Robert Murray McCheyne, the great Scottish prayer warrior, said that we must “Learn that urgency in prayer does not so much consist in vehement pleading as in vehement believing.”¹ Prayer is good. Believing that you receive when you pray is better. It’s perfect Bible order. It’s the way Jesus taught us to obtain answers to prayer.

Listen to the Audio

Click Play to Listen | Right Click to Download | Subscribe in Stitcher Radio

Why You Don’t Have to Be Sick in Light of the Bible

[Tweet “If God said ‘Yes’ to your request, how would you respond, that’s believing you receive?”]

Read the Notes

You can view a ‘no frills’ transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.

Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.

Join the Conversation

Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believers life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Episode Resources

You can find more information on the subject of ‘Who Jesus Is’ by clicking on the links above.

1. Encountering Jesus in Your Everyday Life.
2. #S4-005: What to Do When Your Family Thinks Your Nuts about Jesus [Podcast] 
3. #S3-030: Do You Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus? [Podcast]
4. #S1-033: Three Things Jesus Did that You Can Do [Podcast]
5. #S1-020: What Happens When You Encounter Jesus? [Podcast]
6. #S5-010: Just Who Is Jesus to You? [Podcast]
7. #S5-011: The Zoe Life of God in the Person of Jesus [Podcast]
8. #S5-012: Seven Witnesses to the Mission of Jesus [Podcast]

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 42 years ago. He has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 38 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

Subscribe to the Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe.

 Stitcher Radio                      Google Play

iTunes                                         PlayerFM

 Spotify

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic, you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com

---

Podcast Notes

Jesus Talks Prayer and the Concept ‘Believe You Receive’

Mark 11:22–24 (KJV) — 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 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. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Before You Believe You Receive, Desire the Benefit

• The Greek word ‘desire’ means to ask or request.
• It means to make a request or demand something from somebody.
• It’s important to know that the word ‘desire’ does not mean intense longing.
• Even though the word translated here as desire does not mean ‘intense longing,’ I think that you can readily see that you have to desire something before you pray.
• No one can desire it for you.
• Desire, then, is a part of asking.
• You can readily see that you have to desire something before you pray.
• No one can desire it for you.
• You must do that yourself.
• So, Jesus is saying that when you are praying, when you are making a demand on one of His promises, there is else you need to do.
• An answer to prayer doesn’t just materialize because you got on your knees.
• Surely, It doesn’t come just because you asked.
• It doesn’t happen because you ended your prayer with the words, ‘in Jesus Name.’
• No, after you pray and after you invoke the Name, you must do something else.
• You must “Believe that you receive.”
• Now, that’s a phrase that has caused people some problems.
• What did Jesus mean when He said ‘believe that you receive’?
• How do you do that?

A Simple Way to Understand What It Means to Believe that You Receive

• A straightforward way to explain believing that you receive is by thinking what your response is to a God who cannot lie.
• Asking this from a natural standpoint, how would you react if the person you asked for the favor of $100.00 was a millionaire?
• And, this millionaire told you if you needed $100.00, just ask and he would help you out?
• Would you make plans for the $100.00?
• Might you start thinking about what you were going to do with that money instead?
• Maybe you had your eyes on a new piece of clothing or some new tool you would like to buy?
• You wouldn’t sit there and wonder whether or not he was going to come through, would you?
• This millionaire is a man you know very well.
• He told you if you asked the answer is yes.
• You wouldn’t sit around and wonder where he was going to get the money from.
• So, what is all of that?
• First, it’s faith in the millionaire.
• Second, it’s believing you receive from the millionaire.

If You Can Believe You Receive from a Millionaire, You Work with God the Same Way

• Well, you work with God the same way.
• God said all of His promises carry His ‘yes’ stamp of approval.
• He has a gazillion times the resources of any millionaire or billionaire.
• Your acting on that is faith in God.
• Your acting like He has already given you the money is believing you receive.
• Let’s use another illustration along this line.
• Here you are you’ve applied for a loan from a banker.
• The banker calls you and tells you that you are approved and that the check is in the mail.
• If you want to know what ‘believe you receive’ means think about how you would react?
• Would you go out to the mail-box the next day expecting the check to be there?
• What if it wasn’t there, what you do?
• Would you go and call another bank and try to take out a loan with them?
• No, you would be patient knowing the check will arrive.
• That’s ‘believing you receive.’

