1 877-431-4276Wild Expectance | Bryan Citrin
Bryan Citrin wrote the book, Wild Expectance: which explains how to Start Living Your Life How God Designed It. On today’s episode of the Evangelism Podcast, we’re going to discover how to activate the power of wild expectance in your life.
Get your copy of Wild Expectance today:
Transcript:
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:00):
Bryan Citrin wrote the book, Wild Expectance: which explains how to Start Living Your Life How God Designed It. On today’s episode of the Evangelism Podcast, we’re going to discover how to activate the power of wild expectance in your life.
Evangelism Podcast Host (00:32):
Welcome to the Evangelism Podcast with Dr. Daniel King, where Daniel interviews full-time evangelists, pastors, missionaries, and normal everyday Christians to discover how they share their faith, their powerful testimonies, and amazing stories that will inspire you to reach people with the good news. And now here’s your host, missionary, and evangelist Daniel King.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:56):
Welcome to the Evangelism Podcast. I’m Daniel King, and I’m excited about telling people about Jesus. Today I have a very special guest with me, Bryan Citrin. He is the author of a brand new book, which hasn’t even hit the market yet, but you are going to want to get a copy of this book, it’s called Wild Expectance. Bryan Citrin, thank you for being with me today.
Bryan Citrin (01:18):
Thanks so much, Daniel. I’m excited to be here.
(01:21):
All right, so Brian, you’ve been writing this book and I’ve actually been talking to you about it, and we’ve been doing all kinds of things, getting ready for the, the publishing of this book. Um, kind of talk to me about how God put this book in your heart.
(01:38):
So I feel like, you know, God has been dealing with me for a long time just to write down crazy wild God stories for my life, because my life is anything but typical. You know, I was living in Los Angeles for 12 years doing campus ministry at ucla and then usc I was taking countless trips to Haiti. I’ve been there 28 times, six mission trips to Vietnam, but also alongside of all my mission work that I was doing, I was running a business. And I remember I was speaking at this marketing conference for chiropractors, actually, and I was talking to ’em about marketing, and I thought God really strongly convicted me that I have so much more in me than just talking about how to run a marketing for a doctor. And, uh, and I had all these crazy, wild stories in my heart that I knew God wanted me to get out into the world. And, uh, you, within 30 days, I started writing the book in its official
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (02:34):
Capacity. And so you talk about lots of crazy God’s stories in this book. And of course, everyone who is serving God, they want to experience everything that God has for them. What can your reader get if they read this book?
Bryan Citrin (02:52):
Well, number one, they’re gonna have greater vision for the life because God has such a powerful plan for each and every one of us. But many times when we look on television, maybe we see the, the famous evangelist, the famous pastor, they’re speaking and they’re preaching, and you say, well, maybe God has a big plan for them, but not for me. Uh, maybe God has a big plan for that entrepreneur, but not for me. And it’s really to elevate people’s vision for the life, but then also provide a very practical tools, how each and every person can hear from God for themselves in their everyday life. And then by stepping out in God’s leading that we can enter into wild, crazy adventures that you couldn’t even fathom that God already has prepared for us, that we just have to learn to hear his voice and step out into them.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:33):
Now, you’ve done a lot of missionary work in the nation of Haiti. How many times have you been to Haiti?
Bryan Citrin (03:39):
28 times.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:40):
28 times ministering to the people in Haiti. And Haiti is a crazy country to minister in. And then you’ve also been to Vietnam, which is one of the communist countries that’s still left over from the days of Communist empire. And and how many times have you been to Vietnam? Six
Bryan Citrin (03:59):
Times.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:59):
And, and so you’ve been pouring your life out on the mission field. You’ve been serving God on the college campus here in the United States, going to Haiti, helping the poor kids down there, going to Vietnam, preaching the gospel there. Uh, and you’ve also been an entrepreneur, so you’ve been building business in order to fund the vision and the mission that, that God has for you. And so tell me some of these crazy stories. Give me one that was just absolutely wild that God did in your life.
Bryan Citrin (04:35):
I think one of my favorite stories was when Mc Hammer drove me home after the American Music Awards,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (04:41):
MC Hammer, the the famous American musician. Yes. All right. And, and so he drove you home from the Music awards. How did that happen?
