Receiving Before We Receive — Jim Van Gelderen

Receiving Before We Receive: Prayer as Receiving

Let's go to the book of first John chapter number five if we could tonight. I want to deal with a subject that probably the last two years the last year particularly God has been intensifying his Teaching and illumination in my own heart.

I'm sure I've got much to go, but I'm excited about what God has opened my eyes, too. I don't know if you've ever experienced this in your Christian life. I assume you have where God opens your eyes to a truth.

It's always been there. You just didn't see it. Maybe you knew it intellectually but God had not yet really opened your eyes to it spiritually and when you get open to that truth. You feel like man. I just hit the motherlode.

I mean, this is tremendous truth and even though you may just feel like you're just partaking of a few nuggets. You know, there's a lot more there and that's what I feel about the subject that God has been literally Transforming my life on the last two years last year particularly in the subject.

We're in a deal with tonight. And tonight I'd like to deal with the subject of receiving before you receive. Receiving before you receive. Has anybody ever out here read the book quiet talks on prayer by SD Gordon gonna see your hands, please anybody at all okay, I'll have some of those coming in here in just a day or so and that is a book that really teaches along this Line of receiving before you receive, of course, the Bible teaches about receiving before you receive.

We're gonna see in just a moment in Mark 11, which we're not looking at right now. As well as this passage very clearly teaches that and we'll start with a premise and that is real praying is not just asking.

It's receiving. Real praying is not just asking it's receiving now. There's nothing wrong with asking and I'm not diminishing other aspects of prayer but I'm simply saying that many times we miss this aspect of praying and it is receiving before we receive and.

So let's begin reading at first John chapter number five Word of prayer begin the message look at verse number 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will he here with us.

And if we know that he air us whatsoever, we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. Lord, would you be with us tonight? And would you open our eyes to the simplicity of the truth that we can receive before we receive?

We can receive in that which is real in the eternal realm before we receive. Here in the temporal realm and Lord we can just as assured as know that we have received the answer though. We have not experienced it here on this planet.

So Lord, would you teach us tonight simple truths about this subject of prayer stir our faith and when I pray you give wisdom of words. I don't know the particular needs of this congregation, but you do Lord.

I'm asking that you would even guide an application. That even if it's different than I would plan that you would open my heart to different applications. So that God's people would be helped tonight and grow and we all would grow illumine our hearts and these truths.

We ask it in Jesus name. Amen, I Mentioned that my grandmother was a praying woman. She was one of those kind of people when you were around you sensed you were in the presence of the Lord. There are a few other people in my life that were like that.

But my grandmother was certainly one when she prayed as I mentioned she'd ushered you into the presence of God. But one of the remarkable things about my grandmother was that when her mind Failed her prayer life did not.

Now my grandmother had a lot when a lot of older people go through I'm not sure if you call it allheimer some would say she had some other issues was not that it was perhaps some issue of Dementia, I don't know but there came a point in my grandmother's latter years when she did not even know my name.

Nor did she know anybody else's name? This is amazing. She didn't even know the Lord's name, but she knew the Lord and she could still pray. She called him that good fellow. And it was a remarkable when she prayed it was like she really hadn't lost anything other than she couldn't remember the Lord's name.

But I remember when it was in the last years of my grandmother's life and she had it was a slow failing. It was probably ten years where that was that mental failing and some of you have had parents and you understand what I'm talking about our grandparents who this has occurred with and My wife and I as I mentioned last night or yesterday.

We had 11 years of marriage and five miscarriages. So we really we were praying about children. We were burdened about it. And I thought to myself, you know, I need to get grandma to pray for this just seemed like she just knew how to pray and and so I my wife and I were down in Florida at the time and and my uncle was taking care of my Grandmother at the time and we worked out to meet him somewhere and a restaurant or something.

I can't even remember exactly where it was. When we sat down and I remember I I tried to get her to understand my request and that was difficult. Took me a while to understand. We don't have children.

We're burdened and again, I'm not even sure she knew I was her grandson. But she she eventually she got the request or at least the idea of it and and she prayed. I do not remember a prayer at all. Prayer at all.

