II Peter 1:4

When a shipbuilder erects a boat, does he do so only to keep it on the scaffolding? No, he builds it to sail the seas and to weather the storms. In fact, if he does not think of strong winds and hurricanes as he builds it, he is a poor shipbuilder.

In the same way, when God made you a believer, He meant to test you. And when He gave you promises and asked you to trust them, He made His promises suitable for times of storms and high seas. Do you believe that some of His promises are counterfeit, similar to a life vest that looks good in the store but is of no use in the sea?

Our Saviour Jesus Christ, . . . hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

I am the resurrection, and the life.

As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.—Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, that he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.

Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

Besides the literal ground still unoccupied for Christ, there is before us the unclaimed and unwalked territory of God’s promises. What did God say to Joshua? “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised.” Then He set the boundaries of the Land of Promise—all theirs on one condition: they must march across its length and breadth, measuring it off with their own feet.

Yet they never marched across more than one-third of the land, and as a consequence, they never possessed more than that one-third. They possessed only what they measured off and no more.

This is one of the most blessed aspects of genuine prayer . Often we ask for things that God has not specifically promised. Therefore we are not sure if our petitions are in line with His purpose, until we have persevered for some time in prayer . Yet on some occasions, and this was one in the life of David, we are fully persuaded that what we are asking is in accordance with God’s will. We feel led to select and plead a promise from the pages of Scripture, having been specially impressed that it contains a message for us.

At these times, we may say with confident faith, “Do as you promised.” Hardly any stance could be more completely beautiful, strong, or safe than that of putting your finger on a promise of God’s divine Word and then claiming it. Doing so requires no anguish, struggle, or wrestling but simply presenting the check and asking for cash. It is as simple as producing the promise and claiming its fulfillment. Nor will there be any doubt or cloudiness about the request. If all requests were this definitive, there would be much more interest in prayer . It is much better to claim a few specific things than to make twenty vague requests. F. B. MEYER

We are made partakers of the Divine nature through the promises; then we have to "manipulate" the Divine nature in our human nature by habits, and the first habit to form is the habit of realizing the provision God has made.

"Oh, I can't afford it," we say - one of the worst lies is tucked up in that phrase. It is ungovernably bad taste to talk about money in the natural domain, and so it is spiritually, and yet we talk as if our Heavenly Father had cut us off with a shilling! We think it a sign of real modesty to say at the end of a day - "Oh, well, I have just got through, but it has been a severe tussle." And all the Almighty God is ours in the Lord Jesus! And He will tax the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will obey Him.