Bryan Citrin (04:50):
Well, it, it was, it was a crazy series of events. There was like 20 things that had to happen that that built up to him actually driving me home. Um, but more importantly than that though, was what happened after he drove me home. I’d never met Mc Ham before, and, um, God somehow got us into the after party of the American Music Awards. And, um, but even before that, um, I was gifted, um, two VIP tickets to the American Music Awards. And then, so I got into the show, and then somehow I got into the after party because we met somebody sitting in front of us at the show that that got us into it. And through that process, I met Eny Hammer at the after party, and my, my friend had left that I rode with over to the, uh, the award show. And, uh, me, Andy Hammer happened to have a mutual acquaintance.
(05:36):
Um, and in that process, I, um, I was hanging out with him and, uh, and then as the night kind of wound up, uh, I need a ride home. And I asked him if, if I could catch a ride back with him to the area which I lived at, because I knew he was staying near where I lived at, and he allowed me to ride with him. So praise God, he didn’t leave me hanging in, uh, two miles from Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. And, um, but then after that evening, I remember I was walking, um, to go get some tacos. Actually, there was a late night taco truck that’s kind of near where I lived at, and I was just walking to get some tacos just reflecting upon how crazy that night was. And these 20 things that happened that resulted in McHam drive me back.
(06:22):
And as I was doing that, I passed somebody and I felt like God wanted me to minister this man and even give him, um, some of the money they had in my wallet and to help him. And I did. And in that process, I was not only able to pray for him to rededicate his life to the Lord, but he actually, uh, received the Holy Spirit, and it was powerful. And as I was reflecting on the night, I heard the voice of God, um, very clearly speak to me. And he told me that was nothing compared to all those things that had to happen for empty hammers driving home.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (06:55):
So you had to have 20 coincidental things that happened over the course of a night in order for you to have this absolutely amazing experience that anybody would’ve loved to have. And you know, we might look at it and think that it’s a coincidence, but your hypothesis is that God is actually behind these so-called coincidences and he’s actually doing miracles on your behalf. And, and it’s because you have tremendous faith in God in what you term wild expectance. Is that, is
Bryan Citrin (07:31):
That right? Absolutely. Absolutely.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (07:34):
And so, talk to me about how your readers will be able to activate wild expectants in their own lives so they get to meet cool people and do cool things.
Bryan Citrin (07:44):
Well, even before that, I think it’s important for the, the listeners to, um, the really glean, you know what? God spoke to me as I was, I was walking back, uh, after I administered that man. God said that was nothing compared to all those things that had to happen for mc a to drive me home. But then he said, but that, that was something that was nothing, but that, that was something, me taking time out the minister to this guy, you know, on my way to the taco truck, you know, give him some money and pray with him and God’s eyes. That was the most important thing, way more important than those 20 other things that had to happen for that night to line up. And, and what that means is like God cares about those around us. God cares about us taking the time out and, and here is still small voice and minister to the those, to our left, those store.
(08:35):
Right? Maybe it’s, you’re going to the grocery store, maybe it’s on your way to work or whatever, God’s, God’s guiding us. And as you begin to hear God’s still small voice. I’m not saying that he’s actually speaking to you in a very loud, booming voice, but it may be a very thank thought. But as you learn to hear God through his still small voice, as you learn to hear those faint thoughts as you learned to hear that and step out on it, then God’s gonna start entrusting you with more and more and more. And because I was able to, to hear the voice of God, I was able to hear him as he was guiding me in the, for that whole night to, to play out. But maybe just maybe that whole night played out the way it, it was supposed to like that just so I could minister that guy, um, afterwards. And a, a mentor of mine once said to me that the voice of God can come as a sudden awareness followed by unique conviction. I’m gonna say that again. The voice of God can come as a sudden awareness followed by a unique conviction. And so maybe you have that sudden thought and that sudden thought that sudden awareness is actually God’s speaking to you. And if you step out on that thought, it’ll transform your life forever.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (09:52):
Now, another story that you tell in this book I really like because it, uh, features Daniel King, who’s a famous evangelist who goes all over the world telling people about Jesus. That’s me. You actually have a story in here about, uh, about me on page 1 73. So I’m, I’m pretty excited to, to get a story in your book. But, uh, tell me about that story and how that, uh, unique coincidence happened.
Bryan Citrin (10:19):
So that was a great story. I was in the jungle of Haiti, um, and I was preparing for a message. I was actually gonna be talking on the Holy Spirit. And as I prepared the talk in the Holy Spirit, you came to mind. I just got down to watching a podcast, um, from another prominent evangelist. Um, and they’re talking about their school evangelism. And as I was watching this podcast praying about, um, how I should, you know, you know, preach on this topic, you came to mind. So I texted you and you just happened to be coincidentally in the middle of speaking for that school that that other person was talking about. So literally, like I’m in the middle of, of Haiti. I’m watching, I’m watching like a video, and then they’re talking about their school evangelism. And then I text you and you’re like getting ready to speak for them. And then you were able to share some of your, um, some of your methodology, whatever you’re preaching on the Holy Spirit.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (11:16):
Yeah, I remember that you were planning to speak on the Holy Spirit that night, and, uh, you asked me about my best sermon on the Holy Spirit. And so I shared it with you, and now it became your best sermon on the Holy Spirit. Yeah. And so I freely give my sermons away. You can have it and anything you can do to bring people to Jesus or the Holy Spirit.
