Fight for What’s Yours With Stubborn Faith
Too many people accept their circumstances without a fight
John 10:10 (AMPC)
“The thief comes only in order to because they think God somehow condoned them. But the
steal and kill and destroy. I came truth is that he wouldn’t promise health and then put sickness
that they may have and enjoy life, on you. He wouldn’t have sent Jesus into our world so we
and have it in abundance (to the could “have and enjoy life” (John 10:10, AMPC) but then try to
full, till it overflows).”
make our lives miserable at the same time!
Discover your rights by searching out God’s promises and then exercise your authority
by claiming them over your life. Has anything been happening lately that has been stealing
from you, killing or destroying a certain area of your life?
If so, take authority over it today. Say, “Father, I know that this situation is not your will for
my life. Jesus came so I could have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance to the full, until it
overflows. Thank you in advance for giving me the wisdom, strength, power and peace I need
to overcome this situation completely!”
Authority Over Sickness
As you begin to understand the authority you have in Christ, it changes the way you pray. For
example, let’s say you’re fighting some sort of illness in your life. According to Acts 10:38,
sickness comes from the enemy, and as a believer, you have the authority to overcome ALL
the power of the enemy.
So, instead of praying, “Father, please heal me,” pray this way: “Father, Jesus said that he’s
given me the authority to trample on all the power of the devil, and that includes this sickness.
Sickness, I command you to get out of my body in Jesus’ name.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV) Then, believe that you will begin to recover (which may or
“Let us run with endurance the race may not take time) as you continue to claim promises of
that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, health: “I’m claiming health for my entire body because
the author and finisher of our faith.” of Jesus. By His wounds, I am healed (Isaiah 53:5)!”
Stubbornness isn’t usually considered to be a good trait, but it can be... especially when we’re
talking about faith.
Having stubborn, tenacious, never-give-up faith is a good thing—a very good thing.
However, I do want to clarify that I’m not talking about the kind of stubborn faith that borders
on stupidity.
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That may sound harsh, but we have to be careful not to ignore wisdom. In an effort to walk in
faith, sometimes believers think they need to refuse to follow conventional means of helping
themselves. But we can operate in faith and walk out healing while following the doctor’s
directions. We can walk in God’s supernatural provision as we learn and apply knowledge
about how to better our finances.
Faith doesn’t require us to sit back and wait for God to do it all without any effort on
our part.
Faith requires tenacity.
So, how can we learn about this stubborn faith and how it works? In the Bible, of course!
Each story of miraculous healing or provision we find in the Bible was included to teach us
something about faith, and we’re going to go through several to learn about developing the
kind of stubborn faith that sees the miraculous.
When you’re standing in faith for a promise from God’s Word, that promise is already yours
in Christ, so don’t give up. Whether it’s a financial miracle, a relationship miracle, a physical
miracle, or anything else God has promised us, stand strong because stubborn faith will take
you through!
Faith Means Pushing Through
I’d like to share an example that teaches us about one aspect of this faith that produces the
miraculous. In Mark 5, we find the account of the woman who came to Jesus for healing from
continual bleeding. What I want you to notice is that the Bible says she pushed her way
through a large crowd on her way to Jesus.
Mark 5:34 (NKJV) Why is this important? There will be times in your life you
“And He said to her, “Daughter, your will have to push through when you want to quit, whether
faith has made you well. Go in peace, that’s in school, in your career, in your relationships or in
and be healed of your affliction.” taking back your health.
Whenever you feel as if things are falling apart, that’s the time to push through—past doubt,
pain, tiredness or a negative diagnosis. Then hold tight to the faith-building, life-giving
promises of God’s Word, which is how you bring the experience of those promises into your
life.
There will be times when you need to push through to the promises of God. To build stubborn
faith, you’ll need to get tenacious about reading and meditating upon God’s promises in
the Bible, about listening to messages that teach you about what is yours in Christ, and
about getting out to church even when you don’t feel like it.
Are you exercising your authority over sickness?
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Stubborn faith involves pushing through whatever you’re facing to the promises of God’s
Word. It’s through the power of His Word—it’s power to renew your mind—that you’ll
begin to walk in the miraculous!
Faith Requires Action
We’re talking about stubborn faith—faith that produces the miraculous power of God. The
second aspect of this kind of faith: ACTION.
In Luke 5, we find the story of four friends lowering a sick
Luke 5:19 (NKJV) man through the ceiling to where Jesus was preaching so he
“And when they could not find
how they might bring him in, could be healed. The thing that impresses me about these
because of the crowd, they went men is that they took action. They didn’t sit around. When
up on the housetop and let him they heard about Jesus, they loaded their friend on a stretcher
down with his bed through the and carried him through the streets. People probably ridiculed
tiling into the midst before Jesus.”
them, but their stubborn faith motivated them to carry on.
