BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

That’s how we operate too, when we’re living by the spirit of faith. We say God’s Word...we see the result...and it is good! One thing you must understand. I’m not just talking about saying God’s Word once or twice. I’m talking about consistently speaking words of faith. If you get on your knees in prayer and say, “I believe I receive my financial needs met, in Jesus’ Name,” then go to dinner with your friends and say, “I’m going bankrupt. I can’t find a job. I’m about to lose my home. I don’t know what I’m going to do,” you won’t get anywhere. It’s what you say continually that comes to pass in your life. So if you’re believing God for finances, make it a habit to say things like this: “According to Deuteronomy 28, lack is a curse of the law. And Galatians 3:13 says Jesus has redeemed me from that curse. Therefore I’m redeemed from the curse of lack! My needs are met according to God’s riches in glory by Christ Jesus!” Then every time your bills come to mind, call them paid in the Name of Jesus. Call yourself prosperous. Call yourself debt free. Be like Abraham and by the spirit of faith call things that be not as though they were. Keep Your Eyes on the Word Right now you may be thinking, I really want to do that. I want to walk and talk by faith. The problem is, every time I look at the mess I’m in, I get discouraged. Then stop looking at that mess! Instead, focus your attention on the promise of God. Keep His Word in front of your eyes and in your ears until you can see it coming to pass with the eyes of your spirit. That’s what the spirit of faith does. It looks “not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Of course, I’m not saying you should ignore your problems or close your eyes to them as if they aren’t real. They are real. But according to the Word they are temporal. That means “subject to change.” And you can be assured that if you keep looking at the Word, they will change! Once again, we can look at Abraham’s life and see proof of that. Romans 4:18-21 says that he: "Against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: 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." Abraham didn’t consider his body. He didn’t focus his attention on the fact that he was 100 years old. He wasn’t looking at his wrinkled, old self saying, “Come on, old man. You can do it!” No, he knew he couldn’t bring forth a child. He’d known that for some time. He wasn’t looking at his own ability. He was looking at God. He kept his attention on the power and promise of God until he was fully persuaded that God could and would bring it to pass. That’s What I Call Victory! If you want to develop the spirit of faith, that’s what you’ll do too. You won’t consider the natural impossibilities of your situation. God certainly doesn’t. Ken and I have found that out by experience! More than 40 years ago, when Ken was praying down in the riverbed in Tulsa, Okla., God began speaking to him about preaching to nations. God said way back then he’d have a worldwide ministry. It was clear God hadn’t considered our bank account. We hardly had enough money to get across town—much less go to the nations! But God didn’t expect us to fulfill that call. He intended to do it Himself with our faith. He intended to provide the power, the resources, the ability—everything! All He expected us to do was believe. That’s all He expects you to do: Only believe. Isn’t that simple? If you’ll just believe, if you’ll just spend your time considering God’s Word instead of focusing on your own limitations, you’ll end up just like Abraham. Exactly how did Abraham end up? Very well, I’d say. He and Sarah not only had that baby God promised, they also lived long enough to raise him. Then, after Sarah died (at 127 years old), Abraham (who was 137) remarried and had six more children. He became exactly what he and God said he was—the father of many nations. Now that’s what I call victory! That’s what I call the spirit of faith! V BVOV : 21

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