Bryan Citrin (11:34):
And now that sermon’s in this book,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (11:36):
And now it’s in the book, and so now people all over the world are gonna hear it. All right? So your goal is to turn this book into a New York Times bestseller, and that’s something that God has put in your heart. And so you are actually doing a, a major launch where the book will be released. What day will the book be released?
Bryan Citrin (11:59):
February 21st, 2023.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (12:00):
Okay. So February 21st, 2023. So it’s not even out yet, but it’s already up on Amazon and people can pre-order it. Yep. They can go into their local Barnes and Nobles like their local bookstore, and they can pre-order it.
Bryan Citrin (12:15):
Uh, I sure hope so. We’re trying to get ’em in there.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (12:17):
We’re we’re getting them in there. And if people will go and ask, of course they will be yes in there. And, and so this book, uh, I’d encourage you go on Amazon and look for Wild Expectants by Brian Ciran, and you can pre-order the book, and then as soon as the release date comes, it’s going to be shipped to you. It’s gonna be a beautiful hardcover book, one that you’re going to love having on your bookshelf, uh, is gonna make you look smart if you have this book on your bookshelf. And, uh, I encourage you to read it because you will be able to activate God’s wild expectance in your life. And, uh, Brian, you come with so much experience on the mission field ministering here in the United States on, on college campuses and just raw faith. Another thing that you’re doing is launching a new non-profit. Tell tell me about the name of your non-profit and what that’s gonna be. It’s
Bryan Citrin (13:14):
Called Ministry Funding.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (13:15):
Ministry Funding. And so this is going to be a nonprofit specifically designed to raise funding to put into evangelism into world missions. Is that right?
Bryan Citrin (13:25):
That’s absolutely correct.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (13:26):
And I’m very excited about that. Um, you know, it’s just so neat seeing how God is, is increasing your influence and bringing new relationships into your life. Uh, I’ve actually been friends with Brian for, for quite a few years now. And, and it’s neat how God takes us from glory to glory to glory. And so just recently, uh, you got engaged to a beautiful girl. Tell tell us about that.
Bryan Citrin (13:54):
Yeah, so the secret for all those who are watching or listening that, uh, are single is write a book that’s the secret. Um, and so in the pro writing a book, I, uh, I sent it over to a, a close friend of my cousins and close friend of my cousins. I asked her to read the book because I wanted her perspective on it, because I know women read books more men. And so I wanted to make sure it had good female appeal. I didn’t know in that process that we were gonna fall in love. And so the secret is write a book and be blatantly honest and be very, very truthful about who you are and you will attract, um, who you are.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (14:30):
Okay? So I’m not promising that you, if you buy this book, you’ll find a spouse, but it’s a possibility. It is a possibility. Uh, if you activate this principle of wild expends in your life, uh, you may find the person that God’s calling you to marry. And so the, the girl that you propose to, uh, Chelsea Perry, she is a girl that I went tou with. She, we were, were in Greek class together, and her parents pastor, a wonderful church over in St. Louis. And she’s a a powerful woman of faith, and you’re a, a man of great faith. I think that once you guys get married, it’s going to be absolutely amazing, uh, what God’s gonna do through you. You’re gonna be a powerhouse couple. All right, so tell your listeners, uh, if they want to get the Wild Expectance book, how can they get it?
Bryan Citrin (15:23):
So if you actually go to wild expectance.com and pre-order it on there as opposed to Amazon, you can get the PDF today.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (15:29):
Oh, you can get the pdf? Yeah,
Bryan Citrin (15:31):
You can. So if you buy, if you get the hard back actually on my website, as opposed on Amazon, you actually will get the hard back, which will come out in February, but then you’ll get the PDF immediately and you can start reading it, um, tonight. All
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (15:45):
Right. So go to wild expectance.com and get yourself a copy. Brian, thank you so much for being on the Evangelism Podcast. I appreciate
Bryan Citrin (15:53):
It. Hey, thanks so much for having me on
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (15:55):
Here. Thanks so much for listening today. I am excited about telling people about Jesus, and I want to invite you to be a part of helping us to rescue people from Hell and take them with us to heaven. There’s two things you can do to help. First of all, can you go find the Evangelism podcast on Apple iTunes and leave us a positive review by giving a review, you will help other people find these valuable resources about sharing our faith. And second, would you become a financial partner with King Ministries? Every single dollar that people give us enables us to lead at least one person to Jesus. And so that means for only $1, you can help start a party in heaven. And so today, I want to invite you to become a monthly partner. You can start out for just a dollar, but if God puts it on your heart to do more, of course you can do more. But please go to king ministries.com and become a monthly partner with us today to help us to lead more people to Jesus. Thank you so much, and God bless you.