Now, as if that weren’t enough, when they got to the house where Jesus was preaching, it was
so full they couldn’t get in. But did that stop them? No! They somehow hoisted that full-grown
man up to the top of the house, made a hole in the roof and lowered him down to where Jesus
was and the man was healed.
Stubborn faith produces results!
What are you standing in faith for? Let that stubborn faith motivate you to take action—
whether that involves reading up about God’s promises to build faith or some sort of practical
action you can take to better your situation. If it’s in line with God’s principles and it moves
you toward God’s promises, taking action will bring you a step closer to your goal.
Who’s in Faith with You?
It was the man’s friend’s stubborn faith, and the action
they took as a result of that faith, that brought about his Luke 5:20 (NKJV)
When He saw their faith, He said to
healing. These are the kind of people we need around us him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
when we’re going through a tough time.
If your friends always see the glass as half empty and talk about the worst-case scenario, you
will have to fight just to keep your faith up around them. That’s not who you need around you.
You need people who have stubborn faith—people who are not only going to pray with you
and for you, but who are willing to take action to help you walk out God’s promises.
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This is why it’s so important to get involved in a local church. If you can, spend time with
other believers who get into the Word of God and who are developing the kind of stubborn
faith we’ve been discussing. Even if it’s just through an online chat room, you can connect
with others who will believe with you and who won’t quit!
The acquaintances you choose are so important!
They can either join their faith with yours or they can cause you to doubt and cost you your
miracle. Choose friends who will provoke you to have faith. When you’re ready to give up,
they will spur you on, saying “Come on, get up! Let’s keep going!” That’s the kind of friends
you want.
Faith Won’t Back Down
We’ve discussed the importance of pushing through, of taking action, and of choosing the
right friends, and now I’d like to cover another aspect of stubborn faith: REFUSING TO BACK
DOWN.
In Mark 10, we find the story of Blind Bartimaeus. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was
walking by, he started to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (v. 47). People in the
crowd told him to be quiet, but Bartimaeus called out all the louder.
Bartimaeus refused to give in to public opinion, even
Mark 10:48-49 (NKJV) though his behaviour certainly would have cost him. As
Then many warned him to be quiet; but a beggar, he relied on those around him to look after his
he cried out all the more, “Son of David,
have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still
needs, and by refusing to listen to the crowd, he risked
and commanded him to be called. upsetting the very people he depended upon for survival.
Yet Bartimaeus wouldn’t back down, and he was healed.
Even if the majority says you should just give up and accept your current situation, don’t
back down. When people say that miracles aren’t real because they can think of someone
who prayed and didn’t get their miracle, don’t let that shake your faith. You can’t allow a few
contrary examples to alter your faith in God’s promises!
We may not be able to explain why everything happens the way it does, but we can still stay
stubborn in our faith. God’s Word is true and His promises are real, no matter how things
look in the natural, so keep believing and never back down!
Faith Won’t Take No for an Answer
Having stubborn, tenacious, never-give-up faith is a very good thing!
With your gift of $30 or more, you’ll get messages that will help build your Faith, Jesus Heals: Unlocking the Miraculous.
We all need stubborn faith—faith that produces the miraculous. We can find example after
example in the Bible of this kind of faith, and each one was included for a reason. Each has
something to teach us about faith, next I’d like to cover an aspect of faith that’s highlighted in
Matthew 17: NEVER TAKING NO FOR AN ANSWER.
In Matthew 17:14-20, we find the account of a man Matthew 17:16, 18 (NKJV)
who brought his son to Jesus to be healed. The man “I brought him to Your disciples, but they
was desperate. His son was an epileptic whose seizures could not cure him.” And Jesus rebuked
often caused him to be thrown into the fire or into the the demon, and it came out of him; and
the child was cured from that very hour.
water, so the man feared for his son’s life.
The man had witnessed Jesus’ disciples doing miracles, so he brought his son to them to be
healed, but they couldn’t set him free. Now, this may have been enough to dissuade some, but
this man had stubborn faith. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, and when he brought his son
to Jesus, he was healed.
God’s promises are true and if
you are a believer, they are yours.
It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve prayed. It doesn’t matter how many times others
have prayed for you or laid hands on you. It doesn’t matter how many doctors or experts have
said that there’s no hope. Stubborn faith says, “It’s God’s will that I receive His promises,
so I’m not taking no for an answer!”
