MY QUIET TIME PART 3: FAITH SOAKING SEASON 2 EPISODE 3

May 3, 2023 By alisahopewagner Leave a Comment

Now that we know we are the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ and have flipped the script and turned the enemy’s lies into God’s truth, we can continue to the third part of my daily quiet time.

Now I claim God’s promises by faith. We all have an assignment on earth, and God has given us personal promises that go with our destinies. I don’t beg for these promises because that shows a lack of faith. I thank God for His promises and remind Him (not that He needs reminding but to boost my own faith) of all the promises He has given me that have not come to fruition on Earth as they are in Heaven. I write these bold promises down, so I don’t forget. And I go over the list with God. However, I am patient because I know that time doesn’t matter in God’s Kingdom. Life matters. And God’s goal is set on reaching as many people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ as possible. So promises may take days, months, years or even decades to be fulfilled. However, no matter the circumstances around you, God’s promises will not turn back void.

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55.22 NKJV).

Then, I pray for the needs of myself and those around me. During my prayer time, I offer “Asking Prayers” and “Saying Prayers” depending on the situation.

A Verse for Asking Prayers:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7.7-8 NIV).

A Verse for Saying Prayers:

“I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart'” (Mark 11.23 NLT).

An example of an “Asking Prayer” is when I really desired a kitten. My husband and two sons did not want one. Only my daughter was keen on the idea. So I bowed my head and prayed, “God, I really want a kitten. If it is alright with you, have a friend send me a photo of her kittens. I want a white female. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.” Then I left the prayer in God’s hands. A few months later, a friend sent me a photo of 19 kittens that her 5 ranch cats birthed. I asked if there was a white female, and she said there was only one white female. Then I said I would take her. Today, my husband and sons adore our cat. I didn’t try to force the answer to that prayer request. I simply asked and waited on God, and He provided in a way I could have never done. This was an asking prayer filled with trust.

A “Saying Prayer” is a little different. The word “say” in the above Mark 11.23 verse comes from the Greek word, eipon, which also means “tell,” “command” and “bid.” There are some prayer requests I know God wants to answer. When my sister had cancer, I commanded the cancer to leave her body. When my friend got in a bad cycling accident, I commanded her back to heal. When my step-father got a kidney transplant, I commanded his new kidney to be healthy and for his body to accept it. When I struggled with anxiety, I commanded that my anxiety be transformed into a sound mind. And when my son’s friend was struggling with finances, I rebuked lack and declared abundance over him. Those are saying prayers filled with faith.

God loves His people, and He wants us to use our words to create signs, wonders and miracles (Hebrews 2.4). Jesus died to give us authority with our words to bring heaven down to earth and transform the atmosphere around us from fear to faith. And God has given us both “Asking Prayers” and “Saying Prayers” to bring our prayers and petitions to Him in order to bless the lives of others and ourselves.

Next, I thank God for all the blessings in my life. I thank Him for my family, my friends, my destiny, my coffee in the morning, the rain that feeds the plants, for our country and especially for His Son’s Finished Work on the Cross and the blessed relationship I have with the Holy Spirit. Thankfulness has a profound effect on the mind and heart, which will ultimately affect the body. Aggressive thankfulness disperses negative thoughts and emotions. We can’t be negative when our minds are overflowing with gratitude (Philippians 4.6-7).

The best thing to do is to start speaking out loud all that you are grateful for. You’ll be surprised that once you get started, you will find an abundance of reasons to be thankful. And I’m sure our thankfulness pleases our Heavenly Father. We are noticing and focusing on His goodness, rather than hyper-focusing on the negative effects of an imperfect world corrupted by sin. As we remember all the blessings God has poured onto us, we will be encouraged that the future holds even more blessings. We have so much to look forward to! With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19.26).