Faith is the substance of those things you are hoping for that have not yet manifested in your life…
The entire Book of Daniel is an excellent example of how Daniel and the three other Hebrew children (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) remained faithful and steadfast and did not compromise their faith, against all kinds of negative pressure, even to the point of putting their own lives on the line.
After having laid hold to a promise of God, in the Bible, hang on to it, in spite of any and all obstacles, doubts, fears or contradictory evidence or feelings.
Have you ever felt like something was blocking your prayers?
It sometimes feels as if there is something or someone that is between us and God; and we feel as though our prayers are not getting to Him, or our answers are not getting to us.
There is some truth to that feeling. It is not that your prayers are not getting to God, it is that your enemy, the devil and his crew, are attempting to block the answer getting back to you!
Let’s learn that specific lesson from Daniel’s experience on delayed answers to our prayers, because the Bible teaches us that he consistently prayed and fasted for 21 days.
And when the answer finally came, the angel of the Lord gave the following explanation:
Daniel 10:12-14
“Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
This passage has been for many years a primer to give God’s people a peek behind the veil, in order that they may understand how the spiritual world works.
It is a powerful lesson that is given to us that teaches us about prayer and what happens as a result of it.
It teaches us about the spiritual world and how the prince of the power of the air, “Ole Slewfoot,” the “Turkey” himself, will exert every effort to try to delay or block what God is doing in your life.
The fears and doubts that you are experiencing comes from the enemy (see 2 Timothy 1:7), and his action of delaying will only serve to stretch your faith and increase your perseverance, reliance and confidence in God, to make you stronger and more resilient against every kind of negative pressure.
Hang in there and know your answer is on the way, because God’s promise is that His Word will NEVER return to Him void, without accomplishing the purpose wherein it was sent (see Isaiah 55:10-11).
James 1:2-8
The Voice
2-4 Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters.
As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure.
And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.
5 If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need.
He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.
[NOTE: Wisdom, as James understands it, is the ability to live life well and make good decisions. Wisdom doesn’t come from old age or hard knocks. Wisdom begins with knowing and depending absolutely on God, who is never stingy when it comes to wisdom for those who seek it. He supplies all the wisdom we need when we ask. But when we try to go it alone—without God—trouble is around the corner.]
6 The key is that your request be anchored by your single-minded commitment to God.
Those who depend only on their own judgment are like those lost on the seas, carried away by any wave or picked up by any wind.
7 Those adrift on their own wisdom shouldn’t assume the Lord will rescue them or bring them anything.
8 The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your compass and leaves you dizzy and confused.
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Sun, August 22
From Faith to Faith
NO CONSOLATION PRIZE
by Kenneth Copeland
“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
— James 1:4
I talk a lot about faith. But there’s another force that goes along with it that’s just as important.
It’s patience, the ability to stand fast on the Word of God even when your victory seems slow in coming.
Patience is not automatic. It won’t go to work unless you let it go to work.
So many people don’t understand that. They somehow think faith and patience will go to work for them without their help.
They just let the devil tear their lives apart and then they say silly things like,
“Well, I guess God sent that trial to strengthen my faith.”
Don’t you ever get caught saying that!
In the first place, James 1:13 says,
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God.”
And in the second place, that trial isn’t going to make your faith stronger. In fact, it’ll destroy it if you’ll let it.
If I were to give you a set of weights, would that set of weights make you any stronger?
No. As a matter of fact, if you dropped one of them on your foot, you could end up painfully weaker.
It’s what you do with them that counts, right?
Well, the same thing is true when you run into some kind of trying circumstance the devil’s brought your way.
If you just lay down and let it run over you, it will damage you.
But if you’ll let patience have her perfect work, if you’ll remain consistently constant, trusting in and relying confidently on the Word of God, you’ll end up perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Wanting nothing.
That phrase alone should convince you that patience is no consolation prize. It’s a first-rate power that will put the promises of God within your reach.
It’s a force that will make a winner out of you.
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Come join the Adventure!
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