Faith Stands During Recovery
One thing to keep in mind is that stubborn faith doesn’t necessarily produce instant miracles,
but that makes it no less miraculous. Stubborn faith is faith that stands the test of time.
Often when we talk about the miraculous, people envision
an instant healing, instant answer to prayer, instant financial Mark 16:18 (NKJV)
They will lay hands on the sick,
windfall, or instant relationship fix. But the miraculous often and they will recover.
takes place bit by bit, one step in front of the other, over time.
Take a look at this verse, it doesn’t say, “They will lay hands on the sick, and they will be
instantly healed.” It says, “They will recover.” Recovery implies time. Just because you don’t
receive an instant miracle doesn’t mean that God has abandoned you in your situation!
We find this principle all throughout the Bible. In fact, almost all of Jesus’ parables that taught
about faith involved a process that took time. He used examples such as seeds growing in soil,
which take time to germinate and grow. First you get the blade, then the stalk, then the corn,
and only after it ripens do you reap your harvest.
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If you want a life that experiences the power of
God, it’s going to take stubborn faith. You’re Mark 8:23-25 (NKJV)
going to need to keep praying and believing for When He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on
him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked
the best. Keep studying the Word of God. Keep
up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” Then He
challenging your misbeliefs and keep changing. put His hands on his eyes again and made him look
Continue to set your hope on God’s up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.
promises, and you will have what He says!
Often we think that a recovery type miracle somehow shows a lack of faith. We think that if
we believe hard enough or strong enough, we will get an instant miracle. But did you know
that even Jesus performed a recovery-type miracle that wasn’t instantaneous?
In Mark 8, we find the example of Jesus laying hands on a blind man to heal him. The first time
Jesus laid His hands on the man, he was only partially healed. Jesus reached over and touched
him again, and only then was the man’s sight completely restored.
Sometimes change takes time.
During times like these, stay stubborn!
I don’t mean that you’re stubborn from the perspective that you have to take your miracle
from God. He’s already blessed us with every blessing, so it’s not that you have to convince
Him! It’s just that faith involves a process. It takes time to renew your mind—to change how
you think and what you believe so you can receive God’s promises.
Keep believing, keep studying God’s promises, and keep
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (MSG) thanking God for the answer. God’s will IS for you to be
Be cheerful no matter what; pray healthy and blessed. It doesn’t matter if you walk out His
all the time; thank God no matter
what happens. promises instantaneously or over time; what matters is that
you know that health and blessings are yours, in Jesus’ name!
Faith Means Being Thankful in Advance
According to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, you can give thanks no matter what. In fact, this is a key
aspect to developing the kind of stubborn faith we’ve been talking about.
If you’re going through a tough time right now, you may be wondering how you can possibly
give thanks. But what if giving thanks actually unleashed the answers you were waiting
for?
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to give thanks FOR everything that happens. We live in a
world that is far from perfect and awful things happen to good people. God doesn’t send bad
Let stubborn faith motivate you to take action!
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things our way so He certainly doesn’t expect us to thank Him for them. But you can thank
Him for the blessings you have, and for the answer to your requests…in advance.
This is what Jesus did in Mark 8 when He multiplied one loaf of bread and a few fish to feed
thousands. It says that He first gave thanks for what He had, but when you think about it,
He really had nothing to be thankful for. He had a measly amount of food and thousands of
hungry people to feed, but He gave thanks anyhow…for what He had and for what He trusted
God to do. After giving thanks, an incredible miracle occurred.
Faith Keeps Going, No Matter What
If you are facing an extremely difficult time in your life right now, thank God in advance for
what you are believing for, knowing that He cares for you so much that He even has the hairs
on your head numbered.
You can know with confidence that He always
hears your prayers and is ready and willing to help.
When we’re standing in faith for something, sometimes
the answer seems like it’ll never come. But that’s not Romans 8:31 (NKJV)
What then shall we say to these things?
the time to doubt. That’s when you need to exercise If God is for us, who can be against us?
stubborn faith—faith that keeps going, no matter what.
We as believers often make the mistake of giving up too soon. We keep believing for a while,
but if we don’t receive the promise within what we feel is a reasonable amount of time, we
assume that it isn’t God’s will. The trouble is, that’s completely incorrect!
God’s will is not confined to our experience.
Is it God’s will that all would go to heaven? Yes, 2 Peter 3:9 says so. But if that is God’s will,
then why isn’t it happening? Why have millions gone into eternity without knowing Christ?
It’s because many other factors come into play here on earth. We live in a fallen world.
Satan has influence. Mankind has been given free will and our choices sometimes have
consequences. It is ALWAYS God’s will that we receive His promises, and just because we
don’t get them right away doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen.
Stubborn faith recognizes that sometimes there are factors delaying our healing or miracle,
but that’s not a reason to give up. Even when things plateau or they don’t happen the way you
hoped, come back to a firm trust in His promises.
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Remind yourself that what you’re believing for IS His will because you can find it in the Bible.
And with that settled, just keep problem solving and learning, empowered by the infusion of
strength and joy and peace you get from knowing that God is on your side.
Faith Works for Big Things and Small
Sometimes we believe for too little. It’s not that God isn’t into helping us with the little
things. He is. He even knows the number of hairs on our heads. God wants us to trust Him for
the little things, but He wants us to believe for the big things, too.
Acts 3 is an example of a man who believed for too little. Acts 3:4-6 (NKJV)
A lame man was begging by the city gate when he saw And fixing his eyes on him, with John,
Peter and John approaching and held out his cup for Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave
money. Little did he know, but he was asking far too little. his attention, expecting to receive
something from them. Then Peter said,
These men had the power of Jesus in them, so he could “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I
have expected to receive full healing, along with the do have I give you: In the name of Jesus
potential to provide for himself for the rest of his life! Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
When Peter spoke to the man, he looked up expecting to receive money from Peter. Not in his
wildest dreams did he expect his legs to crack and pop back into action—but Peter got him
expecting something, and I believe that was the key to this miracle.
As soon as the man looked up in expectation to receive, Peter reached down to him and by the
power of God at work through Peter, his legs were instantly healed!
Are you expecting big things from God? God’s promises for your life cover every need you
have. Start expecting His blessings, healing and provision in every area of life!
Faith Stays Open
One thing that can get in the way of walking
Mark 6:5-6 (NKJV)
Now He could do no mighty work there, except that
in faith is when we become too familiar with
He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed the people God wants to use to bless us. Mark
them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. 6 provides a great example of this. Jesus had
returned to his home town to minister to the
people there, but because they were so familiar with Him, they couldn’t receive from Him.
They said, “He’s just a carpenter—Mary’s boy. We’ve known him since he was a kid” (v. 3, The
Message). Their familiarity limited what God wanted to do.
The same can happen in our lives today. When we’re standing in faith for something, God will
often use imperfect people to bless us or pray for us. But if we are focused on those people’s
imperfections instead of the fact that God is able to work through any believer, we won’t
receive what He is trying to bring into our lives.
Are you expecting His blessings, healing and provision in every area of life?
You’ll receive the downloadable audio series, Jesus Heals: Unlocking the Miraculous with a gift of $30 or more.
We have to remember that every believer is a son or daughter of God. Because we know
their faults, we think God can’t use them, but God even used a donkey in Numbers 22 to speak
to a prophet. He can use anyone and anything!
God wants to bless you, encourage you, and help you through the people He’s placed
around you. Stubborn faith involves putting your judgments aside and staying open to
receiving from God through anyone, because God works in mysterious ways!
Faith won’t tolerate sarcasm or cynicism.
In Mark 5, we find an example of when Jesus raised a girl back to life. One thing I want you
to notice is Jesus’ reaction to the people who ridiculed His faith. He said to them, “Why make
this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. But when
He had put them all outside, He…took the child by the hand, and said… “Little girl, I say to you,
arise.” Immediately the girl arose and walked. Mark 5:39-42 (NKJV)
Sarcasm and cynicism are really doubt and unbelief, communicated in a way to diminish you.
It’s prideful and arrogant, and Jesus wouldn’t tolerate it. The first thing Jesus did when He
came into the girl’s home was He sent those sarcastic people out.
Sometimes faith requires separation.
Sarcasm and cynicism oppose stubborn faith, which is why you can’t be around people who
ridicule your faith if you want to develop the kind of faith that sees the miraculous. You need
to surround yourself with those who will believe with you, not incite doubt and unbelief
in you, especially when you’re facing a storm.
This may mean you need to set boundaries with some of your friends and family, letting
them know that you need them to be positive around you. It may even mean that you need
to separate yourself from some of the people in your life. And if you tend to speak negatively,
replace that habit with claiming God’s promises instead. It will be worth it to develop the kind
of stubborn faith that sees the miraculous!
What Do I Resist?
Sometimes we as believers put up with things we were never meant to tolerate. We stop
resisting things that are preventing us from having what we’ve been promised in Christ.
The truth is, we have the power within us to resist every negative thing the enemy tries to
trick us into accepting, but first we need to be very clear about what is from God and what is
not. This is a big issue, because if we think something is from God when it’s really been sent to
destroy us, we’re not going to fight against it.
