“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
God works in people’s hearts when we expect him to.
Before each service at Saddleback Church, I would pray, “God, it would be a waste of time to go out there and talk to those people without expecting you to do something. So I’m going to thank you in advance for changing lives. I expect it to happen in faith. Not because of who I am, but because of who you are.” That is the faith that God uses to change lives.
Very few people come to Jesus Christ the first time they hear the Good News. They’ve got to think about it and take the time to make the right decision.
Never give up on anybody. Nobody’s hopeless! You have to trust God. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (NIV).
Maybe you have been praying for some time for your boyfriend or your child or a close friend to become a believer. You’ve been praying for years, and yet you don’t see any evidence that they’re any closer in their journey to God than they were five years ago or two years ago or last year.
What do you need to do? Pray in faith, expecting God to act. Faith is certain of what we do not see. You need to say to God, “I don’t see them warming up to you at all. But I’m going to pray and expect that you’re working in their life, even when I can’t see it.”
Remember the story in the Bible of the four guys who had a friend who was paralyzed? They believed Jesus could heal their friend, so they put him on a mat and took him to Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven” (Luke 5:20 NIV), and he healed the man.
Jesus healed the paralyzed man on the basis of his friends’ faith, not his own faith. Sometimes you have to believe in faith for other people and expect God to act.
Put a little faith in a big God, and you’ll get big results.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over
For whom have you been praying to become a believer? How do you need to change your expectations of God or the way you’ve been praying for that person?
What do you want God to accomplish through your life? How can you show God your gratefulness in advance for how he will work in your life?
What are the things that you cannot see that you need assurance for today?
This devotional © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
When you pray, expect God to act. Find out how to pray with expectation for God to move in today’s #DailyHope devotional.
Rick Warren Bio
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. His book The Purpose Driven Church was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created The PEACE Plan to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at PastorRick.com.
Tags
40 Days of Community – 2023, Community, Prayer, Knowing God, Faith, Evangelism, Trust, Belief, Hebrews 11, Luke 5
Broadcast Series: 40 Days of Community – 2023
Sermon Series: 40 Days of Community
Sermon: 016202_Reaching Out Together
