Most of you have heard the statement that you are only as good as your word; but in today’s society, it’s amazing how many people are not true to their word. They will make a promise to someone knowing they don’t really intend to follow through on that promise. When you tell someone you are going to do something, make sure you are able and willing to follow through. You don’t want to be a promise-breaker because that’s the same as being dishonest.

The Bible is filled with promises the Lord has made to the human race. Some of the promises have been fulfilled while others have yet to be fulfilled. One thing you can count on is that if God makes a promise, He will keep it. Even if He made a promise thousands of years ago, He always keeps His word. God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good (Numbers 23:19)?

So why do so many people turn their back on the promises of God?—because the promises God makes are conditional, and people don’t want to do their part to be able to claim them. People have blamed God again and again for not coming through for them when they didn’t do their part to claim the promise.

The Israelites Had to Obey

Before Joshua led the Israelite army to fight against the city of Jericho, the Lord told Joshua that Jericho, its king and all the mighty men of valor would be given into his hands if he would just obey God’s instructions. What were the conditions of the promises God made for the victory? The army had to march around the city walls in silence one time a day for six days. On the seventh day, they had to march around the walls seven times in silence. Then the seven priests were to blow their trumpets, and the soldiers were to let out a great shout.

Did the people meet those conditions?—Yes. Because they were faithful and obedient, God was able to fulfill His promise of victory to them. What would have happened if there had been some who weren’t obedient? The answer is simple—the walls would not have come tumbling down, and the Israelites would not have won the battle. God’s promises are true, but we must meet the conditions in order to claim His promises.

The Israelite soldiers didn’t need to know how the battle was going to be won; they just needed to do their part and believe that God was going to come through on His promise. Believing in the promises of God is the first step to claiming a promise. You can’t claim God’s promises if you don’t have faith to believe.

Only Believe

Jesus taught the disciples a great lesson about the conditions of a promise when a man who had a son possessed with a dumb spirit brought the boy to the disciples to be delivered. They were not able to cast out that spirit, so the man went to Jesus and pleaded with Him to have compassion on his son and help him. Jesus answered the man, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23). Jesus made that man a promise. Was the man going to meet the condition and believe?

As soon as Jesus spoke those words, the man had hope and cried out, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief (Mark 9:24). The man did believe that his son could be delivered, but he wanted to make sure there was no speck of doubt in his heart. If there was, he wanted Jesus to help him get rid of it. The man’s promise was all things are possible, but the condition was he had to believe.

Is there any sickness or disease in your body? Are you battling fear, loneliness or despair? These are all walls the Lord wants to knock down for you, but you first have to believe He can do it. The Bible tells us that God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith (Romans 12:3). That measure of faith will enable you to believe God’s promises.

Abraham Was Faithful

Abraham had great faith in God’s promises, but his faith was tested in an unusual way. God had promised Abraham that his seed would go forth through his son Isaac, but then the Lord told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on the altar of God. Abraham had to use his faith and hold on to that promise, and he did. He had such great faith that he believed that even if he killed his son, God would raise him from the dead.

Hebrews 11 is known as the faith chapter, and this is what it says about Abraham: By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure (Hebrews 11:17-19).

Abraham took Isaac to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him just as the Lord had told him to; but when Abraham raised the knife to kill his son, the angel of the LORD called unto him out of Heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son (Genesis 22:11-13).

Believe God’s Promises

When God tells you something in His Word, you need to hold onto that promise. Do you believe God can do anything you need in your life? Do you trust Him completely? Do you have faith in His promises?

Abraham had great faith, but we only know that because his faith was tested. The Bible says, But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God (James 2:20-23). Abraham claimed the promise of God by believing in it.

Friend, don’t get discouraged when trials and tribulations come your way. Those are an opportunity for you to show your faith in God’s promises just as Abraham did. If you are a child of God, you can claim whatever promise you need. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Abraham loved God so much that he was willing to sacrifice his son, but how many people fail to put God first in their life? Many of God’s promises go unfulfilled in people’s lives because they won’t put God first and claim the promise they need.

Naaman Had to Humble Himself

The Bible tells about Naaman, the captain of the host of the king of Syria at that time. He was a great and honorable man, but he was afflicted with leprosy. Naaman’s wife had a maid who was from the land of Israel, and she said there was a man of God in Samaria named Elisha who could deliver Naaman from his leprosy.

