Sermon Central
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Obtaining The Promise
Contributed by Peter Balogun on Jun 6, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: How do I obtain the promises of God? This has been the question in the hearts of many. Find out in this message how you can obtain whatever God has promoised you.
…Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, OBTAINED PROMISES, stopped the mouths of lions, Hebrews 11:33
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Hebrews 4:11
Have you ever been promised something and the one that promised failed to fulfill his promise? Honestly, it can be very devastating and frustrating, especially when one has made plans with the thing(s) promised. Sometimes, one would wish he was not promised anything than for him to receive a disappointment, as the saying goes, ‘he that expects nothing is never disappointed.
There are several promises that God had made to the believers. These promises are written all over the scriptures. As real and free as they are, many people are still struggling to obtain them. When we fail to enjoy God’s promises, He is not happy and we are not fulfilled.
This article has been written to show us how to obtain God’s promises. If you will put the things you read in this piece to use, you will from now begin to obtain the things that God has promised in His word.
1. YOU MUST HEAR IT FROM GOD
There is a difference between the written word (logos) and the revealed word (rhema). For every promise written in the word of God to work for you, you must have a personal revelation of them. This is what I call hearing God a second time. It’s only those promises that are settled in you that can work in your life.
God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
When you read the word of God and it is not transmitted to your spirit, it does not work for you. So, how you read the word of God is important. The best way to it is meditation; reading, pondering and praying with the word.
2. YOU MUST WORK THE WORD
When you have heard from God, that is, you have been convinced that whatever the word of God says will work for you, the next thing to do is to work out the word.
it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all—it is dead and useless. [NLT]
If you fail to put action into your faith (conviction), you would still not be better than the people that have not heard at all. When God spoke to Abraham about sacrificing his only son, he was convinced it was God that spoke to him and then he went ahead to do what God asked him to do. It was his obedience to the voice of God that made him to obtain the promise.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
You must combine action with your conviction for you to obtain the promise. God’s promises are fulfilled to us when we are will to step out and stand on them in faith
3. YOU MUST HAVE COURAGE
There are times you would need to hang out tough while waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises to you. Not all that you believe God for and act in faith come just the time you want them. There are some that will take time to come. When you are not getting what you want to get, keep waiting and keep working; it shall surely come.
Hab 2:3 - NCV
It is not yet time for the message to come true, but that time is coming soon; the message will come true. It may seem like a long time, but be patient and wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not be delayed.
It is said that winners don’t quit and quitters don’t win. One of the secrets to receiving from God is perseverance; Perseverance in the place of prayers, waiting etc. If you can wait long enough on God, you can get whatever you need from him. Do you know how long it too Hannah to have the child of promise? What about Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist?
Be determined like Jacob and say to God,’I will not let you go until you have fulfilled all your promises to me’. In fact, God Himself told Joshua to have courage. You too must have courage.
4. BE READY FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE
It will be good at this time for me to introduce you to the effect of both spiritual and carnal. The devil through his agents (demons and humans) always looks out for someone that is awaiting the fulfillment of a blessing and then, he tries to block the way.
