WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR ME TO CLAIM A PROMISE OF GOD?

SCRIPTURE:
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through 
our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through 
these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through 
them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
in the world caused by evil desires. 
(2 Peter 1:3-4)

MEDITATION:
God’s promises are very precious. 
Not only do they remind us of His personal interest in our lives, 
but they also provide hope and encouragement during difficult times.
God did not make promises that He has no plans of fulfilling.

Before claiming a promise, 
we must check ourselves in three areas: faith, obedience, and patience. 
First, we must trust Jesus as our personal Savior 
and live on the basis of our belief in Him.
 
Obeying God is also necessary. 
If we willfully continue to disobey the Lord, 
then He is not obligated to fulfill His promise.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive 
to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. 
(1 Peter 3:12).
 
Finally, patience is another requirement. 
God operates on His timetable 
to accomplish His purposes according to His perfect plan. 
Waiting on Him is necessary.

At times it will seem as if a divine promise is not being fulfilled. 
When that is the case, we need to take a second look at the biblical 
passage to be sure we are qualified by living a godly life. 
We need to verify that we have met His conditions, 
and examine whether there is a genuine need.

If we are still convinced the promise applies, 
then we can look a little deeper at our request. 
Will the Lord be honored when this promise is fulfilled? 
Can He answer this prayer without harming others, 
or hindering His will in their life? 
Will this help us grow spiritually? 
These additional questions will assist us in claiming a promise of God.

The Holy Spirit is our instructor, 
who will teach us about the Lord’s promises. 
He wants to build our faith through Scripture, 
provide the strength necessary to obey, 
and develop in us the fruit of patience. 
These qualities help us as we look to God to fulfill His promises.

ACTION:
How are you doing in the areas of faith, obedience and patience?
Each one builds on the other.
When you have true faith, you will have an intense desire to obey God.
You might stumble and fall at times, 
but if you are willfully and consistently disobeying Him 
in specific areas expected of people of faith, 
then you need to re-evaluate your faith.

Too many claim to have faith but have chosen to disobey God’s commands 
to meet with other believers and return our tithes to Him.
Think about this, if you do not return what belongs to God, 
you are stealing – from God!

Do you really expect the Holy Spirit 
to connect with someone who steals from God?
When you fail to return what belongs to Him, 
you are highly deficient in the area of faith, because you are expressing 
a distrust (lack of faith) that God will take care of you when you tithe.

If you have a faith that leads to obedience, then more than likely you have
connected with the Holy Spirit – the One necessary 
for helping you develop patience.
How do you know you are developing patience?
If you pray without ceasing and wait on the Lord, 
you are on the right track.
Some people have prayed many years for their spouse to be saved, 
before it happens.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, please help me in the area of faith. I confess that I 
have been defiantly, stubbornly, and rebelliously disobedient in obeying 
Your commands for me to meet with other believers and bring my tithes and 
offerings to You, at Your house. I have felt the cold chill that I will be 
held accountable for purposely refusing to obey You. I don’t want to steal 
from You any longer, and I want to start connecting with other believers in 
Your house to worship and praise you together, and to support and encourage 
other believers. In a nutshell, I am ashamed of my disobedience and I am 
tired of playing games and procrastinating. Help me in my efforts to start 
living the life of obedience You expect from me. Forgive me for being 
selfish for way too long.”