Evangelism Podcast Host (17:15):
For more information about how to share your faith, or to financially support our worldwide evangelistic outreaches, visit king ministries.com. Again, that’s king ministries.com.
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Will You Take a Leap of Faith?
Once there was a man holding onto a rope dangling off the edge of a tall cliff. He cried out, “Help! Please! Can someone help me?” Suddenly, he heard the voice of God say, “Let go, and I will catch you.” The man, looking down, saw nothing but jagged rocks hundreds of feet below. He considered God’s offer for a few moments and then shouted, “Is anyone else up there?”
The point of the story is that believing in God ultimately requires a leap of faith. The Danish theologian and existentialist philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard wrote about taking a “leap of faith” into the arms of a loving God. This “leap” is not just mental assent to doctrines for which there is no proof, rather, it is the final step in response to a series of evidences for God’s existence.
Even though this leap of faith can be scary and nerve wracking, it is not a leap into a dark abyss but a step into the light. When I married my wife, Jessica, I had never been married before. I knew I was interested in her, even intrigued by her, but I had no concept of what it meant to be married to a girl. Getting married was a real leap into the unknown, but it was one of the best things I ever did. In the same way, when we decide to put our faith in God, it is a leap into a relationship with the One who created you and the universe.
But you must “pull the trigger” to know how wonderful and good the relationship can be. When my son learned to ride his bike, I carefully explained to him how a bike worked and how to stay balanced. He mentally understood how to ride a bike, but at some point, he had to put his foot on the peddle and push off into the unknown. In the same way, at some point the believer must choose to put his or her faith in God. One tiny step is all it takes, but you must take it.
Believing in God comes down to faith. There is enough evidence for God’s existence to justify a person in his or her belief in God. Nonetheless, the very nature of faith requires the unknown. Faith is alive. It is not static. It is existential. Faith is what gets a person across the gap between all the evidence and confident certainty. If you feel you do not have enough faith to believe, it might be helpful to heed the words of the father whose son needed a miracle and said to Jesus, “Lord, I believe, help me in my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).
The Christian life isn’t just a moment of faith, but a whole lifetime of faith-filled moments. The more I have said, “Yes” to God, the more faith I have to say, “Yes” to Him again. For every leap of faith that life’s moments have brought me, I have always found God on the other side of my faith. Because God has proved Himself faithful to me time and again, when I am faced with new challenges to my faith, I say:
Yes, I DARE to Believe!
Get your copy of Proof God is Real: https://amzn.to/3kIEOyA
Buy a Study Guide for Proof God is Real: https://amzn.to/3ozDlfq
Enroll in the Proof God is Real School of Apologetics: https://www.danielkingministries.com/proof
About the Author: Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.
What is Faith?
Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.” — Mark 11:22
Atheists often ridicule Christians for their faith. Atheists ask, “Is faith a reliable guide to truth?” They answer by saying, “No!” This is because atheists define “religious faith” as “believing without evidence” or “pretending to know things you don’t know.” Richard Dawkins wrote: “Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.” Or, as Mark Twain said, “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.”
Atheists ask, “If there are ten million gods, and the worshippers of all of the god’s all claim faith as their reason for believing, how can your claim that your faith is unique?” They say the main problem with faith is that it can be used to believe literally anything. What good is faith if it can lead to any conclusion? However, the atheist’s definition of faith and the biblical definition of faith are different. When the atheist speaks of faith, he is talking about “wishful thinking,” a faith that chooses to believe in something in spite of contrary evidence. But the faith spoken of in the Bible is belief based on solid evidence.
Biblical faith is based on evidence
Throughout the Old Testament, God revealed Himself to the people of Israel through physical manifestations. To set them free, He sent plagues on the Egyptians and He parted the Red Sea. He provided for them in the desert by sending them manna every day for forty years and by causing fresh water to flow from rocks. He appeared to them in a cloud and as a pillar of fire. When they arrived in the Promised Land, He gave them victory by bringing down the rock walls of Jericho. The Israelites had tangible evidence of God’s existence.
