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#5.3 THE PRAYER OF FAITH FOR DELIVERANCE FROM SIN

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Introduction 5.3

This section is very important, because many people may fail to get deliverance simply because they do not know how to receive it. The first thing that we need to understand is that Jesus has already paid the price to deliver us from sin (See #5.12), and he lives in the heart of every born-again Christian. This does not mean that we have automatic deliverance, because we have to yield to his spirit in obedience to obtain it. We also need to adopt the right attitude towards sin (See #5.5), walk to avoid sin where possible (See #5.4), and overcome sin when we cannot avoid it (See #5.6). All of this is impossible without God's help, so here we will examine how we obtain the essential help that we need from God. If we try to overcome sin by self effort, or self will, or self determination, we will surely fail. We still need to do whatever needs to be done to overcome sin, but we need to do it from a position of faith, trusting in God to deliver us, and not trusting in our own ability. This bible study deals with faith, and how to pray the prayer of faith for deliverance from sin. If we lack faith, then we need to study first how to obtain more.

#5.31 ASK THE FATHER FOR DELIVERANCE, IN FAITH, IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Introduction 5.31

There seems to be a certain amount of confusion in the Christian world about how we ought to pray. Some believe in long travailing prayers, while others, mostly faith teachers, tell us that if we pray more than once for the same thing then we have prayed in unbelief. Some have tried this latter method and found that it does not work for them, and so the controversy has continued. Therefore, in this section we will examine these differences from a scriptural point of view, and deal with the question, Should we pray once, or keep on asking? The conclusion is drawn in #5.311 Note 7.

#5.311 Ask for ourselves

MATTHEW 21:22 (Jesus to disciples)
22 And all things whatever you ask1 in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

JOHN 14:13-14 (Jesus)
13 And anything whatever you ask1 in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you shall ask1 anything in my name, I will do it.

JOHN 16:23 (Jesus to his disciples)
23 And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Amen, amen, I say to you, Whatever you ask1 the Father in my name, he will give to you.

Note 1: In all four cases here, the word translated you ask1 (Matthew 21:22; John 14:13; 16:23) and you shall ask1 (John 14:14) is the same word (Gr. αἰτήσητέ, Gtr. aitesete), and is the second person, plural, aorist, subjunctive, active, of the verb "aiteo", "I ask". In each case, Jesus is talking to more than one person, "you" being plural, and the use of the aorist tense indicates that the asking is viewed as a single event rather than as a continuous or repeated one. Usually the aorist subjunctive is used where a single event is indicated (DFH p74), in which case this could be interpreted as "you ask once"; but this is not always so. There are times when it could be interpreted as several repeated actions viewed as a single event; "if he trespass against you seven times in a day" (Luke 17:4) for example. Also "whoever shall do and teach them" (Matthew 5:19) refers to the commandments, and obviously does not mean "shall do once and teach them once", because this would not make us to be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Much rather it means "shall do and teach both continuously and repeatedly", the whole period of doing and teaching being looked upon as a single event. Similarly, when Jesus said, "whoever shall do the will of God" (Mark 3:35), he did not mean "shall do once" (compare Matthew 7:21-23), but rather had in mind someone who continually and repeatedly did the will of God. These are just a few examples of where the aorist subjunctive is used for a repeated or continual action. If we understand "you ask" (Matthew 21:22) in this sense, then it explains Elijah's prayer on mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:42-44), Daniel's three weeks of fasting (Daniel 10:1-13), Jesus' praying three times in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-44), and Paul's seeking God three times to remove his "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7-8), all as being counted as a single "you ask". Is it possible that "you ask ... believing" (Matthew 21:22) could only ever mean "you ask once ... believing when you ask"? It could if there was an immediate manifestation of the answer to every prayer. But if we examine the promise of salvation as an example, it would mean that every person who ever asked to be saved, believing when they asked, would be saved. This is the same as the false teaching of an unconditional "once saved always saved", which some believe, but is totally denied by many scriptures (Exodus 32:33; Ezekiel 3:20; 18:24; 18:26; 33:12-13; 33:18; John 15:1-6; Romans 11:16-22; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 10:12; Galatians 5:4; 1 Timothy 5:11-12; Revelation 2:5; 3:16; 22:19). So it doesn't mean that. Just as the believing has to continue until we die (Ezekiel 33:12-13; Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13; Hebrews 3:6; 3:14; 1 Peter 1:9), otherwise our salvation would be lost, so when we ask for something in prayer, we need to continue believing until we receive the manifestation of it.

