You’ve been holding out for God’s promises in your life. You have heard God speak a promise to you for your situation, but you were given no timeframe for when God would carry those promises out in your life. You have read about God’s promises in the Bible for his people. They are so good, but you start to wonder, “Do these promises apply to me and my circumstances today?” You know the verse that says, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:14). You’ve prayed, but still have not received what you asked for. So you prayed again, just to be sure God heard you. Still, there’s no answer. You know God is good, so does this mean there must be something wrong with you, or what you prayed for? I’ve learned that this thought process only leads down a dark road of guilt and shame. “No, I can’t go there!” you decide. You know you prayed according to His will, so what is the deal? You begin to struggle with doubt, confusion, and unbelief. You may start to think that either God didn’t hear your prayer. Or, he heard you, but the answer is, “No.” Or maybe, just maybe. . . the answer is, “Not yet.” It’s in the, “Not yet,” that we can start to flounder a bit. You may feel a little lost, or directionless. I know this struggle all too well, because in all honesty, I’ve been struggling with this myself lately. I’ve been holding on to hope for at least a decade for one of God’s promises, and fighting with all I’ve got to effectively, joyfully, and purposefully live my life for the glory of God in the mean time– living on a prayer!
If you have every wondered if God hears your prayers, there are a couple verses that I would like to share with you, to reassure you that God not only hears our prayers, but he answers each and every one.
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12).
Without a doubt, God hears the prayers of his children. Sometimes, it is hard to know if we are praying according to his will. One way to know if you are, is to seek out the nature of God, found in His Word. If you are in a season of waiting, God has a purpose and a plan that he will reveal in his perfect timing. Our job, in the mean time, is to be obedient to continue with what God has placed before us to do, where he has planted us. He will use your current circumstances to prepare and equip you to receive his blessing, and cultivate your calling. He is working all things for your good, and for the good of the kingdom. In all things we must ask ourselves, “Will this bring more glory to God?” It is by him, and for him, that we live and breathe and have our being.
If you want to receive the promises of God, you must believe, and declare his promises over your life. One of the greatest breakthroughs I have ever received in my life came when I woke up one morning, and I heard God tell me, “Declare your breakthrough today.” I wanted to pinch myself to be sure I wasn’t dreaming! I declared my breakthrough, and in less than two hours after my prayer of declaration, my breakthrough came. I had been waiting on a job change. My job had been causing me too much emotional and physical stress, and I wanted out. It hadn’t been a good fit for my personality, and particular gifting. I didn’t know how it would be possible without up and quitting, but I knew God wasn’t calling me to do that. Financially, I needed to work. God told me to keep holding on. God was working behind the scenes in ways I could not have imagined. I had been praying for less on my plate, but God wanted to give me more! The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life, and have it to the full! Just like that, God broke open the gate, and led me out of my Egypt. Sometimes, I think God is just waiting to hear from us that we believe he can do all he has promised he will. God has also given us authority. We are rulers and enforcers of God’s will here on earth. We have the authority of Jesus Christ in us to bring his “kingdom come” with our prayers.
Just last night, I sensed God has been telling me to thank and praise him for his goodness. He tells us to, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4). I also sensed that he is calling me to declare his promises for me. I decided to type up two pages worth of scripture passages that I felt God leading me to use in my declarations. I am hanging them up on my bathroom mirror today, to declare out loud every morning as I get ready for the day. Not only do I believe God will fulfill his promises to me, but I believe he will fulfill his promises to you too!
Below is my declaration prayer for the fulfillment of the promises of God in my life. One of the most powerful ways to pray, is to pray God’s Word. I have changed some of the words to make it more personal for me (i.e. changing “Your” to “My”, and writing in God’s particular promise to me). May this be a source of encouragement and help to you in declaring God’s promises spoken over you as well, my friend.
DECLARATIONS OF GOD’S PROMISES:
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. (Isaiah 60:1-5)
My light will break forth like the dawn, and my healing will quickly appear; my righteousness will go before me, and the glory of the Lord will be my rear guard. I will call, and the Lord will answer; I will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. (Isaiah 58:8-9)
I will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before me, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12)
The Lord will guide me always; he will satisfy my needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen my frame. I will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. My people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; I will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. (Isaiah 58:11-12)
Jesus, you will go before me and will level the mountains; you will breakdown gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. (Isaiah 45:2)
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. You are trustworthy in all your promises and faithful in all you do. (Psalm 145:13)
Instead of my shame I will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace I will rejoice in my inheritance. And so I will inherit a double portion in my land, and everlasting joy will be mine. (Isaiah 61:7)
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by me to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, Lord God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of women. What more can I say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant, Lord. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done great things and made known all these great promises. There is no one like you, Lord, and there is no God but you, as I have heard with my own ears. And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God. And now, Lord, let the promise you have made concerning your servant and her house be established forever. Do as you promised, so that it will be established and that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel’s God!’ And the house of your servant _(your name)_ will be established before you. You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will ___________________. So your servant has found courage to pray to you. You, Lord, are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Lord, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever. (1 Chronicles 17:16-27)
But thanks be to God! He gives me the victory through my Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)
GREAT ARE YOU LORD!!!