Growing Your Faith - Myles Munroe

April 5

The only way God’s promises will become a reality in your life is if you act on them—and you can’t act on them without faith. The very word promise requires faith. If I promise you something, then you don’t have it yet; you must believe I will give it to you. God tells us, “I promise to do this for you, but it’s actually already done. I want you to believe that what I promise is real. It is already accomplished.”

Start living by the faith God gave you so that His Word can come to pass in your life. People say, “I need more faith.” Faith is easy to obtain: it comes by hearing the Word of God. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17 NKJV). When you receive the Word, your faith grows. Every time you hear or read the Word and apply it, your spiritual life is strengthened.

You don’t receive the Word of God without being changed for the better. Remember the promise regarding the seed that fell on good soil in Jesus’ parable of the sower: But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (Matthew 13:23)

Planted in good soil, a seed will grow because the power is in the seed. Let the Word of God be planted in you and “grow” your faith in the love and power of God our Father.

Prayer:

Father, Your Word is the seed of faith in the soil of my heart. Let my heart be “good soil,” watered by Your Holy Spirit, so that I will reap a harvest for You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: You don’t receive the Word of God without being changed for the better.

Reading: 1 Samuel 1–3; Luke 8:26–56

-Daily Power And Prayer Devotional

Growing Your Faith - Myles Munroe

Evidence of Things Not Seen - Myles Munroe

April 3

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (KJV). Note that this verse does not say faith is the evidence of things that do not exist. Faith is the evidence of things you cannot see. These things already exist in God, but you can’t see them yet. Live by faith. God says, “I will supply all your needs. Trust Me to do it.” Trusting God’s Word is faith in action.

If you have been mentally assenting to the truth but not acting on it, you have been living below your privilege. Again, James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” This verse separates mental assent from faith. If you think just listening to the Word makes a difference, you deceive yourself. You must apply what you hear by believing and acting on it. Jesus said to the chief priests and elders, “There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. (Matthew 21:28–31) The second son assented to obey, but never took action. The first son, though initially rebellious, later met his father’s request. We can’t just say we believe; we have to live out our faith by doing what God asks.

Prayer:

Father, You have promised to meet the needs of Your children. Help me to trust You and to act in faith even when what You’ve promised isn’t visible. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: If you have been only mentally assenting to the truth, you have been waiving your privilege.

Reading: Judges 19–21; Luke 7:31–50

-Daily power And Prayer Devotional

Evidence of Things Not Seen - Myles Munroe

Principles for Effective Prayer - Myles Munroe

March 31

Today, reflect on the twelve action steps to prayer:

1. Become Silent: Be still, and gather yourself. If your spirit, body, mind, and emotions are separated, then you will be unable to pray God’s will with singleness of purpose. Silence helps bring you into unity with God.

2. Give Adoration: Worship God for who He is: King of all the earth, your Creator, your Savior, your All in All.

3. Make Confession: Agree with God about what He says to you and about you. Don’t dwell on past sins, but obey God immediately when He shows you that you are wrong.

4. Give Thanks: Offer sacrifices of praise to God for all that He has done for you.

5. Make Supplication: As God shows you what He desires, agree wholeheartedly with Him in prayer to fulfill His will.

6. Specify Petitions and Requests: When you ask God to do something for you, bring evidence relevant to the case—in the form of God’s will and Word—through specific, intentional communication.

7. Secure the Promises: When you petition the Lord, take God’s promises before Him, applying them to the specific request you are making. Then hold onto God’s promises.

8. Plead the Case: Don’t beg or moan before God, but pray intelligently because you rightfully deserve the answer based on God’s promises.

9. Believe: Believe right at the time you are asking that you have the answer to your request, and you will receive it.

10. Give Thanks: Thank God for what you don’t yet see because you believe it is already done.

11. Live in Expectation: Anticipate the answers to your prayers and prepare the way for them.

12. Practice Active Belief: Don’t stop after you have prayed. Get up and look for what you asked for. If you seek and knock, it will come to pass.

