Once

 

Once I made Christmas about me. 
Once it was about things that never last.
Once my value was in what others thought of me.
Now I know my value is in Him.

Once I was broken. 
Now I am healed.
Once I was lost.
Now I am found.
 
He is my gift of new life.
He made His life all about me.
May mine be all about Him.
 
 
May you be able to comprehend what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19).

 
My friend, He made His life all about you. Have a wonderful Christmas!
 

The Message Of The Angels

 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

—Luke 2:14
 
 
Where is peace in this world?  Each crisis that develops has the potential of becoming worldwide. People are living lives that are in direct opposition to God’s Word.  It seems people are hurting more than ever. Where is the peace on earth the angels proclaimed?  It is critical to understand that the angels were not proclaiming peace among men. 
 
Jesus said as much in Matthew 10:34: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword.”
 
The angels were praising God because Jesus would bring peace on earth between God and man. They were proclaiming the end of God’s war on sin. This would be accomplished by Jesus taking our sin into His own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24) and thoroughly paying the sin debt that we owed (Romans 6:23).
 
Sin had separated man from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). God loved sinful man despite his sin. But because He was holy, He had to punish sin just as He had promised Adam in Genesis 2:17. Under the Old Covenant, the Lord allowed men to substitute the death of an animal for their own death. But that was only symbolic and a shadow of the perfect sacrifice for our sins that was to come (Hebrews 10:1). In a sense, under the Old Covenant, God forgave sin on credit. 
 
But with the birth of Jesus, the real debt would be paid in full. There would be an end of God’s wrath toward those who would put faith in Jesus’s sacrifice for their sins. This was why the angels were praising the birth of Jesus!  And we should be praising what Jesus has done for us!
 
What does Scripture say?
 
“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).
 
“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15).
 
“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).
 
“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).
 
The war is over for those who accept God’s gift of salvation. Jesus completely paid for all our sins over two thousand years ago before we were even born or had ever sinned. When we believe in Jesus Christ's atonement for our sins, we are sanctified through the offering of Jesus’s body once and for all (Hebrews 10:10). By His one offering for our sins, we have been perfected forever (Hebrews 10:14). All of our sin debt has been paid (Colossians 2:12-14), and we are forgiven for all our sins—past, present, and future.
 
I pray for you, as a believer in Jesus Christ, that the message of the angels will take on new meaning this Christmas. You have peace with God through faith in His grace (Romans 5:1-2). 
 
And for you who don't know Him? Jesus is God’s greatest gift to you! I pray that you hunger to receive the grace of Jesus in your heart and to know His forgiveness that sets you free.
 


 

Seize and Hold On To Your Victory In Christ

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
—Hebrews 6:18 NLT
 
 
God cannot lie. We can trust every Word God has ever said. Hebrews 1:3 says all things are held together by the power of God’s Words. If God were to break His Word, creation would collapse. Since creation is still intact, we can be assured every promise of God has been kept absolutely perfectly.

The very fact that God cannot lie should have been enough to prove Himself to us. But because of His incredible love and mercy, He also gave us something more: His oath that His Word is true. The fact that God cannot lie and His oath that His Word is true are two absolute, indisputable, unchangeable, irreversible things we can totally put our faith in. 

The Greek word “krateo,” which was translated as “hold to” in this verse, means “to use strength, i.e., seize or retain (literally or figuratively)” (Strong’s Concordance). We must seize and hold on to this hope God has given us with all our strength (Mark 12:30).
 
If God tells us to hold on to the hope He has given us, why do some people advise us to just “let go and let God” when we are faced with a difficult situation? 
 
What does the Word of God say?
 
“Lay hold of the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18). “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:12). “I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12).
 
Does “letting go and letting God” really press on to lay hold of what Christ has done for us?
 
When we attempt to make sense of our problems in our own strength and do what we know to do, we ultimately end up defeated. That isn’t faith. Instead of fighting the good fight of faith, we have let go and surrendered to our circumstances when we should be “laying hold” of God’s promises.
 
Faith isn’t passive acceptance. It doesn’t yield to circumstances. Faith brings God's power to overcome circumstances that do not reflect His will. 
 
Faith isn’t a human determination to bring about change. Faith is the conviction that comes from hearing God and knowing that your circumstances will change if you remain “fully convinced” that whatever God has promised, He can perform (Romans 4:21). How many have lost out on what God promised them because they let go of holding on?
 
Trusting God is peace, yet, peace isn’t passive.Trust is an action verb. It’s exercising your faith. Trust doesn’t yield to your problem. It’s believing God has overcome it. When a person is outwardly unconcerned about his circumstances, you can be sure God’s peace is very active deep within his heart.
 
“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16:20).

God’s peace is His righteous power to stand against the enemy and overcome in your life. The believer who has a “fully convinced” attitude of faith will continually “see” the victory, declare the Word, and never let go of the promises of God. 
 
God is faithful to His Word and what He has promised. Stir up your faith. Seize and hold on to the victory He has given you with all your strength.

My Aunt Leona

 

Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.
—Colossians 1:9 (NLT)


As a young child, my grandfather’s sister, was important to me. She is one of my earliest memories. Although I learned about God at home and in church, it was my great Aunt Leona through her times of prayer, who instilled in me the desire to know her Savior. It wasn't that my grandfather, Big Tom, or my grandmother, Gigi, didn’t talk to me about God. It wasn’t that my parents never shared Jesus with me. They all did. Big Tom wrote songs and sang about Him. I sang with Him until he died with I was twelve. Gigi had a generous heart. She probably gave me too many things. Daddy quietly lived his faith. Times I broke his heart, I was drawn to repentance with just one look. Mother read Bible stories and often sent me to find my own stick when I needed correction. Each person drew me to Jesus. But Aunt Leona taught me something that has changed my life. She taught me about the power of prayer.

When I was a toddler until I was almost four, Aunt Leona kept me many times for my working mother. Even though I was so young, I distinctly remember two things about her. The first one was in her kitchen. She would place a huge pottery bowl in front of me on the kitchen table, fill it with hot water and dish detergent. She’d put me in a chair and hand me an egg beater. I would turn and turn that handle until fluffy white froth poured over the edge of the bowl and streamed down onto the vinyl covered table. Laughing, she'd pick me up and hug me so tight. My other distinct memory was Aunt Leona putting me on the couch in her living. She’d give me a picture book of the twelve disciples to look at, go into the front bedroom, and commence praying. How Aunt Leona prayed! She cried; she sang; she rejoiced! I had no desire to leave the couch. Her words, often not understood, were full of a joy that reached my heart. When finished, she’s return from her bedroom, face beaming. 

Her radiance is what always comes to my mind. Although her eyes were red and slightly swollen, the joy and smile on her face, were wonderful to this young child. Hair tousled, apron askew, she'd smooth out the wrinkles, settle down with me on the couch, and I would crawl up in her lap for a Bible story. I heard about the disciples in the book she’d given me. I heard about people of faith in the Bible. At such a young age, I didn't really know what that meant or who they were, but her voice was soft, peaceful, and filled with love. She drew me into a safe cocoon of peace and safety. The desire for that peace she had became instilled in me. She always brought it to me after her prayer times. As I grew older, I wanted to know the person she talked to. At the age of seven, I asked Jesus into my life. Through the years, I grew to realize the peace Aunt Leona had brought to me after each prayer time with Jesus could be my own.

Through the years, I know that many have prayed for me. But I also know now that those times my Aunt Leona prayed, she wasn’t only praying for things beyond the grasp of my young mind. She was praying for me—a little girl— to one day be filled with a spirit of wisdom and revelation in my knowledge of Jesus. Each time the Holy Spirit prays in me, changes me, pours through me, I know it’s because my great Aunt Leona faithfully prayed for me.

Your prayers are never forgotten, but held by His love, to one day bring about His purpose in the life of the person you have brought before Him. The memory of my Aunt Leona still inspires me to inspire others. The Holy Spirit draws me to pray and instill the miracle of His unconditional love and grace and purpose into my family, my life group, my friends, and anyone He brings into my life. If I don’t pray for each person the Holy Spirit entrusts to me, they may never realize His power and potential in their life.

Who are you praying for? Don’t ever stop praying for the Holy Spirit’s revelation of God’s purpose and power in their life. God hears every prayer. Your prayer soars through the years, bringing about His purpose in the life of the person God has entrusted to you.

With All That Is Within

“My soul doth magnify the Lord,” Mary declared, “and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).


Do you realize your mind is like a magnifying glass? What you focus on becomes larger in your mind. What you don’t focus becomes less. Our challenge is that while we acknowledge certain truths in God’s Word, we sometimes fail to dedicate sufficient time to meditating on them. Consequently, instead of meditating on God’s Word, we become preoccupied with the circumstances of this life (Mark 4:19), and they seem larger to us than God; they restrict us from believing in the extent of God’s power and potential. To overcome circumstances overwhelming us, we must intentionally cultivate the habit of magnifying and praising God within our souls and minimize the distractions of this natural world.

The spirit is the part of us that was born again when we were saved (John 3:6). The Holy Spirit produces joy within our born-again spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and the new life in our spirit always rejoices in the Lord. There is no such thing in our born-again spirit as hopelessness or discouragement; all things are new, and the old has passed away. However, we don’t receive the benefit of this spiritual truth until our souls are renewed by the Word. Only then what is already true in the spirit can become true in the soul. 

The power and potential to praise the Lord is within us. If Mary could praise God in her spirit, soul, and actions, we, who are born-again can do the same thing. To bless the Lord with all our soul, we must draw upon the truth that we are always rejoicing in our born-again spirit. Then when we magnify the Lord with our spirit and soul and actions, we are blessing the Lord with ALL that is with us.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Psalm 103:1).

Only Believe

My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.
—Psalms 62:5 AMPC
 
Unlike the Hebrew word used for “wait” in other verses in the Bible, the Hebrew word for “wait” in this verse means “to be astonished and to stop.” 
 
How many of us are truly astonished by God? How many of us stop our anxious thoughts and wait only upon Him? How many submit to Him without trying to fix someone or something? This verse says that our hopes or expectations are from the Lord. When we place hope in ourselves instead of expectantly waiting upon Him, we rely on ourselves.
 
“He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved” (Psalms 62:6, AMPC).
 
Victory comes when the Lord is our only rock and salvation. Jesus told Jairus only to believe when others rushed to quickly tell him of his daughter’s death (Mark 5:36). When we trust in what someone says or something other than what God reveals, we weaken our faith. 
 
We can trust the Lord without question. Do we stand strong in His truth and not allow ourselves to be moved? Do we believe what He says about our situation or health, no matter how we feel or what anyone—learned or unlearned—says?
 
Psalms 61:3 says, “For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me, a strong tower against the adversary” (NLJV).
 
We have a strong defensive position in Jesus. We must never be lured out of it. Never forget how the Lord has been your strength against the enemy. Don’t ever forget His promises. Don’t ever let His words depart from your heart. Guard them. His words are yours when you find them. They are healing to all your flesh (Proverbs 4:20-23).
 
“With God rests my salvation and my glory; He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God” (Psalms 62:7, AMPC).
 
Many people say nothing will lure them out of God’s defensive position, but when it comes down to it, few people practice it. Most people trust man’s words and wisdom as their defense instead of relying on the Lord. When we rest in God’s Truth instead of allowing anyone or anything to steal His Word out of our hearts, He is our rock of unyielding and impenetrable strength. Nothing can tear us out of His protection. We rest in His finished work that delivered us. He is our refuge, sanctuary, haven, anchor, shelter, and unending protection in this world where the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).
 
The New Testament equivalent to Psalms 62:7 is 1 Peter 5:7. This verse speaks of casting all our care upon the Lord. When we truly rest in the Lord, we don’t worry. We allow Him to capture any fearful thought. Because we trust in Him, we keep our thoughts upon Him, and His perfect peace guards our minds (Isaiah 26:3). We can sleep at night without obsessing about our problems. We can sleep because we know we are safe in His victory (Psalm 4:8). 
 
Nothing has the power to stand against His Word. His Word is Truth for you. You only have to believe.
 
“The Lord, your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you” (Joshua 23:10, NKJV).
 
Just as promised, Jesus has fought for you and won. His victory is your victory. You can rest in His perfect work and life-giving power. 
 
When you rely on the wisdom of men and are told death and destruction should be what you expect, Jesus says, “Only believe.” Rely upon Him. Trust in Him. Put your faith only in Him. Allow nothing to lure you from His victory. Your faith in Him overcomes (I John 5:4).

A Thankful, Praising Heart

 

Three weeks ago, during Thanksgiving, we expressed gratitude for God’s blessings in our lives. As Christmas draws near, we express our gratitude for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to forgive our sins and bestow upon us new life in Him. We should be thankful throughout the year. True gratitude emerges from a profound and enduring relationship with Jesus Christ, while unthankfulness paves the way for a life shrouded in darkness and devoid of purpose.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).
 
When we don’t thank God, we don’t think sensibly. We uselessly let offense, resentment, bitterness, criticism, and complaining into our hearts and close the door to Jesus’ light and life. “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:16). 
 
Are you thankful?  Do you acknowledge God as the source of your life? Do you recognize Him as your healer, provider, and Savior?  Do you thank Him for your home, clothing, food, and provisions? Perhaps you don’t believe you have enough, but until you are thankful for what you have, you will keep God’s grace from blessing you with more.  
 
“Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the people praise You.
Then the earth shall yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us” (Psalm 67:5-6).
 
God’s increase comes from praise. Praise isn’t just something you do but  is a powerful tool that can change your life from bitterness to abundance. Start praising the Lord and thanking Him. Don’t let anyone steal your capacity to praise Him. Continually find God’s goodness in the most minor details of life and thank Him. Praise Him for His promises, forgiveness, love, healing, and grace.  
 
“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).
 
Don’t be double-minded, praising God one moment and complaining the next. Draw near to God, and purify your heart. The more you cleanse your heart of offense, bitterness, and complaining, the more quickly you can enter into the light of Jesus’ abundant life.
 
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6).
 
Your faith is strengthened when your gratitude overflows. Faith is never complete until there is thanksgiving. When you receive what you pray for, what is your response? It’s some form of gratitude. It’s impossible to see the answer to your prayer without praise rising up in you. That’s because thanksgiving is a vital part of faith, and faith isn’t complete without it. You exercise your faith when you praise God for your promise before receiving it. As you thank the Lord in advance for your promise, your faith increases to greater heights. 
 
Praising the Lord for your blessings—those you have now and those to come—increases your faith and releases more of God’s blessings. When you acknowledge the Lord as your source, your faith is strengthened, and you keep praising Him. You are an open door to His light and life.
 
Don’t allow your heart to be darkened with pride and contention. Don’t take offense and let bitterness and unforgiveness rob you of the abundant life that is yours in Christ. Choose forgiveness. Choose humility. 

This Christmas and throughout the coming year, allow the peace and light of Christ to rule in your heart, and be thankful. Let His message dwell in you and transform your life. Continually praise Him with a grateful heart (Colossians 3:15-16).

A thankful, praising heart increases your faith and God’s blessings.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).


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Your Father Is That Good

 

Our understanding of God’s goodness and what it means to have Christ in us will determine our lives. If either understanding is wrong, walking in faith will be impossible. And without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). 
 
Faith is a sign we truly know God. The more we understand His goodness, the more we walk in faith. The more we know Him, the more we trust Him. We don’t have to work up faith when we trust Him. We know He is good. His love is the basis of our lives.
 
The faith you exercise and the purpose you pursue will never surpass your understanding of God’s love and His presence in your life. You will never know what is possible if God remains puzzling and beyond your understanding.
 
Your life is limited to your perception of God. You will pursue what you believe God wants for you. If you aren't certain He wants to heal, deliver, and bless your life, you won’t have faith to receive the good things He has for you. Many Christians struggle with receiving from Him because they aren’t sure He is that good. 

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32)?

Anything we need in life is infinitely less than the need we have for the forgiveness of our sins. God accomplished this by sacrificing His own Son to pay for our debt. If God loved us enough to make such a great sacrifice, there should be no doubt that our loving Father is more than willing to meet all our other needs.

In Romans 8:32, the phrase “freely give” comes from the Greek word, “charizomai,” which Strong’s Concordance defines as “to grant as a favor, ie. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue.” “Gratuitously” means without good reason. There was no reason for God to love us so much as to pardon and deliver us, but He did. He “freely gives all things” by His grace—not because we have earned them but because He loves us that much. There is no greater love that can surpass Jesus dying for us.

Jesus asks us the same question He asked blind Bartimaeus: “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51). Can you respond with certain assurance, knowing He is that good and He has chosen to live in you?
 
When your faith is alive, it expresses unquestioning confidence in Jesus, who loves you, died for you, and now lives in you. Faith will remain a hard struggle until you know God is for you (Romans 8:31).
 
“Do not fear, little flock,” Jesus said, “for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
 
Let the Holy Spirit persuade you that your Father is that good.
 

Knowing Jesus

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day
—2 Timothy 1:12, NKJV
 
 
“I know whom I have believed,” Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:12. Believing and knowing are separate things. You can’t know Jesus without first having believed in Him. When you first believe in Jesus, the doctrine of the faith guides you. As you renew your mind with the Word, the new life you have received in Christ comes to life in you and tutors you. In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul introduces the concept of knowing Him.
  
Knowing is a deeper level of understanding than just believing. You can believe something about someone, but your belief is only confirmed once you grow to know them. You can have a mental belief about God but very little spiritual knowledge of Him. To know Him, the revelation of His Word must renew your mind. Mental belief cannot give you spiritual fellowship with God. 
 