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For example, many people believe that God sometimes sends
1 John 3:8 (NKJV)
For this purpose the Son of God sickness our way to teach us things. We do not find evidence
was manifested, that He might in the Bible that God orchestrates or allows sickness on us. In
destroy the works of the devil. fact, He has promised us health and healing.
The Bible is very clear about what to resist and what to submit to, and as we renew our
minds in the Word, there’s a transformation that takes place (Romans 12:2). We begin to resist
those things that are from the enemy almost instinctively, because everything within us begins
to reject what he sends our way.
You’re empowered to resist the enemy’s lies!
If you’re struggling in an area, it’s time to develop some resistance. Study God’s promises to
find out what to submit to and what to resist. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil,
and He dwells in you as a believer. Engage in the power of positive resistance by making the
decision that you will not submit to anything that doesn’t come from God!
The Power to Resist Sickness
We as believers are empowered to resist what isn’t from God. We’ve been given the spirit of
faith inside us, so no matter what comes against us, we have the power to resist and overcome.
For example, when something is attacking our bodies, sometimes we can begin to make the
illness a part of our identity. We start to refer to it as “my arthritis” or “my cancer.” But when
we begin to make the disease a part of us, we’re submitting to the disease; we stop resisting it.
We don’t have to give into sickness.
We might think that we’re just being realistic when we accept our situation, especially if the
doctors have told us that we will need to live with the condition for the rest of our lives. But
we should never submit to “there’s no hope”!
Yes, sickness will still push at you from time to time and you 1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
may have to deal with disease. Things happen on this planet Who Himself bore our sins in His
that we can’t always explain. I’m not saying that you should own body on the tree, that we,
resist medical help or pretend that the illness isn’t there. having died to sins, might live for
righteousness— by whose stripes
There are times when treatments or surgery are necessary, you were healed.
and that’s okay.
All I’m saying is, don’t accept the illness as your new normal, as though it’s a part of you.
Resist those lies from the devil, and the Word promises that he will flee. Submit to the truth
of God’s Word, because it says that by Jesus’ stripes, you were healed!
Are you exercising your authority over sickness?
For your generous donation of $30 or more, you’ll receive Jesus Heals: Unlocking the Miraculous audio series download.
Have you ever heard the saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”? Without God, this
may be true. We may only have the strength and resources to be successful in one or two areas
of life, gaining that success at the expense of other areas. The thing is, you can have your
cake and eat it too—with God.
We as believers have the blessing of God, which is so
Matthew 6:9-10 (AMP)
Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father different from gaining success all on our own strength. We
who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your can put God’s promises to work. When it comes to believing
name. Your kingdom come, Your will for the future and speaking it over our lives, Jesus taught us
be done On earth as it is in heaven.’ to pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Is there poverty in heaven? Lack? Hurt and heartache? What about sickness and disease? None
of these are God’s will, and they don’t exist in heaven, so…
we can believe that God’s will—prosperity, peace,
joy and health— will exist on earth in our lives.
Does this mean that everything will be perfect? No, we live on a fallen planet, and things are
going to come against us. We still need to work hard. There will be times when it seems like
everything is going wrong, but those are the times when it’s most important to speak God’s
promises and remember that His will for your life is all good.
That’s when you pray, “Father, your kingdom come, your will be done here in my situation,”
and trust above all that God will never fail you!
Make sure you are continually
cultivating your inner life.
There are two areas of life: our external lives and internal lives. Most of us are very good at
cultivating our outer lives. We rush around all day, taking care of our to-do lists, worrying
about how we look and what others think about us.
The trouble is, this outward focus is causing a crisis in the Christian world today. Many of us
have never learned to cultivate our inner lives, and this lack of knowledge is robbing us of
what is rightfully ours—including God’s incredible promises of health and healing.
This month’s bonus audio series is designed to help you cultivate this inner life of the heart,
out of which flows “the forces of life.” It’s entitled Jesus Heals: Unlocking the Miraculous, and
in it, you will discover how to build a strong inner life, which leads to experiencing more of
God’s promises.
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You’ll learn how to snuff out the enemy’s attacks against this powerful inner control centre,
and live your life with a calm, confident sense of rest as you walk in more of the awe-
inspiring power and authority that is yours in Christ.
If you want greater health, peace, joy, power and capacity, click here to request this week’s
offer. Whether it’s in your body, finances, relationships, or any other area, the principles in
this series are designed to unlock the miraculous in your life.
Join me on this journey, and take back the controls of your life, starting today!
For your gift of $30 or more, we’ll send you
Jesus Heals: Unlocking the Miraculous, a
series of 3 audio download messages!
Get this offer
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