Ephesians 1:3 tells us, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” The Norlie translation reads, “…who has blessed us with everything that Heaven itself enjoys.”
What is Heaven enjoying right now? Everything good and perfect – including total health and wholeness. Since Heaven is enjoying that right now, that’s what belongs to us NOW, even before we go to Heaven. God has already blessed us with Heaven’s best; that belongs to us now because we belong to Christ!
Colossians 1:12-14 reads, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom WE HAVE REDEMPTION through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”
Because Jesus has already purchased our redemption, all things belong to us now. We are not trying to get God to give us what He has already made ours. We must just recognize that it belongs to us now and RECEIVE by faith what He has alreadymade ours.
The Old Testament records Miriam speaking against her brother, Moses. Because she criticized and spoke against God’s man, she opened the door to sickness, and leprosy came on her. When Moses saw that she was leprous, he prayed for her. “And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now…” (Num. 12:13), and God did. Moses’ prayer got results.
The way he prayed was accurate for his day because they were under the Old Covenant and looking forward to Calvary. He was asking God to give her something – healing. But as New Testament believers, we are looking back at Calvary – the price has already been paid for our redemption, which includes healing. Through Christ, all we will ever need has already been provided and given by Heaven. We aren’t asking God to heal us, for healing has already been given. We are to just receive what He has already given us.
If we were to pray the way Moses prayed, we would not be praying in the light of our New Covenant. Moses prayed, “Heal her NOW,” but under the New Covenant, we say, “NOW healed!”
It matters that we pray and believe in light of the New Covenant, which is a better covenant than the Old Covenant.
When many Christians pray, they approach God as though they are trying to get Him to do something for them. That’s why their answer is delayed. There is nothing that God has withheld from us.
Second Peter 1:3 tells us, “According as his divine power HATH GIVEN unto us ALL THINGS that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” There is nothing that God has withheld from us. If we need it or want it, He has already given it to us – He’s made it ours. It’s just waiting for our faith to show up to receive what He has already provided.
When we pray and release our faith, we must make sure we are approaching God with New Covenant thinking – realizingwhat is ours as new creatures in Christ.
We are not praying, “Heal me now,” but we are taking our place in Christ and saying, “NOW healed!”
New Covenant thinking also says, “NOW prosperous, NOW supplied, NOW victorious, NOW wisdom, NOW peace, NOW joy, NOW whole!” Right thinking makes all the difference when it comes to receiving from God.
Many are waiting on God to do something, and He is waiting on us to receive and take all that He has already made ours! It’s ours NOW! So all that’s left for us to do is receive it by faith and thank and praise Him for it!