In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul uses the phrase “am persuaded.” Paul writes of Abraham in Romans 4:20-21, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform” (KJV).
 
Being “fully persuaded” as Abraham was “fully persuaded” is the result of first “believing” God and then “knowing” Him.
 
We may be at different places in our walk with God, but we have the same desire to be “fully persuaded”—to be at a place of unwavering faith where circumstances in life don’t destroy us, and where the words we speak are full of His life. 
 
“And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed, and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13).
 
Spiritual faith comes from believing in God, knowing Him, and being unequivocally convinced of His good purpose to save, heal, deliver, and bless us.
  
Knowing God’s true nature and heart of love for you is more than simply believing doctrinal truths. It is a life-changing relationship and unshakeable intimacy with your Father that gives you enduring faith like a “rock.”
 
“The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:25, NKJV).
 
Does your faith remain strong when the rains and wind come against you?  Have you grown from just believing in Him to knowing who you are in Him? Are you fully persuaded that He is able to deliver you and safely guard what you have committed to Him?
 
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, NKJV).

Is the Word just a belief that guides your life, or are you persuaded to “know” Him? Is Jesus alive in you—in your mouth and in your heart (Romans 10:8)? Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus when you “know”who you are in Him. 

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

 

Your Evidence Is Faith

How often do we doubt God’s willingness to meet our needs or provide us with the promises in His Word? Perhaps we don’t believe because we are fearful He will refuse. Fear limits our ability in believing Him. It limits His power working in our lives. 
 
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).
 
In prayer, we can bring our deepest desires, hopes, and dreams before God, trusting that He will hear and answer us according to His will. Many people have prayed for things God’s Word has promised them, but they have never seen them come to pass. In an attempt to reconcile God’s promises with their experiences, many have said that God sometimes says no or that His promise doesn’t apply to them. But that’s not what Matthew 7:7-8 says. It states that everyone who asks receives. How can this be?

The answer lies in the fact that God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and He moves in the spiritual, or unseen realm. When He answers our prayers, the answers come in spiritual form. Whether or not they ever move from the spiritual realm into the physical realm depends not on God’s willingness to answer us but rather on whether or not we receive. 
 
The enemy will do everything He can to cause doubt, fear, and unbelief. He wants you to become complacent about your request and give up. He will lie and say God’s promises aren't true for you. He will play havoc with your emotions. But faith defeats fear. It defeats the enemy’s lies. Faith is the proof of spiritual things, not physical things. With faith, you have visible proof of unseen things (Hebrews 11:1). Faith doesn't make God move. It only appropriates what God has already provided by His grace. Often, you must forcefully come against the enemy and by faith take hold of the truths of God’s Kingdom (Matthew 11:12). 
 
“Do not fear, little flock,” Jesus said, “for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). It’s God’s intention for you to receive the truths of His Kingdom. 

Jesus also said:  “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22). This verse must be considered with the previous verse in chapter 12, which states that having faith without doubting is essential to receiving what you ask for in prayer. 

There are other things God also requires to answer our prayers. What we ask must be consistent with His will (James 4:2-3, 1 John 5:14-15), and we must forgive (Mark 11:25-26). God won’t answer any prayer that doesn't meet His requirements.
 
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24).
 
Mark 11:24 reveals one of the main differences between a God-kind of faith and a human faith. A natural, human faith, which everyone has, believes only what it senses or feels. God’s kind of faith believes in things that aren’t seen (Romans 4:17, Hebrews 11:1). When Jesus spoke these words in Mark 11:24, He was making this God-kind of faith a prerequisite to receiving answers to prayer. You must believe that you receive your answer “when you pray,” not when you see what you prayed for. This verse indicates the thing you pray for “will” come to pass. Your answer could be in an instant or over a longer period of time; the word “will” can indicate a future time.

The Lord answers our prayers that meet His requirements: we ask His will, exercise faith without doubting, and not harbor unforgiveness in our hearts. When these are met, He moves to answer our prayers, but He moves in the spiritual realm. His work on our behalf isn’t always immediately evident to our physical senses. By faith, we must believe that He is answering our prayers before we see any physical evidence. Believing when we see an answer isn’t faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), but doubting. And doubt will keep us from receiving the things we have asked of the Lord (James 1:5-7). 

Faith is our evidence (Hebrews 11:1)—not what we see and sense. Faith is where we perceive with our spiritual man instead of with the flesh. Is our confidence in what is seen or is it in the Lord? 

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 (1 John 5:14-15).