1119-Do Not Lose Heart#
1119-Do Not Lose Heart
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! At this moment, we believe You are watching over us, You are among us, in each of our hearts, You listen to each of our cries. Let us gain strength from Your words. The weak can be strengthened in Your words, renewing our thoughts and intentions, let us all be filled with what we receive, Hallelujah! We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
Luke 18:1-8:
Jesus told them a parable to show them that they should always pray and not lose heart. He said: "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming!'"
And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?"
The topic we want to share is called, Do Not Lose Heart.
Brothers and sisters, I believe many people have moments of weakness and discouragement. If there is no power from the Holy Spirit generated from within, merely human words saying, "It's okay, it will pass..." are temporary comforts. But God will always comfort you; we must stand firm on God's words.
Jesus told a parable to encourage people to always pray and not lose heart.
The reason He told this parable is to emphasize the importance of prayer and the necessity of prayer. Christians have the privilege of praying to God, and God is especially willing to listen to our prayers. When some people pray for a while about certain matters and see no results, many begin to doubt whether God is listening to their prayers, questioning whether God has forsaken them.
When people have such doubts, they will complain to God, saying, "I have believed for so long, yet You do not listen to my prayers or solve my problems," and thus become unwilling to pray. The result is discouragement, and people conclude that because God does not love me anymore, my prayers will not be heard, so they stop praying, and this person becomes completely disheartened and weak. Many say, "I am a new believer; God thinks my faith is too short and is unwilling to listen to my prayers." These can all lead us to discouragement.
Jesus tells us: Always pray and do not lose heart.
This connects with the previous chapter 17. When you read the Bible and come across verses you do not understand, look at the chapters before and after to see what events are happening. Before Jesus spoke this, there were other teachings that connect with this.
Jesus mentioned earlier that in the last days, the state of the world would be like the days of Noah and the days of Lot. What do these two days have in common? In Noah's day, Noah had warned the world that it was about to be destroyed, but no one believed him; in Lot's day, the angels had clearly told him that the day was coming to destroy the city, but when Lot told his relatives, they did not believe him.
In such times, Noah and Lot saw that people were unwilling to repent and faced great difficulties. Today, in this last age, the Bible says: One reason people lose heart is that lawlessness increases, and the love of many grows cold. This cold heart ultimately leads people to discouragement.
This parable tells us that in the last days, those who truly believe in Jesus can overcome this world and not be entangled by worldly circumstances or influenced by negativity only by praying often! In such a generation, prayer becomes a very important method. Conversely, in this situation, we have only one choice: either choose to lose heart or choose to pray.
Jesus has already told us the method. The Bible not only tells us how to enter the kingdom of heaven, but Jesus also tells us how to be victorious Christians in this world. Although there are many sufferings in this world, Jesus has already overcome, and He tells us how we can overcome this world. We also know that when you see someone losing heart, it proves one thing: they lack prayer. We cannot say that they lost heart because they do not pray.
What we should say is, do not reverse this matter; when you see them losing heart, it indicates a problem in their connection with God. Jesus tells us that the way to overcome discouragement is to pray often! We are precisely in this last age, and the people around us do not understand what we are doing, so they often use negative news to attack us, even mocking and ridiculing us, etc. When we preach the gospel, others do not understand and instead say sarcastic words. Even in families, we encounter many problems, and when prayers do not yield results, many people easily become discouraged.
Many people ask, how can I pray often? Should I not work? Should I just stay home praying all day? Before answering this question, we must first understand what prayer is. You have heard many people in church and in life define prayer, such as prayer is spiritual breathing, prayer is communication with God, etc.
But what I want to tell you today is that prayer is not just about saying some sentences or asking God for things; it is very likely that in situations where we do not think of it as prayer, you are already praying, you just do not realize it. We can silently pray to God; prayer is when your heart speaks to God! You take God as your help and support. Just like Paul, he focused his entire life on heavenly matters.
Simply put, everything he did in his daily life was done for God and with God. These two are different; we cannot do anything for God, but when we have the heart to offer to God, He accepts your intentions, and God sees this as prayer.
