Faith is Thanking God in Advance
By Rick Warren
“When you pray and you ask for something, believe that you have received it and you will be given what you asked for” (Mark 11:24 GNT).
Faith is not believing God can do something. Faith is not hoping he will do something. Faith is thanking God in advance.
Jesus said, “When you pray and you ask for something, believe that you have received it and you will be given what you asked for” (Mark 11:24 GNT).
You say, “Wait a minute! I’ve got to thank God in advance before I get it in order to get it?” Yes. If you thank God after you’ve got it, that’s gratitude. When you thank him in advance, that’s called faith.
I used this illustration a few weeks ago, but I mention it again because it really helps explain the idea of thanking God in advance: If someone handed you a check right now for a thousand dollars, would you wait until you cashed it to say “thank you”? No! You’d thank that person right away. Yet the thousand dollars wouldn’t really be yours until you actually cashed it, because that check is simply a promise. When you are given the check, you can genuinely say thanks, believing that the promise is credible and that the person has enough money in the bank to cover that amount.
Faith is like that. It is thanking God in advance.
What I’m saying is this: If God tells you to go after Moby Dick in a rowboat, take the tartar sauce with you. You’re going to have a fish fry tonight!
Jesus said, “Because of your faith, it will happen” (Matthew 9:29 NLT).
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Talk It Over
Think about some of the common phrases you use in prayer. Do they reflect faith in God?
How would your perspective and attitude change if you truly believed God would provide everything you asked for?
What kind of prayer would capture your desire to grow in your faithfulness to God?
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“Because of our faith in him we dare to have boldness, courage, and confidence in coming to God with freedom and without fear.” (Ephesians 3:12 AP)
Everything God does in your life, He does by His grace and through your faith. So if you want God to work through you to influence those around you, start by developing a deeper trust in Him!
Pastor Rick Warren shows you how in his Daring Faith Study Kit. As you explore the 6 faith-building sessions in this DVD Bible study, you’ll learn how to:
• Find the courage to leave your comfort zone
• Make a lasting difference in the lives of others
• Use generosity to change your life
• And more!
The Daring Faith Study Kit is our way of thanking you for your gift today to share the hope of Christ through Daily Hope. Daring Faith will help give you the courage to transform your life and impact the world around you. So request your copy when you give today!
This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
