You"ve Already Got It!
By Andrew Wommack.
Introduction.
Like the dog on the cover, most Christians spend their entire lives chasing something they already have. They"re always asking the Lord to do something-to bless, heal, deliver, or prosper them-when in truth, they are seeking what they"ve already been given. They believe G.o.d can can do anything, but not that He do anything, but not that He has has (past tense) done very much. (past tense) done very much.
However, the book of Ephesians was written from an entirely different perspective: Everything has already been accomplished in Christ and given to the born-again believer. It"s both already done and already ours!
A victorious Christian isn"t seeking victory but rather enforces the victory already won through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We aren"t trying to win a battle. We"re coming from a battle that has already been won! Jesus has conquered, and we"re enforcing His conquest. (Rom. 8:37.) As believers, we aren"t trying to get something from G.o.d; we"re fighting to receive the full manifestation of what"s already ours in Christ. We aren"t trying to get healed; we"re fighting because we"ve already been healed, and the devil is trying to steal it. We aren"t begging G.o.d to prosper us financially; we"re fighting the good fight of faith to see the prosperity that"s already been given to us manifest. We aren"t asking G.o.d to bless us, because He"s already commanded His blessing upon us. Through believing we"ve already got it, talking like we"ve already got it, and acting like we"ve already got it-we appropriate what the Lord has provided.
It"s Already Done!
Understanding that G.o.d has already blessed, healed, and prospered you removes the legalistic performance mentality. You won"t struggle under feelings of condemnation and unworthiness anymore, because you"ll recognize that everything has already been given. In fact, it was supplied long before you ever came along. And since it"s a gift (not based on your performance), your worthiness-or lack thereof-has nothing to do with it!
How can you doubt that G.o.d would give you something that you know He"s already supplied? You can"t! The knowledge that He"s already done it eliminates all doubt. No more will you pray, "O G.o.d, I know You can, but will You please do it for me?" You"ll know that it"s already done. The question is: Will you receive?
If you understand and embrace these truths, you"ll be ruined for much of what"s being called Christianity today. The proclamation that "G.o.d can can heal, bless, deliver, and prosper you" sounds good on the surface but is just a profession of what heal, bless, deliver, and prosper you" sounds good on the surface but is just a profession of what can can happen. The Word declares, "G.o.d has already healed, blessed, delivered, and prospered you." Can you see the difference? happen. The Word declares, "G.o.d has already healed, blessed, delivered, and prospered you." Can you see the difference?
Enjoy G.o.d"s Provision This book contains the truths you need to begin experiencing a much greater manifestation of G.o.d"s power in your life. Your faith will be quickened, your heart encouraged, and your feet firmly set on His pathway of victory.
Stop chasing your tail, and start enjoying G.o.d"s abundant provision!
CHAPTER 1.
How Desperate Are You?
While ministering once in a church, I noticed how the pastor and his congregation wholeheartedly sang these songs about how "desperate" for G.o.d they were. Don"t get me wrong. I like those tunes and their overall message. However, I prefer to sing "I"m in love with You" instead of "I"m desperate for You."
Desperate comes from the Latin word meaning "despair." Check out these dictionary definitions: comes from the Latin word meaning "despair." Check out these dictionary definitions: 1. Reckless or violent because of despair, driven to take any risk. Reckless or violent because of despair, driven to take any risk.2. Undertaken as a last resort. Undertaken as a last resort.3. Nearly hopeless, critical, grave, i.e. a desperate illness. Nearly hopeless, critical, grave, i.e. a desperate illness.4. Marked by, arising from, or showing despair; despairing, i.e. the desperate look of hunger. Marked by, arising from, or showing despair; despairing, i.e. the desperate look of hunger.5. In an unbearable situation because of need or anxiety, i.e. desperate for recognition. In an unbearable situation because of need or anxiety, i.e. desperate for recognition.6. Extreme because of fear, danger, or suffering greatly, i.e. in desperate need. Extreme because of fear, danger, or suffering greatly, i.e. in desperate need.
