Dear Partner,
Think about this for a moment. Prayer does not make faith work. Faith makes prayer work. Let’s once again look at the flagship scripture on faith in Mark 11:22-25:
- And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Read verse 24 again in the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition: “For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].” Faith, then, will work without praying, but just by “saying it,” or speaking faith words.
Now look at verse 23 again: “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” “…Shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says.” Then verse 24 again: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” In verse 23, faith-words work. Verse 24 says whatever things you desire when you pray…. Therefore, faith-filled words are the absolute keys to receiving from the Father. What else did the Master say about prayer? Remember now, that John 13-17 is what some have called the “Last Supper.” It is written in John 13:1-3, AMPC:
- [Now] before the Passover Feast began, Jesus knew (was fully aware) that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and to the highest degree. So [it was] during supper, satan having already put the thought of betraying Jesus in the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, [that] Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God.
During these precious moments, The LORD Jesus had a number of things to say about prayer. He was preparing and giving them vital instructions to carry them, not only through the heartache and pain of what was about to happen to Him on the Cross, but also after He would leave them here on earth. We, looking back on these things, can see it in THE WORD! Jesus said in John 14:25-26 (AMPC):
- I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.
There it is: “Whom the Father will send in My name!” Oh, glory to God! We are still talking about prayer. Listen with all your heart to these words in John 15:5: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” Now look at verses 7-9: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my Love.”
The definition of the word abide is “to continue permanently; to be firm and immovable.” Gloria and I lived in three different houses before we came to that place before The LORD in prayer, and after 30 years of planning and dreaming, we were able to build our permanent abode on KCM property. That wasn’t always true with either one of us. We didn’t understand prayer until we began learning from Oral Roberts and Kenneth E. Hagin.
Now let’s continue. Here comes the scripture that changed our lives forever: John 16:22-23 (AMPC): “So for the present you are also in sorrow (in distress and depressed); but I will see you again and [then] your hearts will rejoice, and no one can take from you your joy (gladness, delight). And when that time comes, you will ask nothing of Me [you will need to ask Me no questions]. I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that My Father will grant you whatever you ask in My Name….” (John 16:23). Now let’s step over into the Second Covenant and read Acts 1:1-5:
- The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Now verses 8-11:
- But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
“This same JESUS”! Remember now, that He spent His entire ministry training His men and women to take His message to…well, let’s turn to Mark 16:15-20:
- And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after The LORD had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, The LORD working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Now back to Acts 3:1-6:
- Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
“IN THE NAME of Jesus.” Keep reading verses 7-10:
- And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
What a MIRACLE! You might say after reading about it, “Yes, but they were apostles.” The great Apostle Peter himself spoke to that in verse 12: “And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?” Now look at verse 16 in the AMPC: “And His name, through and by faith in His name, has made this man whom you see and recognize well and strong. [Yes] the faith which is through and by Him [Jesus] has given the man this perfect soundness [of body] before all of you.” Prayer, then, is so very important. There is the prayer of faith and prayers of dedication and commitment. Then there are prayers of thanksgiving. But how about prayers of intercession? What does that cover? Let’s see what THE BOOK says about it. First Timothy 2:1-6 says:
- I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
“For kings, and for all that are in authority.” What? We are to offer prayers of supplications, intercessions and giving of thanks. Look again at verse 5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” ONE GOD! AND there is ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN, OR MANKIND. Who? THE MAN, Christ JESUS.
There is, in The WORD, an extremely important form of prayer we haven’t mentioned. It is found in the Second Covenant in 1 John 5. But first, we must bring the faith foundation for this form of prayer in verse 4 (AMPC): “For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith.” Now verses 14-15: “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
This is the prayer of petition. Now look at verse 15 from the AMPC: “And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.” “Granted us as our present possessions”!
What is the problem you’re dealing with? Is it health, finances, family, ministry? I have shared with you the scriptures on which Gloria and I have based our prayers of petition. In our board of directors meetings the financial needs of this ministry are determined for the coming year and formal requests, or petitions, are drawn up by our wonderful, Spirit-filled attorney, Dave Middlebrook, which includes all the “whereases” and “wherefores” and is signed by God, in the Name of Jesus—GUARANTEED RESULTS!
The prayer of petition is not one to rush into. This is the place to believe God for His wisdom. Now go to Proverbs 4:7 in the AMPC: “The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation).” Now let’s look in the Second Covenant at James 1:5-7, the letter written by the half-brother of Jesus:
- If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of The LORD.
Then, look at 1 Corinthians 1:30, which says: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” Now go to Colossians 1:9: “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” I know you recognize that scripture. It is on the list of the scriptures that we pray for you each day that are at the bottom of every Partner Letter.
In closing, turn with me to 1 Samuel 1:10-11 in the New King James Version: “And she [Hannah] was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to The LORD and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, ‘O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to The LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.’”
Now read on to verses 26-27: “Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto The LORD. For this child I prayed; and The LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him.”
Hannah prayed the prayer of petition for a son who eventually became the prophet who anointed David to be king over Israel in 1 Samuel 16:13: “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of The LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.” This was the result of Hannah’s prayer of petition in action! AND SHE DID NOT HAVE THE NAME OF JESUS. However, Jesus was, and still is, called the “SON OF DAVID”! “…What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David” (Matthew 22:42).
As you sow your BLESSING seed this month, remember this: Financial recession does not belong to you or me. We have been redeemed from the curse of the Law! By whom? THE SON OF DAVID! “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That THE BLESSING of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:13-14). Then verse 29: “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Read the whole chapters from which the verses written in this letter are quoted. And remind your children who they are in Christ as they go back to school. Cover them with the 91st Psalm every day, and help them memorize it!
God Loves you, We Love you, and Jesus is LORD!
Love,
PS. See you on VICTORYTHON™!
