We are on the horizon of an incredible move of God, and our job right now is to get prepared for mind-blowing miracles.
We’ve been preparing for a couple of years now. The fire of God has been cleansing us from sin. We’ve become more aware of what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives.
Now, we are a church that is positioned and ready for God to use in the end-time revival. God is going to perform mighty miracles through NoLimits Church.
But, let’s not just sit back and wait. Let’s continue to prepare for what God is going to do. So, in this series, I’m going to help you renew your mind regarding faith and miracles.
Each week, I’ll start by reading you a true story from the Azusa street revival.
This incredible revival started in 1906 in Los Angeles, California. Amazing miracles were released every single day for three and a half years.
Missing limbs grew out where there were none, eyeballs filled in empty sockets, cancerous growths fell off, and lives were restored day after day as they bathed in the glory of God.
A young woman named Diane walked into the revival meeting with her hand supporting a large growth about half the size of a basketball on the side of her head. Before she could even get seated, people started surrounding her.
One of the ministers said that God was going to work a miracle for her. She came to get a miracle, and all she could do was nod her head yes.
As the people began to lay hands on her, the growth began to shrink. The woman was speechless. She stood there gasping and finally yelled, “I’m healed!”
Sixty years later, someone met with this lady to ask about the miracle. She said she had heard miracles were happening at the Azusa Street warehouse. She even saw flames coming up out of the warehouse and meeting flames coming down from heaven.
So, she thought to herself, “What have I got to lose? I’m dying, and if I go there and I die, so what! The doctors can’t do anything. They can’t operate because it is too big to cut off.” She said, “So I waddled myself down to Azusa holding my growth in my hands.”
The miracle not only saved her life but also propelled her into a ministry that would impact thousands of people over the years. With just twenty-five cents to her name, she started a soup kitchen in her early twenties and continued all the way into her sixties.
Amazing right? If you want to hear more of these stories, get yourself a copy of the book titled “True Stories of the Miracles of Azusa Street.”
I share these stories with you because in 1910, it was prophesied that in about a hundred years there would be another revival like Azusa Street. Only this time it would not be in one place. It would be all over the world.
This revival will not be with just one person or just pastors. It will be with everybody in the Body of Christ. This time the revival will not end until the Lord returns.
Who’s ready to be a part of these amazing miracles of God? Well, let’s continue to prepare for miracles by renewing our minds with the Word of God.
Let’s start by taking another look at our core scripture for this series.
Mark 11:22-25 NLT - Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.
In this short lesson from Jesus, He gives us four things that determine our ability to receive miracles from God:
Today we are going to dive into speaking your faith. But before we get into that, we need to recap what we talked about last time: having faith in God.
Because the reality is, there are people who think they can just speak things into existence. Some would call this the “name it and claim it” gospel. I’m not going to teach you that.
Yes, it is very important what you say. But your speaking will produce nothing unless there is faith to back it up. In other words:
For words to move mountains, they must be birthed from faith.
So, what is faith? Let’s go to Hebrews to find out.
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
In this scripture, we see two definitions of faith. Faith is substance and faith is evidence.
To get a better understanding of what it means by “substance”, let’s look at the original Greek word:
Hupostasis - that which has actual existence, steadfastness of mind, resolution, confidence
So, faith is knowing that whatever you’re hoping for already exists. And you are confident that no matter what you see right now, this is how it’s going to be. Let me sum it up this way:
Since we are talking about speaking faith today, let me clarify this statement:
Some Christians are trying to speak things into existence without God’s Word to back it up. But, if what you are saying isn’t backed up by the Word of God, it will yield no good result.
And get this, even if what you are saying is backed up by the Word of God, if you don’t know where it is, if you haven’t had a revelation of that truth, there will be no result.
If you are speaking healing over your body but you’re not quite sure God wants you well, your words will hit the floor and die.
If you are speaking prosperity over your life but you are not quite sure God wants you to prosper, your words will hit the floor and die.
Why? Because:
“Faith comes because you heard the Word of God.” -Not the Bible
Uh oh. I caught ya. I mean, how many times have you come to church and thought, “Oh, I’ve heard that before” and then just tune out for the rest of the message.
