Home About Us Our Books Prayer Cards Bible Mini- Studies Contact
Enjoying
God’s Promises
The Lord is faithful to all his
promises
and loving toward all he has made.
Psalm 145:13b
Early in
biblical history, God began making covenant promises to the Jewish people. He
was faithful to His word, even when they were not faithful to Him.
With the sacrificial death of Jesus, God’s promises became available to
all who approach Him through faith in His Son.
Faith in God
for Christians means believing in what God promises. We offer to God our
circumstances and our relationships, we claim His promises in prayer, and we
depend on Him to be faithful. To claim a promise means we believe (accept and
count on) that God will be faithful to what He has declared in the Scriptures.
We ask Him for His help and we step out in faith -- acting as if He will
be faithful -- and we discover He is indeed.
We begin to confidently anticipate His loving goodness.
We
are only fooling ourselves if we think we don’t need God’s help. Our human
wisdom is limited by our upbringing, environment and personal weakness.
We do not have to struggle with life by ourselves, however. God promises
to supply everything we need. (Philippians
4:19)
God’s
promises reveal God’s will -- His desires for us.
“I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for
your life, I will advise you and watch your progress. (Psalm 32:8 LB)
When I was in my 20’s, I didn’t know that I could claim God’s
promises of wisdom, protection and blessing.
What a difference it would have made in deciding about college, career
and marriage! I also didn’t know
that God wants to share His very nature with me.
When I ask and am open to receive, He promises to share His love, joy,
peace, wisdom and goodness.
God’s
faithfulness becomes real to us primarily through prayer.
When we know His promises we can take the initiative in asking Him to
meet our needs and pray with confidence. God
may not help us in the way we expect or in the time frame we expect.
Some of our desires may be wrong for us or God may be waiting for the
moment when all involved are ready. But
we can be sure that He is at work bringing about His highest and best for us
because He loves us and wants to bless us.
(John 14:21,
Deuteronomy 28:28)
When I think I
can work things out for myself by gathering knowledge and being clever in my
planning, I soon discover that knowledge and planning are not enough.
They do not always bring about the best for me.
When I count on God’s promise to give me His wisdom, I am far better
equipped.
Even when we know about
God’s promises, we often choose to keep control of our lives.
We are afraid to trust God because it often means walking into the
unknown. But people who trust
primarily in themselves are often afraid and their fears become a reality
because their judgment is shaped by their fears.
God may be trying to bless them but their anxiety keeps them from
recognizing and following God’s guidance. People who trust in God are placing
their faith in what He promises. With their trusting and confident outlook, they
are open to receive God’s blessings.
“Faith
is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews
11:1
We
cannot forget, however, that we are to be willing to surrender our own
desires and be open to God’s plan -- even when we do not know where it will
lead. It means giving up our determination to have our own way and trust in
God’s way. To give up control may
cause us feelings of insecurity. But
if we make an effort to follow God’s guidance, He will help us. “For
it is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and the power to
achieve his purpose.”
(Philippians 2:13 Phillips)
With many of
the promises in the Scriptures, we are given some instruction.
For example, in the following promise concerning God’s peace, we are
instructed not to worry but to trust in Jesus and to share every need with God
in prayer: “Don’t
worry over anything whatever, tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and
thankful prayer, and the peace of God, which transcends human understanding will
keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians
4:6-7 Phillips)
In
times of trouble, we can cling to God’s promises.
Years ago, when my circumstances were particularly difficult, a simple
verse of Scripture made a profound impact on me: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”(Romans 12:21)
When I release
my difficulties to God, ask for His help and claim His promises with
thanksgiving, I am overcoming evil with good.
I am able to persevere in my circumstances in a more hopeful and positive
way instead of a hopeless and negative way. If I feel myself becoming
discouraged, I renew my dependence on God’s promises.
I have found
that spending a few moments each morning reading the Scriptures (especially
God’s promises) is a good preparation for my day.
Sometimes I take my Bible or a book of God’s promises with me when I
leave home. When I feel weak or troubled, I can be refreshed and strengthened.
God is at work bringing the blessings He has promised because I am trusting in
His faithfulness.
“His divine power
has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of
Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Through these he has given us His very great and precious promises, so
that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the
corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
II Peter 1:3-4
Why is it important for me to claim God’s promise of wisdom? (James 1:5 and Proverbs 4:10-13)
Suggestions for Prayer-Listening
Heavenly Father, what promise do I need to claim today?
Is there any thinking or behavior I need to change in order for your promise to bear fruit?
Suggestion for Meditation
`Meditate on the following psalm, spending a few moments on
each phrase.
“You make known to me the
path of life; you fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at
your right hand.” Psalm 16:11
Encouragement
for Ministry Leaders
What a tremendous difference it has made for me personally
as well as in my prayers of intercession since I began claiming the promises of
God and praying the promises of God. It
is my great desire to be in God’s will – as much as it is possible for me to
discern what that is. When I
realized that God’s promises reveal His will for me, it dawned on me that
knowing His promises would give me a great deal of information about His will.
I began to underline God’s promises in my Bible so I could quickly
refer to them.
It is also important for me to include God’s promises in
my prayers because the apostle John discovered this about prayer, “And this
is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his
will he hears us. And if we know
that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests
made of him.” (I John
5:14-15 RSV)
So now, before I pray for people, I ask God what His will
is for that prayer time so I may pray accordingly. I ask for the gift of discernment to understand God’s
desires and also for the Holy Spirit’s help as I pray.
I feel it is important to speak the word of God (especially His promises)
in my prayers, for I believe there is special power in His word.
Praise be to God for the wonderful ways He provides for us!
Would you like to receive this Monthly Mini-Study automatically each month?