Thoughts for Life: The Power of the Word of God: Part 2

R. A. Torrey continues with his thoughts on the Power of the Word of God:

God's Word Has Power to Produce Prevailing Faith. Not only saving faith comes through the Word of God, but prevailing faith in prayer does also.

Suppose I read Mark 11:24: "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray; believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

I used to say, "The way to get anything I want is to believe I am going to get it." I would kneel down and pray and try to believe, but i did not get the things that I asked for.

I had no real faith. Real faith must have a warrant. before I can truly believe I am to receive what I ask, I must have a definite promise of God's Word, or a definite leading of the Holy Spirit, to rest my faith upon.

When we take First John 5:14-15, and say, "Father, this is the confidence I have in You that, if I ask anything according to Your will You hear me, and if I know that You hear me, I know that I have the petition that I have asked of You."

Then I rise up, standing upon this promise of God, and say, "it is mine." And it will be mine.

The only way to have a faith that prevails in prayer is to study your Bible, and know the promises, and lay them before God when you pray. George Mueller was one of the mightiest men of prayer. But he always prepared for prayer by studying the Word of God (John 15:7).

The faith that gets the victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil; the faith that wins mighty victories for God, is also through the Word. (see First John 5:4; Eph. 6:16; Heb. 11:33-34.)

I commenced to feed my faith on the Word of God, and as I have thus fed it, it has kept on growing from that day to this. So in every aspect we see that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

If we are to have faith—and if we are to have power for God, we must have faith—we must feed steadily, largely, daily upon the Word of God.

[Taken from Herald of His Coming Newspaper, Vol. 75 No. 2 (890), front page, used by permission.]

(Google image and my emphasis added)

{To read Part 1, check The Power of the Word of God: Part 1}

Oh Lord,

What scripture would you have read
To draw my wayward soul to Thee
To help me understand Your plan
To save the woman and the man

What scripture would You have me find
To help this tempted soul unwind
And give my heart in full release
To gain Your perfect joyful peace

What scripture would You have me see
That shows Your plan to set me free
From all the consequence and pain
Of sins that I had once retained

How can I hear Your Spirit's plea
Unless I fall on bended knee
And trust my burdened soul to Thee
Through all that You would share with me

For all the scriptures in Your Word
Are there to point me heavenward
If I will but prioritize
And let Your Spirit cleanse my eyes

Of all my self sufficiency
That blinds my soul from seeing Thee
Almighty God and great I Am
Who bore the cross to save this man

For of a truth if I could see
The height and length and breadth of the
Eternal presence of Thy throne
Where on the Son of Man is known

To represent a soul like me
Bought by the Blood that sets men free
From condemnation for my sin
That caused the broken heart of Him

Then I would surely be abased
And crumble in my own disgrace
To think of all the time I've been
So selfishly consumed by sin

And how I've built a wall of lies
Establishing my compromise
Of what Your Law has shown to me
Of character that I must be

If I should hope to walk the streets
Of gold where all Your saints will meet
Who chose to stand before all men
As conquerors of self and sin

Refusing here you compromise
By placing that before their eyes
That draws our hearts from studying
The Word of Christ's great suffering

For every precious soul that finds
The Light of truth that heals the blind
And brings the peace for which we seek
And strengthens hearts that now are weak

Will surely be a testament
Of what the Lord had surely meant
When He declared God's love for me
By dying on dark Calvary

John 3:16, 17; 1 John 3:16-24

Lee Forbes

(Used by permission)

Let's pray-

Father, may we learn to pray according to what Your Word tells us is Your will.

As we open the Bible, help us actually study what it says, and to have faith in its messages for us.
Enable us to have faith that prevails over every situation that we'll face, and to have victory over the world, flesh and the Devil.
I ask this in the precious, powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

Today’s Bible verses-

(Job 7:18) "And that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment?"

(Prov. 8:17) "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."

Today’s quote-

"For Luther, the most powerful prayer is 'prayed with sobs and tears.' Because God is at the same time almighty and compassionate, he desires to hear supplications from his children. As Luther put it, 'The Lord is great and high, and therefore He wants great things to be sought from Him and is willing to bestow them so that His almighty power might be shown forth.' " (Taken from p. 68 of The Struggle of Prayer by Donald G. Bloesch)

Our thought today-

In all "laying of hands", there is a common thread of God using people to minister to others.

Our question today-

If someone speaks a word that comes from God to you, what will be your reaction? Will you attempt to walk it out?

Upcoming posts-

#35 You Must Prevail Over Satan

19th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

#36 You Must Prevail Before God

21st- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

The Power of the Word of God: Part 3

23rd- Saturday's post by R. A. Torrey

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You my God