"The synonyms for despair art despair art hopelessness, desperation, despondency, depression, discouragement, and hopelessness, desperation, despondency, depression, discouragement, and dejection. dejection. All All of of these nouns denote emotional states marked by lowness of spirits or loss of hope. Despair and hopelessness stress the utter absence of hope and often imply a sense of powerlessness or resignation. Desperation implies absence of grounds for hope, but adds the idea of fighting back, often blindly or recklessly" (New American Heritage Dictionary). these nouns denote emotional states marked by lowness of spirits or loss of hope. Despair and hopelessness stress the utter absence of hope and often imply a sense of powerlessness or resignation. Desperation implies absence of grounds for hope, but adds the idea of fighting back, often blindly or recklessly" (New American Heritage Dictionary).
When you sing, "Lord, I"m desperate for You," what do you mean? Are you saying, "Lord, I"m in love with You and want You more than anything else?" If so, that"s fine. But according to the dictionary, you"re really saying, "I"m in despair because of this extremely unbearable situation. There are no grounds for hope, but I"m anxiously, recklessly, and violently fighting back anyway." If that"s what you mean by being "desperate for the Lord," it"s absolutely wrong!
Hungry?
The only reason for a Christian to be desperate is if that person doesn"t understand what G.o.d has already done. The Lord has already blessed us, healed us, delivered us, and prospered us! He loves us and nothing will ever change that. The only reason to be hopeless, helpless, and in despair is if we don"t know who we are and what we have in Christ.
We need a full revelation of what Jesus has done for us! That doesn"t mean we won"t ever have problems. But in the midst of them, we can say, "Father, You"ve already supplied this before I ever had the need. I know it"s there, so I"m drawing near to You. Thank You for revealing it to me!" Christians should never be hopeless or full of despair.
When you sing, "I"m hungry for G.o.d," what do you mean? If you"re expressing desire, that"s fine: "G.o.d, I love You and want You more than anything else!" However, a closer look at the dictionary definition of hunger hunger reveals "hurt, pain, agony, depression, and despair that accompanies not having your needs met" (New American Heritage Dictionary). reveals "hurt, pain, agony, depression, and despair that accompanies not having your needs met" (New American Heritage Dictionary).
Many people sing, "G.o.d, I"m desperate and hungry for You" and mean "I"m so miserable. Life is terrible, but I"m looking for You. You"re my answer, and I believe that out there-somewhere-You"re going to do something to meet my needs." That"s the complete opposite of the revelation of G.o.d"s Word!
"What"s Wrong With This Picture?"
This church had just sung those songs about how "desperate" and "hungry" they were. "O G.o.d, we need a move. Touch us. Please, Lord, do something new!" I stood up to speak and asked, "How many of you are hungry for G.o.d? How desperate for Him are you?" They all clapped and cheered loudly.
Continuing, 1 1 said, "John 6:35 declares: "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."" said, "John 6:35 declares: "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.""
I asked them, "What"s wrong with this picture? All of you just stood and acknowledged that you"re hungry and thirsty. Yet this says that you"ll never hunger or thirst again. Jesus told the woman at the well the same thing: "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life"" (John 4:14). They immediately became so quiet you could"ve heard a pin drop!
Now don"t misunderstand what I"m saying. I use the term "getting hungry for G.o.d" in the sense that you have a deep yearning for Him. My good friend, Bob Nichols, says, "As long as you can live without more of G.o.d, you will" and "As long as you can live without more healing, you will." You could plug a number of different things in there like peace, joy, prosperity, etc. But the point is, you must hunger for-strongly desire and focus on-the things of G.o.d in order to experience them.
The Lord doesn"t come to those who just pa.s.sively seek Him. You must pursue Him wholeheartedly.
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.. .And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:11, 13). Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.. .And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:11, 13).
This type of hunger is G.o.dly.
But if by "hunger" you mean, "O Lord, I"m just so empty. I have no joy, no peace, no hope. G.o.d, where are You? I"m desperate for You." That"s not right and that"s not faith. Yet this is what"s being proclaimed and modeled in the Body of Christ today as being a "normal" experience. It"s like a person who"s sitting in front of a twelve-course meal. Everything they could ever want is there, but they keep crying "I"m so hungry!" They just want pity or somebody to stick the food in their mouth for them. Personally, I have no sympathy for someone sitting before such a feast and whining about how "desperate" they are. If you"re hungry, eat!
Draw From Your Well G.o.d has already given us everything. There"s a well of living water on the inside of every born-again believer. It"s not the Lord"s fault if we"re hungry and thirsty. It"s not time to ask Him to come and touch us. It"s time for us to start taking, eating, and drinking of what He"s already given!
I"m not saying there"s no place for a Christian to ever have problems or discouragement, or that we should always be perfect and just deny reality. Believers do experience hunger in the sense that they feel empty and G.o.d seems like a million miles away. But when you experience that, it"s wrong to approach Him saying, "O Lord, I just don"t feel Your love. Please love me. Do something to show me You care!" You might as well have said, "G.o.d, You haven"t done anything," because you"re blaming Him for your feelings of emptiness and hunger.
Through the revelation contained in this book, I"ve learned that G.o.d loves me infinitely more than I can ever comprehend or need. He can"t love me more or give me any more love than what I already have. Knowing this has kept me out of depression and discouragement for over thirty-five years!
There were times when such feelings tempted me. I"ve had issues and terrible things happen, just like anybody else. I"ve even had thoughts like, Man, just get in your pickup and drive. Don"t ever come back! I can"t stand it anymore. Just walk away! Man, just get in your pickup and drive. Don"t ever come back! I can"t stand it anymore. Just walk away! Although I"ve had these thoughts, I don"t give in to them, because I also have this revelation that G.o.d loves me and has already provided everything I need. Although I"ve had these thoughts, I don"t give in to them, because I also have this revelation that G.o.d loves me and has already provided everything I need.
So instead of giving in to hunger, discouragement, and despair, I remind myself of G.o.d"s Word. I don"t ever say, "Lord, that"s the way it is. Now You must do something brand new to touch me. I"m looking for something else from You." That would be an insult against what He"s already done. Instead, I pray, "Father, this is absolutely wrong. John 6:35 says that I should never hunger or thirst again. I know that on the inside of me there is so much love, joy, and peace-all the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22, 23.) Everything I need is already there. So, Father, I know that You have done Your part. It"s not Your fault if I"m tempted with depression, discouragement, giving up, and quitting. It"s my fault. I"m not focused on You. I"ve let my eyes be taken off of You and put on the problems of this world." I"ll just separate myself and spend a day or so fasting, praying, and seeking G.o.d. What I"m doing is mining what the Lord has already placed within me. Instead of asking Him to give me something new, I draw out the life that He"s already given.
That"s why I can truthfully tell you that I haven"t been depressed in over thirty-five years. I"ve been tempted with depression. I"ve had feelings of depression start to hit me. But within ten or fifteen minutes, I just decide that I don"t like depression and refuse to have it. G.o.d has given me such joy inside that I can choose to rejoice at all times. (Phil. 4:4.) Not Pa.s.sive!
The Word says, "I will bless the Lord Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Ps. 34:1). at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Ps. 34:1).
This isn"t telling you to just "fake it "til you make it." Rather, this is talking about drawing out what"s inside of you.
As I"ve drawn on the joy that G.o.d has already placed within my born-again spirit, I"ve lived a consistently victorious life. In the midst of great adversity, I"ve experienced continual joy and peace. It"s not because I"m never tempted with the other but because I know in my heart that G.o.d has already done His part.
I haven"t become pa.s.sive and said, "G.o.d, I"m waiting on You." Many people do that and languish while waiting for an epiphany. They sing, "I"m so desperate and hungry! O G.o.d, where are You? I"m just a poor wayfaring pilgrim, and it"s so miserable down here." Instead, I pray, "Father, I know this isn"t right. This isn"t what You"ve done. Your Word shows me that You"ve already blessed me. I praise You for what You"ve done!" I start focusing on the Lord and His Word and draw out His abundant life from within me.
That"s why I haven"t had discouragement or depression last more than a very short time for over thirty-five years now. I simply refuse to yield to them or let them have their effect in my life. That"s awesome!
Many people desire these same results, but they think the way to achieve them is to pa.s.sively ask G.o.d to do something and then sit back and wait. If things don"t change, and victory-healing, prosperity, blessings, deliverance-doesn"t instantly come, they get upset with the Lord, asking, "G.o.d, why aren"t You doing anything?" That"s not it at all.
The Lord has already done everything. However, if you"re not seeing it manifest, it"s not G.o.d who hasn"t given-but you who haven"t received! Come with me as 1 take you on a journey that will teach you how to receive what G.o.d has already done for you.