In the Old Testament, David thought all day, "I want to build a sanctuary for God," but later he laughed at himself, saying that the universe and everything were created by God; how could God dwell in a house made by human hands? But David had such a heart, and God saw David's heart and accepted it. God said: "My servant David wants to build a sanctuary for me." This can be called prayer. When your life and everything you do are directed towards God, God sees it as you praying to Him.
This is doing for God, and also doing with God, meaning: walking with God! Not just walking together, but always walking with the Holy Spirit. The question is, we must work with God. When we do each thing, we must know that God is working with us! Brothers and sisters, when you are in life, all your matters are not done by you alone, but God is doing them with you, then you will not lose heart. Because our Lord Jesus has never been defeated by anything, the Holy Spirit is in your heart, He is your co-worker. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and is with us. But we must work with God.
Work with the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit work with you in what you are doing. This is called doing with God! You see that in every matter of life, God is with you, you will ask for His will. There is a pastor in the country whose testimony I have seen; for a period, when he ate, he would set two pairs of chopsticks, just as an example. He said, "Holy Spirit, please eat," and then he would start eating. Every time he went out, his hand felt like he was holding someone, saying, "Holy Spirit, we are going shopping together." We are not trying to imitate this method; we just want to tell you that he really did it, working with God in everything. In every matter, he knew that the Holy Spirit was with him. When he bought something, he would ask, "How about this piece of clothing? Does it look good on me?"
Many times, we can do things ourselves, and we do them well. When we really cannot do it, we start asking God what to do. In fact, every day and in every matter, we should work with the Holy Spirit. In God's eyes, you are a person who prays often. Prayer is not just kneeling down with your eyes closed or raising your hands; your thoughts and intentions directed towards God are all considered prayer.
The ways of prayer are very broad; God delights in our constant prayer. If you often let the Holy Spirit be with you, you will absolutely not lose heart. I encourage the brothers and sisters who are listening tonight to share your thoughts with the Holy Spirit in life. Do not wait until you are in trouble to speak; tell Him when you have joyful things, share your grievances with Him, or even when you have time and nothing to say, just express your joy. The Holy Spirit already knows; when you tell Him, in God's eyes, you are praying to Him because you are relying on Him, and your heart is directed towards Him.
We share the first point: Do not lose heart; know yourself.
Many people lose heart because they do not know themselves. When you introduce yourself, you might tell the other person, "My name is so-and-so, or I am a doctor or teacher," etc. This is your profession, your name, but it does not represent all of you. We must know ourselves so that we do not lose heart. How can a person truly know themselves? The theologian Augustine said: "A person, the more they know Christ, the more they know themselves."
This means that the more a person knows God, the more they know themselves. This is a wonderful statement. The Bible has a reverse saying that many people think they know a lot of things, for example, "I am quite familiar with myself." 1 Corinthians 8:2: If anyone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.
Have you ever thought about why Paul said such contradictory words? If anyone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. If you reverse what I just said, you will understand the meaning. When a person truly knows God, they know themselves.
When a person thinks they know themselves, according to what they know, they do not know even more. We may know ourselves less than one percent; there is still ninety-nine percent that we do not know. So based on what you know, there is much you still do not know. In God's eyes, you still do not know; you know too little.
In Christ, as we increasingly know God and are willing to know God, we will increasingly know ourselves. When you recognize the authority of Jesus, you recognize your own authority. When you recognize what blessings Jesus has, you recognize what blessings you have. When you recognize what treasures are in the kingdom of heaven, you know what treasures you possess. When you recognize what rewards are reserved for you in the kingdom of heaven, you will know what rewards you will have. Do not lose heart; know yourself.
To know yourself, we will share two aspects. The first point: Do not go to extremes; do not see yourself as very insignificant. Some people often say, "I am humble, I am useless, I am weak," etc. These words sound like very spiritual phrases, but if you declare such words too often, you will truly become useless. This is not true humility. True humility from God is knowing that without the Lord, you can do nothing, and thus relying on His strength to act.
There was a brother who was over thirty and had not found a wife. In college, he liked a girl very much, but when they graduated, the girl went abroad. Many people knew that once someone goes abroad, there is little chance for a relationship. This brother stayed in the country to continue his studies and became an engineer, but he kept thinking about that girl.
