Faith Is Thanking God in Advance

In Mark 11:24 I read, “When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it, and you will be given whatever you ask for.” (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).

I need to thank God in advance before I get it in order for it to come true. If I thank God after I’ve got it, that’s gratitude. When I thank him in advance, that’s faith.

Gratitude is good and right. But my goal should be to become a person of deeper faith. To do that, I need to thank God in advance.

If I was handed you a check right now for a thousand dollars, would I wait until I cashed it to thank the one who gave it to me? No! I’d thank them right now. But the money wouldn’t actually be mine until I cashed it, because that check is really a promise. When I received that check, I'd say, “Thank you.” I would believe that the one who gave me the check was credible and that they had enough money in the bank to cover it.

In the same way, faith is thanking God in advance. It’s believing that what God has promised, he will provide. It’s saying I love God for who he is and not just what he can do for me. It’s showing that I 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).

If God tells me to go after Moby Dick in a rowboat, take the tartar sauce, you’re going to have a fish fry tonight!

In summary, when I pray and ask for something, I need to believe that I have received it, and what I ask for will be given. Faith is not just believing God can do something. Faith is not just hoping he will do something. Faith is thanking God in advance. I need to learn to thank God in advance before I get it. If I thank God afterwards, that’s gratitude. When I thank him in advance, that’s faith. Gratitude is good and right. But my goal should be to become a person of deeper faith. To do that, I need to thank God in advance. When I thank God in advance, It’s believing that what God has promised, he will provide. It’s saying I love God for who he is and not just what he can do for me. It’s showing that I trust him to do what he’s said he will do. If God tells me to do something, I need to do and be prepared for what he’ll provide.

My prayers are often motivated by my own interests and desires. I like hearing that I can have anything. But Jesus prayed with God's interests in mind. When I pray, I can express my desires, but I should want his will above my own. So, I need to check to be sure my prayers are  in my interests or on God's.

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Father, help me to keep in mind to pray your will above mine and to thank you in advance, believing that you had already provided.

I ask for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, doing well and making a difference in my new job.  I pray these things through you Son Jesus’ name, Amen.