Can you Pray a Miracle/Promise Into Existence?

Short answer: Sometimes, If it’s God’s will.

Long Answer: I’m blogging a bit of a controversial post. However, I am doing this in context because it is in my daily reading plan provided by http://www.lifejournal.cc. Today’s reading is Joshua 12:24. To set up the passage, Joshua has taken over for Moses and led a charge through the “promised land” (a region that God has promised Isreal…however, they would have to fight many battles to take the land). We read about a series of kings that Joshua and his army had defeated. Here is Joshua 12:24b:

“thirty-one kings in all.”

I know it seems like an unimportant verse, but it speaks volumes to God’s promises for our lives. Here is the point:

It has taken Joshua fighting and destroying 31 kings…and they STILL have not taken all of the promise!

Perhaps you feel that God has made a promise to you. How would one go about receiving a promise? We have many promises through God’s word such as eternal salvation and a promised place in heaven. However, for others, maybe they feel God has spoken a promise through a personal hearing of God’s voice, or even a prophet or other christian. For example, maybe that promise is:

• Healing
• Financial
• Job Opportunity
• A brighter future
• A future spouse

So, you feel that God has promised you something…but you aren’t really feeling that God has kept his promise? How does that make you feel? We read in many passages that we will receive healing, blessings, prosperity, salvation. Verses such as John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” seem to promise something. (If you want to read more just google: Prosperity Verses)

There seems to be 2 mind-sets when it comes to promises of God:

1. You will prosper if you obey and follow God, in all aspects of life (i.e. finances, health, etc)
2. Prosperity comes in relationship with God, however, life on earth is full of hardships, trials, and tests. Many eternal promises engage in eternity, not on earth.

I would love to write a blog that says if you read certain verses, pray certain prayers, believe hard enough, read the right books, and name it/claim it, your promises will come to pass immediately. If I were to write this, I believe there would be a false hope. We see in Joshua, that God’s chosen people still had to fight daily battles to take what God promised. It wasn’t immediate. However, God does do many things in an instance. He froze the sun in the sky for Joshua to win a battle. He will answer prayers and fulfill promises…on his terms.

This would seemingly be a bummer of a blog. I would encourage you with this: If you read just a few verses further in Joshua you will read a small verse that talks about inheritance. For the tribe of Levi (the Levites) their inheritance was simply “The Lord God.” He was enough. No land was necessary. Just God.

As you pray for blessing and fulfilled promises, I would also pray that “just God” would always be enough. Do not harden your heart when a promise takes a life time. This life was never intended to be the ultimate reward. We have made it so much more than it is supposed to be. When you read the authors of the New Testament there is a constant message: this world is not our home. We can pray heaven on earth every day, name and claim and agree on a promise, but if it doesn’t happen on your time DO NOT BLAME IT ON YOUR LACK OF FAITH OR SPIRITUALITY! That is a lie from satan. If you blame yourself for an unanswered prayer, that also means you can take credit for answered prayer. We are to ask, God answers, and he receives the Glod. God is SOVEREIGN. God is God, we are not.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject!