A few weeks ago, I wrote a New Year’s post titled “A New Thing,” and shared how in Isaiah 43:19, God is telling us to stop looking to what He did in the past, to put away our notions of how we think He will do what He said He would, and watch and see how He will outdo Himself in our lives, for His glory. One thing we have to understand, is that there is often a process to us receiving that “new thing” God has promised us, whatever that thing may be.

For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.

Mark 11:24 AMP

The first part of the process, make sure that “new thing” is actually the will of God for you, and promised to you by Him.

• Have you checked the Word? Ask God to show you chapter and verse to stand on.
• Have you come together in agreement with a trusted friend in Christ, or your spouse?
• Have you spent any time fasting and praying over this?
• Have you done whatever is necessary to ensure that what you are believing for, is truly promised to you by God?

The next part of the process is the believe you receive- you make your stand of faith. Use the chapter and verse God gave you for your promise, and make your confession of faith, with thanksgiving and praise, that it’s already done, and you have received it by faith.

Then comes what will be the hardest part of the process- the part that comes in between the “believe you receive” and the “you shall have it.” You’re going to have to continue to stand, believing it’s done, as God develops and prepares you for the promise. Look at the Israelites- when they were delivered out of Egypt, they spent 40 years wandering the desert, for a journey that should have only taken 11 days. Why? Look at Numbers chapters 13 and 14- 12 spies went into the Promised Land, 10 of them came back talking as if they were already defeated and saying the promise was impossible- as if the Lord hadn’t just performed so many impossibilities for them!! God had to develop them, to bring into the Promised Land a generation with the faith to trust Him and believe that He would do what He said He would do, and give them what He had promised to give, knowing that the seemingly impossible is always possible with God.

Remember in that last blog post I mentioned earlier, when I told you that God is telling you to cast down your “I thoughts?” You’re really going to have to do that to see your promise manifested in your life. Look at the story of Naaman the leper in 2 Kings chapter 5. The instructions Elisha gave him were simple, “wash in the Jordan seven times, and thou shalt be cleansed.” Washing in the river wasn’t the cure, it was a sign of the cure, and a test of Naaman’s obedience. But his “I thoughts” almost cost him his healing. He left Elisha offended, saying, “surely there are better, cleaner rivers I could go to… I thought surely Elisha will come out to me himself, and stand, and call upon his God, and wave his hand, and I will be cured.” Thank God he had servants wise enough to talk some sense into him, and he did go to the Jordan, wash seven times, and receive his healing!

Yes, you have a promise from God, but you’re going to have to do your part to receive it. He is going to make sure that when it comes to fruition, you will be good and ready to manage what He has given you according to His will. He will make you leave your comfort zone- because you won’t grow there, and He will mature you as His child and grow you in your faith and test your willingness to obey Him. However long this part of the process takes- weeks, months, a year or more- you are going to have to continue to stand and say “I believe I have received,” until your promise is manifested in your life.

It may not be easy, you may even be ridiculed by people you expected to be your supporters, but it WILL be more than worth it, to walk in obedience and faith, trusting God to do what He said He would do.

~Walking by Faith, & Maybe Getting a Little Uncomfortable, Gerri