Well, no wonder you’re struggling with faith. Because here’s the truth:
Romans 10:17 NKJV - Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
It’s not because you heard. It’s because you are hearing and hearing and hearing. Ongoing. Never stopping. Every day. Hear and hear and hear God’s Word.
Some of you just found out why your faith is dry. You’ve been trying to muster it up based on what you heard last year. It doesn’t work that way.
So listen up! I show up every Sunday to fill you with faith. And if you listen, faith will come, and you will see the results of it.
If you are listening, repeat after me, “I’m here to hear the Word of God.” Now look at your neighbor and tell them to be quiet so you can hear.
How many of you would like fresh revelation today about speaking your faith? That’s what you are going to get. Let’s start by reading our core scripture for this series in another translation:
Mark 11:23-24 NKJV - Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Did you notice how many times Jesus references speaking? Let me highlight it for you.
Mark 11:23-24 NKJV - Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Wow. Apparently what we say is important. But also notice that if we want what we say to be done, we have to believe what we are saying and have no doubt in our heart.
Let’s go to a healing miracle of Jesus to help us understand this.
Jesus was heading to someone's house to heal their daughter. On the way, he was followed by a crowd of people. Everyone was fighting to get closer to Jesus.
In the crowd was a woman who had suffered twelve years with constant bleeding. She spent all her money on doctors trying to fix the problem, and they all failed. Actually, they made it worse.
I’m not against doctors, but not a lot has changed in two thousand years. It’s quite common for doctors to spend your money, give you lots of medication, and leave you worse than you were before.
Like I said, I am not against doctors. They have their place. But they can’t replace God.
And they are under a lot of pressure these days by a corrupt medical system that has nothing but a love of money. The system doesn’t care about you. It just cares how much money it can get from you.
So, beware. And find a good doctor who hasn’t bowed to the corrupt system. They’re out there, but they’re far and few between.
If you didn’t like that, stay tuned. I’m likely to say something else you don’t like.
So, this woman had given up on doctors. But she heard about Jesus. And as she was working her way through the crowd, she thought, “If I could just touch the bottom of his robe, I’ll be made whole.”
She fought her way to Jesus, touched the bottom of His robe, and immediately the bleeding stopped and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.
Take note. She didn’t say anything. Jesus didn’t say anything. Jesus didn’t even notice she was there until He perceived healing power going out of Him.
Lots of people were touching Him! But when this woman touched the bottom of His robe, He didn’t just feel a touch. He felt her faith. And THEN He spoke:
Mark 5:34 NLT - “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
What made her well? Her speaking? Jesus’ speaking? Jesus’ touch? His anointed robe? No. Her FAITH made her well.
Your faith is what accomplishes the miracle. Speaking your faith seals the deal.
The woman was healed through her faith. But Jesus wasn’t about to miss an opportunity to speak faith. So He said, “You are well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
How many of you know that those words stuck with that woman? If Jesus didn’t speak faith, she probably would have been at home that evening wondering if she was really healed.
But Jesus made sure she wouldn’t end up sick again. Yes, it was her faith that made her well. But speaking faith is what kept her well. “Your suffering is over.”
But don’t put God in a formula because sometimes the miracle happens simultaneously with speaking faith. We discover this in the healing miracle of Bartimaeus.
He was blind and he was a beggar. And apparently, he was annoying because when a large crowd was trying to hear from Jesus, ole Bartimaeus was interrupting by crying out for help.
They told him to be quiet, but he just got louder. And it’s a good thing because Jesus finally heard him. And when He did, Jesus stopped His message and signaled for the man to come closer.
Then Jesus asked, “What can I do for you?” It seems like a funny question. Everyone already knew the man was blind. But Jesus needed to find out if he had faith. And he did. Here’s what happened next:
Mark 10:52 NLT - Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.
So the blind man showed up with faith. Then Jesus spoke faith and instantly the man could see.
Don’t try to put this stuff in a formula. Sometimes the miracle shows up first and speaking faith happens afterward, like with the woman with the blood issue. Other times, the miracle happens as soon as you speak faith, like with the blind man.
Either way, here’s what you need to remember:
Your faith is what accomplishes the miracle. Speaking your faith seals the deal.
