Present Tense Believing by Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe" (Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV).

Friend To Friend
In Ephesians 1:13 we read: "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him, with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." We believed - past tense - and were saved; sealed, delivered … we're His! It was completed in the past, once and for all time.

Now let's read a little further down in Ephesians 1:18. "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." We received salvation when we believed (past tense). We have great power when we believe (present tense).

The Greek word for believe that is used in Ephesians 1:18 is a present active participle. That means it is a continuous action verb. Bible teacher Beth Moore explains: "In other words, the promise given in verses 19-20 is not applied to those ‘having believed' as in verse 13 where they had believed to become Christians. Rather, it is applied to those who are presently, actively, and yes, continually believing God."


Maybe you believed in Jesus and experienced salvation. But do you believe the Word of God by faith and understand that you have the same power working in your life that raised Jesus from the dead? It is available to you if you believe.

A sapling planted in the ground does not become more of a tree as it grows, it just becomes stronger and more mature. Writer Neil Anderson compares our spiritual growth to a tree: "The growth stage cannot alter the organism; it can only ensure that the organism reaches its greatest potential." As a tree's roots grow deeper it produces a greater display of leaves, more shade and beauty for others to enjoy, and stronger branches for tire swings and bird's nests, but it's still a tree. The moment you come to Christ, you are saved and become a saint by calling with a whole new identity. There is nothing you can do to make your identity truer than at the very moment you accept Christ as your Savior, but there is much you can do to have more power in your life as you mature.

It begins by believing the truth. It is a step of faith. "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1). It is "acting like God tells the truth."

Are you ready to start practicing present tense believing today? Are you ready to experience God's power in your life! If you answered yes, then buckle up. God's power is about to be demonstrated in your life in a mighty way!

Let's Pray
Dear LORD, Thank You for giving me the gift of faith. Forgive me when I doubt You. Today, I am choosing to believe. Even if circumstances seem bleak, I know that You are who you say You are and You will do what You say You will do.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
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I have a confession to make. I have not been praying as I know I should be. Oh I pray. I pray with my class and I pray little short prayers of thanksgiving and requests and I pray quickly when someone asks me to pray for them about something. And I guess that's better than nothing. But it's not what I want my prayer life to be..not what it has been in the past and I KNOW God wants more from me. I have no excuse to offer except laziness. Lord, please forgive me for not taking my prayer life seriously. Please help me to make it a priority again.

I am now making the committment to do just that and I need an accountability partner. I need someone to give me a little extra tlc and a push or shove when I need it and get me growing again so that I may not only reach my full potential as a Christian but so that I can be a shining light for others and do all that He wants me to do for Him. Anyone willing?