Naaman decided to go see him; and when he arrived at the doorway of Elisha’s house, he expected Elisha to come out and pray for him. Instead, Elisha sent a messenger to tell him, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean (II Kings 5:10).

That seemed like a very simple request, but Naaman got upset. He had traveled all that way, and he thought he deserved more attention than that. Naaman was not willing to meet the condition of the promise so he could receive healing.

Naaman’s servants tried to reason with him saying, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean (II Kings 5:13)? Fortunately, Naaman decided to humble himself and yield to the man of God’s request. He dipped in Jordan seven times and was delivered from his leprosy.

All Naaman had to do was meet the condition of the promise Elisha had made to him and then claim it. Yielding to dipping in Jordan seven times was a way for Naaman to put his faith into action, and you too must put your faith into action when you need a miracle or a healing.

Use Your Faith

A young man gave a testimony in one of our services, and he told how he had embarrassing warts all over one of his hands. His wife suggested that he put a blest cloth in a bowl of water and dip his hand in it seven times each day for seven days. She also suggested that he read the story of Naaman.

That young man put his faith into action and did what his wife suggested. The seventh day was a Sunday, so he put in his request during the livestream service that morning and closed his case. Within a few days, all the warts had completely disappeared from his hand. He was completely cleansed of that skin condition just as Naaman had been. The Bible gives us examples of miracles and healings to help us use our faith and hold on to the promises of God to receive what we need.

Thousands of people have used the blest cloth to receive miracles and healings. The cloth will not heal you, but the anointing in the cloth coupled with your faith will bring about the promise of healing for you. The key to claiming any promise of God is to believe. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:17,18).

You Must Be Born Again

God promises us eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, but do you believe that? For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Salvation is a promise, but it has a condition. You have to confess your sins and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart.

Sin can never enter Heaven. If someone has willful sin in their life yet claims to be saved and going to Heaven, they are deceived. The Bible plainly says, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). Sin will always bring eternal death to your soul.

The devil wants you to think it’s okay to sin, that everyone sins a little; but the devil is a thief and a liar, and he wants to destroy your soul. Jesus said, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief [the devil] cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:9,10).

The Lord promised you an abundant life, but you have to claim the promise of going to Calvary to become born again. Jesus said to Nicodemus, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). If you want to see the Kingdom of God one day, you must be born again. Claim that promise and meet its condition, which is living free from sin.

Jesus healed a man at the Pool of Bethesda who had suffered with an infirmity for thirty-eight years; and Jesus told him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee (John 5:14). Jesus would not have told that man to do something that was not possible. Through the blood of Jesus, you can live a life free from sin. Jesus lived free from sin, and He is our example.

Power from On High

Jesus promised us the Holy Ghost baptism. Before He ascended into Heaven, He gave the disciples this commandment: And [Jesus], being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence (Acts 1:4,5).

You can claim that promise of the Holy Ghost if you meet its conditions. First, you have to be blood-washed by accepting Jesus Christ into your heart. Second, you have to tarry until you are endued with power from On High. Jesus said, And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49). You must hold on to every promise of God.

Receive Salvation and Healing

The Lord said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5). To claim that promise, you must first accept Jesus Christ into your heart; and I would like to give you that opportunity right now. Pray with me and say, Oh, God, save my soul. Forgive me of my sins. I have come home to serve you for the rest of my life. I believe the blood of Jesus washes away all of my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus. Come on in. Amen. Friend, if you meant that prayer, you have the promise of salvation.

When you have Jesus in your heart, you have the Healer in your heart; so you can claim His promise of healing. Jesus loves you, and the Bible declares that with His blood stripes you can have healing. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

Lord, I come to you in the name of Jesus. You know what these people need. Break their bondages and set them free. Heal them in the holy, blood name of Jesus. Heal every sickness and disease in their body. Heal! in the holy, blood name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

Receive the Holy Ghost

Now that you have been blood-washed, you must go on to receive the promise of the Holy Ghost. Jesus knew how important it was for us to have the Holy Ghost. He told His disciples, Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you (John 16:7).

Friend, what a glorious opportunity you have right now to be baptized in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues just like the disciples were on the Day of Pentecost. Get off to yourself and glorify the Lord with your whole heart. Yield on over to the Holy Spirit until He takes over your tongue and speaks in a heavenly language. Let Him fill you to the brim.