Receiving from God part 1
Romans 10: 8-10
“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.
A Better Way Have you ever always done something a certain way, but then you changed to a newer, better way and much simpler way? The tendency is to then ask yourself “why did I wait this long?” Sometimes we learn to do something in an “okay” way because we do not know that there is a better way. I believe that receiving from God falls into that category. Since God is our Father and He has such great gifts and freebies for us, knowing how to receive them will definitely make our lives much easier. Please exercise patience to read carefully through this article so that you will benefit from it. To receive from God easily, there are a few foundational things we need to know to prepare our minds and hearts to receive easily.
You already have what you are needing from God! This is one of the crucial foundational things to know in receiving from God. I remember the first time I received the revelation that the salvation or deliverance to the problem I had had suffered for decades was actually mine and already mine! It was like realizing that the fly that has been buzzing in your ear night and day was smaller and less powerful than the power, the intelligence you have in you already, and that you can swat it out of your life now and forever – Of course some window screens and keeping your door shut would help there.
Romans 10: 8-10 summarizes how we receive from God. The Bible’s New Testament was originally written in the Greek language. And this word “saved” in Romans 10:9 is the Greek word “sózó”. (pronounced “sode’-zo). Sózó is defined as: “to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively):—heal,
preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.”
In the Bible, “sózó” is used to mean:
“To save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction.
To save one from injury or peril,
To make well, heal, restore to health.
To preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue.
To save from the penalties of messianic judgment
To save from the evil which obstructs the reception of the messianic deliverance.”
So you can see that this scripture is applicable to salvation from anything we lack and into what we need! E.g. From the sin nature unto the life of Jesus Christ from beginning to end of our salvation journey. It is applicable for the salvation of our spirit (initial eternal salvation when we accept Jesus as Lord
and Savior), but also applicable for the salvation of our souls (ongoing mind renewal
and mental illness), it is good for the salvation of our bodies (healing from all sorts of
things), salvation form lack and poverty, from relational issues – you get the idea.
So, if I believe with my heart what God has promised me in His word, and I say it with
my mouth – because I mean it, the end result is that what God has promised becomes real for me. This is essentially how we receive anything from God
The first thing I had to learn to receive from God was healing.
I knew God heals. I was radically healed when I first came to Jesus. My medical
knowledge made me realize that the ailments at hand could not be cured by medicine.
The fact that medicine viewed these entities as incurable further weakened my faith,
and fueled doubt. On the other hand, knowing that medicine didn’t have a cure for these
kept me focused on God.
Since I knew God could heal anything, I went the God path.
Learning to receive from God took a path like this for me.
Assess your needs. What is it that you need?
Find God’s promise on the matter; a verse from the Bible that states God’s promise on the issue you are facing. The verse may have a direct application for you or a general application. so, it may be closely applicable or that seems to apply to what you are needing. E.g.. Psalm 107:20 could cover for any kind of “destruction”
Read your chosen verse, think over this word, mull over this word, dissect this word till this word
becomes alive, real and true to you. Let this word occupy your mind whenever you think of this issue.
To further help you, Commit this word to Holy Spirit – you and Holy Spirit pray about this verse (i.e. pray in
tongues) till it becomes yours and so real to you. Holy Spirit is really good at helping you take a general verse and making it yours.
Speak this word over your life, audibly to your own hearing.
E.g.: Initially you may be saying: by the stripes of Jesus I shall be healed. (1 Peter 2:24)
But one fine day, Holy Spirit will quicken it to you, that you’ve got it. And your tense will
change, you will now start saying: “By the stripes of Jesus I am healed” (no longer
“shall be” healed) and next thing you know you will be saying “Lord I thank you, that by
the stripes of Jesus I was healed”.
Do you see the progression?
Sometimes we want to join from stage one to 10 and immediately expect the result. And
sometimes we give up if it does not happen that quickly. But my brethren, it is not like
magic.
It is believing something truly in your heart. You have thought about its so much and
pondered over it so much and the Holy Spirit has brought you personal understanding/
revelation of that word and it now becomes yours. You understand it the way Holy Spirit
explained it to you. It is now yours. You and Holy Spirit have a relationship through this
verse, a history. Sometimes, you remember exactly where you were when you got a
certain angle of revelation about that verse. It has now gone from being a promise you
found in scripture to a word that God has given you for this situation.