After believing in the Lord, he began to pray to God, saying, "Lord, what should I do about my marriage?" He had good conditions; he had status and position, and was also top-notch in the country. Why had no one come to propose to him? Years passed, and no one came to his house to propose. His mother was very anxious and asked him what he wanted to do. Otherwise, he should consider matchmaking.
He told his mother, "No need, I have prayed about this, and God told me that my partner is still the girl I originally liked." But they had not been in contact for years; she had been abroad for many years, and now there was no way to contact her. Later, one night while praying, he had a vision and dreamed of this girl and her phone number.
The next day, when he woke up, he thought it was just a dream. He felt that no matter what, since he had such a clear number, he would try calling it. When he did, it really was that girl. God's guidance is so wonderful!
When he dialed the number, he said who he was, and the other party was very surprised, saying, "How did you know my number?" He did not tell her about the dream; he directly asked, "Are you married?" The other party said no. He asked, "Do you think we still have a chance?" The girl said, "We are not on the same level now; the disparity in status is too great."
This brother felt a chill; he thought it was impossible. My status in the country is already quite high; why would she say that? He simply introduced himself, and the girl said, "I know all that, but do you know who I am? I am a child of God." When the brother heard this, he cried... It turned out that the girl was not talking about earthly status but about her identity in Christ, which has nothing to do with money or position. He said, "I have already believed in the Lord," and later, they became a couple. This is a wonderful testimony!
We must recognize our identity; do not think of your identity as very insignificant. We are indeed small, but inside us is someone greater than the world. Know that Jesus Christ is in you; you are a prince or princess of God.
The second aspect: Do not think too highly of yourself.
Romans 12:3: For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
This sentence can be simply understood as: how God sees you is how you should see yourself. Even when you encounter difficulties, you can see yourself this way. When you realize what kind of person you are in Christ, you will know how to act in life. Brothers and sisters, do not be proud; do not say, "I am now a prince or princess," and start looking down on others. In front of people, we must be humble; we must see others as better than ourselves. This is our way of dealing with matters. Do not lose heart; know yourself. Do not go to extremes, either belittling yourself or overestimating yourself. See yourself with sober judgment; how God sees you is how you should see yourself.
Let me share a passage from Colossians 3:1-3:
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
I give this passage to you; it tells us how to not lose heart. Many people lose heart because they often think about earthly matters. When you see your family not doing well, you lose heart; when you see your children not doing well, you become discouraged. When you see work not going well, you lose heart; when you see money not being enough, you lose heart.
Because you are looking at earthly things, you have not set your sights on heaven, where the One above is always there. As long as you look up to Him, you will not lose heart. We see the outside of ourselves, forgetting that inside you is a very powerful Holy Spirit. You must look at that; it will not let you lose heart. If you look at negative news in the world every day, how can you not lose heart?
The Bible tells us: because you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Your life is not an ordinary life but a life hidden with Christ in God. It is not an ordinary life but an extraordinary life, a life of Christ. You possess the authority of a prince; every word you speak carries weight. When you recognize your authority, you naturally have confidence.
When an emperor issues a decree, he does not keep saying it from morning till night; he says it once, and it is accomplished. Jesus, when He prayed, never prayed for something for one or two days; He just said it once and believed it was accomplished. Because He knows who He is in God, we are also hidden with Christ in God. This is called faith. When you know yourself and stand firm on God's words, faith is generated. Faith is produced from God's words. Simply put, faith comes from Jesus Christ; when you look up to Him, you see a powerful self.
Here it talks about the unjust judge, who should have upheld justice but did not. First, he did not fear God, and second, he did not fear man. This is the first type of person we mentioned earlier, someone who overestimates themselves, thinking there is nothing to fear from God.
The second type of person is the widow in the city. The widow knows her helplessness; she often feels she has no support, no ability, and that others look down on her, etc. She is a person who belittles herself. These two extreme types of people come together to create a wonderful story. A person without a backing can only seek justice from the unjust judge through this method.
Brothers and sisters, remember: this is not about seeking revenge on her adversary but simply asking for justice, to have what she deserves returned to her. The story concludes with the unjust judge finally granting her justice, not out of fear of the widow or compassion for her, but because he was too bothered by her and wanted to avoid being disturbed again. Although his motives were not pure, from another perspective, the widow still received justice.
