Faith Is Thanking God in Advance
By Rick Warren
“When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it, and you will be given whatever you ask for.” Mark 11:24 (GNT)
Faith is not just believing God can do something. Faith is not just hoping he will do something. Faith is thanking God in advance.
Jesus said, “When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it, and you will be given whatever you ask for” (Mark 11:24 GNT).
When you thank God after you’ve got it, that’s gratitude. When you thank him in advance, that’s faith.
Gratitude is good and right. But your goal should be to become a person of deeper faith. To do that, you have to thank God in advance.
If I handed you a check for one hundred dollars right now, would you wait until you cashed it to thank me? No! You’d thank me right now. But the money wouldn’t be yours until you actually cashed it, because that check is really a promise. When I gave you that check, you’d say, “Thank you, Rick.” You’d believe that I was credible and that I had enough money in the bank to cover a check for one hundred dollars.
In the same way, faith is thanking God in advance. It’s believing that what God has promised, he will provide. It’s saying you love God for who he is and not just what he can do for you. It’s showing you trust him to do what he’s said he will do.
One day two blind men followed Jesus to the home where he was staying. They shouted at him to have mercy on them, and Jesus asked them if they had faith that he could heal them. They answered that they believed, and Jesus said, “Because of your faith, it will happen” (Matthew 9:29 NLT).
What I’m saying is this: If God tells you to go after Moby Dick in a rowboat, take the tartar sauce with you. You’re going to have a fish fry tonight!
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Let God’s Word Encourage You through Every High and Low
The Life’s Healing Choices Scripture Box and 52 Scripture Cards offer inspiring biblical truth to uplift you and help you trust in God’s promises through every high and low.
A perfect tool to deepen your faith, these specially selected Scripture Cards will fill your day with God’s truth, one uplifting verse at a time.
The Scripture Box and Scripture Cards are our thanks for your gift below to help share the hope of Jesus Christ with people around the world—so request yours when you give today.
Thank you for your partnership!
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.