Our ‘Present Possessions’

The Lord has been graciously teaching me how I can receive from Him more readily. Earlier today, He led me to a familiar promise in Scripture which says: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that 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 NIV) Although I’ve read these verses many times, and even claimed them in faith, this time the Lord wanted me to focus on a portion of the Amplified translation, which says, “We also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.” (v.15) The phrase “present possessions” clicked in my spirit. And I knew that God was telling me that once I prayed about something that I believed was His will, I was to view it as a done deal.

Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24 NIV) Here again, the Lord was telling me that when I ask Him for something, I was to believe that it was already done in the spiritual realm, even if it had not yet manifested in the natural realm. And how did God want me to express my faith that what I prayed for was indeed my “present possession”? I was to thank and praise Him for it before it manifests.

The Lord has a multitude of blessings, rewards, and opportunities just waiting for us in the spiritual realm. But we can only receive them by faith. What is it that you don’t have right now, that you would like to receive as your “present possession” today?