Receiving Reassurance of God's Promise -Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) May 2, 2023
Updated: Oct 6, 2023
If you've ever purchased a home, you'll be familiar with the term 'escrow'. An escrow account is used by a potential homebuyer to deposit money. It is an act of good faith to reassure that they've committed to buy the property and will move forward with the process. It is not unusual to seek reassurance in our human relationships and it should not be abnormal to respectfully seek reassurance from the Lord. Particularly when He has promised you something. Such promises can be specific to you or general, as contained in the Bible.
Abraham sought reassurance in Genesis 15. The Lord had promised him the land of Canaan and we are told in Genesis 15:8 - But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” He essentially asked how he was to trust that the Lord's word would come to pass. Now pay attention to what God did next - He entered into an unbreakable covenant with Abraham. He instructed Abraham to bring some animals for a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed and God brought the fire to burn those animals. Through a sacrificial offering, God, therefore, entered into an eternal agreement with Abraham, swearing upon His own name to do what He'd promised. He gave Abraham even more details on how he'd come to possess Canaan (Genesis 15:9-16). These details came to pass and continue to be true today.
Has God told you something but you're not sure it'll come to pass? It could be because you can't see how such is possible or because it's been such a long time since receiving the promise. Listen, God is not a liar, so if He's made a promise, He will bring it to pass. Your job is to believe and continue to walk with Him till that promise is fulfilled. After all, Hebrews 11:1 tells us, Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. We therefore have to tap into our faith to get us through and indeed, it is best to believe blindly. Nevertheless, God knows that we are human and we struggle. This is why Jesus told us to at least believe in His miracles and the works He's done. These works are evidence of God's faithfulness and act as something trustworthy that we can hold onto.
And now, we also know we can ask the Lord to reassure us of His promises as He did for Abraham. God performed a miracle, providing the fire that burnt the sacrificial offering. This was evidence of His power and might. It reassured Abraham that the same God who miraculously provided the fire to complete the agreement would do what He'd promised and more. Similarly, King Hezekiah asked the Lord for a sign that His promised healing would arrive in 2 Kings 20:8. God displayed His might by making a shadow go backwards, just as the king asked. Also, Gideon had God reassure him that he would indeed be the one to free his people as God had promised (Judges 6:36-40).
Before you get on your knees to ask God for His reassurance, please keep the following in mind. First, for each of these examples, the men who sought reassurance were at a relatively early stage in their walk with God. If you've been walking with God for a while and have seen proof of His might in your life and that of others, this approach may not walk for you. God expects believers to walk by faith and not by sight, after all (2 Corinthians 5:7). Second, each of these men asked for reassurance after receiving a promise from the Lord. If you want God to reassure you of a self-motivated request - one driven by you - and not His freely given promise, please don't quote me. Third, the men above all received immediate signs of God's power not the immediate fulfillment of the promise. This is a key for us to ask God to reassure through the display of His might. We must therefore look to see how He does so and once He does, we must not only praise Him for indulging us but thank Him for His blessed assurance.
A key scripture to ask God for reassurance of His promise is Psalm 119:49 - Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. And when you are in the proverbial valley, struggling to see the mountain top, plead with Psalm 85:7 - Show us your unfailing love, LORD, and grant us your salvation. That love He has for you, will translate into something happening. There is also 1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. God is faithful to not let the expectations of the righteous be cut short (Proverbs 23:18). You can thus ask Him for reassurance by providing a way to endure the wait until His word is fulfilled in your life.
May the Lord hear and answer your request for reassurance as you wait on His promises to come to pass, IJMN Amen. See you at Noon EST.
FINAL MESSAGE
In the main message, I noted that God's promise can be specific to you or general as those included in the Bible.
The Bible is the best way to learn what promises apply to you. This requires you to read it so you not only become familiar with the promise but also the conditions that need to be met to qualify for receipt. Yes, each promise has conditions but praise God, they are all doable. Also, not every promise applies at the same time. Some may kick in during certain periods of your life while others apply at a later time.
Personally, the more I studied God's word, the more He revealed opportunities for blessings that I could…
CLOSING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for today's Kingdom Key. Thank You for teaching us another way to approach You as we walk in relationship with You.
Lord, we pray that by Your grace, we shall each grow to the point in our faith where once You give us a word there is no more doubt. We pray that once we receive Your word, we will know in every part of our body that Your promise is forthcoming. We cry out like the man in Mark 9:24 who said, "I do believe; help me overcome my disbelief!"
Thank You for You are kind and full of mercy. We submit to Your training whereby we will no longer seek reassurance but…
LAST 10 MINUTES
We've looked at this issue of asking God for reassurance. I would not mention this if the Lord hadn't instructed me to teach on this subject. I thank Him for I have had the privilege of not only asking the Lord to be reassured but I have also received His promises to reassure me on several things over the course of my walk with Him.
As such, I not only believe in this prayer approach, I have been opportuned to see it work.
Therefore, when seeking reassurance, focus on God's promises and not your self-motivated desires. Also, ask God to reassure by showing His might and when He comes through, be sure to rejoice then wait on…
God of breakthroughs, I plead for your supernatural healing power upon my prayer subjects. Deliver them from all health alignments, discomfort, and pain. Eliminate the spirit of fear and fill them with Your transcending peace. Strengthen and heal all systems, cells, bones, organs, tissue, nerve endings, and vessels. Bless them with easy access to quality healthcare and guide the hands and minds of the medical team entrusted with their care. Please grant them a healing victory for Your almighty glory! In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Abba, I pray for Your servants with small businesses and entrepreneurial aspirations. Thank You for their gifts, creativity, wisdom, courage, and grit to plan, start, operate, and grow a company. I pray that their vision of success aligns with Your teachings and righteousness and that You lead them and guide them in all areas of their business. Give them the strength to work hard and a genuine desire to serve their community for Your glory. Bless their customers/clients/patients, partners, suppliers/vendors, and any current or future employees and the work of their hands. May their businesses be fruitful, prosperous, full of abundance, and successful today and forever. In Jesus' mighty Name, Amen.