Note 2: There is no time reference with the aorist subjunctive, so that "you ask" could be past, present, or future tense, depending upon the context. Even so, we can interpret "you shall ask" (John 14:14) clearly, because it is part of a conditional sentence, and if it were past or present tense, then the past or present indicative would have been used instead of the aorist subjunctive (DFH p129-130; JWW p167). In fact, it would not be unreasonable to consider the other three cases here as future tense also. The use of the present participle "believing" (Matthew 21:22), shows that the believing and the asking occur at the same time, the timing of the present participle being relative to, and usually simultaneous with, the main verb (DFH p57; JWW p152; WP p96), which in this case is "you ask". The other points made here are that we must ask the Father (John 14:23), we must ask in the name of Jesus Christ (John 14:13-14; 16:23), and our request must be for the glory of God (John 14:13; 2 Corinthians 1:20). As far as forsaking sin is concerned, this always glorifies God when we receive by faith.

Note 3:

(Matthew 7:7-8 ) Ask2, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you:
8 For every man who asks receives3; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it shall be opened."
(John 16:24) "Until now you asked nothing in my name; Ask2, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

The word translated Ask2 (Gr. αἰτεῖτε, Gtr. aiteite) is the second person, plural, present, imperative, active, of the verb "aiteo", "I ask". The present imperative indicates a command to continue doing something, or to do it repeatedly (DFH p92; HPVN p83-84; JWW p74; WP p51); in this case "keep on asking". This is not "keep on asking for various things" as some would interpret it, because the verse says "it (singular) shall be given you;", so it means "keep on asking for the same thing". This is confirmed by "keep on asking anything" (1 John 5:14) (See Note 5), where "anything" is also singular, and is also coupled with "keep on asking". Also taking these verses (Matthew 7:7-8) in context with a parallel scripture (Luke 11:5-10), the purpose of this teaching of Jesus was not only to get us to pray, but also to keep on asking until we receive. The man asking for three loaves was refused first time he asked (Luke 11:7), and if he had not continued to ask, he would have received nothing. Therefore we can conclude that in this case it means "keep on asking for the same thing". Notice also that in both of these verses (Matthew 7:7; John 16:24), the giving (by God) and the receiving by us are both future to the "keep on asking". This indicates a period of asking before we receive what God gives. The word translated receives3 (Gr. λαμβάνει, Gtr. lambanei) is the third person, singular, present, indicative, active, of the verb "lambano", "I receive". In Greek, the present indicative can denote action in progress, or customary or repeated action in present time (HPVN p66). Generally the action is incomplete, here indicating that the receiving is taking place now, at the same time as the asking. The verb is used in conjunction with a present participle "who keeps on asking", which some would say indicates that the asking and the receiving are going on at the same time. However, with articular adjectival participles, which this is, it is not always so, but if we were to translate the present tense "is receiving", then it would suggest it to be true here. Another way of reconciling the difference that we have seen between "receive now" and "receive later", is that "receive now" is by faith, in the spirit realm, and "receive in the future" refers to the manifestation in the material realm (See #5.32 Note).

Note 4:

(Mark 11:24) "Therefore, I say to you, All things whatever you ask4, praying, believe that you are receiving them, and they will be yours."

The word translated you ask4 (Gr. αἰτεῖσθε Gtr. aiteisthe) is the second person plural, present indicative middle, of the verb "aiteo", "I ask". The present indicative usually denotes action in progress, in which case it could be translated "you are asking for yourselves", or as a simple "you ask for yourselves". It could also denote repeated action in present time (JWW p54; HPVN p66), in which case we could understand it to mean "you keep on asking for yourselves". The use of the middle voice shows that the ones asking are also receiving (DFH p65; HPVN p63; JWW p93; WP p71), hence asking for themselves. It is wrongly translated "you desire" in the KJV, because although a desire may be there, asking and receiving involves far more than just desiring, which we can do without asking or receiving.