It can happen in succession, one after the other. Or you can get your miracle and seal the deal simultaneously. And really, who cares how it happens. There’s no bad way to receive a miracle.
Now, let me show you what it looks like when your speaking sounds like faith but there’s really no faith backing it up. Thankfully, the disciples illustrated this for us so we know we’re not alone.
Jesus had just been up on a mountain having an experience of heaven. His appearance was transformed and His clothes became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah even came for a little chat.
I’m sure this was very refreshing for Jesus. I can imagine Him coming down from the mountain with a big smile on His face only to be greeted by a fussy crowd of people.
He asks what all the fussing is about and one of the men in the crowd spoke up and said:
Mark 9:17-18 NLT - “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.
Okay. I mean, this isn’t the most uplifting situation. But, by this time, Jesus is a pro at casting out demons, so what’s the big deal? Well, the man keeps talking:
Mark 9:17-19 NLT - So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”
Uh oh. I imagine Jesus’ smile disappeared at this point because He immediately rebuked His disciples pretty sternly. Take a look for yourself:
Mark 9:17-19 NLT - Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
This is what happens when your speaking sounds like faith but there is really no faith backing it up. People get aggravated at the lack of results, and so does Jesus.
They brought the boy to Jesus and as soon as the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a convulsion. The boy fell to the ground and started foaming at the mouth.
Put yourself there with Jesus at this moment. You’d probably be scared spitless. But Jesus was completely calm while all this was going on and engaged in a little small talk with the parents.
He asked how long this has been happening. The parents explained how it had been going on for a while and how the evil spirit would often try to kill the boy. Then they said, “Help us, if you can.”
Uh oh. Not only are the disciples lacking faith. But the parents are too. So Jesus gives them an opportunity to hear the Word of God. Why? Because faith comes by hearing. Take a look at what He said:
Mark 9:23 NLT - “What do you mean, If I can?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
This brings out a new layer in the importance of speaking faith:
When someone is struggling to receive a miracle, our response tends to be, “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why it’s not working. Maybe you just need to read the Bible more.”
Stop that nonsense and use the opportunity to speak faith by speaking God’s Word over their lives. “You are more than a conquer through Christ. By His stripes, you are already healed.”
Then we think, “Yeah, but what if I give them false hope? What if I speak healing and then they die?” Well, wouldn’t you rather your last words to them be filled with faith rather than doubt?
Take every opportunity to speak faith. Resist the pity party and speak God’s Word instead.
I went to a meeting a few weeks ago. It was me and ten other pastors coming together to pray. They had been inviting me for quite some time and I was finally able to make it.
On my way there I was envisioning a very powerful time of prayer. Ten pastors who preach God’s Word every Sunday come together to pray. Wow. This is going to be good!
Imagine my surprise when I sit down and have to endure about thirty minutes of griping and complaining. Every one of them had some kind of struggle or overwhelming challenge in their life.
Then it came time to pray and their prayers followed suit. Their prayers sounded religious, “Oh God, if it is your will, deliver me from this destruction”, but in reality, they were just griping and complaining and speaking doubt.
They were fussing to God about the world falling apart and how hard it was to be a pastor during these times. I wanted to interrupt the prayer and say, “You all need to turn off the fake news.”
Good grief. If you listen to the news more than you hear the Word of God, you’ll find yourself in the same predicament. The weight of the world will be on your shoulders.
But you don’t have to carry that weight. Jesus’ yoke is easy. His burden is light. He gives you peace in the midst of chaos. He gives you joy in the midst of sorrow.
So, I painfully listened as these pastors finished their gripey prayers, and then it came my turn to pray, I took the opportunity to speak faith.
I prayed, “Lord, thank you for allowing us to live in this time. It’s an exciting time to be alive because you are moving. You’ve given us everything we need to be a light in the darkness. And how bright that light is in a darkness that seems so great.”
I continued along these lines and I imagine several in the room wondered what I was on. It ain’t drugs! Not even marijuana. It’s the Holy Spirit. I’m full of peace, joy, hope, strength, boldness, truth, and every good thing that comes from God.
You know why I prayed like this in the midst of everyone else complaining? Because:
That’s what Jesus did with this little boy. Take a look at how it turned out:
Mark 9:25-27 NLT - When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.”
