admin
|
Hold Me to My WordHold Me to My Word
Several years ago, I was desperate. I had received many ?promises? as we all may do occasionally and they had all been ?confirmed?, but where oh where were they? When was it ever going to happen? I was so desperate, it felt as if I?d die if I never got them!
One Sunday evening, I responded to the preacher?s message and stood up there in the front, blubbering and bawling like a baby, feeling forlorn and desperate, crying out to God for the answer. I promised him to do anything he wanted?to go wherever he wanted and admitting the possible consequences telling him that I would pay any price for the privilege. Never make such promises unless you are serious. At best, God thinks you are a fool if you make rash vows that you never fulfil and I knew that, admitted it and then said, ?I promise?.
It was as if God stuck his nose under mine and said, ?You?re on?! I will not go into details, but dear old brother Job and I had a good time of fellowship. I lost everything I had at that time and it was very considerable indeed, but that was part of the preparation process (for me) to get me to where I am now. One evening several years later, Jesus said to me that he was going to reduce me to nothing until there was nothing left but him and me. Friends, sometimes there is a cost factor involved and this can be what separates those who make it and those who don?t.
Several years later, he said, ?Robert. I held you to your word. Now? you hold me to mine?. He recently said much the same when instructing us on how to pray about this ministry and everything associated with it. He said, ?Remind me of my word?.
That? is how to pray. Begging and pleading, saying, ?Oh God please? please?? falls on deaf ears, because there is no faith with that. The heavens will be brass to you.
I not only reminded him of those promises, I started to live as if they were already operating. You can beg and plead and claim, blame, bind, loose, stand on your head and do all sorts of things, but do it without believing them or living as if they are as real to you as breathing. You can do all sorts of things, but if God never promised it to you personally? it won?t necessarily work!
Now the bible is full of promises? so many I cannot count them, but they are all good and valid? for me. I don?t know about you, but every word in the book is mine, but it is provisional and it must be personal.
You cannot claim nor do what someone else claims or does. You cannot send someone else to the dentist to have one of your teeth filled? you have to do it yourself. Acquiring God?s promises are equally as real, personal and valid. The word must be mixed with faith and come out of your mouth as a declaration, not a pleading. If we want answers that work, then we have to pray the way Jesus did and his prayers were always answered.
Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. Yes, I know You always hear and listen to Me, but I have said this on account of and for the benefit of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You did send Me [that You have made Me Your Messenger] (John 11:41-42).
Whenever Jesus prayed, he prayed the word of God. He admitted that he never did anything unless he first heard the Father say it. He admitted that he never did anything of himself, but did what the Father did.
When we get to that position, know what God says on a given matter, speak that and nothing else? do what the Holy Spirit tells us to do (including how and when he says to do it), we can also declare as Jesus did,
?Father, I thank You that You have heard me and I know that You always hear and listen to Me?. That is not boasting. That is not bragging and it is sure better than begging. If you ask, ?How can you be so sure Robert?? I have 150% confidence in that because of his own word to me, because I have the life of Christ in me. He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life. I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God [in the peculiar services and blessings conferred by Him on men], so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life (1 John 5:12-13).
Therefore, whenever we pray about something and do it right, we can be as bold as anything expecting the answer.
And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him (1 John 5:14-15).
He invited me to hold him to his word, so I did and I am continually doing that.
Therefore, when we pray God?s word to us, we are actually reminding God of his promises. He watches over his word to perform it and his word works. It does what he said it would do, but he must have said it to you, not someone else. If you are in covenant relationship with God, you can tell him (with all due respect, but [i]not whimpering and pleading[i] like someone with no covenant will) ?Father. You said?? and remind him of his word.
Be blessed,
Robert Carter
The Herald © 2005 is the official voice of Bashan Ministries Ltd ACN107765444
PO Box 152 Mount Tamborine QLD 4272 Australia
Ph + 61 7 5545 4544 Fax + 61 7 5545 0837
|