- I found out that how long it takes for me to see results depends on how far my
understanding of the concept was from what the word of God says about that
concept. So continue to press in, even when you think you have become “the
man or woman of faith for the hour”.
I will give you an example, Faith.
When I started trying to understand and practice faith, I had made some little progress
but I was not seeing much results. At the time, I thought I was doing so well, now I want
to look back and just laugh at myself. What it was was that I had some improved mental
knowledge of faith. I agreed with faith, I was not in conflict with God or His promises. I
was “trying”, I was seeking God: studying the Bible, looking for answers, watching
teachings etc, practicing praying more in tongues (I had let this gift lie dormant because
of ridicule by some “seasoned” christians.
One day God showed me a dream. (God always steps in to help. It also helps when
you ask: Lord, please show me what I am not understanding.
In this dream, there were 100 people in the room. 97 of them were standing more inside
the room (no seats) and 3 of us were standing closer to the door. And I heard, “this is
how much faith you have”. I don’t know about you. I am usually able to understand my
dreams better than anyone else can interpret them. As I woke up, I instantly knew God
was saying you have 3% faith!
Well, I could go cry and wallow in self pity or I could fix my end of the problem. And if
you want to do that it is fine. But when you are done, wipe your tears, accept Holy
Spirit’s comfort, then seek what solution the word of God has for your weakness or
obstacle. Ask God and He will help you with this.
The Bible says is Romans 10:17 That faith comes by hearing the word of God. If I have
little faith, then I must have little word – either in how much I knew, how much I
understood or how much I was applying. With this verse, I now had an idea how to fix
my faithlessness. Therefore, in the midst of my doubt, unbelief, fear in my mind and
butterflies in my tummy, I made some decisions. Amongst other things, I realized that
this meant I had to know the word of God so as to know what to believe. Spend large
chunks of time in the word. Not as a religious duty but to be taught by God and to
fellowship with God. Personally, I hear God more, when I am in the word.
Since God is a God of faith, since the spiritual realm functions through faith, things are
not going to get all redone differently from creation to revelation just for my sake. If that
were to be done, then the whole Bible would have to be rewritten and salvation itself
would become unattainable for most of the world (Romans 4:16). So I realized that me
just crying and asking God to swoop in and solve all my problems was out of the
question. I had to go it the way every saint of God (Old testament and New Testament)
has conquered (Hebrews 11). I had to agree to become a person of faith.
- I decided to believe the word of God wholeheartedly and without reservation,
without “a pinch of salt”. I realized that I was subconsciously deferring on wholly
believing the word of God. I decided that for my life, the word of God is the final
say. That for me, the word of God is the supreme verdict over the verdict of the
most powerful supreme court on earth. That it does not matter what anybody
else says, not even the most powerful Christian on Earth, my most beloved and
most respected christian best friend, the most seasoned christian and minister of
the gospel, the written word of God is final for me. - I also decided that I will not be an exception in that I made up my mind and told
myself that the word of God works for me. I had to do this because my mind was
doubting that maybe the word of God works for other people but not for me. So I
started confessing adamantly tenaciously that the word of God works for me. I
would say things like “The word of God works for me, The word of God works in
my life, my family and all my circumstances, I am not an exception to the power
of God’s word or to God’s faithfulness.
The word of God is effective, the word of God is always effective, the word of God is
powered by the power of God. and the word of God works in my life excellently and to
full effect. I am not an exception, I refuse to be an exception and I will not be an
exception. God is good and faithful towards all He has made, and I will not be an
exception. (Psalm 145:9 – I had seen this scripture in some little diary I used to have
years ago), and Holy Spirit brought it to my remembrance.
Isaiah 55:11 is the verse that gave me the confidence to make these statements. You
see, one day I was reading that verse and it suddenly clicked that the word of God is
like a pregnant tummy. What you see is the outward pregnant tummy but there is a baby
inside it. So what I might see might be the written verse in the scripture, but that verse
carries inside it and woven into its fibers, the power of God to accomplish that word (the
word-accomplishing power of God). Holy Spirit, our Teacher and our Helper, also helped
me to notice that verse did not say that Arit is an exception.