In the New Testament, Jesus offers many tangible proofs of His deity.
- When John the Baptist was thrown into prison, he wondered if Jesus really was the Messiah he had thought him to be. Jesus did not tell John’s disciples go back to John the Baptist and tell him, “Just have faith,” instead Jesus told them to talk about the miracles they were witnessing: “Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matthew 11:4-5).
- When the Pharisees questioned if Jesus has the authority to forgive sins, Jesus proved his deity by healing the paralyzed man (Matthew 9:2-8).
- When Jesus rose from the dead He revealed Himself to the disciples, He ate food with them, and He invited doubting Thomas to touch the holes in His hands. “When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence” (Luke 24:40-43).
- After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to over five hundred people, giving those who had seen him die, proof that he was indeed alive again: “To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).
The Bible does not teach “blind faith.” The Greek word tekmērion translated in Acts 1:3 as “many convincing proofs” is a word used in court to refer to “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.” In other words, in the forty days between the resurrection and the ascension, Jesus proved that he had risen from the dead. Jim Burkett asks, “Was it the resurrection that caused the disciples to have faith or was it faith that caused the disciples to believe in the resurrection?” The answer is that the faith of the disciples was based on their experience that Jesus actually rose from the dead. As the Apostle John wrote: “That…which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled…that which we have seen and heard we declare to you” (1 John 1.1-3). The early church saw Jesus alive and this fact became the foundation for their faith. Christianity is a factual faith.
It is true that, “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6), but this faith is based on the “evidence of things we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Have you ever read a detective story or watched a criminal investigation series on TV? By carefully examining a crime scene, the sleuth or investigator reconstructs what happened during the crime. Tiny clues provide evidence of events not seen. Faith is the same: from the things which can be seen it provides absolute proof of things we cannot see. The Apostle Paul explains:
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools… (Romans 1:20-22).
In this passage, Paul says those who do not believe in God are without excuse because of the overwhelming evidence of creation. Paul calls atheists “fools” because they choose to ignore the evidence of the things which can be seen. For those who are willing to look, there is more than enough evidence for God’s existence. God has left a bread trail of crumbs that lead directly to the Bread of Life.
Faith based on experience
Not only is Biblical faith based on evidence, it is also based on experience. For example, when I sit down in a chair, I have faith the chair is strong enough to hold me. However, this belief is not blind faith or wishful thinking, instead it is based on a lifetime of experience. In my dining room, there is a chair that I have sat in hundreds of times. Today’s trust in my chair is based on yesterday’s experience when that chair did not collapse when I sat down. In the same way, Christians have faith in God because of His faithfulness.
We all live by faith in our everyday lives. When I get on an airplane, I put my faith in the pilot to fly me to my destination. When I purchase food from the supermarket, I have faith it will nourish me. When I go to work, I have faith my wife is not running off to sleep with another man. My faith in these various areas is based on past experience. Atheists would say that believing that the sun will rise tomorrow or having faith that a seat can hold your weight would better be called “trust” or “confidence” because it is based on evidence and experience. In this, Christians concur. Our faith in God is trust and confidence in Him that is based on both evidence and experience. Christians do not have a blind faith that rejects evidence, but a wide-eyed faith that sees and acknowledges the evidence for God.
Get your copy of Proof God is Real: https://amzn.to/3kIEOyA
Buy a Study Guide for Proof God is Real: https://amzn.to/3ozDlfq
Enroll in the Proof God is Real School of Apologetics: https://www.danielkingministries.com/proof
About the Author: Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.
Healing Power | Your Faith Has Healed You
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:22‑24).
According to this verse, you can have anything you ask for in prayer if you have enough faith. Does “anything” include healing? Absolutely! James says, “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well” (James 5:15). Faith plays a vital role in the healing process.
What is faith?
Faith is trusting God when there is no one else to trust. Faith is relying upon God in the midst of trouble. Faith is having confidence in God’s promises. Faith sees the invisible and believes the impossible. Faith is a conviction that no matter what the circumstances look like, God will fulfill His word. Faith is knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God will heal you. Faith is believing in God more than you believe in your sickness.
I agree with Oral Roberts, “There are no bonds faith cannot break, no fetters it cannot sever, no dungeon it cannot open, no disease it cannot heal, no victory it cannot win.” F.F. Bosworth said, “Faith does not wait for the walls to fall down; faith shouts them down.”