Note 5:

(1 John 5:14-15) "And this is the confidence which we have toward him, that if we ask5 anything according to his will, he hears6 us.
15 And if we know that he hears6 us, whatever we ask5, we know that we have7 the requests which we have asked8 from him."

The word translated we ask5 (Gr. αἰτώμεθα, Gtr. aitometha) is the first person, plural, present, subjunctive, middle, of the verb "aiteo", "I ask". While the present subjunctive often indicates continuous or repeated action (DFH p74, JHM1 p186, MW p79), the middle voice indicates that those asking are also receiving (See Note 4), hence asking for themselves. That translated he hears6 (Gr. ἀκούει Gtr. akouei) is the third person, singular, present, indicative, active, of the verb "akouo", "I hear", and indicates that God hears when we ask. We can translate this in a simple sense "he hears", providing that we understand it to mean "he hears every time", which is what the context indicates, being coupled with the verb "keep on asking". That translated we have7 (Gr. ἔχομεν, Gtr. echomen) is the first person, plural, present, indicative, active, of the verb "echo", "I have". It needs to be understood in the present sense of "we now have" or "we are having", and should not be confused with the past tense in the sense of "we already have", which some have done. It refers to having something by faith, therefore we have it now in a faith sense, and will keep on having it by faith until the manifested answer appears. That translated we have asked8 (Gr. ᾐτήκαμεν, Gtr. etekamen) is the first person, plural, perfect, indicative, active, of the verb "aiteo", "I ask". The perfect tense has two common interpretations:

(1) "The Perfect of Completed Action" denoting an action completed in past time, the results of which still remain, e.g. "You have filled" (Acts 5:28), and "I have finished" (2 Timothy 4:7), or:

(2) "The Perfect of Existing State" denoting a current state which also existed in the past, e.g. "He trusted in God" (Matthew 27:43), speaking of Jesus, who was not only trusting God at the time it was spoken, but also always trusted him in the past. Also note Peter's statement "We believe" (John 6:69), which was evidently true in past time also (John 1:41; 2:11). Either of these interpretations could apply here in a different sense.

Note 6:

(James 1:5-7) "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask9 of God, who gives to all men liberally, and does not reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask9 in faith, nothing doubting. For the man who doubts is like a wave of the sea being driven by the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord."

The word translated let him ask9 (Gr. αἰτείτω Gtr. aiteito) is the third person, singular, present, imperative, active, of the verb "aiteo", "I ask". Again, the present imperative is a command to continue to do something (DFH p92; HPVN p83-84; JWW p74; WP p51), in this case "keep on asking", and the use of the third person means that the command is given to someone (who could be) other than the hearer. Here it refers to "any of you" (James 1:5). It is worth noting that "keep on asking in faith" implies that according to this scripture, it is possible to ask more than once for the same thing, and still be asking in faith. This is denied by some, and there is a teaching along the lines that "if we ask ten times for the same thing, we have asked nine times in unbelief". The reasoning is that if we believe that we receive when we pray (Mark 11:24), then there would be no reason to ask for it again. This sounds very logical, but we have already seen that this KJV interpretation need not be taken rigidly (See Note 4), and there are also some other points which contradict this:

(1) If we consider Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed three times for the same thing, and on the latter two occasions he said the same words (Matthew 26:44). Was Jesus praying in faith? When we consider that he always pleased his Father (Matthew 3:17; John 8:29), and "without faith it is impossible to please him" (Hebrews 11:6), then we know that he must have been. If we also consider that "whatever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23), and Jesus never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Peter 2:21-22; 1 John 3:5), then this again proves that he prayed in faith. Therefore we must conclude that it is possible to pray for the same thing more than once, and still be in faith.

(2) Jesus was not teaching perfect people how to pray, he was teaching disciples who were often rebuked for their lack of faith (Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; 17:20; Mark 16:14; John 20:27). They would have to keep on asking until they believed if they were to receive anything, wouldn't they?

(3) Consider the many examples in the word of God of people who did not receive the first time that they asked (See #5.528 Notes 1 and 2), but who did receive because they kept on asking.

(4) Praying in faith may also include prolonged periods of time praying in tongues (See #5.611), and this is something that we need to keep on doing.

(5) Also we should understand that "asking in faith" could include not only asking, but also our believing, corresponding confession, and corresponding actions, in which case it is also something that we need to keep on doing. The Greek could be literally translated, "let him keep on asking by faith", which would then mean that our faith, which includes our confession and corresponding actions, is our petition to God. So let us conclude it like this: whenever the scriptures are in conflict with our own logic and reason, then we need to disregard our own reasoning, however sound it may seem to be, and obey the scriptures:

(Proverbs 3:5) "do not lean on your own understanding."
(Proverbs 3:7) "Do not be wise in your own eyes:"
(Proverbs 23:4) "cease from your own wisdom."

Also we need to remember that we are seeking God's help, and to think that we are wiser than him is an insult:

(Isaiah 55:8-9) "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says Yahweh. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Note 7: So let us summarise how we obtain our deliverance through prayer. Prior to praying, if we are not sure that God will deliver us, then we need to meditate in the scriptures in order to know that Jesus has already paid the price for our deliverance (See #5.12), and that he will deliver us when we pray (See #5.2 complete). We also need to adopt the right attitude before we start (See #5.5), because this will avoid endless frustration and failure. Then we need to pray:

(1) Simply ask the Father to deliver us from our sin in the name of Jesus.

(2) If we do not believe that God has answered our prayer, when we pray, then we need to keep on asking until we do believe it, because believing is a basic condition to receive (See #5.32). Most of us will come into this category of needing to keep praying, because if we are honest, very few of us are at the place to believe that we receive every time that we pray. Periods of praying in tongues may be required to build up our faith (See #5.611).

(3) When we do believe that God has answered us with a "yes", as he has promised (2 Corinthians 1:20), then it will be only natural to enter into thanksgiving, praise, confession, and corresponding actions. It appears that this type of persistent prayer gained a swift answer in the cases of Elijah (1 Kings 18:42-44), Daniel (Daniel 10:1-13), and Jesus (Matthew 26:36-44).

(4) If we later doubt, or fall back into the sin, then we need to ask again until we have the reassurance that we have received again.

(5) Having received our answer, we then need to "walk it out" by faith until the manifestation is complete (See #5.6).

Note 8: At this point we need really to explain the difference between "keep on asking", which the preceding scriptures have encouraged us to do, and "vain repetitions", which Jesus told us to avoid (Matthew 6:7-8). On the one hand we mean "keep on asking in faith" (James 1:5), believing that God is hearing us (1 John 5:14-15). Those who pray this type of prayer do not trust in their own goodness, but in the goodness of God, and they believe in their heart that God answers because of his love (See #5.16), and his mercy (See #5.17). On the other hand there are those who pray "vain repetitions", who do not believe that God will answer because of his goodness, but because of their own "good works" (Luke 18:9-14), or because of "their much speaking" (Matthew 6:7). Their words are vain because they are without faith in God. God is not against persistent or repeated prayer; anyone who regularly prays in tongues must know that, and we are told, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), but he is against vanity in every form, including vain praying: "Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the almighty regard it" (Job 35:13).

Note 9: In my own experience I have found that both types of prayer, "asking once" and "keep on asking", have worked. I have known the time when I have prayed a simple prayer, asking God for something, and then forgotten about it until it turned up a few weeks later. Then I looked back and remembered that I had prayed for it. On the other hand, I did not get delivered from the sin of gluttony praying that way. Towards the end of my trial I would sometimes come home from work, go to bed after my evening meal, and pray all night until I went to sleep. Many times I asked God to get me out of this wickedness that I could not get myself out of, and my attitude was that I was not going to stop until I did get delivered. God answers both types of prayer when they are done in faith.

#5.312 Ask any believer to pray with us or lay on hands

ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12 (Solomon)
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion: but woe to him who is alone when he falls; for he does not have another to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one prevails against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

MARK 16:17-18 (Jesus)
17 And these signs shall follow those who believe; In my name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

JOHN 14:12 (Jesus)
12 Amen, amen, I say to you, He who believes in me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father.