- I cut off distractions. One thing I realized is that “we can be too busy to be
blessed”. God has blessed us and we are blessed but we need our minds
renewed to believe and stand believing till what God has promised goes from
being a seed in the ground of my heart, to being a seedling, to sprouting and
bringing forth fruit that is ripe enough for harvesting. The more convinced I am of
what God has promised – you are so subconsciously convinced that an
alternative seems ludicrous. You have gone past being consciously convinced.
So instead of spending my time watching the latest show or the popular series, I had
serious things that no one on this earth could fix, that no amount of money could
remedy, I knew that only God and His word would take care of this. I figure if it is serious
enough to me then I will take serious actions. If I couldn’t take my problems that
seriously, who should take them seriously? - I watched testimonies of people that God had done miracles for. This bolstered
my faith. If I was looking for entertainment, this was mind. I had cut cable,
unplugged the DVD player (back in the day), Netflix gone, Amazon prime gone,
movie going gone, hanging-out very limited, etc.
I was minding who I was talking to and what I was talking about so that I don’t express
doubt or so I am not hearing doubt and so that I am not trying to explain spiritual things
to people who even believe less than me. This was not the time for that. I couldn’t help
anyone much anyways, till I could see my own way through.
- I learnt what it meant to live carnally. It doesn’t mean you are in sin, but you
conduct yourself according to your senses what you see, hear, feel or touch. You
also respond to things the way the world does. You talk the way the world talks.
When someone encounters you, if you didn’t tell them, they may not know that
you are a believer. Maybe you strife, clamor, hold grudges, tell half-truths, envy,
slander etc. You see this is how the kingdom of darkness or satan operates. God
has delivered us from that life. That kingdom is also where our problems,
sickness and challenges have come from. So we take our behavior out of that
kingdom, and behave as a citizen of the kingdom of light that we come from.
Essentially separate myself from the enemy to the best of my ability and
knowledge. No point resisting the devil in all the above and then playing with him
at recess. That is indecisiveness. Faith is a determined decisiveness. - Taking responsibility: You have heard that God has already done all He is going
to do. The responsibility is now on us to receive it. (Ephesians 1: 3; 2 Peter 1:3).
We receive what we meditate on. I came to the conclusion that Christianity and
the spiritual realm is a realm of thought. What you think is what you live (Psalm
23:7)
What you think will become what you believe, which will become what you
expect, which will become what your life manifests. - I agree with God: Trust God. I mean in your heart, mind and anxiety space -let it go and your trust to Him. like Lord, I trust that You are faithful to bring to pass your promise which I am believing. You are also powerful enough that nothing can stop you. You love me so much you want me to have this solution and this blessing. I realized that God must have faith in me. He trusts that I can handle this problem using His principles, that I am equal to the task. That I am greater and more powerful than this problem because he has given me effective tools to use in taking care of this problem. God has made me a king (Rev 1:6;
Romans 5:17). I realized that as a king, my life was part of the kingdom that God
has assigned for me to rule over. Therefore, it is my place to call the shots, to lay
down the law as to how things are going to go in my life. I had to start from the
foundation to learn my legal responsibilities as a king and a child of the King.
How do I operate as a king in my life and my circumstances?
Once I found these kinds of truths out, I had the understanding that I am not looking
over my shoulders for someone to come and rescue me. The God and the kingdom of
God are waiting to act on my behalf but I had to supply my faith, and the commands for
what I am wanting. - Help of Holy Spirit:
Notice, when you are determined to get breakthrough, Holy Spirit will come
alongside you and work with you.
If you have not received baptism of the Holy Spirit with the ability to speak in
tongues, another spiritual tongues or if you have received it and you are not
using it enough, you are cheating yourself.
Don’t let doubters and naysayers rob you of the power of God made available to
you.
When you are praying in tongues, Holy Spirit, God is praying through you for you.
How can he miss it?
I give God permission to tell me anything I need to hear or know. I have told God,
Lord, even if I may not like it initially, I will get over it. Feel free to interrupt no
matter who I am talking to or what I am doing.
Allow God, through the Holy Spirit. to lead and guide you into your healing, your
deliverances and your miracles.
Eg: He may explain to you the cause of your sickness, or what you should do to receive
your healing.
I hope this has been helpful to you.
If you would like to receive Jesus as Lord, or if you would like to receive baptism of the
Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues, please click on this link
God has provided everything we need for life on earth and life in heaven. It is found in
the knowledge of Him, His promises.
