LifeWay Community Church

Everyone faces problems in life. If you do not deal with them right away, even small problems can grow into giants with the potential to rule over you. They may not look as menacing as physical giants, but they are often just as intimidating.

The good news is that God is bigger than every problem you will ever face. Whether trouble shows up in the form of sickness, depression, divorce, fear, or a financial crisis, you do not have to be its slave. When you focus on how big your God is, your problems will look small in comparison, and you will be on your way to prevailing over them.

Focus on God’s Size
When Moses sent twelve men to spy out the land God had promised them, they came back with a mixed report. They described it as an extremely fruitful land, but said that it was inhabited by giants. Nevertheless, Joshua and Caleb said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it” (Numbers 13:30).

The other men returned saying, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are…We saw the giants and we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them” (Numbers 13:31,33). While Joshua and Caleb viewed the giants as problems they could overcome with God’s help, the others saw them as insurmountable obstacles. Their faith vanished because they allowed fear to rule in their hearts.

Instead of acting on what God had promised them, the ten doubting spies acted on what they saw. The giants were not the problem. The problem was that they forgot about how big their God was. As a result, their fear and unbelief quickly spread throughout the rest of the Israelites.

In reality, the giants that had seemed so intimidating were themselves filled with fear after hearing about the children of Israel and their God (Joshua 2:11). They would have been no match for the Israelites had they believed God. However, because the Israelites doubted, they spent the next forty years wandering in the wilderness when they could have been enjoying the Promised Land.

Problems, like giants, will hold you captive as long as you let them. The more you think and talk about them, the bigger they will become in your mind. You might think and say, “My problem is sickness…my problem is my marriage…my problem is fear,” but the real problem is your perspective.

The more we focus on God’s size, the easier it will be for us to prevail over problems.

Know God
David is the best-known giant killer in history, but he was virtually unknown before he met Goliath. He was, in fact, an ordinary shepherd boy. Perhaps the only remarkable thing about him was that he developed his relationship with God while tending his father’s sheep. David knew God.

Certainly, there were many men in Israel who appeared more qualified to tackle Goliath, but they only knew about God. When you know God, you will be prepared to do extraordinary things and will experience victory over the problems – even the giant-sized ones – in your life.

David also understood the power of his covenant with God. The covenant said, “You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you” (Leviticus 26:7). And it said, “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life” (Joshua 1:5).

Those promises could have worked for anyone in Israel, but David was the only one who believed them and exercised his faith. He fully believed that all of God’s promises belonged to him as a benefit of the covenant.

Marriage is one example of a covenant. At the moment Jeanie and I said our vows, what was mine became hers, and what was hers became mine. Our covenant gave her the authority, with one stroke of the pen, to write a check for everything I had.
Similarly, when you are born again, you are in covenant with God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Everything you have becomes His, and His unlimited resources become available to you. Your problems are now His, and every promise in the Bible is yours.

How to See Yourself
Before David could face Goliath, he needed to see himself as a giant-killer. Likewise, before you are ready to prevail over your problems, you must see yourself the way God sees you. After all, He is the One who has the most accurate picture of who you were created to be.

As you develop your relationship with God by spending time in His Word, worship, and in prayer, you will begin to see yourself as He does. He looks at you and says that you are His child, that you have His authority, and that, in Christ, you are more than a conqueror. You are not held back by your past reputation, by memories of past experiences, or by what others have said about you.

While people sometimes have a tendency to disqualify imperfection, God does not. He chooses to use imperfect people who have faith in a perfect God. If that is you, you qualify to prevail over your problems, and you are ready to be a giant-killer!

Speak to the Problem
When David came face to face with the giant, Goliath taunted and threatened him. David was not deterred by his size or his words. Instead, he confidently spoke out of the faith that was in his heart. He said, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head” (1Samuel 17:45).

Because of his relationship with God and the covenant they shared, David knew he could defeat Goliath. When he spoke the words of faith that were in his heart, the giant was already as good as dead! He took a stone and slung it at Goliath, hitting him in the forehead.

1 Samuel 17:50-51 gives this account: “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.” By speaking and acting on his faith, the previously unknown shepherd boy did what the mighty men of his day could not do.

Faith has a language that speaks with authority and confidence. It is totally dependent on God as it believes and speaks His Word. When a problem “talks” to you, you can (and should) speak to it just like David spoke to Goliath.

Suppose sickness says, “I’ve got you, and you are going to die.” You can say, “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done” (Psalm 118:17). If you are facing a giant financial problem, you can confidently say, “My God will meet all my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Every time you face a problem, you can open your Bible and find where God has promised to meet your particular need. Believe His Word, and speak to the problem just like David spoke to Goliath.

You Can Prevail
Here are some keys to help you prevail over problems:
1) Focus on God, not the problem.
2) Continually develop your relationship with God.
3) See yourself as God sees you.
3) Speak words that reflect your faith in God and His promises.

God is much bigger than any problem you will ever have. When you focus on how big He is, spend time with Him, and begin to speak His language – the language of faith – you can prevail over problems!

After all, He is the One who has the most accurate picture of who you were created to be.

As you develop your relationship with God by spending time in His Word, worship, and in prayer, you will begin to see yourself as He does. He looks at you and says that you are His child, that you have His authority, and that, in Christ, you are more than a conqueror. You are not held back by your past reputation, by memories of past experiences, or by what others have said about you.