I wish I did but I don't remember a prayer. But I do remember this when she was done praying. She looked up at us and with confidence. She said you've got it and my uncle looked at me and said don't worry about that one.

He said I have never known mom to say you've got it where God didn't answer the prayer. Well, you've obviously last night saw two of the answer to prayer playing their violins. We have three little girls.

Well years later, in fact, it was just last year. My grandmother died in 1989 years later. Just last year aren't my uncle. I was with him at Christmas time and we were talking about that incident. He said oh, by the way, so did I ever tell you the rest of the story?

I said no you didn't. He said well when when you left I asked mom. I said mom. What did you mean when you said you've got it and she looked at my uncle and she said one two, maybe three. Now folks, I know that's a stunning illustration.

And I know some of you are sitting out here and say you've got to be kidding me. Here's a woman who doesn't even know anybody's name and yet She was confident God was going to give us three children or I call my little one.

My little ones maybe three. She made it in. Yeah, I know recognize that's a remarkable story and I recognize it jars you. I recognize that that's why I gave it to you. So you'll listen to the rest of the message.

And I recognize that it really raises a lot of questions. And I'm not sure I can answer them all. But I do want to jar you thinking how did she know. How did she know we had we got it? I Mean, how did she know we were gonna have three kids?

I Mean, it's almost humorous to me. I think the Lord has a sense of humor. Don't you you know here we are with our full faculties and we can't pray like that. Here's a woman doesn't even know the Lord's name, but she can still pray.

Comes to confidence about something. Well, the reason is I'm convinced because that marked her life. That was not an unusual thing. There's many times she's I don't worry about that one. God's enough and a moment we're gonna see some of the Methodology she used which was extremely biblical.

I Recognize it raises some questions and I recognize it jars us. That's all right, because I want us now to go to the Word of God and I wants to investigate this a little bit. Can we have confidence that God has heard and that we are going to receive before received?

Is that a biblical concept? I think in a moment We're gonna see a couple of passages Scripture that clearly teach us it is a biblical concept and then we're gonna try to see exactly what God says now.

Asking According to God's Will

I'm convinced folks. And I'm saying this to myself I'm convinced that we have we are far too Surprised when God wants us to come to confidence before something happens. In other words, sometimes we get surprised when God doesn't want us to be surprised.

As we're surprised when God answers prayer and we'll see some truths here that I trust will stir your heart. It certainly stirred mine. I look at verse number 14. It says this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will he hear of us now.

The first step if you're gonna receive before you receive we're just gonna go through this just then we'll we're gonna deal with some of The problems. Okay. First of all, you've got to ask according to his will.

So number one you got to ask according to his will but that's still not enough. Notice if we'd please verse 15 and if we know that he hear us whatsoever. We know that we have the petitions that we desired him not only must you ask according to his will don't miss this.

You must know that you've asked according to his will. Because when you know, you've asked according to his will, you know, he's heard you and if you know, he's heard you. You know, you have the petition that you desired.

So first of all, you've got to ask according to God's will. Number two. You've got to know that you've asked according to God's will and the number three. You've got to expect that God will do what he said he do.

Then do you see that very clearly ask according as well, you know that he's heard you that means you know that he's asked you've asked according as well because he promised to hear you if you ask according as well and then you Know that you have petitions of additions that you desire.

You know, you have them because you know, you've asked according as well and God's heard you. Okay, so we see all that we say then that sounds simple doesn't sound real simple. We say preacher. It's not that simple.

What's the problem in all those three? What's the problem? Well, the problem is how can we know we're praying according to God's will isn't that the problem? Well, that is the problem in a moment. We're going to deal with that just a little bit more.

So kind of tuck that one in the back pocket. We'll come back to it in a moment. How can we know we are praying according to God's will because if we know we're praying according to God's will we can pray with?

Assurance that we are going to get what we've asked for now. Let's look at one other passage of Scripture. If you don't mind going to mark chapter 11 to ask ourselves, are we on solid scriptural ground here?

And that's the thick the key. Are we on solid scriptural ground now go to verse number 22 of mark chapter 11. And let's see something here. I was with uh, oh, I guess it was about three months ago. My brother John who's as an evangelist.