Many people interpret this passage as teaching us to urgently pray to God; as long as you have perseverance, one day God will surely hear your prayers. But this is not to tell us to pester God like a nuisance, saying, "Lord, please accomplish this for me, listen to my prayer, fulfill this matter, look how pitiful I am; I have nothing left..."
If you pray like a nuisance from morning till night for one, two, or three days, this is very scary. In the past, many interpreters explained it this way because they had a biblical basis. In Genesis 32, the Old Testament Jacob wrestled with an angel at the Jabbok. He had a prayer like this: "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
This phrase has been used by many to interpret this passage, but it is somewhat forced. Brothers and sisters, have you ever thought about it? Can Jacob really wrestle with an angel? The angel merely touched his hip socket, and he became lame. What would happen if the angel touched Jacob's head? Wouldn't he be finished? How can a person wrestle with an angel? God had already prepared blessings for you; as long as you open your mouth, He will give them to you. Do not pester God in prayer, thinking you can grab the angel and not let him go back. God just hopes Jacob can let go of his reliance on himself and fully rely on God.
If your child kneels on the ground every time at mealtime, tearfully praying to you, "Mom, please give me a bite to eat!" What would this mother think? She would doubt whether this child is her own. This is a very scary teaching. In the past, I also received such teaching, saying that God does not grant you what you ask for because your prayer quantity is not enough. Prayer is like filling a cup with water; when the cup is full, God will see it and say, "Okay, it’s time," and grant you what you seek. Is there such a basis in the Bible? Did Jesus set such an example for us? No! Pester-like prayer, some say God has granted me, but it does not mean that you were granted because you pestered Him multiple times. Rather, it is at the moment you truly have faith and believe that God has given you that it is already granted.
We should not treat God like the widow treated the unjust judge. Because this text is not yet finished, if the Bible ended here, I would suggest brothers and sisters to indeed pray like this, doing nothing for a matter, fasting and saying, "God, if You do not accomplish this, I will starve to death!"
But the Bible continues here, and I have the opposite view of this passage. I believe it teaches us that when communicating with God, it is completely unnecessary to pray for a long time and earnestly before God; it just requires asking in faith. If you feel that you have already received faith in your first prayer, there is no need for a second prayer. If the first prayer seems insufficient, then proceed to the second until you have faith in that prayer; after that, there is no need to pray again. The previous prayers were because you lacked faith, so you needed to continue praying. This is related to faith, not our actions. It is not because you prayed many times that God grants you what you seek.
Whether God fulfills our prayers is not based on our actions but on the work that Jesus Christ has accomplished. In other words, when we believe in Jesus Christ, there is a covenant between us and God. Jesus said: "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."
This is what Jesus personally tells us: "Previously, you have not asked anything in My name, but today it is different. You ask in My name because this is the covenant I have made with you. God looks at this and wants to fulfill your prayers." Why do we say, "We pray in the name of Jesus Christ"? It is because we are relying on the covenant established through Jesus Christ for God to fulfill our requests. It has nothing to do with our personal actions; it is related to faith.
Prayer is not about pestering. It is about asking in faith. In fact, a prayer of faith is enough with just one request. Jesus usually prays only once. He told the lame man, "Stand up, take your bed, and go home." The lame man got up; Jesus accomplished it with just one request because He knows who He is in God. He knows who He is and what authority He has. Jesus said: "Your sins are forgiven." Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. Jesus has also given this power to you; in fact, you can pray with faith.
Some people ask, "I have prayed and declared with faith, but God has not granted it. What should I do?" Today, I will explain this issue to the brothers and sisters. God is very willing to bless His children; this is the word of the Bible. If God does not give you something, there is only one explanation: at this moment, this matter is not beneficial for you. Hallelujah! If God does not give you now, it is because it is not beneficial for you at all. But that does not mean God will not give it to you later. Know that God has heard your prayers; He will respond to your prayers in other ways, but God will definitely answer your prayers. This is something you should never doubt. Thank the Lord!
The second point: Do not lose heart; the Heavenly Father never delays in fulfilling your prayers.