Reading: Judges 11–12; Luke 6:1–26

-Daily Power And Prayer Devotional

Principles for Effective Prayer - Myles Munroe

Putting Prayer into Practice - Myles Munroe

March 30

Take some time today to review your prayer habits. Ask yourself these questions: Do I quiet myself before the Lord prior to prayer, or do I usually pray hurriedly, just to get through one more task in my day? Do I pray sporadically and haphazardly, or do I pray purposefully according to God’s Word? Is there any sin in my life that I am trying to justify?

This week, gradually incorporate the twelve action steps into your prayers. If you have been justifying wrongdoing in your life, agree with God that it is sin and truly repent by turning from it and asking God to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. (See 1 John 1:9.)

Take one of your prayer requests and start living in expectation of it, practicing active belief. Anticipate that what you pray for according to God’s Word will happen, and make preparation for the answer. Now, let’s pray together:

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us principles for prayer in Your Word. Help us to continually meditate on Your precepts and contemplate Your ways. Don’t allow us to walk away from Your truths and forget them. Help us to study these principles and consider carefully Your desires as revealed in Your Word. Then encourage us to step out in faith to put these principles into practice in our lives. As we do, we thank You for answering our prayers and doing immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to Your power that is at work within us. We pray this in the name of Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant. Amen.

Thought: Pray, believe, expect!

Reading: Judges 9–10; Luke 5:17–39

-Daily Power And Prayer Devotional

Putting Prayer into Practice - Myles Munroe

Practicing Active Belief - Myles Munroe

March 29

The last step in our twelve action steps to prayer is to practice active belief—prove you’re living in expectation. It is what Jesus meant by “seeking and knocking.”

In Luke 11:1, when the disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray,” Jesus taught them a model prayer. Luke 11:9 is part of that lesson: “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Jesus tells us, in essence, “Don’t stop after you pray. Get up and look for what you asked for. You will find it if you seek it. It may be behind some closed doors. If that’s the case, then knock.” No door or barrier can stop what God has for you if you believe it’s yours.

When the devil tries to hold back your answer, just persist in knocking until the door falls down. This is the meaning of active prayer. Practice active belief and continue to live before God in holiness and truth. God will bless you as you ask, seek, and knock. Use these twelve action steps as a guide to prayer, and make sure your life aligns with God’s will and purposes. As you learn to pray according to biblical principles, you will become a powerfully effective believer.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your wonderful words of encouragement to me. If I ask, seek, and knock, You will open the doors. My expectations are settled in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: No door or barrier can stop what God has for you when you believe and act accordingly!

Reading: Judges 7–8; Luke 5:1–16

-Daily Power And Prayer Devotional

Practicing Active Belief - Myles Munroe

Whatever You Ask for in Prayer…Believe - Myles Munroe

March 27

Believe—this is difficult for many of us. As in the parable of the unjust judge, God says that after we plead our case, we are to believe. This is step nine in our action steps for prayer. Asking, in itself, doesn’t cause you to receive. Read carefully Christ’s words in this passage; this is another mini-seminar on prayer: “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…. (Mark 11:22–24)

What’s the next phrase? “…that you have received it” (v. 24). When you ask for something, believe then and there that you have already received it. It is possible to ask for something in prayer and not believe. We do it all the time. We usually give up too soon.

Do you believe that what you prayed last night is going to happen Then confess, “Lord, I believe.” Maybe you tend to doubt. You might not be a believer all the way. When you start doubting, be honest, like the father of the demon-possessed boy, and say, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24 NKJV). We can’t let doubt enter into our prayers. It will shortcircuit them.

When you pray according to God’s Word and believe that you have received what you asked, it will be yours. That is God’s promise to you.

Prayer:

Father, my heart’s desire is to believe You. When doubts rise up, help me to turn to You. Lead me to Your Word so that my faith will grow. I believe that You will help my unbelief and answer my prayers. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: Faith is believing the promises.

Reading: Judges 1–3; Luke 4:1–30

-Daily Power And Prayer Devotional

Whatever You Ask for in Prayer…Believe - Myles Munroe

Persistence with the Judge - Myles Munroe

March 26

Today we continue looking at the parable of the widow and the judge, in which Jesus taught His disciples to pray without giving up. “For some time [the judge] refused” (Luke 18:4) the woman’s plea. Even though the answers to our prayers are not always immediate, that doesn’t mean they are never coming.

