The Lord Will Provide...

"He is a God of His Promises, "There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass (Joshua 21:45)."

We wanted to do a special message on how to call on God, trust Him and rest in Him especially during trying times. The coronavirus pandemic has a lot of people in a position they've never been in before and so many are feeling overwhelmed. But when we're facing something BIGGER than us, it's meant for us to call on God in Jesus's name so He can work for us.

The Holy Spirit has said several times there are people feeling like they're "hanging on by a thread". However, even in my biggest trials I rebuked the thought that it was a thread (tiny, frail, fragile) but instead said "I'm holding onto a lifeline (powerful, strong) to God and that's all I need. He WILL make the way." In this important time when our faith is being tested, here are a few ways to shift from a perspective of "I can't" to "God will", so we can move onto higher levels with God's help like we've never seen before.

A few of the biggest questions we hear are: How do I deal with feeling overwhelmed by bills? What if I'm feeling like I'm in shock like I can't do anything? How do I help my family when I feel like God isn't helping me or He doesn't see?

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When the Teacher is Silent...

What God reveals in our darkest seasons is amazing. While it LOOKS like God isn't watching or that He isn't helping, on the contrary, God is right here with us watching over us. My mom went to school for the Holy Spirit and they taught her, "The teacher is quiet during the test". It's in this time when we have to turn to Father God and lean on Him. But, don't stop there. Call God on His Word. It's okay to say, "Whoa! Wait, I'm in contract with you" (so to speak). But, what does that mean?

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The Contract and the Complaint...

We wrote previously about how God Will Help With Your Bills. We're in covenant with God so He wants us to call Him on His Word. But, let's back up and look at an example... because this is BIG and it can shift your thinking.

Let's say you go into a fast-food restaurant. They promise to have your order ready in 5-minutes. Now let's say you wait 15-minutes. You're upset, right? But, you get your food, pay for it, get your receipt and leave. Now, let's say back in your car you check your bag because you're famished right now. However, when you open the bag, the order's all wrong! Let's say you wanted your burger well-done and your eggs scrambled. The cheese is missing, the burger's burnt, etc. You get the idea. You wouldn't then leave and say, "Oh, well" would you? Of course not! You've got a receipt and you've paid for a product that's incorrect. So, you have a right to complain. And, you can guess what's coming next. You get out of your car and you go back inside waiving your receipt in the air and ask to speak to a manager. But, what makes you put a demand on the manager? You know they've promised a service they didn't deliver and you paid with your money. Maybe it's written on the receipt "Orders correct or we'll make it again". Or, maybe it's on their website. The point is, you have rights. And, just like you recognize that you can air a complaint and argue about the service you didn't receive, God wants us to come to Him - respectfully, of course and remind Him that we're in contract. How do I know? When I went through the same kind of testing Father God said, "Bring My words back to My remembrance." So, what does that mean?

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Bring to My Remembrance...

God does things in funny ways - and Jesus did, too. It's not to say that they hide from us, but it's like They want us to seek Them out as we grow and stretch our faith wings. The more we stand and air our voices - always respectfully - the more we can see God move. Take Jesus in the boat with the disciples, for example.

Let's face it. The storm hit and Jesus was asleep. Knocked out and probably snoring. But God NEVER sleeps, right? He's all-knowing and all-powerful, right? So, this was clearly a set-up. Jesus WANTED the disciples to call on Him.

Jesus KNEW the disciples would be frightened by the storm (flesh, right?). That's why He said, "Oh ye of little faith". You see, every test is bigger than us so we can call on God and that's what Jesus wanted the disciples to learn. We build confidence in knowing God will NEVER fail us. As Dr. Bill Winston said about Jesus sleeping on the boat, "Don't let Him sleep". That means, if Jesus is sleeping and we're working, fretting or striving, we're doing it wrong. If we're resting and He's working and providing, that's the right way. Look at the example with the fish and the nets. Peter toiled. Jesus said, "Lower the nets here". Hence, the Bible verses, "Not by might nor by strength but God's Spirit". But, what does that have to do with you and your circumstances?

Good question... Now, here's the kicker or fun part.

Similarly to how you would take that receipt back inside the store - because you know you have rights - you have to call God on His Words because you know you have rights (even though you might not have ever brought the subject up to Him). "Uhh, Dad, can we talk?"

Now, this is NOT what you say: "Oh, yeah, Lord, but you promised to never leave me nor forsake me! So where are You now? What have You done for me lately?" No, not like that! At All! Ever! That's disrespect and it's the mistake the Children of Israel made.

What we want to do is always be respectful to Father God. So we might say, "Father God, in Your Word, You promise to never leave me nor forsake me. You also said to call on You in the day of trouble and You would deliver me and I would honor You." That's bringing God's Words back to remembrance. Because God can't lie (His Word doesn't leave void), He HAS TO honor His Words. Like in the fast food store. "I didn't get my order in 5-minutes and it wasn't correct", When we go to God (and always with respect), we can bring up the scriptures that we need to stand on. So, let's see an example.

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If you're dealing with a sickness...

Try a prayer like, "Father God, I praise You because You're the Most High God. Lord, You said in Your Word, 'By Jesus's stripes I am healed'. So, I stand on Your Word and I receive my recovery and healing in Jesus's name, Amen."

What this does:

It gives God glory first. Jesus taught us this with The Lord's Prayer.
It reminds God that You KNOW Jesus gives healing. The woman with the issue of blood did this when she put a demand on Jesus and virtue left Him because she believed her healing. Some preachers say she was so bold she took the healing from Him! That's bold faith!
You're receiving in advance the healing you need. Jesus says in Matthew 11:22-26 to believe and receive what you want/need.