T.L. Osborn explained, “Faith is believing that God will do what you know He said in His word that He would do….There are just two platforms on which to stand: One is belief; the other, unbelief. Either the word of God is true, or it is not. God will either do what He has promised, or He will not. His promises are either reliable, or they are not.” Faith in God is a black and white issue, there is no gray area involved in trusting God’s promises.
According to Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (KJV). Have you ever read a detective story? By carefully examining a crime scene, a sleuth reconstructs what happened during a crime. Tiny clues provide evidence of events not seen. Faith is the same; it provides absolute proof of things we cannot see. Bosworth said, “It is not, as many unthinking persons suppose, believing without evidence, but believing because of the highest possible evidence, God’s Word….”
Recently I purchased a plane ticket. When I bought the ticket, I did not demand to see the plane I would be riding in. I had faith the plane would be at the airport when the time arrived for me to leave on my trip. The ticket represented the promise of the airline. Faith is like that ticket; it is the substance that guarantees God’s promises will come true. Faith is your ticket to healing.
We should “live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith is similar to the title deed to a property you have never seen. Once the title of a property belongs to you, the property also belongs to you. You can say with assurance, “I own this land” even though you have never seen it.
Bosworth believes faith could be called a “sixth sense.” By using faith, we sense things in the spiritual realm. When we sense something by faith, we do not need to experience it with our other senses to know it is real. This truth can be demonstrated when you think about how we use our other senses. When you see a building off in the distance, you do not doubt its existence until you are close enough to touch it or taste it. No, you believe the building is there even when only one sense confirms that it is real. In the same way, if your “faith sense” informs you of your healing, you do not need to wait until your other senses catch up to know the truth of your healing. Eventually, you will be able to touch, taste, see, hear, and smell what your faith sense has been telling you all along.
Where does faith come from?
Jesus is both the “author and the finisher” of our faith (Hebrews 12:2 KJV). Jesus is the source of our faith, He is the object of our faith, and He is the one who guarantees our faith.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). In the Gospels, faith came to the sick as they listened to the preaching of Jesus and as they watched Him healing illnesses. As Jesus healed the sick, “News about him spread” (Matthew 4:24). When the multitudes heard reports about Jesus’ healing ability, faith was ignited in their hearts to believe for their own healing.
Faith is ignited when we hear the Word of God. The hearing comes before the healing. Listening to faith-filled preaching produces faith and faith produces healing. As we hear reports of Jesus’ healing ability, faith grows in our hearts to believe for healing. God has already given a measure of faith to every person (Romans 12:3), but the more we hear God’s Word, the greater our faith grows.
Paul preached the “word of faith” (Romans 10:8), and as a result saw many miracles in his ministry. As he taught, his words created faith in his listeners, which enabled Paul to demonstrate the gospel with the Spirit’s power (1 Corinthians 2:4).
Faith is essential for a healing miracle
We absolutely need faith. Repeatedly, the Bible drives this point home with this simple verse, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). Those in right standing before God must live by faith. You will live or die based on your level of faith in God. Because “…without faith it is impossible to please God…anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
God always moves in response to faith. God is no respecter of persons, He is a respecter of faith. The Centurion told Jesus, “Just say the word and my servant will be healed.” Sure enough, Jesus met him at the point of his faith when he said, “It will be done just as you believed it would.” The man’s servant was healed that very hour. The ruler of the synagogue asked Jesus to lay hands on his daughter, and the moment Jesus touched the girl, she was raised from the dead. Just as Jesus responded to the faith of these desperate people, the power of God will meet you at the point of your faith.
Faith is the main ingredient of a healing miracle. Releasing your faith releases healing power into the organs of your body. As soon as you release your faith, God releases a miracle.
God will move heaven and earth because of faith. Smith Wigglesworth said, “There’s something about believing God that’ll cause God to pass over a million people just to get to you.” Faith will cause God to move on your behalf.
There are two types of people: those who say, “I’ll believe it when I see it,” and those who know the truth that they will see it as soon as they believe it.
Faith and power go together like a hand and a glove. God’s power is the glove and faith is the hand which activates the glove. The power is inactive until the faith is present.
If you do not work your faith, your faith will not work
Faith is like a muscle, the more you use it, the greater it grows. Faith is not faith until you take action. “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). Faith without works is dead. “Workless faith” is an oxymoron. As a matter of fact, faith without works can not even be called faith. When the four men lowered their friend through the roof, Luke says Jesus “saw their faith.” In other words, he noticed a physical action that demonstrated their faith. They acted on their faith, and Jesus took notice (Luke 5:17-26).
