Hosanna Restoration Church

Truly, this seems just too simple. But then God never intended that things get so complicated. Jesus taught in parables that were really obvious, but the disciples had to ask for explanations. Still Jesus made it clear that if someone wanted understanding they could get it.

Most of us know the scripture from Hebrews 11 that describes faith as being the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. So if we combine the scripture in Romans with the scripture in Hebrews it sheds some extra light on the subject. We see that if we are saved we have what God says and therefore we simply look forward to all that is ours in Christ. Since we already have it in Christ we don’t have to sit around hoping. Rather, we look forward to it because we know it is on its way. Since we know this, we can wait patiently and confidently for it.

Have you ever prayed for someone and then hoped it worked? Or have you ever told someone you would pray and that you were sure that God would answer and there response was, “well I hope so.” You see this kind of hope is not hope at all. It is really doubt in a nice dress.

Remember, you don’t have to hope for something that you already have. If we find ourselves hoping it worked, we need stop and press in and trust God. We don’t hope that God exists. We know He does! We don’t hope that God can heal. We know He can! We don’t hope that God hears. We know He hears! How do we know all of this? We know because He says so!

If we have salvation, then we have everything that goes with it, except for our immortal bodies of course. And since we are still here in our bodies, we need health and healing. While we are here we need provisions. Jesus said that He knew we needed lots of things here on earth and he told us how to get them. He told us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of that would come along.

So then when we pray we need to look patiently and confidently for the Lord to fulfill His promise. We don’t have to hope for what we already have. If we only hope, we really are not sure. If we are not sure if God is trustworthy, how can we think we will receive anything? Years ago God gave me a message entitled “I Have It.” As I looked at this scripture He reminded me of that message.

When we pray, we need to begin to expect the Lord’s answer. Then in excitement like children at Christmas time we should anticipate the reward of our patience and confidence in the manifestation of God’s answer.