Let's look at another one.

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If you're facing a financial drought...

Try this prayer, "Father God in Jesus's name, Lord You are the Most High God and I give You all the praise. Your Word says, 'Ask and we shall receive and everyone that asketh receiveth'. I know You can't lie. Lord. Please show me proof of Your promises because I am behind in my bills. I know You WILL help because Your Word says to call on You in the day of trouble and that You will deliver me and I will glorify You. It also says that the servant of the Lord must not strive and to be anxious for nothing. Please Lord, I invite You into my situation. Give me help, Lord and show me the way. I praise You in advance for the victory and I decree and declare new income come to me now in Jesus's name and by God's authority, Amen."

What this does:

It gives God glory first. Then you're requesting what you need.
You're quoting God's Word back to Him.
You're asking for proof/evidence.
By bringing up the strife verse, you're reminding God that if He doesn't send help it violates His Word because He said He would supply ALL our needs.
You're decreeing what you need so angels can bring it to pass. Note: If you do this, don't doubt. Keep speaking firmly by faith and then walk away so God and the angels can bring it to pass.

Get fresh oil and refreshing from this powerful message by Pastor Guillermo Maldonado.

You see, these are just a few ways to stir God into moving on your behalf. Dr. Bill Winston once said something like, "God isn't going to do a thing just because we have a need. We have to call on Him." My mom learned it this way, "God is a gentleman. You have to INVITE Him in." She also says, "God is not presumptive. You have to tell Him what you want." I see it like this, "There are boundaries God can't cross because of Adam/man's sin. We have to invite God in (over the line) because no matter how bad our situation might be He won't act or move unless and until we ask Him to and invite Him into our situation." Like that fast food restaurant, for example. If you're sitting there in the parking lot fuming over your incorrect order do you think the manager will walk over with your refund for no apparent reason? No, unless you complain, they'll keep taking orders and eventually close up for the night and go home. Think about it.

Funny story. I never shared this with my mom but a while back, she bought me a beautiful present from an expensive store. While I loved it, I'm SUPER frugal so in the back of my mind I kept thinking "But did she use a coupon?" I checked the store's site and saw that the items were on sale so I was quite relieved. However, a few weeks later, I saw one of the newscasters mentioning how holiday deals were extended until the end of January. That meant the sale price plus the holiday discount! I called the store and asked if they would please bill the extra money back to my mom's account. The operator said, "Oh, no need to worry. She got the sale price and the extra discount." I said, "Praise God!". I was so proud because I know God wants us to be good stewards with our money. And, why bring this up?

I feel like that's how proud God is of us when we stand firm and call on His name or call Him on His Word. As Dr. Bill Winston says it, "We speak what we need and God brings it to pass". We just have to believe God for it and don't doubt.

As we close, it's important to remember to bind away every negativity AND release God's covering. God will help with every bill and every detail so stay encouraged. You will see. Lastly, please be patient with yourself as you grow in Christ. We write so much about trusting in God and having faith but there are a lot of people that have NEVER gone through a drought like this before. At this time, it's especially important that when you pray, ask the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost and your guardian angel to guide you. And, continue to pray in the Spirit of tongues daily and listen for them to speak to you and direct you.

But as a word of caution, don't look back and don't go back to old ways or stinkin' thinkin'. I wrote before about this. In my BIGGEST test, the devil kept telling me to call on my dead relatives for help. I realized it was satan so I kept rebuking him. I stood on the scripture, "Submit to God. Resist the devil. And, the devil has to flee." This season and testing is about rebuking stubborn pride trying to latch onto us. Keep rebuking the devil and under no circumstances should you go back to the OLD WAY of doing things. That's the flesh. You want to continue to pray in the Spirit and call on God and wait on God so He can move IN THE SPIRIT. He WILL help with your bills, that financial setback or whatever you're facing. God is faithful.

Remember, just like with the store example where we had a receipt, Jesus is our receipt. He bought and paid for us with His blood. We've been redeemed and WE belong to God so God HAS TO make the way for us. That's Deuteronomy 28:1-14, Matthew 5:3-11 and Luke 6. But, we can only go through Jesus if we're covered in His blood i.e., said the Prayer of Salvation and invited Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. Similarly, you can't go back in the store and argue about a missing or incorrect order if you don't have a receipt, we can ask God to help us because we are calling on God in Jesus's name and God will do what we ask if it's in His will for us. That's our contract with Him!

To close, here's a special worship song, You Deserve It by Benita Jones. Listen as she says, "He's looking for us to worship Him". Saints, Beloved, Believers, we have so many benefits in God. Remember, it's a privilege to call on God. Hence, we worship Him because He is here for us and can access all the help we need and we never need to worry. God is HERE for us! Hallelu-Yahweh! Glory to Your name, Lord!

If you haven't said the Prayer of Salvation and you're in need of help, God and Jesus can help. Say this prayer, "Father God in the name of Jesus, Lord, I ask forgiveness of my sins. Please come into my heart, Lord. I turn my back on sin and I make you my Lord and Savior. I want to follow you for the rest of my life. Please give me eternal life through you in Jesus name, Amen."

Contact a local Bible-based church in your area that offers Bible classes and get baptized. Purchase a King James Bible so you can start reading about Jesus's teachings and all the benefits God has for us. Great passages to read include the ones mentioned above and Psalm 27, Psalm 34, Psalm 91 and Psalm 121. Then read through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to learn more about Jesus and all that Father God has in store for us!

We pray this message blesses you today! Keep reading your Bible and stay encouraged. The Lord will ALWAYS make the way! And, He keeps every promise! He will not fail!