This is even more important. As we said, we must know ourselves and not lose heart. Our Heavenly Father never delays in fulfilling your prayers. In other words, the Heavenly Father very quickly answers your prayers. Do you know how fast? Continuing to share: The Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge says." The unjust judge had no heart of compassion; he only granted justice to the widow when he could not stand her bothering him anymore. But our God is not like this; here is His word: God's elect cry to Him day and night; will He delay long over them?
Verse 8 is very important. If you have prayed for a long time and God has not fulfilled it, and you are pestering Him, then how do you explain verse 8? I tell you, He will quickly grant them justice. Quickly means? God is very quick; as soon as you finish praying in the name of Jesus Christ, God says, "I have heard you, child; I will accomplish it for you now." This is called quickly granting them justice. Hallelujah!
So God's response to your prayers is very, very fast. It is not that you have to pray dozens of times before He grants it. God is completely different from the unjust judge; the unjust judge delays until there is no other way to act. God is not like this. As soon as He hears your prayer, He immediately fulfills it. If you read the original text, you will be even more amazed and joyful.
The original text of verses 7 and 8 is very important. I specifically checked the original text. When you read it in Chinese, you cannot see it, but in the original text, it will be very clear how God treats this prayer. The original text says: Will not God give justice to His elect who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them? I tell you, He will grant them justice quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?
Many people say, "I read that passage, but I do not understand." Why? The latter part of the sentence that Jesus said is very confusing: "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?" What is faith? Many people cannot explain or understand it. But I tell you, when you understand the original text, the meaning of faith is: When the Son of Man comes, will He find people on earth who are unwavering in their faith in Him? Who believe unwaveringly in His words? If you believe God's words unwaveringly, this becomes your faith. When you believe that Jesus says, "When you pray, I will fulfill it for you," as long as you believe you will receive, you will receive. If you truly believe without doubt, God says this is your faith, and He will quickly fulfill it for you.
Many times, we doubt our prayers. Right after we pray, we doubt, "Lord, will You fulfill it for me?" It is easy to negate our own prayers. But our God never goes against His covenant. He tells you, "If you believe, you will surely receive." When you truly believe, it will be fulfilled for you. The problem is that when we doubt, it becomes very difficult to receive.
James said: "A double-minded man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord." A double-minded person is someone who doubts their prayers, wondering if God has heard them. God never goes against Himself. Although He is the creator of the highest laws in the universe, He loves us, and He listens to our prayers. The original text of "quickly grant them justice" has another layer of meaning: when God answers His people's cries, it is faster than lightning. His answers may not be in the way we hope, but God will definitely respond to you.
In the four Gospels, everyone who seeks Jesus receives answers, including the Pharisees. Even if they came to Jesus with distorted hearts, Jesus still gave them answers. Some were healed of diseases, while others left discouraged, but Jesus answered them all. No one who came seeking Jesus returned empty-handed; God had already pointed them to a way out.
Do not doubt your prayers. The moment you finish praying in the name of Jesus Christ, God has already fulfilled it for you. Before you even open your mouth to pray, God already knows what you are going to pray for. God is waiting for you to finish praying, believing without a doubt, and firmly believing in God's words. God will fulfill it for you. Memorize the original text of verses 7 and 8: "Will not God give justice to His elect who cry to Him day and night?"
In fact, our only enemy is the devil. The devil blocks your blessings and your faith. If you believe, you can break through the problems. Will God delay for them? Today I also want to tell you, will God delay for you? No, because everything Jesus Christ has accomplished has already been done; He does not delay.
The Bible tells us that He will quickly grant justice. Brothers and sisters, when you say in the name of Jesus Christ, "I am healed from the disease on my body," God hears such words and immediately grants healing, letting the disease leave. Hallelujah!
I hope that when Jesus Christ comes, this speaks of the last days, God's children need to have faith even more. What kind of faith? Faith that is unwavering in God's words, which can be understood as faith.
Today, a sister asked me this question. She has been married for several years and has not had children. They are very anxious and do not know how to pray. I will use what we shared today to tell her: Do not lose heart; the Heavenly Father never delays your prayers. You believe, and God will give you children; God will grant you.
