Overcome Unbelief
FROM: Praying God’s Word, Beth Moore, Ch 2
Believing God is never more critical than when we have strongholds that need to be demolished. Believing God is also rarely more challenging. Why? Because we’ve battled most of our strongholds for years and perhaps tried countless remedies in an effort to be free with very little success. The enemy taunts us with whispers like, “You’ll never be free. You’ve tried a hundred times. You go back every time. You’re hopeless. You’re weak. You’re a failure. You don’t have what it takes.” Every one of these statements about you is a lie if you are a believer in Christ. You do have what it takes. You have Jesus—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But you can’t just believe in Him to be free from your stronghold. You must believe Him. Believe He can do what He says He can do. Believe you can do what He says you can do. Believe He is who He says He is. And believe you are who He says you are.
Before you begin practicing the Scripture-prayers in this chapter, please read the following segment very carefully:
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (Eph. 1:18–20, emphasis mine).
Please accept and celebrate two awesome truths derived from these Scriptures:
1. God wields incomparably great power for those who choose to believe. Read it again! Incomparably great power! More than enough to break the yoke of any bondage. Our belief unclogs the pipe and invites the power to flow.
2. God applies the same power to our need that He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead. Does your stronghold require more power than it takes to raise the dead? Neither does mine! God can do it, fellow believer. I know because He says so. And I know because He’s done it for me. Believe Him . . . and when you don’t, cry out earnestly, “Help me overcome my unbelief!”
Father God, Your Word declares that we, Your people, are Your witnesses and Your servants whom You have chosen, that we may know and believe You and understand that You are He. Before You no god was formed, nor will there be one after You. (Isa. 43:10).
You have chosen me, God, for the express purpose of knowing and believing You. I can’t really begin to know You until I choose to believe You! Make me a person of belief, Lord.
Father, so often I feel like the boy’s father who first exclaimed, “I do believe!” then in a flood of sincerity cried out, “Help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) Please help me to overcome my own unbelief, Lord, so I can start taking You at Your Word.
Father, I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened in order that I may know the hope to which You have called me, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints, and Your incomparably great power for us who believe! (Eph. 1:18–19)
Father God, according to Your Word, without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to You must believe that You exist and that You reward those who earnestly seek You. (Heb. 11:6) Lord, I want to please You. Build faith in me so my life will honor the life of Your Son.
Father, I don’t want to be like the ancient Israelites who were not able to enter the Promised Land “rest” because of their unbelief. (Heb. 3:19) Help me to believe You and follow You to the place of Your promised land in my own life.
My Savior, Christ, before You healed the blind men who cried out for Your mercy, You asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” After they replied, “Yes, Lord,” You touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” (Matt. 9:28–29) Father, clearly my faith impacts what You are willing to perform in my life. Please help me to believe that You are able.
Father, in the parable of the sower, You teach us that the seed of Your Word that falls along the path represents the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe. (Luke 8:12) Lord, please help me to actively receive Your Word into my heart upon hearing it so that the devil cannot come and take it from me before it has had time to take root.
Father, I also pray that I will not be like those in the parable of the sower represented by the seed on the rock. They receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. (Luke 8:13) Help me to receive Your Word and hang on to it tightly when the time of testing comes.
God, please don’t let me be the kind of person to whom You can say, “Unless you see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe.” (John 4:48)
Lord God, I acknowledge that it is by grace I have been saved, through faith—and this not from myself; it is the gift of God. (Eph. 2:8)
Christ Jesus, You said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:27) Lord, I cannot see Your visible hands, but if I’m willing to really look, I can see the visible evidences of Your invisible hands. Help me to stop doubting and believe!
Father, Your Word asks the question, “Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” (Gal. 3:5) The answer is because they believed what they heard. Help me to do likewise, Lord.
Lord, I want to be like the one to whom You said, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” (Matt. 15:28) Flourish this kind of faith in me, God!
Glorious Lord, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Gal. 2:20)
O, Father, help me to fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Please don’t let me be like some who have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. (1 Tim. 1:18–19)
Father God, help me to be self-controlled and alert. My enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Help me to resist him, standing firm in the faith. I can be assured that other believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Pet. 5:8–9)
Believing God is never more critical than when we have strongholds that need to be demolished. Believing God is also rarely more challenging. Why? Because we’ve battled most of our strongholds for years and perhaps tried countless remedies in an effort to be free with very little success. The enemy taunts us with whispers like, “You’ll never be free. You’ve tried a hundred times. You go back every time. You’re hopeless. You’re weak. You’re a failure. You don’t have what it takes.” Every one of these statements about you is a lie if you are a believer in Christ. You do have what it takes. You have Jesus—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But you can’t just believe in Him to be free from your stronghold. You must believe Him. Believe He can do what He says He can do. Believe you can do what He says you can do. Believe He is who He says He is. And believe you are who He says you are.
Before you begin practicing the Scripture-prayers in this chapter, please read the following segment very carefully:
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (Eph. 1:18–20, emphasis mine).
Please accept and celebrate two awesome truths derived from these Scriptures:
1. God wields incomparably great power for those who choose to believe. Read it again! Incomparably great power! More than enough to break the yoke of any bondage. Our belief unclogs the pipe and invites the power to flow.
2. God applies the same power to our need that He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead. Does your stronghold require more power than it takes to raise the dead? Neither does mine! God can do it, fellow believer. I know because He says so. And I know because He’s done it for me. Believe Him . . . and when you don’t, cry out earnestly, “Help me overcome my unbelief!”
Father God, Your Word declares that we, Your people, are Your witnesses and Your servants whom You have chosen, that we may know and believe You and understand that You are He. Before You no god was formed, nor will there be one after You. (Isa. 43:10).
You have chosen me, God, for the express purpose of knowing and believing You. I can’t really begin to know You until I choose to believe You! Make me a person of belief, Lord.
Father, so often I feel like the boy’s father who first exclaimed, “I do believe!” then in a flood of sincerity cried out, “Help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) Please help me to overcome my own unbelief, Lord, so I can start taking You at Your Word.
Father, I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened in order that I may know the hope to which You have called me, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints, and Your incomparably great power for us who believe! (Eph. 1:18–19)
Father God, according to Your Word, without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to You must believe that You exist and that You reward those who earnestly seek You. (Heb. 11:6) Lord, I want to please You. Build faith in me so my life will honor the life of Your Son.
Father, I don’t want to be like the ancient Israelites who were not able to enter the Promised Land “rest” because of their unbelief. (Heb. 3:19) Help me to believe You and follow You to the place of Your promised land in my own life.
My Savior, Christ, before You healed the blind men who cried out for Your mercy, You asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” After they replied, “Yes, Lord,” You touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” (Matt. 9:28–29) Father, clearly my faith impacts what You are willing to perform in my life. Please help me to believe that You are able.
Father, in the parable of the sower, You teach us that the seed of Your Word that falls along the path represents the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe. (Luke 8:12) Lord, please help me to actively receive Your Word into my heart upon hearing it so that the devil cannot come and take it from me before it has had time to take root.
Father, I also pray that I will not be like those in the parable of the sower represented by the seed on the rock. They receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. (Luke 8:13) Help me to receive Your Word and hang on to it tightly when the time of testing comes.
God, please don’t let me be the kind of person to whom You can say, “Unless you see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe.” (John 4:48)
Lord God, I acknowledge that it is by grace I have been saved, through faith—and this not from myself; it is the gift of God. (Eph. 2:8)
Christ Jesus, You said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:27) Lord, I cannot see Your visible hands, but if I’m willing to really look, I can see the visible evidences of Your invisible hands. Help me to stop doubting and believe!
Father, Your Word asks the question, “Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” (Gal. 3:5) The answer is because they believed what they heard. Help me to do likewise, Lord.
Lord, I want to be like the one to whom You said, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” (Matt. 15:28) Flourish this kind of faith in me, God!
Glorious Lord, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Gal. 2:20)
O, Father, help me to fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Please don’t let me be like some who have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. (1 Tim. 1:18–19)
Father God, help me to be self-controlled and alert. My enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Help me to resist him, standing firm in the faith. I can be assured that other believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Pet. 5:8–9)