his prayer was heard early in the
long period of fasting and prayer, BUT HE WASN’T SATISFIED WITH A WITNESS IN HIS
SPIRIT, HE WANTED THE ANSWER HE WAS WAITING FOR. When God saw Daniel was
determined to have the answer, He sent Michael from heaven to help wrest the
answer out of the hands of the devil, and to deliver it to Daniel. When the
angel reached Daniel, he was still fasting and praying, WAITING ON GOD!
If Daniel had quit praying at the end of the first week, or even at the end of the second week, HE WOULD NEVER HAVE RECEWED THE ANSWER! Has Satan intercepted God’s messengers to you with answers to your prayers? IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE ANSWERS TO YOUR PRAYERS, SATAN MOST ASSUREDLY MUST HAVE INTERCEPTED GOD’S MESSENGERS TO YOU, for the Word says,
“If ye abide in
me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done
unto you.” John 15:7.
If you are abiding in Christ, and His Word is abiding in you, you can receive the answers to your prayers. Hold on in fasting and prayer until your answers come.
Could it be that
Satan still holds answers to your prayers --- prayers you prayed years ago? If
so, there is only one way for you to get your answers away from him. Get back on
your knees, and like Daniel of old, set your face toward heaven, and begin to
call out to God. Let God know that you are going to keep KNOCKING AND SEEKING
until your answers come! Come before Him continually until you have been avenged
of your adversary, Satan. Let God see that you are going to fast and pray until
He sends reinforcements from heaven, takes the answers you are waiting for from
the hands of Satan, and delivers them to you.
“And from the days
of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven
“The law and the
prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and
every man presseth into it.” Luke 16:16.
There are
thousands of promises in God’s Word, and every one of them is made to God’s
children WHO HAVE FAITH! ALL OF GOD’S PROMISES ARE CLAIMED BY FAITH. James
declares you can have nothing without faith.
“But let him ask
in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed.
“For let not that
man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.” James 1:6, 7.
The only promises
in the Bible which are made to the sinner are the promises of forgiveness to the
repentant and judgement to the unrepentant.
God has promised
many things, but before any of them can be claimed, we must first heed the
admonition of Jesus, “ . . . seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33.
To some who came
to Jesus, His reply was, “. . . According to your faith be it unto you.” Matthew
9:29.
As He taught His
disciples to pray, He declared, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
Mark 11:24.
According to God’s
Word, it is impossible to claim the promises of God without faith. EVERYTHING
MUST BE CLAIMED BY FAITH AND THROUGH FAITH.
“ . . . as thou
hast believed, so be it done unto thee. . . .” Matthew 8:13.
Many people have
strong faith. Jesus said of one, “ . . . I have not found so great faith, no,
not in Israel.” Matthew 8:10. However, there are some that have little faith. At
Nazareth He could do no mighty works. “And he could there do no mighty work,
save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he
marvelled because of their unbelief. . . .“ Mark 6:5,6.
Student, your
UNBELIEF CAN KEEP GOD FROM DOING ANYTHING FOR YOU!
FAITH PUTS ALL THE
POWER OF GOD AT YOUR DISPOSAL!
YOU CAN HAVE GOD’S
FAITH AND TAKE YOUR ANSWERS FROM GOD!
“If ye abide in
me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done
unto you.” John 15:7.
TAKE GOD AT HIS
WORD AND ACCEPT HIS FAITH!
Abiding in Christ
GUARANTEES TO YOU THE ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYER! Abiding in Christ is LIVING IN THE
WORD OF GOD, BY THE WORD OF GOD, AND IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD!
“There is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1.
Those who abide in
Christ are not condemned. God’s formula for faith is for those WHO ARE FREE FROM
ALL SIN. God’s formula for faith is, “ . . . if our heart condemn us not, then
have we confidence toward God.”
“And whatsoever we
ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things
that are pleasing in his sight.” I John 3:21,22.
(Many of the
foregoing excerpts were taken from the book, HOW TO TAKE THE ANSWER FROM GOD, A.
A. Allen.)
In Romans 1:17, we
read, “ . . . The just shall live by faith.” God’s Word also says,
“Now the just
shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in
him.” Hebrews 10:38.
