The Present Tense of Faith

Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them. -Matthew 11:24

Here’s another way to pray and believe that sounds really spiritual but is wrong, “Oh Father, I ask You to heal me in Jesus’ name. I ask You for results, Amen.” Now, up to this point this person is doing fine.

But then when someone asks the person, “Well, did you get anything? The person checks to see and says, “Well, I tell you one thing. I believe God is going to heal me.”

That sounds really good because the person is saying, “I believe.”

I’ve seen people do this. They’re sincerely believing in their hearts, but they’re sincerely wrong in the way they’re believing.

I was talking recently with a friend, and he mentioned a person we both knew. He said, “Man, he didn’t get his healing, and I know he was in faith. I know he was believing God.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes, I heard him. He kept saying, ‘You watch—God is going to heal me. I believe God is going to heal me.’”

But Jesus didn’t say, “When you pray, believe you’re going to get something and you’ll have it.” No, faith always speaks in the present tense.

If we analyze that person’s words a little, it becomes obvious what he’s saying: “Well, I prayed. I don’t feel any better; I don’t sound any better; I don’t look any better. Therefore, I don’t believe I am better. But although I don’t believe I’ve received a thing yet, you can bet I’ll believe it when I feel better!”

A lot of us were caught up in that erroneous way of thinking at one time. We’d say, “You watch—I believe God is going to work a miracle for me someday. God will heal me when He’s ready.”

Jesus didn’t say, “When you pray, believe you didn’t get anything.” Neither did He say, “When you pray, believe you’re going to get something.” He told us exactly how to pray in faith: “When you pray, believe that you receive”—present tense!

CONFESSION:

Healing belongs to me as a child of God. I’m not going to be healed-I’m already healed because I believe I receive my answer when I pray.

From: A Devotional for Divine Health Prescription for a Miracle, Mark Brazee, 1999