It is vital to act on your faith. The bleeding woman acted on her faith when she desperately pushed through the crowd and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. The blind man acted on his faith when he moved towards Jesus. You put your faith in action by moving your body in a way you could not move it before. If you have a paralyzed arm, try moving it. If you could not walk, stand up and begin walking. If you have a tumor on your body, place your hand on the tumor and begin praying. Act on your faith right now by reaching out towards Jesus.
I encourage you to speak words of faith, trust in faith, act by faith, live by faith, and move by faith. Your faith is the key to your healing!
Four Levels of Faith
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Great faith (Matthew 8:5‑13)
Jesus was entering the city of Capernaum, when He saw one of the most hated men in the city walking towards Him. From a Jewish perspective, the man had three strikes against his character. First, he was a Gentile; second, he was a soldier; and third, not only was he a soldier, he was a commander in the Roman army. He was not the type of person most Jews would want to be seen with, yet Jesus stopped to talk to him.
The centurion asked Jesus for help, “Lord, I have a servant in my house who is paralyzed and in great suffering.”
Out of his compassion Jesus said, “I will go and heal him.”
Then the soldier said something that astounded Jesus, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
The centurion was a man who walked in great authority and he recognized the authority of Jesus. He was able to send his soldiers on errands simply by whispering a single word, and he had a tremendous faith in the ability of Jesus to heal disease by speaking a single word.
When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those around him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” In the original Greek of the story of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:28), Jesus calls this type of faith “mega faith.” The centurion had “mega faith,” enormous faith, gigantic faith, outstanding faith, king-sized faith. His faith was bigger than the faith of every Israelite Jesus had ever met.
Jesus was so impressed with the great faith that He said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” The moment Jesus said the word, the servant was completely healed!
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Normal faith (Matthew 9:27‑30)
Right after Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, two blind men followed Him. In their desperation, they cried out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” the blind men replied.
Jesus touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” As they heard His words, faith sprang up within their hearts, and their sight was restored. These two men heard reports of Jesus’ healing power. As they heard the testimonies of others who were healed, faith was birthed inside them. Jesus met them at the point of their faith and they were healed.
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Little faith (Matthew 8:23‑27)
After a long day of preaching and healing, Jesus got in a boat and His disciples followed Him. The disciples quietly rowed as they reflected on the busy day. Suddenly, without warning, a wild storm appeared. Rain fell, the wind blew, and the waves began sweeping over the side of the boat, filling it with water.
Scared, the disciples looked at Jesus for help. To their surprise, Jesus was sleeping. The disciples debated about what they should do, but when another wave splashed into the boat they got scared. One of the disciples began shaking Jesus. When Jesus opened His eyes, they yelled, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
Jesus saw the fear in their eyes and said, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and instantly the sea was completely calm.
Jesus used the word “little” to describe the disciples’ faith in this situation. This word can mean little, tiny, microscopic, and small. Jesus was disappointed in their lack of faith. Despite His hours of teaching concerning faith and despite the hundreds of miracles the disciples had seen, they still lacked a simple trust in God’s protection.
The faith of the disciples was replaced by fear, which is the exact opposite of faith. They were more focused on the wind and the waves than they were on God’s power. They had little faith because they allowed fear to dominate their thoughts. When fear comes in, faith goes out. Great fear equals little faith. Where there is faith, there is no fear and where there is fear, there is no faith.
I believe that any action not based on faith is a sin. Maintain your faith by keeping your eyes on Jesus. Do not look at the wind and the waves of life; instead, look to your Lord.
Fear will destroy your faith by whispering lies to you. It says, “You are going to die from your sickness. You’ll never get well. God is not interested in healing you.” Jesus neutralized the disciples’ fear by rebuking the wind and the waves. We can destroy fear by rebuking it and quoting God’s Word.
Next time fear attacks you, quote these scriptures,
* “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 – KJV).
* “Surely he will save you…from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:3‑4).
On another occasion the disciples were trying to heal a boy who had seizures. Because of the seizures, the boy would often fall into the campfire or water. When the disciples were unable to heal the boy, Jesus was forced to heal the demon-possessed boy Himself. Later the disciples asked Jesus why they were unable to heal the boy. Jesus blamed their inability to heal on their “little faith,” but then He reassured them, “…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). The mustard seed is a tiny seed, yet it grows to be one of the largest garden plants. Jesus is saying that even little faith can produce great miracles.