CHAPTER 2.
Check Your Receiver Ephesians was written from the perspective of what has already taken place. Paul"s opening comments in this letter were: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of G.o.d, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from G.o.d our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the G.o.d and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of G.o.d, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from G.o.d our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the G.o.d and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.Ephesians 1:1-3, emphasis mine Notice the terminology here: "Blessed be G.o.d who has-past tense, it"s already been done-blessed us with all spiritual blessings."
Some people argue, "Well, this means only in spiritual things, in an ethereal realm, not in practical, personal ways. It"s just in heavenly places that we"ve been blessed." Really, "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" is just an Old English way of expressing the truth that G.o.d has already blessed us with everything-and it"s in the spiritual realm.
Everything that G.o.d G.o.d has done for you has already been deposited into your born-again spirit. Although it"s already there, you must draw it out of the spirit and into the physical realm. has done for you has already been deposited into your born-again spirit. Although it"s already there, you must draw it out of the spirit and into the physical realm.
If G.o.d has already blessed you, which Ephesians 1:3 clearly reveals, then why do you keep asking Him to bless you? "Come on, Andrew! That"s just semantics." No, it"s a problem. The reason you keep praying, asking, and seeking G.o.d"s blessing is because you don"t truly believe you"re already blessed!
Silence While ministering to an audience, I often walk over and give my Bible to someone on the front row. Then I ask the people, "What do you think I"d do if that person who already has my Bible came up to me and asked, "Can I have your Bible, please?"" How would you respond if someone asked you for something you knew you"d already given them? Personally, I wouldn"t know how to answer. I"d probably just look at them and think, You"ve already got it-so what are you asking for? What am I supposed to do that I haven"t already done? You"ve already got it-so what are you asking for? What am I supposed to do that I haven"t already done?
If you asked someone for something they knew you already had, how would they respond to you? There"d probably be an awkward silence. Sounds a lot like how G.o.d often responds to us! us!
You pray, "O G.o.d, please heal my body!" but don"t hear a thing, so you wonder, Lord, Lord, what"s what"s going on? Why haven"t You answered my prayer? going on? Why haven"t You answered my prayer? G.o.d"s probably in heaven scratching His head and thinking, Now wait a G.o.d"s probably in heaven scratching His head and thinking, Now wait a minute. Doesn"t 1 Peter 2:24 say that by My stripes you were (past tense) healed? It"s already done! I"ve already minute. Doesn"t 1 Peter 2:24 say that by My stripes you were (past tense) healed? It"s already done! I"ve already placed the same power that raised Christ from the dead inside you. (Eph. 1:19-21.) placed the same power that raised Christ from the dead inside you. (Eph. 1:19-21.) If G.o.d could be confused, I believe He would be, saying, "I know I already gave this to them, but here they are asking Me for it." That"s not the way to approach G.o.d! If G.o.d could be confused, I believe He would be, saying, "I know I already gave this to them, but here they are asking Me for it." That"s not the way to approach G.o.d!
We pray other stupid prayers too, like, "G.o.d, we ask You to come and be with us in our church service today. O Lord, meet with us!" The Word plainly says, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5), and "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). G.o.d"s always with us, but still we pray, "O Lord, come and be with us" and "Lord, go with us as we leave this place." How is G.o.d going to answer prayers like that? Do you know what we"re doing? We"re letting our senses dominate us. Since we don"t see Him or feel anything, and n.o.body"s jumped a pew yet, we ask G.o.d to come when the Word says He"s already there.
Begin To Receive An appropriate way to pray is, "Father, Your Word promises that You"ll never leave us nor forsake us, and when two or three gather together in Your name, there is a special presence of the Holy Spirit. Father, we thank You that You"re here. We believe it and we want it manifest. We don"t want You to just be here in the spirit realm. We desire to yield to You to the point that You can manifest Yourself in healings, deliverance, joy, peace, salvation, and Holy Spirit baptism. We want You to be free to manifest Yourself and do what You want to do." That"s a proper way to pray because you"re praying in agreement with G.o.d"s Word. You"re saying, "We believe Your promises, but we want them manifest. We desire for You to come from the spirit world into physical manifestation!"
