“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Mark 11:23
Several years ago I was talking with my Dr. about the treatment for a persistent ailment I had and I asked him how long I would have to deal with it and he said, sort of matter-of-fact like, “That’s up to you.”
To say the least that got my attention. Whether he intended to do so or not, it shook me back to realizing the truth of Deuteronomy 30:19-20.
God has given me the choice in how I keep my health. And I was immediately reminded that my choice would be established by what I said. Choosing life is choosing to affirm by word, action and heart belief what God has said concerning me, my health, my well-being, my response to the circumstances of life, my relationships, my finances, everything to do with being His born-again-by-the-Spirit son.
I was reminded again that I am no longer my own or on my own. I belong to my Father, God. I am His son as much as Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior is His Son. I have access, through the blood of Jesus Christ, to the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. That power dwells in me now. And that same power dwells in you. Think about it.
We can choose our Words to affirm and to release the power of God to change our circumstances. In fact, like Elijah the prophet, there is resident in everyone who believes in his heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead and confesses with his mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the power to change even the course of nature. Don’t stagger at that. Believe it.
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” James 5:17-18
Whether it’s a runny nose a broken limb, an empty cupboard or an empty gas tank, a National election or a pandemic, it doesn’t matter, we can change the course of it by our words spoken in faith believing God for the outcome. Elijah didn’t stop the rain. He prayed to God and God stopped the rain. It was His words that moved God to act on his behalf.
Our prayers are filled with power because God is in them. When we pray we must have faith that what we are praying by faith is based on what we know about our Father, about His nature, His character and His ways. What He did in the past when His people prayed He is still doing today when His people pray.
We are His people. He is our Father and our God. He hears us when we pray. And He answers our prayers. Therefore, we must pray if want things to change, and keep on praying until we see the fulfillment of our petitions.
“So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!” Luke 11:9-13.
So we don’t need to throw our hands up in hopelessness and resignation to the present state of affairs in our lives or in the world. We can change them all by God’s grace and favor on us.
Don’t waste time rehearsing in your conversations all the bad things going on around us. Change the conversation to speak what we want to be, not just repeating what is happening at the moment. We can change the moment one word of life at a time.
Here are a few to start with...
In the name of Jesus I am healed.
I deal wise in all my affairs.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
My resources are more than enough to meet my needs and I have a surplus to help to meet the needs of others.
This pandemic ceases now, and our lives are restored to the normal God-intended freedoms of association and gathering together for each one’s good, for worship, for family, for work and play, in the name of Jesus.
Elijah prayed earnestly, so we can pray earnestly.
Pray earnestly. “Father God, we pray now even as Elijah prayed that You would remove this pandemic and every iteration of this Coronavirus off the face of the earth and stop the course of its spread worldwide now in the name of Jesus. Father, we pray that You would free us from all of its negative affects on every individual, every family, every community, city, town, state and nation now, and that every man woman and child who has contracted this disease is healed now in the name of Jesus.
As Your sons and daughters we speak life to ourselves, to our loved ones, to the nation and to the world in the name of Jesus.
We embrace and receive life and that more abundantly that Jesus has given us through His blood.
“This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24