In the next verse
in Hebrews the Bible adds, “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition;
. . .” Hebrews 10:39. We move on. We keep traveling. WE ARE EITHER GOING ON OR
WE ARE GOING BACK --- WE DO NOT STAND STILL! There is only ONE THING THAT WILL
TAKE US THROUGH as we travel along --- and that is FAITH! The just walk by
faith. “ . . . Without faith it is impossible to please him (God): . . .”
Hebrews 11:6.
Student, there
will be many, many times you will need to fast and pray, even after you have
fasted and prayed until God showed you what YOU had to do to have His miracle
working power in your life and ministry. I BELIEVE IN FASTING AND PRAYING AS
OFTEN AS YOU SHOULD, but there are times when we need faith in emergencies. It
is at times like this that WE NEED TO BE ABIDING IN CHRIST AND CAN JUST SPEAK
THE WORD OR SILENTLY COMMAND GOD TO DO SOMETHING IN A SECOND OF TIME.
We can stay
“prayed up” to the extent that if an emergency arises we can claim God’s
promises instantly --- silently or aloud, we can contact God in a moment of
time, and believe Him for the answer to prayer.
Just before Jesus
called out to Lazarus to come forth from the tomb, He lifted up His eyes and
said, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me, . . . I knew that thou
hearest me always: . . .” John 11:41,42. In John 14:12 we read, “ . . .He that
believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; ...“ and surely we would
have to be close enough to God to be able to say, as did Jesus, “I know that
THOU HEAREST ME ALWAYS!”
We are told in the
Bible that Jesus is “ . . . the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.”
Hebrews 13:8. If Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, HIS POWER IS
THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER. What Jesus did while
He was on earth,
He says WE CAN DO, ALSO!
The Word says, “ .
. .The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17. We are heirs of God and
joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. WHAT JESUS HAD WE CAN HAVE.
“ . . . how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.
Everything Jesus
had, we can have. Jesus performed miracles, healed the sick, cast out devils,
set the captives free, and made it possible for us to do the same works.
Many of the verses
of the eleventh chapter of Hebrews begin with these phrases: “By faith Abel. .
.” --- “By faith Enoch. . .” --- “By faith Noah. . .” --- “By faith Abraham. .
.” --- “By faith Isaac. . .” --- “By faith Jacob. . .” --- “By faith Joseph. .
.” --- “By faith Moses. . .” --- “By faith . . . Rahab. . .” The Bible tells us
it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).
“Thou shalt . . .
decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: . . .” Job 22:28.
Student, you can
have faith that “decrees a thing” --- “If you abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:7. When
you pray, SET YOUR HEART UPON IT --- MAKE UP YOUR MIND THAT THE ANSWER IS YOURS
--- DECREE THAT IT SHALL BE DONE! If you meet God’s conditions HE WILL ANSWER
YOUR PRAYERS! GOD CAN, AND HE WILL BRING IT TO PASS! He is the same yesterday,
and today, and forever. God never changes. The Bible never changes. GOD HAS ALL
POWER IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH AND HE WILL DO TODAY WHAT HE DID YESTERDAY, AND HE
WILL DO TOMORROW WHAT HE DID TODAY.
God says, “decree
a thing,” make up your mind, decide what God is going to do for you, BUT BE SURE
THAT YOUR MIND IS THE MIND OF CHRIST. The Word says, “Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus:” Philippians 2:5. This kind of mind is the
result of being right with God.
Just as people in
Bible days had faith, WE MUST HAVE FAITH. Joshua spoke to the sun, AND IT STOOD
STILL! He spoke to the moon, AND IT STOOD STILL. “And the sun stood still, and
the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. . .
.” Joshua 10:13.
In II Kings 2:14,
Elisha said, as he smote the waters of the Jordan with the mantle of Elijah, “ .
. .Where is the Lord God of Elijah? . . .” THE WATERS PARTED AND ELISHA WENT
OVER.
In Numbers 21:9
the children of Israel merely looked upon the brazen serpent which Moses made
and placed upon a pole (typical of Christ on the cross). They did not even have
to pray; they just looked. They had faith to believe that there was life for one
look. “And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to
pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass,
he lived.” Numbers 21:9.
Elijah, in II Kings 6:6, merely threw a stick into the water of Jordan and an axe head that had sunk to the bottom immediately came to the surface and began to swim. In the natural, THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE, but BECAUSE ELIJAH HAD FAITH THAT DECREED A THING SHOULD COME TO PASS, THAT AXE HEAD STARTED SWIMMING.