He's had some men that he's over the years gotten to know. Many of them are younger than he is. My brother's just a year and a half younger than I am and He called them together in Chicago for a day of prayer and fasting.

And I'll never forget the morning. We were opening up the day and he had everybody go around and express what their burden was what they were burdened about on their Own Christian life and I never forget a young man.

I guess I say young man. He was in his 30s a young man said if you'd have told me five years ago that I was going to spend an entire Day in prayer and fasting. He said I told you crazy. You're crazy. He said I could hardly pray five minutes but you know that you know that that young man had traveled quite a few hours to get there and he was.

Absolutely, he could not he could not wait to be there and pray you say why because truth had just burst on his soul. So let's ask the Lord to burst on our soul. Truth that can can bring can can bring us the faith in this on this regard to prayer.

So let's look at verse 22 and Jesus answering saith unto them have faith in God. For verily I say unto you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea and shall Not doubt in his heart.

But shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass. Lou that's the present tense shall believe that they are coming to pass. He shall have whatsoever. He saith now look at this folks.

Therefore I say unto you what things so ever you desire when you pray believe that you receive them. That's in the past tense. In other words believe that you have received them and ye future tense shall have them.

So what God is saying here is he wants us to come to a place where when we pray we believe that when the spiritual eternal Realm we have already received them and in the future we shall have them it is receiving before we receive.

So this passage of scripture very clearly teaches us. Not only is this scriptural it really ought to be a part of our lives. You know think about the last prayer meeting when someone a pastor opened it for praises and somebody got up and praised God.

For answered prayer that had not yet been experienced. We don't do that very often doing. But I'm friends I have been in prayer meetings where men and women I'm complete can believe have God has brought them to faith.

And they have claimed the victory and they have thanked God for something that they have not yet experienced in the human realm. But as far as they concern spiritually they have received it and as far as God is concerned as far as they concern.

It's a done deal. Now again, I recognize that kind of jars us career. We're so used to praise meetings. Hallelujah. I prayed God answered prayer and there's nothing wrong with that. But I will tell you friends I'm convinced that we ought to praise God for answered prayer that has not yet manifest you say How can you say that?

Praising God Before the Victory Is Manifest

Okay, let's go and just in your mind for a moment. This is an illustration. Remember Jehoshaphat had that great host come against him and he of course went up and prayed and God a Holy Spirit fell upon one of the priests and the priest prophesied and said that Famous verse stand still and see what?

Salvation of the Lord. So, you know, it's awesome Jehoshaphat did he now was the victory won yet? No, there's no victory won. But as far as Jehoshaphat was concerned it was a done deal. God said there's gonna be deliverance.

He said there's gonna be deliverance. So instead of sending the armies out, you know, we send out the choir and orchestra. I Think you'd have second thoughts about being in the choir and orchestra. You say this is novel, you know, we're on the front lines.

That would be one case where I wish I was a brass player. I Mean facing a violin. I mean one guy one stroke. It's gone I mean it's over at least the brass instrument you can do some damage with it. I mean, you know.

You'd have to think about this, you know I don't know about you. I think I want a trombone. That would be that'd be a Knock him, you know at work with it. But he sends out the choir and orchestra and you know what?

He tells him to do. I want you to praise God. Folks in the physical realm there was no deliverance, but in the spiritual realm Jehoshaphat said it's a trans. We have transacted business with God and God has told us their salvation is coming.

So we're just gonna praise him and you know what happened? They started praising God for a victory that was not yet and guess what? There was a victory. We look at praise as a result, and I'm not saying that it does not have a place as a result.

But I'm telling you I'm convinced that praise moves the hand of God praise is a catalyst. And so keep that in mind as we go through what we're talking about here receiving before you receive now go back to the text.

If you would please and notice in verse 23, it gives us a little bit of clues here. Whosoever shall say into this mountain be thou removed to be thou cast in the sea and shall not doubt in his heart. Now I'm convinced that people who receive before they receive come to a complete confidence.

We're gonna see this in a moment where they do not doubt in their heart. But they believe that the things which they have spoken or they've requested are coming to pass. And the Bible says if you do that you will then you'll receive you shall have whatsoever you say it now you say, okay preacher.