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No faith (Matthew 13:54‑58)
Jesus wanted to minister to the people in His hometown. With fondness he remembered the many years He had lived and worked in Nazareth. These were the people He had played with as a child. He had repaired their furniture as He worked in His step-father’s carpenter shop. He had talked with them, seen them at the market place, and sat with them in the synagogue. Jesus deeply cared for His friends and acquaintances so on a Sabbath morning, He asked the rabbi if he could speak.
As Jesus began teaching, the people of His hometown were amazed. One man asked another, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” Another said, “Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” They took offense at Him.
Jesus was disappointed. He said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”
The story has a sad aftermath. Even though Jesus wanted to bless the people from His boyhood home, “…he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” (Matthew 13:58). They had no faith to believe for miracles, because they refused to accept that Jesus was the Son of God. Mark 6:5 tells us Jesus “could not” do many miracles there. The original Greek literally says Jesus “was not able” to do many miracles because of their absence of faith. Their lack of faith prevented Jesus from healing them. Imagine how sorry Jesus must have felt as He left town.
Do You Need Healing? Be Healed in Jesus Name!
We believe in a God of miracles. If you need prayer for healing, please share your prayer request by clicking here.
Check out Daniel’s powerful book on God’s Healing Power:
Healing Power | The Healing Power of Prayer
“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:14‑16).
There are many elements of healing found in this passage including: calling the elders of the church, anointing with oil, praying in the name of Jesus, the prayer of faith, and the power of confessing sins. But the element I want to focus on right now is an important ingredient in the healing process. This vital element is prayer.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16). The prayer of the upright pleases God (Proverbs 15:8). The Lord hears the prayer of the righteous (Proverbs 15:29). The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer (1 Peter 3:12). This means the prayer of a person in right standing with God can achieve great miracles.
Prayer literally opens the door into the throne room of God. Someone once said, “The amount of power in your life is determined by the size of the calluses on your knees.” I like to say, “If you want to be feeling your healing, you need to be kneeling for your healing to stop Satan from stealing your healing.” Prayer has the potential to move heaven and earth on your behalf. John Wesley observed, “It seems God is limited by our prayer life – that He can do nothing for humanity unless someone asks Him.”
What is prayer? Prayer is simply talking with God. It is fellowship with your Heavenly Father. Prayer is the single most important activity you could engage in. Prayer is evidence of your trust in God. F.B. Myer said, “The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.” There is nothing greater than speaking with the Creator of the universe.
The psalmist said, “…God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer…” (Psalm 66:19‑20). Jesus promised, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22), and again, “…whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).
Every time Satan attacks your mind with thoughts of doubt and unbelief, defend yourself by going to the Lord in prayer. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Do not worry about sickness. Bring your healing request to the Lord through prayer, give thanks for your healing, and you will be made whole. I agree with William Branham, “He who is a stranger to prayer is a stranger to power.”
Four ways to pray for healing
- Pray for yourself.
Building your faith through personal prayer is the secret to obtaining and maintaining your healing.
- Ask a family member to pray for you.
Parents’ prayers are especially effective when praying for their children because God has given them authority to resist Satan’s attacks in their household.
- Call for the elders of your church to pray for you.
“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him…” (James 5:14). Ask an elder to pray over you; when his faith combines with your faith, you will be healed.
- Ask a friend to agree with you.
“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:19-20). There is great power when two people pray a prayer of agreement.
Do You Need Healing? Be Healed in Jesus Name!
We believe in a God of miracles. If you need prayer for healing, please share your prayer request by clicking here.
Check out Daniel’s powerful book on God’s Healing Power:
Power of Prayer | Pray with Faith
“There are no bonds faith cannot break, no fetters it cannot sever, no dungeon it cannot open, no disease it cannot heal, no victory it cannot win.” – Oral Roberts
What is faith?
* Faith is the currency of the kingdom of heaven.
* Faith is trusting God when there is no one else to trust.
* Faith is relying upon God in the midst of trouble.
* Faith is having confidence in God’s promises.
* Faith sees the invisible and believes the impossible.
* Faith is a conviction that no matter what the circumstances look like, God will fulfill His word.
* Faith is knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God will heal, protect, deliver, and provide for you.
* Faith is believing in God more than you believe in your problem.
F.F. Bosworth said, “Faith does not wait for the walls to fall down; faith shouts them down.”
T.L. Osborn explained, “Faith is believing that God will do what you know He said in His word that He would do…There are just two platforms on which to stand: One is belief; the other, unbelief. Either the word of God is true, or it is not. God will either do what He has promised, or He will not. His promises are either reliable, or they are not.” Faith in God is a black and white issue, there is no gray ground involved in trusting God’s promises.
Check out Daniel King’s book: The Power of Prayer