A number of years ago, I published my first book, GOD’S GUARANTEE TO HEAL YOU. I did not like to have any unpaid bills, so I prayed desperately that God would give me enough money to pay the printer. Finally I believed that I had payed the last bill. Soon after that experience I was in a little town in Indiana.
I went to the
mailbox one day, and there was a letter from the printer saying that he had
overlooked a bill, the bill for the paper. If I remember correctly, it was for
about $410.00. The printer wanted the money at once. I looked in my billfold. I
had just enough money to get to that town to hold the revival meeting that was
scheduled. I had a few one-dollar bills in my billfold, which was not enough to
pay the paper bill, but I knew where I could borrow the money for this bill.
I went to my
morning service determined that, as soon as the service was over, I would get on
the phone and borrow $410.00 to pay the paper bill so I would not owe the
printer. I preached on Deuteronomy 28.
“And all these
blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the
voice of the Lord thy God. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed
shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest
out. The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee . . . in all that thou
settest thine hand unto . . . thou shalt lend. . . and thou shalt not borrow. .
. the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail . . . ” Deuteronomy 28:2,
5, 6, 8, 12, 13a.
After I had read
that far in this chapter I was under conviction, but still had it in my mind to
go ahead and borrow the $410.00 for the paper bill. I told God that “ . . .thou
shalt lend . . . and thou shalt not borrow . . .” was for the Jews who lived in
those days. God told me I did not have this because I did not believe, and that
the promise was FOR ALL WHO WOULD BELIEVE IT, AND CLAIM IT FOR THEIR OWN.
The Jews have most
of the money in the world and always have money to loan. God reminded me that I,
like the Jews, could have money to lend instead of having to borrow.
I had to change my
message that morning. I could hardly wait until I had made the altar call at the
end of the morning service, and got everyone on their knees. I got down, too,
opened my Bible, put my finger on the verse, “ . . . thou shalt lend . . . and
thou shalt not borrow.” Deuteronomy 28:12. God told me if I would claim that
verse as my very own, He would perform a miracle for me. All I did was to put my
finger on the promise and said, “God, I’m not going to borrow that money. You
are going to give it to me by a miracle.”
The next morning
God told me to look in my billfold --- He said I had enough money to pay my
paper bill. To me, this could not be possible, for the pastor did not even take
an offering for me the first day of the meeting, and only a few of my books had
been sold. No one had given me any money, so I thought the voice I was hearing
did not know what it was talking about.
At church that
morning, I could hardly preach for hearing God telling me to open my billfold,
so when I had finished preaching, I called the saints in the service to come
around the altar. I slipped into the preacher’s office, pulled out my billfold
and looked at my money. I started shouting --- I had a miracle ---- my
one-dollar bills had been changed to twenty-dollar bills. IT HAD TO HAPPEN TO ME
BECAUSE I DECREED A THING. I had said, “God, I am not going to borrow that
money; you are going to give it to me by a miracle.” Job 22:28a says, “Thou
shalt . . . decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: . . . ” In
Isaiah 45:11, “ . . .Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning
the work of my hands command ye me.” God can do more than command an axe head to
swim; make the sun to stand still until a battle can be fought and a victory
won; cause the Red Sea to pile up on either side of an opening, forming a
passage for the Israelite host to march across on dry ground, and then causing
the Red Sea to come together again to drown the Egyptian army. HE CAN PERFORM A
MIRACLE FOR YOU! HE CAN AND WILL PERFORM A MIRACLE FOR YOU! HE TURNED ONE-DOLLAR
BILLS INTO TWENTY-DOLLAR BILLS FOR ME! HE WILL PERFORM MIRACLES FOR ALL WHO WILL
DECREE A THING, OR COMMAND HIM!
“Thou shalt . . .
decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: . . .” Job 22:28a.
“ . . .Ask me of
things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command
ye me.” Isaiah 45:11.
One man said, “ .
. .Where is the Lord God of Elijah? . . .” II Kings 2:14. He smote the water of
the Jordan River with the mantle of Elijah, the water parted, and Elisha crossed
over.
We need to know
that God will perform miracles for us. Whether our needs are physical, mental,
spiritual, or financial, GOD CAN AND WILL PERFORM MIRACLES FOR US IF WE WILL
DARE TO BELIEVE WE CAN DECREE A THING, OR USE “COMMAND-YE-ME” FAITH.