Jesus concluded His story, “Finally [the judge] said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’” (vv. 4–5). The judge did not cut her a break, but used a legal word: “I will see that she gets justice [what is rightfully hers].” God’s promises must come to pass. The integrity of His name and His Word calls us to be persistent in prayer. “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

Jesus explained, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly” (Luke 18:6– 8, emphasis added).

Jesus said, in effect, “If a man who doesn’t acknowledge God gives a woman he doesn’t like the justice she deserves, how much more will God, who loves you, see toit that you get justice—and quickly!” God will not hesitate to give justice to His chosen ones, those who have received His promises as a spiritual inheritance.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be persistent in prayer. I know that You are a faithful God who desires to answer my petitions. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: Plead your case based on God’s Word and His integrity.

Reading: Joshua 22–24; Luke 3

-Daily Power And Prayer Devotional

Persistence with the Judge - Myles Munroe

Can You Plead Your Case? - Myles Munroe

March 25

Pleading your case is the eighth action step in prayer.

Pleading does not mean begging or becoming emotional. That neither impresses God nor elicits answers. In teaching the parable of the widow and the judge, Jesus said to His disciples, in effect, “Let Me show you not only how to pray, but also how to get answers.” He revealed how to plead one’s case before God. (See Luke 18:1.)

Jesus began, “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men” (v. 2). Jesus used an example of the worst person to receive petitions. I believe He did this to emphasize that it is our legal rights that enable us to receive answers. We’ll talk more about this concept tomorrow.

Jesus continued, “And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary’” (v. 3). In Jesus’ day, a widow was often without hope. If a married man died, his brother had to marry the man’s widow and care for her. If the second brother died, the third one had to marry her, and so on. Thus, a woman became a widow when no relatives remained to help her.

The widow’s helplessness is significant. God wants you to pray with this attitude: “You’re the only One who can help me.”

Often, we pray for God’s help, but we have a backup plan, just in case. God says, in essence, “I will not answer until you have no other place to turn. Then you will know that I am your Provider.” God doesn’t want to be treated as a “spare tire.”

This woman had no option, no alternative. As we come to God with our petitions, we must depend completely on Him.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for letting me come before You with my petitions to plead my case. I acknowledge that You are the only One whom I can depend on to hear and answer my prayers. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: The Lord fulfills all your petitions.

Reading: Joshua 19–21; Luke 2:25–52

-Daily Power And Prayer Devotional

Can You Plead Your Case? - Myles Munroe

A Daughter of Abraham - Myles Munroe

March 24

One Sabbath day, Jesus entered a synagogue where a woman was sitting hunched over with a back problem. Jesus stood and read the Scriptures. Then He looked at the crowd, setting His eyes on the woman. He called her to Him, put His hands on her, and healed her.

The Bible says, “Immediately she straightened up and praised God” (Luke 13:13). The religious leaders murmured among themselves, in effect, “How dare He heal her on the Sabbath day!”

Jesus turned to them and said, “Should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” (Luke 13:16, emphasis added). Even though this woman hadn’t asked Jesus for healing, He gave evidence of her rights according to God’s promises. This woman had been sick for years, but she wasn’t healed until the legal action was in place. Jesus didn’t heal her just because it was the Sabbath; He healed her according to the contract God had made with His chosen people on behalf of Abraham, in which He said, “The LORD will take away from you all sickness (Deuteronomy 7:15). As a daughter of Abraham, she had the right to the healing God had promised His people.

We usually ask the Lord to heal us because we’re hurting, and He does heal us with compassion. (See Matthew 14:14.) However, the primary reason He heals us is that we give Him evidence it is our legal right through Christ. Again, we pray specifically, according to God’s Word, and we secure the promises!

Prayer:

Father, thank You for fulfilling your promises in Christ. Thank You that I have the legal right to answered prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought: God answers prayer when we give Him legal evidence that it is our right.

Reading: Joshua 16–18; Luke 2:1–24

-Daily Power And Prayer Devotional

A Daughter of Abraham - Myles Munroe