MATTHEW 18:19-20 (Jesus)
19 Again I say to you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything1 that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father, who is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

MATTHEW 24:35 (Jesus)
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Note 1: Jesus introduced his disciples to the prayer of agreement (Matthew 18:19) because he knew that there would be times when it would be needed. There are times when even mature Christians need the support of a brother or sister in prayer, whenever there is a need beyond our individual faith. If we consider the statements:

(Leviticus 26:8) "five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight:"
(Deuteronomy 32:30) "How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, ...?"

We can see that joint faith does not just add together; it multiplies. We have more encouragement also that this type of prayer is beneficial:

(Ecclesiastes 4:9) "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor."
(Ecclesiastes 4:12)
"if one prevails against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

So we can be encouraged, that when our desire seems to be way beyond our faith, God in his mercy has made a provision for such circumstances. He has given the authority over demons, and the power to heal the sick, to any one who believes in him (Mark 16:17-18; John 14:12). As it only has to be appropriated by faith, deliverance from the oppression of the Devil should be available to anyone with friends who believe God's word.

Note 2: That translated as touching anything1 (Gr. περὶ παντὸς πράγματος, Gtr. peri pantos pragmatos) literally means "concerning every matter", and shows that when a prayer of agreement is made, the participants need to agree on all points concerning that prayer.

#5.313 Ask the elders of the church to pray for us, Jesus gave them authority over demons

MATTHEW 10:1,5,8.
1 And when he had called to him his twelve disciples, he gave them authority1 against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every sickness and every of disease.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them ...
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons; freely you have received, freely give.

MARK 6:13
12 And they went out and preached that men should repent.
13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

LUKE 9:1-2
1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power2 and authority1 over all demons, and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

LUKE 10:19 (Jesus)
19 Behold, I give to you authority1 to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power2 of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

HEBREWS 13:8
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.

MATTHEW 24:35 (Jesus)
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Note: The word translated authority1 (Matthew 10:1; Luke 9:1; Luke 10:19), is the Greek word ἐξουσία (Gtr. exousia) which means "authority", and is distinct from the word translated power2 (Gr. δύναμις Gtr. dunamis) a word which is similar to our English word "dynamite". When Jesus was alive on earth, he gave his disciples "power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases" (Luke 9:1), "authority against unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal every sickness and every of disease" (Matthew 10:1), and "authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19). This authority has never been withdrawn from the church:

(Ecclesiastes 3:14) "whatever God does, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it:"
(Romans 11:29) "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."

However, this power and authority can only be manifested through the spirit of Christ who indwells us, and how much power and authority we have depends on how much of his spirit is in us. If this problem is caused by a demon, then we need to find elders with the spirit of Christ in them to cast it out, but if it is just caused by sin in our heart (Romans 7:17; 7:20), then we need to take it by faith, crucify it, and "sin no more" (John 5:14; 8:11).

#5.32 BELIEVE THAT WE ARE RECEIVING DELIVERANCE

MATTHEW 21:22 (Jesus to disciples)
22 And all things whatever you ask1 in prayer, believing2, you shall receive.

MARK 11:23-24
23 For amen I say to you, Whoever shall say to this mountain, Be taken up, and be thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things which he says are coming into being, whatever he says will be his.
24 Therefore, I say to you, All things whatever you ask, praying, believe3 that you are receiving4 them, and they will be yours.

Note: When we have seen any promise in the word of God, and prayed for it, there are four elements to a faith that will receive; believing, confessing what we believe, acting on what we believe and confess, and endurance. All four have to work together for faith to operate, so first we need to answer the question, "What do we need to believe"? That translated you ask1 (Matthew 21:22) has already been explained (See #5.311 Note 1), and can either be considered as a "one off" asking, or as a period of repeated asking viewed as a single event. The word translated believing2 (Gr. πιστεύοντες, Gtr. pisteuontes) (Matthew 21:22) is the nominative, plural, masculine, present, active, participle, of the verb "pisteuo", "I believe". It shows that the believing and the asking occur at the same time, the timing of the present participle being relative to, and usually simultaneous with, the main verb (DFH p57; JWW p152; WP p96), which in this case is "you ask". Also we must continue believing until we receive the manifestation of what we are asking for, and if we stop believing along the way, then we can expect to receive nothing (James 1:6). The word translated believe3 (Gr. πιστεύετε Gtr. pisteuete) is the second person, plural, present, imperative, active, of the verb "pisteuo", "I believe", and again, as a present imperative, this is a command to continue doing something, literally "keep on believing". The word translated you are receiving4 (Gr. λαμβάνετέ Gtr. lambanete) is the second person, plural, present, indicative, active, of the verb "lambano", "I receive". Here we have a choice of choosing to interpret in the present continuous sense, which has been done, or the present simple sense "you receive". If we believe that we receive in a simple sense, in the spiritual realm by faith, when we pray, then we still need to believe that we are receiving in a continuous sense as far as the manifestation is concerned. Both are correct here in different senses at the same time. However, having already understood "asking", and "believing", both in a continuous sense, and interpreted "are coming into being" (Mark 11:23), then for the sake of consistency, it seems reasonable to translate this in a similar manner. If we had total faith like Jesus then we could believe in a simple sense and receive immediately. However, for most Christians, we believe that God answers our prayer when we pray, but as far as the manifestation is concerned, the receiving is happening in a continuous sense, and this is what we should continue to believe. We can understand this in the light of Daniel's prayer (Daniel 10:1-13), where the angel was dispatched with his answer on the first day that he began to pray (Daniel 10:12). Even so, he had to continue believing that the answer was on the way until it arrived twenty one days later (Daniel 10:2; 10:13).

#5.33 CONFESS OUR DELIVERANCE

PROVERBS 10:11 (Solomon)
11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

PROVERBS 12:6 (Solomon)
6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

PROVERBS 12:14 (Solomon)
14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompense of a man's hands shall be rendered to him.

PROVERBS 12:18 (Solomon)
18 There is who speaks like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

PROVERBS 13:2 (Solomon)
2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of transgressors shall eat violence.

PROVERBS 14:3 (Solomon)
3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.

PROVERBS 15:4 (Solomon)
4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness in it is a breach in the spirit.

PROVERBS 16:24 (Solomon)
24 Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

PROVERBS 18:20-21 (Solomon)
20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips he shall be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and those who love it shall eat its fruit.

MARK 11:23 (Jesus) (RPT)
23 For amen I say to you, Whoever shall say to this mountain, Be taken up, and be thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things which he says are coming into being, whatever he says will be his.

HEBREWS 10:23 (RPT)
23 Let us continue to hold fast the confession of the hope without yielding; for he who has promised is faithful;

ISAIAH 57:19 (God)
19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him who is far off, and to him who is near, says Yahweh; and I will heal him.

Note 1: Confession is the second element of faith, so once we have claimed deliverance, and believe that we have received, or are receiving it, we need to confess the same, and retain that confession no matter what happens, because;

(Proverbs 12:14) "A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth."
(Proverbs 12:6) "the mouth of the upright shall deliver them."
(Proverbs 13:2) "A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth."
(Proverbs 14:3) "the lips of the wise shall preserve them."
(Proverbs 18:21) "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."
(Mark 11:23) "whatever he says will be his."

God creates the fruit of the lips (Isaiah 57:19), and if we keep on speaking the right things, then he will bring it to pass. There is a spiritual principle in the word of God, "with the heart man believes to ... and with the mouth confession is made to ..." (Romans 10:10), and this not only applies to salvation, but also to receiving any of the promises of God. So we need to keep our confession right; if we say the wrong thing the same rule applies, but in reverse:

(Proverbs 6:2) "You are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with the words of your mouth."
(Proverbs 12:13) "The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips."
(Proverbs 18:7) "A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul."
(Jeremiah 23:36) "every man's word shall be his burden."

Note 2: When God operates, he does so in total faith, and part of that faith is to say what he is about to do. Thoughts are totally spiritual, but it seems as if God transfers these thoughts into the material realm by speaking them as words first, and then they appear materially. Thus everything that God creates he does by speaking words first, for example:

(Genesis 1:3) "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
(Genesis 1:24-25) "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and the beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creeps upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

(Genesis 1:26-27) "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female."

Also in many other places the same principle, of God speaking before creating, can be seen:

(Psalm 33:6) "By the word of Yahweh were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth."
(Psalm 148:5) "he commanded, and they were created."
(Isaiah 46:11) "yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it."
(Ezekiel 12:25) "For I am Yahweh: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; ... I will say the word, and will perform it, says the Lord God."
(Ezekiel 22:14) "I Yahweh have spoken it, and will do it."
(Ezekiel 24:14) "I Yahweh have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it."
(Ezekiel 36:36) "I Yahweh have spoken it, and I will do it."

