BELIEVE THAT I RECEIVE?

Mark 11:23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

Matthew 17:20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 21:21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.

Anyone who has read these scriptures has been challenged to try to make them work in their life.

If nothing happens we assume the attitude that we just don’t have the right kind of faith or not enough faith and we feel inferior.

The thought comes to mind, “How come I can't get it to work?”

I said it and thought I was believing that I was receiving, but I got nothing.

Well let me say I’m glad I’m the only one this has happened to because it would be sad if there was a bunch of us.

While trying to figure out the “How come” of this matter many things came to mind.  The number one thing was maybe GOD doesn’t want to do what I asked.

James 4:3 And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure.

Thinking back the times I have ever asked there has been some ulterior motive, even when it was for the benefit of others. This was difficult to accept until I realized there was a sense of pride and a puffing up that was accompanying some answers to prayer.

Seems my humility was out of order in such a case and pride became the order of the day. There is an exception, and that is when one intercedes on the behalf of others, when GOD lays the spirit of intercession on you.

It is then you learn the value of your prayer language for it bypasses the mind and is a product of the spirit. Even in this kind of praying the same thing can happen where humility is lost and pride prevails.

There can be no intercessory prayer where GOD is not the author of it. You can certainly pray out of concern but the ole standing in the gap is the calling of GOD for HIS purpose and in HIS time.

Wrong wants and wrong desires equal unanswered prayer. If I accept that then it will save me from praying about most of the things I pray for because I am self centered. Again I say I glad I’m the only like that for that would sad if there were a lot of us.

Dr. Ken Stewart challenged we students at Rhema with Psalms 37:4-5 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:

Dr Stewart’s emphasis was on “Give you the desires of your heart and that the things we desire must be desires HE gives us and not a product of greed and lust that we can so easily fall victim to. Prayer that emanates from the desires the Lord has placed within our hearts will fall in the category of “You can have what you say” anything else will be an exercise of futility and discouragement.

When one knows that what they desire comes from GOD then one can believe that they receive and will have what they say.