Praying, "O G.o.d, come and be with us" is incorrect. It means you don"t believe that G.o.d is there until you can see or feel Him. Then, when someone starts shouting, "I feel the Holy Ghost," you say, "G.o.d"s here now!" It wasn"t that He just showed up. He was there the whole time. You just began to receive.
Wherever you are right now, there are television signals all around you. It doesn"t matter if you"re at home, in a car, at work, on a bus, or sitting under a tree somewhere, television signals are there. Just because you can"t perceive them with your five natural senses doesn"t mean they"re not present. Even in the physical realm, an unbeliever-someone with zero faith-can prove that there are television signals surrounding you. All they have to do is take a television set, plug it in, turn it on, and tune it in!
When you first see the signal on the screen is not when the station started broadcasting. The signals were there before the television set was turned on. When you turned on and tuned in your set is when you started receiving, but it"s not when the station began broadcasting.
What would you do if your television set went blank all of a sudden? Would you call the station and ask them to start broadcasting again? No! You"d check your receiver by turning it to another station. If other channels were still coming in, but that one wasn"t, then you might think it"s the station not broadcasting. Maybe they"re having a problem with their transmitter. But if your television went totally blank, and no channels came in, you wouldn"t call the station. You"d know, My receiver"s the problem! the problem! Since 99 percent of the time the issue is with your receiver-not the station"s transmitter-the first thing to do is check your receiver. Since 99 percent of the time the issue is with your receiver-not the station"s transmitter-the first thing to do is check your receiver.
Pray in Faith G.o.d"s the One with the transmitter. He"s the Giver of all earthly and spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3), and He"s already transmitted them to you. Everything comes from G.o.d, but He"s already transmitted. If you aren"t seeing them manifest in your life, the problem isn"t with G.o.d"s transmitter. You need to fix your receiver!
Yet, when most Christians don"t feel joy, they go to the Lord and ask, "O G.o.d, where"s my joy? What"s wrong? Restore unto me the joy of my salvation!" Have you sung that song? It"s a great tune, but the words are actually taken from an Old Testament scripture.
"Create in me a clean heart, O G.o.d; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit" (Ps. 51:10-12).
David prayed this in repentance of his sin with Bathsheba.
However, for a New Testament believer to say, "O G.o.d, cast me not away from Your presence. Please, don"t leave me!" is an insult against what Jesus came to do. David didn"t have a covenant that promised G.o.d would stick with him through anything. The Old Covenant was based upon performance, so G.o.d did come and go. Old Testament people weren"t born again. They didn"t have an eternal redemption the way it"s spoken of in the New Covenant. (Heb. 9:12, 14.) However, Jesus promised, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5), and "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20). If you"ve been born again and don"t feel the presence of G.o.d, for you to pray this prayer that David prayed and say, "Cast me not away from Your presence, renew a right spirit within me, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me," means that you don"t understand what benefits you have in your covenant. You"re in unbelief-not believing the New Covenant!
Instead of praying in unbelief and then wondering why you aren"t seeing better results, you need to pray in faith! It"s the prayer of faith that will save the sick. (James 5:15.) It"s the prayer of faith that will bring you deliverance and joy.
Say, "Father, I don"t feel like You"re here. There"s simply no tangible indication of Your presence in my life right now. Everything"s gone south. But Father, Your Word says that You"ll never leave me nor forsake me, so I know that You"re here. Whatever is causing these problems in my life is not You. I know that You haven"t forsaken me. I ask You now to help me see what I"ve done to turn away from You. As I seek You, please help me make the connection and release this life You"ve placed inside me. I know Your Holy Spirit"s still here. I know Your blessings are still here. I"m believing that they"ll be released. I refuse to have these other things." That"s praying a prayer of faith!
Defend Your Position There"s still a fight. But the fight is to stand in the victory that G.o.d has already purchased for you-not to go out and win one. There"s a big difference!
While in the army, I discovered that defending a position that was already held is much easier than trying to take a new one. If you were on top of a hill and had the advantage of a defensive position, you could hold it with five men. But a hundred men would be required to take that same position. Much more effort is needed to go conquer something you don"t yet have than to defend something that"s already yours.
You need to believe that you"re already blessed. (Eph. 1:3.) G.o.d has already given you healing, wisdom, revelation, prosperity, joy, peace-everything that you"ll ever need!