In II Kings 4, a
creditor had come to take away the two sons of a widow to be bondmen for a debt
she owed him. Elisha had her to borrow all the vessels her neighbors had, take
these vessels into her house, close the door and start filling the borrowed
vessels from a little pot of oil she had. As her sons provided empty vessels,
she poured oil FROM THE LITTLE POT into them UNTIL EVERY BORROWED VESSEL WAS
FILLED WITH OIL FROM THE TINY POT SHE HAD.
Elijah had the
kind of faith to believe that God was going to provide a miracle for a widow who
lived in Zarephath. This woman had a handful of meal in her meal barrel, and a
bit of oil in a cruse. When Elijah asked her for a little water to drink and a
morsel of bread, she told him she was gathering sticks to cook the handful of
meal for her and her son, and then they would eat it and die. Elijah told her
not to be afraid, but to go ahead and do what she meant to do, BUT TO MAKE HIM A
LITTLE CAKE FIRST AND BRING IT TO HIM, AND THEN TO MAKE BREAD FOR HER AND HER
SON. The widow obeyed the prophet “ . . . and she, and he, and her house, did
eat many days.” I Kings 17:15.
“And the barrel of
meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the
Lord, which he spake by Elijah.” I Kings 17:16.
I believe you can
have the kind of faith that will not only command: the sun to stop, a battle to
be won, the walls to fall, or an axe head to swim, but you can have the kind of
faith that will command God to perform the miracles you need.
Many Christians
have “decreeing faith, command-ye-Me-faith.” When they actually begin to
exercise it they find that it works every day. Some of you do not realize you
have this faith because you have not put it into practice.
If you never used
one of your arms and consistently allowed it to hang by your side, YOU WOULD
LOSE THE USE OF IT. So it is with faith --- if you do not use it, very soon it
becomes decidedly weak --- you begin to feel you do not have ANY faith.
Many of you have
“command-ye-Me-faith” but you have not been using it, so it has become a
helpless, useless thing. YOU ARE NOT EVEN AWARE OF THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE IT.
The main reason
many believers are not in active ministries today (as many of them know they
should be) is because they are afraid to trust God financially. All the silver
and the gold belong to God.
“The angel of the
Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” Psalms
34:7.
I believe God wants to deliver you from an empty pocket book, from poverty to prosperity. If you will claim it you can have faith that will command God, faith that will decree a thing and see it come to pass.
In Job 22 God
says,
“Acquaint now
thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee . . . lay
up his words in thine heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built
up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. Then shalt thou lay
up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. Yea, the
Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. For then
shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto
God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt
pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto
thee: . . .” Job 22:21-28.
If you can have
faith for God to heal your body, YOU CAN HAVE FAITH FOR OTHER MIRACLES YOU NEED!
God can take care of you financially as easily as He can take care of you
physically and spiritually. You can have the faith that will decree that God is
going to bless you financially. Why don’t you tell God you want this kind of
faith --- TELL HIM YOU WANT THE KIND OF FAITH THAT WILL BRING THE MIRACLES YOU
NEED INTO YOUR LIFE, WHETHER THESE NEEDS ARE SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL, OR FINANCIAL.
As surely as you take a step toward God, GOD WILL DO SOMETHING FOR YOU.
Generally, this kind of faith comes after you know that you have done your part
--- YOU CANNOT HOLD OUT ON GOD AND STILL HAVE THIS KIND OF FAITH!
Complete surrender
to God brings one to the place where deep, abiding faith can be exercised. God
had promised to multiply Abraham’s seed: “ . . . as the dust of the earth: so
that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be
numbered.” Genesis 13:16. This promise was to come through Abraham’s only son
(by Sarah), Isaac. God spoke to Abraham one day and said, “ . . . Take now thy
son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of
Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which
I will tell thee of.” Genesis 22:2. ABRAHAM DID NOT QUESTION GOD --- HE MADE
PREPARATIONS TO DO GOD’S BIDDING. God had promised to multiply Abraham’s seed
THROUGH ISAAC, and now God has commanded Abraham to OFFER ISAAC AS A SACRIFICE.
On the way out into the mountains where the sacrifice was to be made, Isaac
asked his father where the lamb was: “ . . .Behold the fire and the wood: but
where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Genesis 22:7.
“And Abraham said,
My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: . . .” Genesis
22:8.
