Becoming a Man of Unwavering Faith by John Osteen Read Free Book Online

four specific things that we should be doing in order to receive from God.
    First,
watchfully obey His orders
. God delights in answering the prayers of those who are always interested in obeying Him. The Scriptures are full of ways we are to be obeying the Father as men of faith, whether it is walking in holiness, loving our wives and children, being the spiritual leader in our home, or ruling our families so as to guard them from the evil one. That is one of the things we must do in order to have prevailing prayer in our lives.
    Second,
observe His suggestions.
Most Christians strive to obey God’s orders, but as our relationship with Him grows, God has enough confidence in us that He sometimes makes suggestions and lets us make up our own minds. It is a wonderful thing to be so in tune with God that we respond to His slightest suggestion: “My son, I wouldn’t do that” or “That’s not My best for you.” The hearts of His children beat to please Him, and He knows that He can trust them.
    Third,
follow His plan
. As a man of faith, the most important thing in the world is to get into God’s plan for your life. God is the architect of the universe. If He can put together a universe as intricate as ours and see to every meticulous detail, surely He can draw a plan for our lives. There is a good, acceptable, and perfect will of God for you (Romans 12:2). And in order to experiencethe power of prevailing prayer, we must follow God’s plan for our lives.
    Fourth,
habitually practice what is pleasing to God
. Make it a point to find out what is pleasing to God and make living that way a priority in your everyday life. Listen to what the Bible says about how we are to live: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15–17).
    As you follow these simple guidelines, you can learn many ways to enjoy and practice prevailing prayer in your life. As a man of unwavering faith, make prayer a constant and enjoyable part of your life.

Reflection from

            JOEL
    W hen I was growing up, a man attended our church whose hands were so crippled with arthritis, he could hardly use them. But one day he heard my father preaching about forgiveness, and how the lack of forgiveness keeps God’s power from operating in our lives and prevents our prayers from being answered. He began asking God to help him get rid of anger and resentment in his heart toward those people who had hurt him over the years. As he forgave, the most amazing thing began to happen. One by one, his fingers straightened, and eventually, God restored his hands to normal.
    You may see your prayers answered more quickly as you let go of the past and rid yourself of bitterness and resentment.

CHAPTER FIVE
A Man
of
Faith
Is Strong
When There
Is No Evidence
of the
Answer
    I n the account we have been following of the prophet Elijah and his servant on Mount Carmel, he told his servant, “ ‘Go and look toward the sea….’ And he went up and looked. ‘There is nothing there,’ he said” (1 Kings 18:43 NIV ).
    As demonstrated by Elijah, the third quality of a man of unwavering faith is that his faith is strong when there is no evidence of the answer. Men of faith keep going even when they don’t see the answer coming. When the situation says, “There’s no evidence that God is going to answer,” you go on because you have the Word of God.
    Elijah kept believing when he saw nothing happening in the physical realm. That’s precisely what God started with in the beginning. He created the universe out of nothing. So if you want to be God-like, start with nothing and speak the Word of God until what you desire comesinto being. He