Let me share a testimony from our church. It was the second year I was pastoring in the church. There were a few people who could not get pregnant, and they came to me for prayer. When I first started serving, I said, "In the name of Jesus Christ, you must believe the words I speak to you. After I lay hands and pray for you, go back and do what you should do."
Many people became pregnant shortly after I laid hands on them. This was not just one or two; there were over ten. Eventually, someone spread this gospel, and many people from other places took long-distance buses to come to our church to hear me preach. They said, "Those who cannot get pregnant should listen to the teachings. As long as you listen to him preach once, you will be able to conceive when you go home."
These people came to hear me preach to be able to get pregnant, and I did not even know. Later, many told me during follow-ups, "Pastor Ren, thank you. After listening to your sermon, I became pregnant." I said, "Who are you? I really cannot remember who you are." She said, "You do not know me; I am the one who heard the gospel from a sister. She became pregnant after listening to your sermon, so I came too, and unexpectedly, God also fulfilled it for me." I tell you, this is not my ability; it is because they truly believed and had unwavering faith. When I prayed for them, I also believed in the same way. I said, "You believe, and I will pray for you, and God will fulfill it for you." She said, "I believe." I said, "You need to say it out loud." She said, "I believe." Now I pray for you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you will have a child. Hallelujah!
The most recent case was two months ago. A sister said her daughter had been married for two years and had not become pregnant. She asked me to pray for her, saying, "My daughter is not pregnant, and I am anxious." I said, "Do not worry; I will pray for you, and God will quickly fulfill this matter." This year, the child was born because the prayer I made for her last year, when calculated, was exactly one year, which is a testimony. I am increasing your faith, letting you be certain of God's words. When you have no doubt in your heart and firmly believe that God will fulfill it for you, God will fulfill it for you.
When Jesus tells us that people can continually pray to God, it means to always connect our lives with God's life, connecting with His supply at all times, letting God's words manifest through you in life, relying on Him in everything, and knowing that even if He does not answer, His answer may not be the answer we want, but it is still the Heavenly Father's answer.
I want to tell the brothers and sisters that God will give you the best blessings at the right time and place, including the testimonies we just shared. God knows when it is best for you to become pregnant. Do not be anxious; do not be angry. The more you do that, the harder it will be to accomplish. Relax your mind; believe that God has already given it to you. God will give it to you today; it is that simple. Hallelujah! Environments can change; the world is always changing. Everything earthly is constantly changing, but God does not change. God's promises to us do not change! How He says it, how He promises it, He will accomplish it.
Abraham was blessed because he firmly believed in God, unwavering in his faith. He took God as his Amen; this is the meaning of the original text. When he had no hope, he still believed that God is faithful and does not deceive him. Can such faith still be found in the last days? I hope you are that person who possesses such faith.
Finally, let me share a testimony from the Bible. In Genesis 26, there was a famine in the land where Isaac lived, but God said to him: "Do not go down to Egypt, for there is famine in this land. Isaac thought about leaving, but God told him, 'Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land I will show you. Stay in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for I will give all these lands to you and to your offspring. I will establish the oath that I swore to your father Abraham, and I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give these lands to your offspring, and in your offspring, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.'"
Brothers and sisters, in the year of famine, God spoke such words to Isaac: "Stay in this land, and I will bless you." Isaac believed and began to sow, and in the autumn, he had a hundredfold harvest. Hallelujah! In the year of famine, sowing in faith will yield a hundredfold harvest. That is the seed of faith. I wish you would also sow the seed of faith in your hearts today; God will fulfill it for you.
You must firmly believe in the promises God made to Abraham. God told Isaac, "I will multiply your offspring." We are all descendants of Abraham and Isaac. God will grant you such blessings. God is already with us; He says, "I will bless you." God wants to bless you; He wants to give blessings to your offspring. This is what God delights in; God hopes you will be fruitful and multiply. This is also the best way to preach the gospel.
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank and praise Your grace. May the faith of Jesus Christ be realized in our hearts. We sow seeds of faith, expecting a good harvest. In Jesus Christ, we are God's princesses and princes; we have authority and possess all the blessings of the kingdom of heaven. We are hidden with Jesus Christ in God. When we pray to You in faith, we believe God will fulfill our prayers. I am willing to be a good witness for Jesus Christ in life, and let me experience Your presence and power in the new week. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!