I had a revelation yesterday morning. It was one of those moments when someone says something and the words seem to jump at you in 3-D.
I was watching “The 700 Club” on www.cbn.com as I always do on weekdays when I’m getting dressed, and they were featuring the testimony of a couple who came to Christ. The two of them had been heavy drug users early in their marriage, and to support their increasingly expensive habit, the husband sold drugs as well. In the process of selling drugs, he was on the road a lot, and began to have affairs. Drugs controlled his life for more than 2 decades.
His wife went to a Christian rehab center to get clean, and began to study the word of God. And she began to pray for her husband. But she did more than pray…she began to “call those things that do not exist as though they do.” She began to call her husband a mighty man of God, even though he was the farthest thing from that. He continued to use drugs and deal. He was finally caught, and sentenced to 15 years in prison. While in prison, He met the Lord, and was completely set free of all his addictions. He was released less than 2 years later.
Today he is precisely what his wife began to call him…a mighty man of God.
That was my revelation…this verse out of Romans:
(as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls the things which do not exist as existing. (Romans 4:17b)
Romans is a very complex book, and packed full of information. It would be easy to read past this. But if God gives us His power to give life to the dead–which He does and has–why then could we not call the things which do not exist as existing? As long as we know that we are praying absolutely within His will, we can boldly call those things into existence.
I often strive in prayer over my children. In a world that is dark and getting darker, I know the influences on them are huge. So my words in prayer are many; it’s as though I don’t want to leave any stones unturned. But yesterday clarity came into my mind. I could simply begin to call my children mighty women of God in faith, knowing that that is completely within God’s will. And it will be done.
I had a friend call me yesterday and ask for prayer for a friend of hers, whom I know. Her friend’s name is Julie, and she has had many health problems for a number of years, although she’s only in her forties. Now she may be facing a double mastectomy. But after my revelation, I knew I would begin to call Julie completely healthy.
With that revelation, a whole world opened up before me. As I took a walk with my dogs, I began to think of all the things I could call into existence. I decided I would write them down on a piece of paper that I would put into my Bible, so that each day, a few times a day, I could call those things into existence in faith and trust.
This might seem too simplistic for some people. But here’s the difference between striving in prayer and “calling those things that do not exist as though they do”: the first “hopes all things,” while the other “believes all things.” The second actually pictures that reality, sees it as God sees it in the future. This, I believe, is the kind of faith that truly pleases God. Because when we call it into existence, we agree with His will and trust in the power He has given us. We truly believe Him. We are expecting His will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.”
I’m excited. Instead of asking the Lord to make my daughter more motivated and less inclined to watch TV, I’m beginning to say, “She is motivated. She really wants to get involved in the church and community activities. She is a mighty woman of God.” Instead of worrying about my daughter at college, who doesn’t want to stay where she is next year, but has no idea where to go, I’m going to say, “She has clarity of thought. God is giving her direction and she will act on it. She is a mighty woman of God.”
How wonderful it is that God makes it so simple for us. Faith.
“…for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you.” (Matthew 17:20b)
So look at your mountains differently today. Take faith and tell them to move. And continue to tell them until they do. Because nothing is impossible to you.