How then can we come to that kind of confidence? How can we come to know that what I'm requesting or what I have requested is the will of God and I can with Confidence know that he's heard and in the eternal realm.

I have received and I've already received it and in the future. I shall have it. It will be manifest in the temporal realm. So how do we come to that kind of confidence? Well, that's a good question. It certainly is one that we need to answer because both texts seem to indicate that that's the key.

Coming when we do not doubt in our heart, but we know that God has heard us. Well, there's a little key here in verse number 22. The Bible says and Jesus answering saith unto them have faith in God. Now I think all of us out here would recognize at this point.

That there's one way for sure that we can know that we come to confidence and that is obviously folks. Every promise of God is a revelation of God's will. In other words, let's put it this way if God gives us a promise then he wants to fulfill it.

The Bible teaches us in the Lord's Prayer that I will be done on earth as it is in heaven. You know, that's a scriptural prayer to pray. Friends, do you realize that in God's will is not always done on earth?

It's a stunning thought. And you know what? I'm convinced when a Christian comes into union with God's will and he asked God for something that he is is his will he Comes he says Lord your will be done.

This is your will Lord. You promised it. You've said it it's your will and they claim the promise of God the devil's will is defeated and God's will will be done. In fact, it's stunning to find in Psalm 78 that the children of Israel the Bible says limited the Holy One of Israel.

How do they limit him by their unbelief? That's how they limited him. So either friend God's will is being done or Satan's will is being done and when you and I come into union with God's will. Then Satan is defeated.

Elijah, Deuteronomy, and Claiming God's Promises

Because gotten out there folks think about this for a moment. Let me use an illustration here. To help us and obviously the Word of God reveals God's will so we're going here to the Word of God and we're gonna move From there, but let's start with the obvious.

I Want you to think about a man. His name was Elijah. The Bible says he was a man of like passions. You know that I don't encourage you. Elijah was not a super Christian. In fact, God's Word gives us an honest portrait that the man was a man of like passions.

He understood discouragement and fell prey to it. He was a man just like you. He got up in the morning just like you he was not what we call a super Christian. In fact, I'm convinced nobody's a super Christian.

It's not us. It's the emphasis. We've got a wonderful God. So, uh, so Elijah the Bible makes it clear. He was he was a man just like we but he saw a wonderful answer to prayer. Now this is what I don't want you to miss about Elijah because sometimes we pass over this.

Okay, what did Elijah pray for? What was his first prayer request that he prayed for that? It might not. Okay. Now I want you to understand this for a moment. What was going on in the land of Israel? They were of course they were going after idols.

They had now gone after Baal worship. I mean folks you have to understand that when they set up the golden calf, they still called that Jehovah worship. We recognize it was a problem but now they'd even turn from Jehovah worship, even though it was perverted and now they had turned full-blown into paganism and They'd gone after other gods.

There's no excuse the Word of God was so clear on this. They could have you know, they cut they obviously were playing a game over here. But now they totally rejected that and now they're going full-blown into paganism now in the book of Deuteronomy.

If you will read it, you will find over and over that God emphasizes this that if you go into idolatry, I Will remove my hand of blessing and among among other things. He said it will not rain. Now I want to ask you a question think for a moment.

These people are in full-blown apostasy. They've gone after idols and Elijah played praise fervently that it might not rain. What does that indicate that it was? No, think about this for a moment. Why would he have to pray that it might not rain?

It means that at that point it was. No, think about whether okay. Well, let's go back for a moment. It's like okay. What's going on outside right now? So why if Elijah was praying that it might not rain?

What did that mean? It was doing it was it was raining now they're in full-blown apostasy and It's raining. So what do you think Elijah did? Now friends, this is what I love about the book of Hebrews chapter 11.

It says talking about the men of faith don't miss this they obtained Promises. So, you know Elijah did he got on his knees? He said the Lord. You said in Deuteronomy if they go into full-blown apostasy that you're going to withhold your reign now Lord.

It's raining Lord you've got to honor your word. You said it wouldn't rain. You see it friends He obtained the promise. See Satan's will was being done and Elijah comes along says Lord. It's not right and It's your word that says it's not right and it's not your will that it rains when we're in apostasy so no Lord you do your will and Elijah walked up to Ahab and said and I'm Pardon the vernacular.