So if we wish to operate in this type of faith, which brings certain results, then our confession needs to match up to what God's word says, that we are being delivered as we pray. If we really believe it in our heart, then it will naturally come out of our mouth:

(Matthew 12:34) "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."
(Matthew 15:18) "those things which proceed forth out of the mouth come forth from the heart."
(2 Corinthians 4:13) "We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;"

If we are unable to confess it, then it must be that we do not really believe.

#5.34 ACT ON OUR FAITH

JAMES 2:17-19
17 Even so faith, if it does not have works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yes, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God; you do well: the demons also believe, and tremble.
20 But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Do you see how faith worked with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God.
24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Note: The third element of effective faith for deliverance is acting in agreement with what we believe and confess. James said three times in this scripture that faith without works is dead (James 2:17; 2:20; 2:26), and it ought to be clear that dead things don't do anything. They don't move, they don't breathe, they don't speak, and they don't make or produce anything, do they? In the same way, dead faith will not produce anything; it won't produce salvation, or healing, or deliverance from sin. Faith without works will never deliver us from sin, because when we have claimed our deliverance, we need to act on our faith by abstaining from whatever sin we have been committing. The scripture instructs this also:

(Matthew 4:7) "You shall not tempt the Lord your God."
(Matthew 19:18) "Jesus said, You shall do no murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness."
(John 5:14) "sin no more, lest a worse thing come on you."
(John 8:11) "Neither do I condemn you: go, and sin no more."
(Acts 23:5) "You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people."
(Romans 7:7) "You shall not covet."
(Romans 13:9) "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet."
(1 Corinthians 6:18) "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body; but he who commits fornication sins against his own body."
(1 Corinthians 15:34) "Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame."
(Ephesians 4:27) "Neither give place to the devil."
(1 Thessalonians 4:3) "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication."
(1 Thessalonians 5:22) "Abstain from all appearance of evil."
(2 Timothy 2:22) "Flee also youthful lusts."
(1 Peter 2:11) "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul."
(1 John 2:1) "My little children, these things I write to you, that you do not sin."

If we do not abstain from the sin, it shows that our faith for deliverance is dead, and we will have no manifestation of our deliverance (See also #5.630).

#5.35 ENDURE UNTIL THE MANIFESTATION OF OUR DELIVERANCE COMES

MATTHEW 24:13 (Jesus)
13 But he who shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.

MARK 13:13 (Jesus)
13 And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he who shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.

HEBREWS 6:13-15
13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself,
14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.
15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

HEBREWS 10:36
36 For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.

Note: Sometimes miracles can happen instantaneously, and they require no endurance. Many of the miraculous healings of Jesus were like this (Matthew 8:3; 20:34; Mark 2:12; Luke 1:64; 4:69; 13:13), and even those of the apostles (Acts 3:7; 9:18; 14:10), but these were done by men who were very mature spiritually. With less mature Christians this does not always happen, because our faith has to be tested and tried in order to perfect us (James 1:2-4;  1:12;  1 Peter 1:7). As far as our salvation is concerned, we have this by faith now (Ephesians 2:8), but the manifestation is still future (Mark 16:16; Acts 15:11; Romans 13:11; Philippians 2:12;  1 Peter 1:5; 1:9). We must endure to the end in order to be saved (Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13). Jesus spoke to the church at Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) and told them, "be thou faithful to death, and I will give you a crown of life" (v10). If they had not endured to the end, but denied him to escape the tribulation they were to go through, then they would have been lost (Matthew 10:33; Luke 12:9). So it is with our deliverance from sin. We have to believe that God has given us the deliverance, confess it, and abstain from the sin until the desire to do it dies. Then we will be set free from it (Romans 6:7). How long we have to endure before our release comes may vary from person to person. It depends upon our faith, and on the circumstances. However long God sees fit to let this trial continue, that is how long we must endure. However he has given us some encouragement in his word:

(1 Corinthians 10:13) "There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it."
(See also #5.526).

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