MAKING GOD MOVE | Living In The Balance Of Grace And Faith By Andrew Wommack

MAKING GOD MOVE

Faith is simply our positive response to what God has already done by grace. Faith is not something you do to get God to respond. This is a major misconception in the body of Christ among those who emphasize faith.

They often take scriptures like Mark 11:23, and only emphasize what you have to do. Some have even come up with the opinion that they are forcing God, that they’re making God move. This is how we came up with such statements as, “Faith moves God.” God isn’t the one who’s stuck. He’s not the one who needs to move. God moved before you ever had a problem. He moved through Jesus. Every person who will ever be healed was healed two thousand years ago through Jesus. Every person who will ever be saved was already forgiven two thousand years ago through Christ. Every person who will ever be blessed, have joy, peace or whatever, it’s already been done two thousand years ago through Jesus.

You don’t need God to move. You don’t need Him to come and touch you or heal you. God has already provided everything. You can’t make Him do anything. If your attitude is, “I’m going to make God heal me, I’m going to make the power of God flow,” that’s arrogance gone to seed. It will cause frustration in your life as you try to twist God’s arm

and force Him to do something. That’s not consistent with the Word at all.

FAITH APPROPRIATES

Faith doesn’t move God. He has already moved by grace. Faith is just your positive response to what you believe God has already provided. Faith only appropriates what God has already provided by grace. If God hasn’t already provided it by grace, then your faith can’t make it happen.

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; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Mark 11:23-24

This passage has been taught repeatedly by people who emphasize faith. They say, “We have power and authority, and there are certain things that we have to do to see God’s will come to pass.” That’s true, but it can be taken to an extreme—to the point that you believe you can literally “make” God do anything. “Whatsoever you want, just say it! Believe that you

receive, and God has to do it.” You’ll hear people use that kind of terminology as they say, “We’re going to grab hold of God and not let go until we make the power of God flow.”

We see this in the body of Christ right now with much of the prayer and intercession for revival. People believe that God is up there with His arms folded, thinking, You bunch of hypocrites! They say, “God isn’t moving or pouring out His power on people to be saved, healed, and delivered because He’s upset with us. So what we must do is get people together to pray and repent. But He won’t listen to just one or two of us. We have to have hundreds of thousands, even millions of people praying. We have to put pressure on God and stay after Him. Let’s get on a twenty- four hour chain and not let go until we just literally badger God and make Him release His power and pour out revival!” They might not use those exact words, but that is the attitude that is prevalent in the body of Christ—that we are making God move and pour out His power. That’s an affront to God! It’s implying that you love people more than He does!

BE A CHANNEL

Earlier in my life, I participated in all of these things that I’m teaching against now. I myself have done them, so I have an understanding and compassion for people who are doing what I’m speaking against.

But since then, I’ve grown and matured in God’s Word and I no longer do those things I once did. I remember leading “all night” prayer meetings that never lasted past one or two in the morning. That’s before we could pray in tongues. You can pray for the whole world in thirty minutes if you don’t know how to pray in tongues!

I remember praying so hard that I was literally screaming, yelling, and pounding my fist against the wall. I said, “God, if You love the people in Arlington, Texas, half as much as I do, we would have revival!” As soon as that left my lips, I knew that something was seriously wrong with my theology. I was trying to get God to be as compassionate as I was, which is exactly what many people do in prayer. They say, “Oh God, don’t You care about our country? Oh Lord, why are You pouring Your Spirit out over in Africa? Why don’t we see very many miracles? Oh God, please move here!” It’s like we honestly don’t believe that God loves people as much as we do. Something is seriously wrong with that kind of thinking.

When you intercede for someone, perhaps your spouse or children, do you pray in such a way that you imply that you love them more than the Lord does? Why would you approach Him that way? It’s because you don’t believe that God has already done His part. You think He’s waiting until somebody rises up and prays, and then He responds to your prayer with action. That’s wrong, but it’s the way most people are thinking today. That’s you taking too

much responsibility, and thinking that you can make God move.

At a recent meeting, a woman came up to me saying, “I know the Lord hears your prayers. Would you please pray that God would move and save my husband?”