Why It’s Vital to Pay Attention to the Order of Mark 11:24

• The order of Mark 11:24 is vital so let’s listen to it again.

Mark 11:24 (KJV) — 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

• Notice the chain here as Jesus lays it out.
  • First, you desire.
  • Second, you pray.
  • Third, you believe you receive.
  • Fourth, and you shall have them.
• When do you receive what you desired?
• The answer is after you believe that you receive.
• If you mess the order up, you mess the answer up.
• The answer to your prayer will not come until you believe that you receive it.
• You cannot reverse the order; you cannot pray and hope that you’ll get it and when you do then believe it AFTER you receive.
• No, you must believe that you receive first then you will get it.
• It becomes yours when you act like it is yours, talk like it is yours and respond in every situation like it’s yours.

Believe You Receive: Jesus and the Coming of the Holy Spirit

• In John fourteen, Jesus communicates to His disciples that He is going to ask God for something.
• Do you hear that?
• Jesus is praying.
• He is making a prayer request of His Father.
• You can learn something about prayer and believing you receive by watching Jesus at prayer.

John 14:16 (KJV) — 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

• The Greek word ‘pray’ means to ask to request v. — to ask (a person) to do something.
• Now, drop down to verse twenty-six.

John 14:26 (KJV) — 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

• Remember, Jesus hasn’t prayed yet.
• But even though He hasn’t, He is already talking like the Spirit of God coming is a done deal.
• Jesus is telling His disciples and you everything that the Spirit is going to do when He gets here.
• And, He’s doing that even before He prayed.

Believe You Receive: Jesus and the Ten Lepers

Luke 17:11–14 (KJV) — 11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

• Jesus told these ten lepers to go and shew themselves to the priests.
• Per Jewish law, you were not allowed to shew yourself to the priest until you were clean.
• When speaking of leprosy, cleansed means healed.
• So, the lepers headed out in obedience to Jesus command.
• So, why would ten lepers head on over to see a priest, if they weren’t clean?
• Because they believed they received their healing.
• Going to see the priest is evidence of their faith.
• The lepers believed they received.
• Notice what the scripture says was the result of their believing.
• As they went, they were made clean.
• ‘As they went’ means as they were walking.
• Now, they could have stood there and argued with Jesus.
• They could have said to Him, “Jesus, We can’t go to the priest, we are still sick with leprosy.”
• “You have to heal us first.”

The Lepers Got the Order Right

• Can you see that’s mixing the order up?
• That’s trying to have your healing before you believe you receive your healing.
• The lepers had to act like Jesus told them the truth.
• They had to believe that he wasn’t just sending them on a wild goose chase.
• The leper could have an inner conversation something like this.
• “Jesus, if you are sending me to the priest it must be because I have a right to go because I am a healed man.”
• So, I’m going to take you at your word and take one step towards the direction of the priest.
• I’m still a leper, but I’m going to keep on walking because you said to go to the priest.”
• You have to get this straight, when are you going to have the answer?
• Not until you believe that you receive it.
• You cannot reverse the order; you cannot pray and hope that you’ll get it and when you do then believe it.
• No, you must believe that it’s yours first and act like it is, talk like it is and respond in every situation and against every feeling and thought that would try to tell you different.

Believe You Receive: The Nobleman’s Son

John 4:46–50 (KJV) — 46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth.

• This man is a ‘nobleman.’
• The Greek word means an official in the service of a king or queen or other royalty.
• So, this nobleman was one of King Herod’s royal officials.
• With that thought here’s the Historical Background of the day.
• This nobleman was from Capernaum.
• He came from Capernaum to where Jesus was at Cana.
• The distance between these two places was a little over 20 miles.
• It’s quite a journey this royal official undertook.
• But, he wasn’t coming to Jesus as an official dignitary.
• He laid all that aside.
• This man came as a father looking for healing for his son.
• The long trip magnifies the intense desire this father had to see his child well.
• But, not only is a father’s longing for the health of his son in view, this twenty-mile trip shows strong faith in Jesus healing ability.
• Why would this man walk this great distance if he wasn’t convinced it was worth the trip?

How Far Would You Go to Receive from God?