Well, crap. Sometimes you speak faith and it looks like you got the opposite result. And people will look at you and say, “See! You should have just complained with us instead of giving people false hope.”
But this crowd of doubters didn’t bother Jesus. And you shouldn’t let them bother you. When it looks like it didn’t work, here’s what you do next:
Mark 9:25-27 NLT - But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.
Put action to your faith. Have faith. Speak faith. And put action to your faith. Just don’t give up. Don’t give in to the naysayers. Quit clucking with the chickens and learn to soar with the eagles.
It’s time to get out of the chicken yard. Take your opportunity to speak faith and then get out of there as quick as you can.
When studying all the times Jesus spoke faith, I discovered three reasons He did it.
This is why Jesus taught everywhere He went. He use every opportunity to speak the Word of God. Why? Because faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God.
You don’t have to be a pastor to do this. You don’t even have to mention chapter and verse. Just get the Word inside of you and you’ll speak it by default.
Listen to me. You don’t have to memorize the chapter and verse. You don’t even have to mention that it's from the Bible.. Just speak the Word of God in normal conversation and it will inspire faith in others.
Jesus did this with the woman who had the bleeding issue. Her faith had already healed her, but He affirmed her faith by speaking about what had been done by the power of God.
This is something I did for you throughout Covid. You already had faith that God is our healer and protector. So I affirmed your faith by reminding you that your body is a miracle-working machine. You have nothing to fear. God has equipped your body to defeat every virus.
That’s good news. Yet I got slammed on Facebook for affirming faith regarding covid. And my accusers sounded so holy.
They said, “Please quit using God as an excuse to go out and spread the virus. People are dying because of your carelessness. If you want to be like Jesus, then stay home and protect others.”
And there were plenty of people who showed up in the comments to clap for them and say, “That’s right. A real Christian would show they care by staying home.”
Then I show up to the scene fully aware that this post was pointed at me even though my name was not mentioned. And I use the opportunity to speak faith.
Jesus wouldn’t have stayed home because He wouldn’t have been sick. He would have been out healing the sick. He’d also be telling people not to fear but to have faith in God.
Another thing. You shouldn’t be worried about a pastor encouraging his congregation to live by faith. You should be worried if he is leading them into a life controlled by fear.
I don’t care what my accusers say. They can spread fear and hate all they want to. But I choose to speak faith and spread hope.
Jesus always spoke to rebuke evil. He cast out demons with words. He rebuked the storm with words. He resisted the devil with words: “It is written, you must worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.”
We’ve already read about one time when He cast out demons by speaking. Let me show you one more:
Matthew 8:16 NLT - That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick.
There’s nothing complex about casting out demons. It’s done with a simple command. But what you say must be birthed out of faith. You must have confidence in God’s Word when it says:
Mark 16:17 NLT - These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name.
I hope y’all understand that when we talk about miracles, casting out demons is part of it. You might as well set your expectation right now that we will see people delivered from evil spirits.
If you think that’s crazy, you need to go read the gospels again. Jesus was casting out demons left and right. And oftentimes, demons had to be cast out for someone to be healed.
We’re pretty good a skirting around this issue in the American church. We love the idea of healing miracles and prophesy. But start talking about casting out demons and we get uncomfortable.
There’s nothing to be scared of. We’ve been given all authority over the works of the devil. But as long as he keeps us afraid of casting out demons, he keeps us from doing it.
It’s time to set the captives free. There are people all over the place being tormented by evil spirits. And we have what it takes to set them free.
So, three ways to speak faith.
Did you notice that all three of these have to do with helping others?
All this time we’ve believed that the main purpose of speaking faith was to bring things into our own lives. That’s part of it, but it’s not the main purpose.
That’s why we need the body of Christ! You can’t do this by yourself. You need others to come alongside you and speak faith along with you to bring a miracle into your life.
Take every opportunity to speak faith.
When someone comes up to you to share their struggle, don’t agree with the struggle. Speak nothing but God’s Word over the situation.
They may come looking to you for pity. But don’t give it to them. Give them something better: faith. Because God’s Word flowing through your mouth holds the power to birth faith so they can receive their miracle.