I answered, “What do you want me to pray? How can I get God any more motivated to save your husband than what He already is? He already sent His Son to die for you. You’re implying that God isn’t as motivated as I am.” I told this woman, “You’re approaching this whole thing wrong. Instead of approaching God as an adversary and trying to make Him do something, you ought to start praising God that He loves your husband more than you do. You ought to start praising God for the great things He’s done, and just be a channel of His love flowing towards your mate.”

WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE

Many people err, trying to force God to do something. They take scriptures like Mark 11:24, and say, “I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart that I can rob a bank and get away with a million dollars without being caught.” After all, doesn’t Mark 11:24 say “whatsoever”? Isn’t robbing a bank a “whatsoever”? Of course, most people don’t believe you can use scripture to get away with robbing a bank, but you need to understand why that

isn’t true. Why can’t we use Mark 11:24 to go rob a bank?

A certain woman started a faith- oriented Bible school in Arlington, Texas. What she desired was to be the wife of well-known evangelist and Bible teacher Kenneth Copeland. So she put on a wedding gown and had an actual wedding ceremony where she “married” Kenneth Copeland “in the spirit.” Of course, he wasn’t physically there. But she stood on Mark 11:24 and “married him in the spirit.” She desired Kenneth Copeland to be her husband, so she confessed it and “stood” on this scripture in “faith” for it.

The problem was, Kenneth was already married to Gloria Copeland. This lady in Arlington viewed Gloria as her mountain, so she cursed her and commanded her to die so she would get out of the way. She went ahead and “married” Kenneth “in the spirit,” and she was just waiting for Gloria to die so she could go ahead and consummate the marriage with Kenneth. That was over thirty years ago. This “consummation” hasn’t happened yet, and it isn’t going to happen.

Most people would say that this woman was way off in her belief. That this scripture does not apply to her situation. Why not? The Bible clearly says “whatsoever things you desire.” Isn’t wanting somebody else for a mate a “whatsoever”? Isn’t that a desire? The Word says that whatsoever things you

desire when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them. This is a promise. Why can’t you claim another person? Why can’t you curse their mate and command them to die? The answer to this is found in the balance of grace and faith.

Faith only appropriates what God has already provided by grace. If God hasn’t already provided it, your faith can’t make God do anything. The reason you can’t go out and successfully rob a bank using Mark 11:24 is because God didn’t provide for thievery in His atonement. Grace hasn’t already provided the means to steal from others. The reason you can’t curse another person and command them to die and then marry their mate is because God didn’t provide for murder and adultery in His atonement. Mark 11:24 doesn’t make God do anything. It’s talking about discovering what He’s already provided. Then, if you will believe, your faith will reach out and appropriate what God has already provided by His grace. If you could just understand that, it would revolutionize your relationship with God.

A TOTALLY DIFFERENT ATTITUDE

Many people are trying to get God to do something. They’re struggling to receive, saying, “I’m trying to believe God that He’ll do this.”

Once you understand the balance of grace and faith,

it takes the struggle out of receiving from God. How can you doubt that God will do what He’s already done? If it’s done by God’s grace, then it’s already done. Grace is not something that is going to happen. It’s something that has already been done. Jesus already died for the sins of the whole world. He’s already died to provide forgiveness of our sins, the healing of our bodies, and the deliverance from all these things. It’s already done. If Jesus has already died for you and it’s already done— “by whose stripes ye were [past tense] healed” (1 Peter 2:24)— how can you doubt that He will do what He’s already done? This understanding takes all the struggle out of it.

Many people go to a meeting saying, “Oh God, I’m just believing that You’re going to heal me. I know You’re going to heal somebody, and I’m believing that You’ll hear me. I’m believing for You to heal me.” There’s an element of doubt in those words. There is uncertainty and anxiety. If it hasn’t already happened, then there’s a possibility that it won’t.

When you come to a meeting say, “Father, I thank You that I’ve already been healed. It’s already been done. I know it’s mine, and hallelujah, I’m receiving.” There’s a totally different attitude in a person who is just trusting and relying upon what God has already done versus someone who is trying to get God to do something.