They came to the
place that God showed Abraham. Abraham built an altar there, laid the wood in
order upon the altar and bound his son, Isaac. He laid him on the altar upon the
wood, and stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. The angel
of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven and said,
“ . . . Lay not
thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that
thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from
me.” Genesis 22:12.
“And the angel of
the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,”
“And said, By
myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and
hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:”
“That in blessing
I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of
the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall
possess the gate of his enemies;”
“And in thy seed
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my
voice.” Genesis 22:15-18.
Student, THIS IS
FULL SURRENDER UNTO GOD --- Are YOU as fully surrendered unto God as you should
be? IS THERE ANYTHING YOU ARE WITHHOLDING FROM GOD? Get YOUR life on the altar,
first, THEN LAY EVERYTHING IN YOUR POSSESSION UPON THE ALTAR --- Whatever God
requires of you, DO IT! With complete surrender like this, FAITH WILL BE A PART
OF YOU SO STRONGLY THAT YOU DECIDE THAT SOMETHING SHALL BE AND IT WILL BE! With
a consecration like this YOU WILL STAY PRAYED UP AND THE FAITH IN YOUR LIFE WILL
BRING THINGS TO PASS AS YOU DECREE IT TO BE!
Peter became so
fully surrendered unto God THAT HIS SHADOW BROUGHT HEALING AND DELIVERANCE TO
THE PEOPLE. As he walked by the sick and the demon possessed they were healed
and delivered as his shadow passed over them.
“ . . . they
brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that
at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.”
“There came also a
multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and
them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.”
Acts 5:15, 16.
When Elisha threw
the handful of meal into the poison pot, he just decided that God was going to
do it and the pottage was made safe for the sons of the prophets to eat. (II
Kings 4:38-41).
Elisha had
“command-ye-Me” faith when he walked up to the Jordan River, struck the water
with Elijah’s mantle (as he had seen Elijah do), and said, “ . . . Where is the
Lord God of Elijah? . . .” II Kings 2:14. The waters parted and Elisha went
over. Elisha did not pray then --- HE JUST DECIDED GOD WAS GOING TO DO FOR HIM
WHAT HE HAD SEEN HIM DO FOR ELIJAH. His faith commanded God --- he decreed that
the Jordan River would stop flowing and that the water would part for him to be
able to walk across. HE FOUND HE HAD THE KIND OF FAITH THAT ELIJAH HAD.
“Thou shalt also
decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine
upon thy ways.” Job 22:28.
“ . . . Ask me of
things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command
ye me.” Isaiah 45:11.
You can have the
same kind of faith that Daniel had when he locked the lions’ mouths, “ . . . no
manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.” Daniel 6:23.
DANIEL’S FAITH STOPPED THE MOUTHS OF LIONS. (Hebrews 11:33).
You can have the
same kind of faith that the three Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had
when they quenched the violence of a fiery furnace by their faith in God, “ . .
. I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt;
and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:25.
The furnace had
been heated seven times hotter than it was usually heated, and the Hebrew men
were bound and cast into that fiery inferno --- THEY STEADFASTLY BELIEVED GOD
WAS ABLE TO DELIVER THEM FROM THE FIERY FURNACE. “ . . .our God whom we serve is
able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of
thine hand, O king.” Daniel 3:17.
The fire had no
power on the bodies of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, nor was one hair on
their heads singed, neither were their coats changed, nor was there the smell of
fire upon them. GOD HAD DELIVERED HIS SERVANTS WHO TRUSTED IN HIM.(Daniel
3:27,28).
You can have the
“creative, commanding faith” that Elisha had when he miraculously multiplied the
oil for a poverty-striken widow and brought her instant riches. (II Kings
4:3-7). You can have the faith that says, “MY GOD CAN AND HE WELL DO IT.”
You can have the
kind of faith Elijah had when he made an axe head jump to the top of the water
and start swimming. The sons of the prophets were building a dwelling place
beside the River Jordan. As they were felling timbers for the beams, a borrowed
axe head fell into the waters Elijah cut down a stick, cast it into the water,
In II Kings 1:10,
12, we read that Elijah decreed, on two occasions, that fire come down from
heaven and consume a captain and his fifty men (one hundred and two men
altogether) when they were sent down to tell Elijah to come up to see the King.
On both occasions fire CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND CONSUMED THE MEN.
