I was just thinking about how I know when I have faith in a promise of God. 99% of the time when I am in faith then it's easy to praise God about the situation. When I am doubtful then it's really hard to stay positive and thankful about the problem.
Even when I know I have heard from God and I'm waiting on the answer I have to keep a tight rein on my tongue so that I don't mess up my confession. There is grace though. If I make a mistake and start getting negative or doubtful I quickly repent. I'm telling you this so you won't get discouraged. Learning to live by faith, where your words are powerful, takes some effort, but it is well worth while.
So how do you know if someone is in faith? There are a few clues. If they say they are believing but they keep confessing the problem then, you know you have a double minded person (at that moment) So what I do (quietly) is claim God's mercy and grace for them and join my faith with theirs so they get the right result. I cast down every negative, unbelieving word they've spoken and plead the blood of Jesus over them. They might not be that teachable at the moment so I'm really careful not to step on their toes hard. LOL.
Also, faith isn't faith if you can't leave it with the Lord. He's not a dead-beat Dad. He's all over your situation and your praise, thanksgiving and confession release angels to work on it. (Psalm 103:20) We can be His little children and leave it with Him when Holy Spirit tells you to.
It's a lot more fun to wait expectantly for Him to answer.
Here's a quick example. 3-4 weeks ago I got hit with a huge dentist's bill. They told me it was going to cost almost $1000.00 to fill the cavities in one daughter's teeth, and I have three children at home. Ouch! I asked the Lord what to do and He told me His mercy and grace were enough for her and I.
I have to confess that I wasn't sure what to do with that so I told her to claim the word of God over her teeth that by His stripes she was healed, including her teeth. (Is. 53:3-5, 1Pet. 2:24) When I would praise and worship the Lord I would claim Phil 4:19 that "He will meet all my needs according to His riches in glory."
The day after the bad news the receptionist told me she was going to submit Cassie's name to a gov't agency to see if they would help and would I be ok with that. I said, "Sure."
Three weeks later, Cassie has had the first apt to fill the worst cavities and the dentist told her that if she keeps flossing that she won't have to have one tooth filled. Praise the Lord! I can see the word is working already and best of all she is using her faith. I am still thanking the Lord for meeting the need and not letting go of the word He gave me. His mercy and grace is enough. It's not about how hard my husband or I can work. His mercy and grace is enough.
Just got a call yesterday... Can you guess? They are going to pay for all the fillings! That's my God. He's a lavish Daddy and He's on my side. He's on your side too you know.
Let's pray. Lord we want more victories so we can give You all the glory and testify to your goodness, love and concern. We want to testify about how well You look after us. Give us a hunger for your word and show us which promises apply to our specific situations. Help us to trust Your voice and discern the chatter of the enemy. Thank You for all Your dreams and plans for us. Amen.
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