Really, the audacity of people to think that we can

make God do things defies logic. Yet this is basically where religion is today. Religion is trying to force God in a myriad of ways. So we don’t believe He’ll do it for one, two, or ten people, then get a hundred million. “If we could get so many people praying at the exact same moment, that would put pressure on God and make Him move.” Nonsense! That’s not what these scriptures are teaching.

QUIT TRYING, START TRUSTING

We need to understand that God, by grace, has already done everything. And if He’s done it, then it’s just a matter of resting in what He’s already done. It’s just a matter of reaching out by faith to receive it. When you realize that by the stripes of Jesus you’re already healed, then it’s easy to say, “If I’m already healed, then that means in the spirit realm I already have this power on the inside of me. Instead of struggling, Lord, I’m just going to rest in what You’ve already done. It’s a done deal.”

You need to quit trying to get healed and start trusting that you’ve already been healed. There’s a huge difference between the two.

When Jamie and I first started out in the ministry, we were so poor that we couldn’t even pay attention. We really struggled financially, and it was my own fault. At times, Jamie and I would go weeks without eating much.

The Bible I was using to pastor my first church was one that I had taken with me through my days as a soldier in Vietnam. It was a mildewed mess! I had written all over in it and had taped nearly every page to keep it together. Entire books—not just chapters, but books— of the Bible were gone. They’d fallen out. Many times I would open my Bible and say, “Let’s turn over to…” and the book I was looking for wasn’t there. I’d just have to quote the passage from memory. That’s one reason I can quote so many scriptures. I had to remember passages because I didn’t even have a whole Bible.

Finally, I decided that I just had to believe God and start seeing some of these truths work somewhere in my life. I drew a line in the sand and declared, “This is it! I believe God for a new Bible.” You might have a hard time relating to this but honestly, it took me six months to believe for an extra twenty dollars so that I could buy a Bible. You may think, Well, that’s just a matter of priorities. You were using your money for other things. When Jamie and I were first married, our entire income for the first twelve months of our marriage was $1,253. We paid $100 a month rent plus utilities. I don’t know how that works! Our second year’s income jumped up to $2,500 over twelve months. So we made a total of $3,753 in twenty-four months. We were struggling, to say the least. When I say it took me six months to believe for twenty extra dollars for a Bible, know that I was putting a very high priority on it.

YOU’VE ALREADY GOT IT

During that period of time, I struggled. Satan was telling me, “You’ll never get a new Bible. It will never work!” For me, I felt that our ministry was going to stand or fall based on whether or not I could believe God for this twenty extra dollars to go purchase a Bible. After six months, I finally had enough money so I went and bought a Bible. I had my name engraved on it. When I walked out of that bookstore with that Bible under my arm, instantly I quit doubting that I’d get it.

Prior to that time, there wasn’t ten minutes during my waking hours that I didn’t have some fear, anxiety, or thought of unbelief that my faith would not work. I continually thought, “You can’t get it.

Some man of God you are. You can’t even believe for a Bible!” I had to deal with such thoughts constantly. But as soon as I had that Bible in my hand, I quit doubting that I’d get it. You’re probably thinking, Well of course! Why would you doubt that you’re going to get it if you’ve already got it? That’s my point exactly.

Are you sitting there saying with your mouth, “I’m healed,” but then your next thought is, I’m going to die. I don’t know if I’ll ever get better. What will my funeral be like? Then you catch yourself and say, “No, in the name of Jesus.” The reason you waver so in

your faith and deal with all these thoughts is because you are thinking that God will respond to your faith and heal you. If only you could understand that God healed you before you ever became sick, before you were ever born, before you ever had a problem—God has already healed you. According to Ephesians 1:19-23, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead already dwells in you. You have raising-from-the-dead power at your disposal. Jesus gave you the authority to use this power to speak to this mountain and command it to be removed. Once you understand that God has already done it, how can you doubt that He’ll do what He’s already done?

If you’re struggling and saying, “Well, I’m trying to believe, but I just don’t know if I’ll ever get healed,” it’s because you don’t understand that faith just appropriates what God has already provided. You are still thinking that God is going to respond to you— that when you do everything correctly, including holding your mouth just right and confessing so many times, then God will release His power. You still think that God is responding to your faith. No, your faith is a response to God’s grace. When you get those things mixed up, you’ll always be frustrated.