Just before Elijah
was taken in a chariot of fire up into heaven by a whirlwind, he was walking
along with Elisha. They came to Jordan, and Elijah took his mantle and smote the
water of the river --- THE WATER PARTED AND THEY WENT OVER ON DRY GROUND (II
Kings 2:8). When Elijah was caught up to heaven in the chariot of fire, Elisha
picked up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, went back to the bank of
Jordan, and smote the water of Jordan with the mantle, crying out, “ . . . Where
is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten waters, they parted
hither and thither: and Elisha went over.” II Kings 2:14.
In the earliest
days of the New Testament Church, when the believers in Jerusalem increased by
the thousands, they laid the sick, the suffering, and the dying in the streets
so that even the shadow of Peter might fall upon them as he walked by, and heal
them. There is no record in the fifth chapter of Acts that Peter anointed any of
them with oil --- he did not lay his hands upon them --- he merely walked by and
his faith commanded God to heal the sick as his shadow overcast them!
You can have the
kind of faith Paul had in Acts 19:11, 12, when he laid hands upon handkerchiefs
and aprons and sent them forth to the sick and the suffering, and even to the
demon possessed people. His faith commanded God to perform the miraculous as
those in need of a miracle touched a handkerchief or apron that had come in
contact with Paul’s body. “Command-ye-Me-faith” was being exercised by Paul, and
special miracles were wrought by God.
Student, YOU CAN
HAVE THIS GIFT OF FAITH! GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE IT! Many people are exercising
this kind of faith in our campaigns across America as God gives the gift of
COMMAND-YE-ME-FAITH to those who believe and accept it.
Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, “ . . . the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” Revelation 22:13. He is the Author and the Finisher of your faith. The same Christ who STARTED your faith in its infancy, can bring your faith to FULL CHRISTIAN MATURITY, and give you THE FAITH OF GOD, the kind of faith that COMMANDS GOD, and THE MIRACULOUS HAPPENS!
“Wherefore seeing
we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with
patience the race that is set before us,”
“Looking unto
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; . . .” Hebrews 12:1, 2,
(Many of the
foregoing statements were taken from my books, COMMAND YE ME, and HOW TO TAKE
THE ANSWER FROM GOD.)
Student, as you obey God in EVERY PHASE OF YOUR LIFE, God’s faith will be prevalent in your life. Before you can KNOW GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE SO YOU CAN LIVE IN OBEDIENCE TO HIM YOU WILL NEED TO BE IN PRAYER AND “ . . . IN FASTINGS OFTEN . . .” II Corinthians 11:27, as experienced by Paul. If you have not had experience in fasting, THIS EXPERIENCE IS FOR YOU AND IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE IF YOU WANT GOD’S MIRACLE WORKING POWER IN YOUR LIFE AND MINISTRY.
If you still lack
something in your life, go into a fast --- FAST UNTIL YOU HAVE PRAYED THROUGH
AND TOUCHED GOD FOR AN ANSWER! Through prayer AND FASTING, YOU CAN TAKE THE
ANSWER FROM GOD!
If preachers
fasted more, there would be more success instead of so many failures in the
ministry. More fasting among our preachers would bring more power and
demonstration through their lives, and the gifts of the Spirit would operate
freely. A SURE ROAD TO THE ANOINTING OF GOD IS A CONSECRATION FAST UNTO GOD!
Get in earnest
with God --- TIME IS SWIFTLY PASSING BY --- MAKE UP YOUR MIND TO FAST AND PRAY
UNTIL YOU GET YOUR ANSWER FROM GOD. Jesus fasted and prayed for forty days
before He entered into His ministry here on earth. Daniel fasted and prayed for
twenty-one days before his answer came on one occasion. You may have to go on a
long fast before your answer comes from God. FASTING IS PLEASING TO THE LORD.
Prayer is hard
work, and fasting is real sacrifice, but THEY WILL GET RESULTS WITH GOD! When
your answer comes, OBEY GOD. As you walk obediently before God, FAITH WILL PUT
GOD’S POWER AT YOUR DISPOSAL.
“Thou shalt also
decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: . . .”Job 22:28a.
“ . . . Ask me of
things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command
ye me.” Isaiah 45:11.
COMMAND-YE-ME-FAITH CAN BE YOURS --- PAY THE PRICE GOD REQUIRES OF YOU AND “ . .
. decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee:..." Job 22:28.