While people sometimes have a tendency to disqualify imperfection, God does not. He chooses to use imperfect people who have faith in a perfect God. If that is you, you qualify to prevail over your problems, and you are ready to be a giant-killer!

Speak to the Problem
When David came face to face with the giant, Goliath taunted and threatened him. David was not deterred by his size or his words. Instead, he confidently spoke out of the faith that was in his heart. He said, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head” (1Samuel 17:45).

Because of his relationship with God and the covenant they shared, David knew he could defeat Goliath. When he spoke the words of faith that were in his heart, the giant was already as good as dead! He took a stone and slung it at Goliath, hitting him in the forehead.

1 Samuel 17:50-51 gives this account: “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the scabbard.  After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.” By speaking and acting on his faith, the previously unknown shepherd boy did what the mighty men of his day could not do.

Faith has a language that speaks with authority and confidence. It is totally dependent on God as it believes and speaks His Word. When a problem “talks” to you, you can (and should) speak to it just like David spoke to Goliath.

Suppose sickness says, “I’ve got you, and you are going to die.” You can say, “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done” (Psalm 118:17). If you are facing a giant financial problem, you can confidently say, “My God will meet all my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Every time you face a problem, you can open your Bible and find where God has promised to meet your particular need. Believe His Word, and speak to the problem just like David spoke to Goliath.

You Can Prevail
Here are some keys to help you prevail over problems:
1) Focus on God, not the problem.
2) Continually develop your relationship with God.
3) See yourself as God sees you.
4) Speak words that reflect your faith in God and His promises.

God is much bigger than any problem you will ever have. When you focus on how big He is, spend time with Him, and begin to speak His language – the language of faith – you can prevail over problems!

The greatest weapon you possess is the power of prayer. If you have an effective prayer life, it will keep you from being fearful and at the mercy of evil as it abounds in these last days. But if you are prayerless, you will also be    powerless.

Answered prayer is God’s idea. The Bible tells us that the “effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16) That means whenever someone who has been made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ prays, there is every reason to expect an answer. It makes a difference when you pray.

For your prayers to be effective, you need to believe that God exists and that He will answer you when you wholeheartedly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

The Bible instructs us to pray – over 250 times – and mentions “prayer,” “prayers,” and “praying” another 280 times. Prayer must be important to God! He wants a close relationship with you. He wants to be the one you run to with your problems and all of the situations you face. When you take your concerns to God, it makes a difference.

3-D’s of Prayer
God will never make you into a person of prayer. Your desire to pray is a good starting point, but if you are going to be strong in prayer, discipline will be required. It’s not always convenient or easy to pray, but it’s always the best choice you can make. When spending time with God becomes your top priority, you will find that praying becomes a delight.

Your heavenly Father wants you to know that when you delight yourself in Him, He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4) He literally places His desires inside you, and you’ll find yourself asking for the things He wants for you. When your will begins to line up with His in this way, your prayers become more powerful and filled with faith.

Pray the Promises
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God; if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15) You can be confident that God hears you and will answer when you pray “according to His will.” But how can you presume to know the will of God?

God’s Word is His will. If it’s in the Bible, you can be sure it’s what God wants for you. So when you have a need, find the promise – there are over 7000 of them in the Bible – that applies to your situation, and pray that promise. When you do, you will be praying according to the will of God. In Jeremiah 1:12, the Lord says, “…I am watching over my Word to perform it.” When you pray His Word, He will hear and bring it to pass.

Effective Prayer
Effective prayer can’t be reduced to a formula, but there are some keys from the Bible that will help you receive answers when you pray. Always remember though, that God doesn’t respond to your requests because of some ritual or pattern you follow. He is much more interested in your heart than your method.

Prayer connects you with your heavenly Father’s presence, and in His presence is everything you need. His wisdom, peace, confidence, and strength come to you as you pray. When your will lines up with God’s, your prayers are powerful and effective, releasing God’s power into the situations and the lives of the people you are praying for.

God is not reluctant to hear you and help you. He’s listening and waiting for you to call out to Him, and He is most willing to answer your prayers. When you pray effectively, you can receive the answers you need!

Here are some scriptural responses to questions about prayer:

WHO DO I ADDRESS WHEN I PRAY?
Jesus said, “…Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.” (John 16:23)

DOES GOD HEAR WHEN I PRAY?
“But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him.” (Psalm 4:3)

But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him.” (Psalm 4:3)

WHAT SHOULD MY ATTITUDE BE WHEN I PRAY?
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

WHAT SHOULD I PRAY ABOUT?
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

HOW DO I “PRAY THE PROMISE?”
God said, “Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together…” (Isaiah 43:26) The Living Bible puts it this way: “Oh, remind me of this promise…” You “pray the promise” by speaking forth what God says in His Word as you pray. You can say something like, “Lord, thank you that your Word says…”

WHEN SHOULD I PRAY?
“…pray without ceasing…” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

WHERE SHOULD I PRAY?
“I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting…” (1 Timothy 2:8)

WHAT IF I CAN’T PUT MY PRAYER INTO WORDS?
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

In Conclusion…
One of satan’s greatest fears must be that Christians  everywhere will one day rise up and pray with the      authority of God’s Word. If all of God’s power was      released at once, sin, satan, and all his demonic hosts would be totally destroyed. It’s time for you to arm    yourself with God’s willingness to perform His Word. Pray and release God’s power through your prayers.