He said buddy. You're in trouble. It's not raining anymore. Now, where did he get that kind of confidence he got that kind of confidence from the Word of God. He obtained the promise. Okay, so understand that the first place have faith in God.

Well, obviously we know that God has revealed himself in his word. So we know that the first place we can come to confidence about what is God's will and the first place we can come to Confidence about this matter of prayer is the Word of God.

The Christian School and “It Is Time for Thee to Work”

My brother John asked my aunt my grandmother's daughter asked her when when grandma would get a request when somebody call her up and have a big need at. What was her habit? What would she do? So that she could come to confidence about the request and my aunt without hesitation.

So that's easy. She don't miss this. She'd go to the Bible and she'd read all of the promises That God had used before to stir her to faith. She'd read all of those things and Then if she didn't sense any of those that God had was leading her to claim she would she'd look at other places.

But she continually go to the Word of God until some promise God used to God and stir her faith. You can claim this. In many of you heard the story that one time George Mueller read the Bible through two and a half times.

Before he came to confidence that God was going to hear his prayer. So we obviously know faith comes by hearing and hearing by Word of God. So the only way we're going to come to faith if we want to use that or come to confidence.

About what we're asking is obviously to be immersing ourselves in the Word of God. In fact, one of the things we now do when the minuteman evangelistic team when our when our youth meeting is every day.

Our team gets together for prayer and many times we have open Bibles. Well recently I was in a Christian school I'll not say where it's a Christian school that had a little bit different philosophy. It was kind of a huge open Roman and and as a result of that there were needs everywhere.

And I have to give him credit they were really burdened about it and they were bringing preaching in they were they wanted to see God do it work and. And yet there was it was obviously it was kind of in a rundown section of town.

It was kind of a ghetto mentality there and many of the kids came from Dysfunctional homes and it was a very difficult setting and I remember in our prayer meetings. You know the verse that God led us to and one by one I believe God began to stir our hearts with it and it was this verse it is Time for thee to work for they have made void thy law.

And we said no Lord look around this these kids are making these kids are making void thy law. No, Lord, it's your word. You said it's time for you to work. I don't tell you some friends I don't know if I've ever seen God work like this among ghetto kids.

It was the final night and We had a little campfire and it was raining so we weren't able to have our campfire service. So we left the service we went down to the campfire and I said, okay kids if God's dealt with this week.

You want to pitch something. The fire and far more was pitched in than I imagined. Now I have to understand I was a little concerned going down there a little back that you know, the kids are you know?

They the kids, you know, they're just gonna kind of just lose the atmosphere and and you know Cut up you it was like a funeral dirge down and like a funeral dirge back. I Said to myself God's doing something.

I Never forget I got back up in there. I could sense that God's doing something. I preached for five minutes now. That's unusual five minutes. I gave an invitation. It's really all I did. 15 kids walked out to get saved.

I'll never forget as soon as they did. I closed the service with a word of prayer and a little boy I shouldn't say little boy freshman boy Stood to his feet. He's a preacher. Could I say something? I said sure he comes up to the platform.

He begins to weep. He'd be getting all the meetings over. He begins to sob. He said would you pray for my daddy? He said my daddy's going straight to hell. He began to wail. I Was kind of taking it back.

I well that's different and I will tell you one by one kids began to weep for lost relatives and and others began to weep over their sin. One girl gets up and and she Just got a broken her about sin in her life.

Another boy guts up and said listen I don't listen to the wrong kind of music. But I've been downloading it off the internet and sell it to you for dirt cheap. And he said I want you to forgive me and and and God began to break through.

I want to tell you something. It was time for God to work because they had made void his law. We were on biblical ground. Do you see it friends? Listen, and it was a great thrill when God leads us and he illumines a scripture.

In other words, it stirs us to faith. Yes, that's the verse we can claim. That's said the Lord that applies. See that's what Elijah did. So we first of all recognize that we can be stirred to faith by the Word of God and we all recognize that and I don't Want to diminish that at all in what what I'm about to say you say, okay preacher I can see that but we've got another problem and the problem is simply this.

