dickbraswell

          Faith really does work.  However, we need to un­derstand some basic principles about the Spiritual world and the Natural world.  Faith is a spiritual force.  It works first in the spiritual world before it is manifested in the natural world.  Let me attempt to explain.

          There are, right now, two separate and dis­tinct worlds in existence and they are existing simultaneously.  They are real.  They exist side by side and they exist now.  The one world we are most familiar with is the natural world.  This is the world that we see.  This is the world that relates to our five physical senses.  This world is easy to believe and re­late to because we can see it, feel it, hear it, smell it and taste it.  It is the natural world. 

However, there is also an­other world, just and real and just as vital as the natu­ral world.  It is the spiritual world.  It is more difficult for us to understand and relate to because it is unseen.  It does not relate to our physical senses.  It is invisible and spiri­tual.  But just be­cause we cannot see it does not mean it is “not there.”  We cannot see air, but we know it is pre­sent.  Electricity is invisible (apart from lightning) but we know it is real.  We cannot “see” many of the suns, moons, stars, planets and galaxies that are in our uni­verse, but we know they are there and they are real.   We cannot see our brain or our heart or our mind or our internal physical organs, but we know they are there because we are alive and functioning. Therefore, just because we can­not “see” something does not mean that it is not “there.” 

The Bible tells us about things that are in­visible.

For the invisible things of him from the cre­ation of the world are clearly seen, being under­stood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without ex­cuse: Rom. 1:20   

Who is the image of the invisible God, the first­born of every creature: Col. 1:15  

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and in­visible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: Col. 1:16   

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisi­ble, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 1Tim. 1:17    

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Hebr. 11:27  

          The spiritual world is just as real as the natural world.  Physical forces and physical beings work in and relate to the natural world.  Spiritual forces and spiritual beings work in and relate to the spiritual world.  Faith is one of the spiritual forces that works in the unseen spiritual world.   Here are some interesting verses that of­ten cause trouble for the Believer:

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matt. 18:19    

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Matt. 21:22    

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glori­fied in the Son. John 14:13  

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. John 14:14  

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  

And in that day ye shall ask me noth­ing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. John 16:23  

          May be we have “asked” and nothing seemed to happen.  We may have even “asked in Jesus’ Name” and still nothing appears to have happened.  Did you ever sin­cerely “ask in prayer, believing” and still got “no answer?”  Perhaps the Word abides in us as far as we can tell, and when we pray, no answer seems to come.   What is wrong?  What is the matter?  What is the hold-up? 

Look at it this way:

          We did get an answer.  We just cannot “see” it yet.  It was just as God said it would be in His Word.  The thing we need to understand is that the answer came in the spiritual world.  This is the world we cannot “see” into.  But it is real.   It is just as real as the natural world.  Now, what we must do is see it with our “faith eyes.”  Remember what the Bible says about “walking by faith?”

For we walk by faith, not by sight:  2Cor. 5:7    

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2Cor. 4:18   

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1   

          We need to be totally convinced that it (the an­swer that is presently in the spiritual world) is “on the way” to being manifested in the physical world.   We do not need to keep on pray­ing about it and asking for it be­cause we do not “see it” in the natural world with our natural eyes.  The Bible thing to do is to thank God for the answer and praise God for the answer even before you ex­peri­ence it in this world.  It really is on the way.  When will it get here?  Remember the delay Daniel’s prayer had because of the conflict in the heaven­lies?

Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to under­stand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. Dan. 10:12   

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia with­stood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Dan. 10:13  

          Actually, three things are happening as we wait for our answer.

First, God is working. 

He never puts us on “hold.”  He hears and He begins to work in our be­half.  We may not know it or be aware of it, but He is doing things and moving things and working things out in the spiritual realm that will answer our prayer and mani­fest our miracle.  Thank Him for actively “processing” your case.  Give Him time to get it done.  Do not blame Him for not hear­ing.  He always hears.  He never slum­bers or sleeps.  His ear is always inclined toward us and our in­terces­sion.

Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, there­fore will I call upon him as long as I live. Ps. 116:2    

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall nei­ther slumber nor sleep. Ps. 121:4  

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Isa. 65:24   

Second, Satan is fighting.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph. 6:11  

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. Eph. 6:12   

          The powers of darkness are warring against our an­swer.  They will fight, complicate, hold up and hinder in any way possible just to keep us from receiving our an­swer.  Just as the Prince of Persia withstood Daniel’s prayer, so will these same prin­cipalities and powers with­stand our praying, our asking and our believing.  But that does not mean that God has not heard and that He has not an­swered our asking.  Satan is fighting.  demons are warring.  Principalities and powers are resisting and complicating and hindering.  But we have power over all the powers of the devil.  Therefore, we can bind and we can loose and we can keep on be­lieving.

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and what­soever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.   Matt. 16:19    

Third, our patience is being developed. 

This is probably the hardest part.  Waiting.  Waiting without get­ting discouraged and disappointed.  Refusing to get mad at God or to blame God or to doubt His Word… all these are very hard to do if we do not see immediate results to our praying and be­lieving. 

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Rom. 8:25   

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. Hebr. 10:36   

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. James 1:3  

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4  

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who pros­pereth in his way, be­cause of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Ps. 37:7  

          Here are some things we can do while we wait:

          We can understand that our waiting is developing pa­tience: (hupomone “cheerfulness, en­durance, con­stancy”).  According to James we should count this “all joy” (Jas 1:2)

          Hold on to hope.  Hope believes that better things are on the way.  Hope knows that changes for the better on coming soon.  Hope is optimistic and expectant. 

          Know that God is faithful (trustworthy).  God will honor His Word.  God will al­ways perform what He Promises.  “God is faith­ful…”  is the Magna Charta  of the New Testament Church.  He will not fail us.  He will not forsake us.  He will show up and deliver us in time and at the right time.  

The Bible is a record of God’s faithfulness.  “In the full­ness of time…”  There is a “time” set aside for every pur­pose and every answer.  Do not frustrate God’s Grace by getting impatient.  Impatience has birthed many Ishmaels.  Taking over before God gets through can be disastrous.  Let “patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect (teleos: com­plete, full grown) and entire (complete in every part, perfectly sound, whole), wanting nothing…”  (James 1:4)

          There is a way of escape.   God is faithful.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1Cor. 10:13  

He will not allow us to be tempted more than we can stand.  But with every temptation, He will also make a Way of escape.  Remember, Jesus said:  “I am the Way…”  (Jn 14:6)

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the en­emy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19  

          Nothing shall by any means hurt us.  No evil shall come near the place we dwell…

Because God is faithful!

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thou­sand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.  Psa 91:7     

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. Isa. 54:17  

Remember the Word.  Recall  the Word.  Rehearse the Word.  Exercise it like you exercise your mus­cles.  Use it.  Let it rise up out of your spirit.  Temper the Word with aggressiveness.  Be offen­sive and attack your hard situation with the Revelation God gives you in His Word.  “It is writ­ten…”  “God says…”  “The Word declares…”  “God, you said…”  “Father, You promised…”   Say the Word and say it out loud so that God can hear it and you can hear it and your situation can hear it and the devil and demons can hear it. 

          Quit worrying.  At least 99% of the things we worry about never happen.  Settle in your heart that ev­erything is really all right.  Remember… “All is well.”  Satan exaggerates and intensi­fies and magnifies the negative.  God is in control.  The devil is a liar.  So whatever he tells us, the very op­posite is the truth.   If  he says you are going to lose, then the truth is you are going to win.  If he says you are going to fail, then the truth is you are going to succeed.  If he says you are terminally ill, then the truth is you are going to live and not die.  

          Worship Jesus.  Seek Jesus… not the answer to your problem.  The more we worship Him the less we think about our problem.  Sing.  Pray.  Bow before Him.  Pray in the Spirit.  Prophesy to your­self.  Worship God.

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