Speaking His Word
1 John 5:14 and 15 declares, Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Notice the words, “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us”. The question is, how can we know for sure what His Will is? The simple answer is, we find His Will by Reading His Word! There are literally thousands of promises in the Word of God. There is scripture in His Word that will cover any situation we might find ourselves in. Notice the title of this article “Speaking His Word”. It is about opening our mouth and actually quoting what God said. In Ephesians 6:17 it is written, And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. In checking out the word – “word”, we find it means utterance or saying. In other words we say what God’s Word says. Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (NKJV). The Word of God was to be continually in the mouth of Joshua. Jesus said in Mark 11:23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (NKJV). Notice the number of times the word “says” appears in this one verse. Our Lord was stressing the importance of verbalizing – not just thinking. There is also believing that what comes out of our mouth. Jesus said we can move mountains with God’s words coming out of our mouth. Any obstacle that stands in the way of obeying God is an obstacle, a mountain, that can be removed by our speaking the Word of God. BUT, I want also to remind you of Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. (NKJV). Our words create an atmosphere for God and His Word or the devil and his works. What we speak are words of life and victory or the words of death and defeat.
Also notice the word CONFIDENCE. Faith has four elements to it. Belief – Trust – Confidence and Expectation. As a pastor I often hear people say – I believe. Fact is, without all four elements of faith – faith is lacking!
You may remember the man who brought his demon possessed son to Jesus – Mark 9. And Jesus said to him in verse 23, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”. When I questioned the Lord about this, He revealed the man had carnal belief (faith) which was regulated by what he saw and heard! It is easy to say “I have faith” but is it evident in times of trial?
Three questions. One, do we really have the confidence in God that He will hear us? Two, are we really asking according to His will? And three, are we asking in faith, with confidence and expectation? Some have faith to believe in what God’s Word says – but lack the faith to receive!
Pastor NewVine