Praying When God’s Will Is Unclear

What do you do? When you're not for sure what God's will is. My mother died of cancer in 1989 after battling it for nine years. We never we never could pray with confidence for healing. We prayed for healing but we never prayed with confidence.

My nephew got cancer when he was two years old actually got it as a baby. But it was manifested at two years old. Some of you know this story. When he got cancer, my brother Was reading the Word of God and there in first Kings and he was saying Lord, how do I pray?

How should I pray for my son? Obviously he wanted his son to live. I Said Lord, how do I pray for my son and God? Used the passage of Scripture to stir his heart up to pray this way that was that passage where the boy dies and The Prophet comes and raises him from the dead and God used that passage to believe that he believed God had stirred him to pray this way to pray that it would be the worst possible Cancer that could possibly be and that there were no medical survivors and then he believed God led him to pray that God would heal.

Now that's an you can know that God has led you because that's not the way a parent would pray. How would we pray Lord help him when they open up his head for it not to be there when that and that the way.

We'd pray not saying that's wrong. But he came to confidence that he could pray for the worst possible cancer. No way to for him to be healed humanly and then God healed. That's how he began to pray. So you can imagine the surgeon's surprise when he walked into the room with my brother and sister-in-law and he sat down he said I've got Terrible news.

I've taken the tumor out of your son's head and he named the name of the cancer. He said I've studied there are only 60 medical cases in history extremely rare. He said there's only 60 cases in medical history.

He said I've studied them all all of them have died within six months. Can you imagine when my brother looked at my sister-in-law and smiled? He probably thought these people are losing it. We're going to put them down in the funny bar.

Well this boy Wayne Van Gelder III just graduated from college a year ago. It's on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal and it was a it was a quote from his surgeon. It was a miracle in Fact his surgeon attended the ceremony.

Because he promised my brother and sister-in-law if that boy graduates from college. He said I'm gonna come I promise y 'all come to his ceremony. And he did. Now I want to ask you a question. How come we could pray for the healing of Wayne the third?

With confidence and yet we could never come to confidence about praying for my mother. Face it folks. Isn't that one of the enigmas of life? So you say preacher what do we do when we don't know for sure what God's will is?

And there's a lot of different things we could talk about here. Well, we're not knowing for sure what God's will now some things. We know it's God's will. For instance folks. I guarantee this you can pray tonight with confidence for lost relatives.

And you can be confident that the Holy Spirit of God will convict them. It is Holy Spirit conviction is the will of God. Luke 11 verse 13 if he then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children.

How much more you your father in heaven which is in heaven give good give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him and I'm Convinced based on the parable there in that passage. We talked about this last time I was here that God is giving us a foundation to pray for the Holy Spirit of God to do that convicting work that only he Can do with confidence that he will do it.

I'm convinced that if you will pray for lost relatives based on Luke 11 or some other passage of Scripture that God's Holy Spirit will convict Him. I am convinced you can absolutely go to the bank that God will convict him.

Now I recognize there's a dilemma Theologically about their human will and and God's work and all of that kind of thing. And I I'm not going to get into that tonight that I think we could and for time.

We'll not do that but I will say bare minimum and I believe there's times you can God does lead you to pray with confidence that they'll get saved. We'll deal with that in a moment, but bare minimum you can pray for the lost with absolute assurance that God will convict them so.

So there are some things we can pray with assurance, but there's other things. Well, we're not sure about healing or what God's will is or like for instance. We go into a week and obviously we know God wants us to what wants to work, but we don't know the extent or the timing.

Are we part of the seed planting? Are we part of the watering? Are we part of the harvest? You see friends even coming in the week. I'm not sure exactly what God wants to do. So what do we do when we're in a situation?

We're not sure exactly how to pray. Oh, we got some overarching principles. But how do we pray specifically for the will of God? Well, I'm glad you asked the question because there is a verse of Scripture that answers it.

Let's go to Romans chapter 8. Would you do that go to Romans chapter 8? Romans chapter 8 and if you would please look at verse number 26. And we're trying to fall gotta go through a logical thing here tonight.