My teaching Spirit, Soul & Body Spirit, Soul & Body goes into much more depth on this very truth. It reveals from G.o.d"s Word how your born-again spirit is already as perfect, complete, and full of G.o.d"s blessing and power as it ever will be throughout all eternity. goes into much more depth on this very truth. It reveals from G.o.d"s Word how your born-again spirit is already as perfect, complete, and full of G.o.d"s blessing and power as it ever will be throughout all eternity.
One-third of your salvation is over. Your spirit is completely saved. It"s identical to Jesus. It has His joy, His peace, His knowledge, His love, and His fruit. Everything that"s true of Jesus is true of your born-again spirit. There"s no inadequacy. It"s not in the process of growing up into these things. It"s not that these things are in your spirit in seed form, but they have to mature; no, they are already complete and full-grown in the spirit. All you have to do is renew your mind and let these things manifest themselves through you. If this isn"t a revelation to you, you need it to fully understand what I"m sharing.
G.o.d has already done it. This isn"t just "in principle." It"s not just written on a piece of paper somewhere. There was an actual transformation that took place in your spirit the very moment you were born again. Now you have love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. (Gal. 5:22, 23.) You are-right now in your spirit-identical to Jesus. (1 John 4:17; 1 Cor. 6:17.) The same power that raised Christ from the dead now lives inside of you. (Eph. 1:19, 20.) It"s infinitely easier to release something you know and believe you already have than it is to try and go get something you don"t.
If you"re not absolutely convinced that you"ve already got it, you"ll either submit to or have to battle thoughts that you won"t get it. However, once you know it"s yours, how could you doubt you"d get it? This is simple, but so profound!
Drawing the Line When my wife and I first started out in ministry, we were so poor we couldn"t even pay attention! The Lord had already blessed us with financial prosperity, but I wasn"t cooperating with His laws for releasing it. In fact, I was violating a number of instructions in G.o.d"s Word. Therefore, we really struggled until I learned some things and adjusted accordingly. G.o.d loved us, and we didn"t starve to death, but we didn"t prosper until we understood how His kingdom works and began to cooperate.
During that period of time, I didn"t even have a complete Bible. Mine had gone through Vietnam with me. It was so beat up and marked up that most pa.s.sages could hardly be read. Also, entire books had fallen out and been lost. Here I was pastoring this little church in Segoville, Texas, without a full Bible!
Right or wrong, I made a decision. "Father, I have to start seeing Your power manifest somewhere. If I can"t believe You for enough money to buy a new Bible, how am I going to believe You for enough money to lead people into salvation and see them healed, delivered, and baptized in the Holy Spirit?" 1 just made an issue out of it, saying, "G.o.d, this faith either works, or I"m going to die right here. The outcome of this battle determines whether or not I"m going on." To me, this was non-negotiable.
So I started believing G.o.d for a new Bible. All told, it took me six months to get enough money to buy it! It"s not that this wasn"t my priority. It"s just that finances for us were tight. My wife and I would go two or three weeks without food-even when she was eight months pregnant-because we just didn"t have it. I"m not exaggerating when I say that it took me six months to believe for the extra twenty-five dollars to go buy a Bible.
To some people, financial "trouble" is having $1,000 in the bank and $1,100 worth of bills. We didn"t even have a bank account-much less any money to put in it! There were days when we"d go without a penny in our pockets. I"d even pick up c.o.ke bottles just to get gas money
Dealing With Doubt Satan plagued me that entire time. I fought doubt constantly. There probably wasn"t a ten-minute period of time during my waking hours for six months that I didn"t have some thought like, It"s not going to work. You"ll never get it. You don"t even have a Bible. Some man of G.o.d you are! not going to work. You"ll never get it. You don"t even have a Bible. Some man of G.o.d you are! I"d have to throw down those thoughts and say, "No! In the name of Jesus, I do have my Bible!" I fought these constant, unrelenting thoughts for six whole months. I"d have to throw down those thoughts and say, "No! In the name of Jesus, I do have my Bible!" I fought these constant, unrelenting thoughts for six whole months.
Finally, I had enough money. So I went to a bookstore, bought a Bible, and "had my name engraved on it. It was mine! After I walked out the door with that new Bible under my arm, I never again doubted that I"d get it.
"Well, of course! Why would you doubt that you"d get something you"ve already got?" My point exactly!