• The challenging question that arises is how far you would go to obtain your healing?
• Would you walk twenty miles for your healing?
• The Greek word ‘besought’ in the KJV means in context] to beseech someone on someone’s behalf.²
• It is the same word found in Luke 4:38.

Luke 4:38 (ESV) — 38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf.

• Several commentators said that the sense of the word ‘besought’ is in ‘the continuous sense’ conveying the thought of a persistent request. The man’s need was urgent. He pressed his plea.³

Jesus Challenges Us to Believe without Seeing Miracles

• Why did Jesus say to this father, “Except you signs and wonders, you will not believe?”
• The word ‘you’ is plural in the Greek and so you could translate this as “Except you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe?”
• Jesus is not just speaking to this father but to everyone in hearing distance.
• Specifically, Jesus is speaking to the Galileans.
• And, more than likely Jesus is speaking to Galilean Jews.
• There is scriptural evidence that the Jews had an inclination towards signs.

John 2:18 (ESV) — 18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?”

1 Corinthians 1:22 (ESV) — 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,

Matthew 16:1–4 (ESV) — 1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

• Seeing before believing is having the cart before the horse.
• A faith that has as its basis physical seeing is an immature faith.
• Mature faith believes the Word.

Believe You Receive: Respect, Compassion, and Insistence

• Now, look at how the nobleman reacts to Jesus statement about signs.
• He goes right past it and continues to plead for his son.
  • “Sir, come down ere my child die.”
• The nobleman calls Jesus ‘sir’.
• In the Greek, the word ‘sir,’ is ‘kuirios’ or Lord.
• The nobleman calls Jesus Lord.
• Now, I don’t think he is calling Jesus Lord like saved, born-again children of God do.
• Nevertheless, the term is one of respect.
• So catch it, the nobleman, a man of royal stature, is showing deep respect for the carpenter’s son from Nazareth.
• Respect is enormous in the Kingdom of God, know that.
• So on the part of the nobleman in this gospel account, you have respect for Jesus.
• You have the compassion of a father for his son.
• And you have insistence.
• Now notice Jesus response to compassionate insistence and respect.
  • Go your way; your son lives.

To Believe You Receive, Act Like the Word Is True

• Jesus told the man to go back home.
• You must remember this man walked twenty miles to have an audience with Jesus.
• And now the directive from the healer is not a prayer to God for healing nor even the command of faith against sickness.
• Jesus didn’t rebuke Satan, the author of sickness.
• He didn’t lay hands using the nobleman as a point of contact.
• No, He did none of these things.
• The healing command is to go home, your son lives.
• Go home – that’s it.
• Now this nobleman has to do it.
• Sometimes you just have to do it.
• You have to step out and put some pressure on God’s Word acting like the Word is true.
• The Word will hold, and it will hold you.

Romans 10:11 (NKJV) — 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

• So, Jesus said to the man, “Go your way, your son lives.
• The man then turns around and starts walking the twenty miles back to Capernaum.
• Notice that the scripture does not say that the man stopped off anywhere along the way trying to find a ‘just in case it doesn’t work’ solution.
• You know sometimes church folk do that.
• People pray, and then they act like they didn’t pray.
• They act like there’s not a God in heaven who hears.

Some Fail to Receive Because They Have Two Minds

• You know the Bible calls that ‘double-mindedness.’

James 1:6–8 (NKJV) — 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

• The nobleman was not unstable.
• As soon as Jesus spoke the Word, he acted on it and headed for home.
• This sickness was a ‘life or death’ situation, and the man solely depended on the words which came from Jesus’ mouth.
• He just believed that they would get the job done.
• And, he proved that he believed by going home.
• That’s what believing you receive means.
• And as he was going, servants from his house came to meet him with the good news, “You son lives.”
• The fact that the servants met him means most probably that the man was almost home.
• He walked the majority of those twenty miles in faith.
• Now, get this last point.
• This nobleman’s son began to pull out of the death spiral he was in the moment Jesus spoke the Word, “Go your way, your son lives.”
• The miracle has happened, but he doesn’t know it yet.
• He’s on the road walking.
• I don’t care what happens or what it looks like, keep walking like the Word of God is true.
• Because you know what?
• It is true.
• That’s believing you receive.

#S3-046: How Important in the Kingdom of God Are the Kings Kids? [Podcast]

---

References: