The #1 Key to Receive God’s Promises

Mark Furlong
5 min readFeb 1, 2024

It’s Simple and Powerful

Photo by Tierra Mallorca on Unsplash

I’ve been doing an in-depth study of God’s promises for the last 18 months. It’s not the only subject I’ve been studying, but it is one I keep going back to.

I’m writing a series of short-books on it because it is so incredibly important to our spiritual growth, living abundant lives, and impacting the world for God and good.

I always knew that God’s promises played a major role in His interactions with us. But as I started looking up all the different Scriptures that talk about God’s promises, I was overwhelmed by how often the Bible speaks about God’s promises.

I wrote, copied and pasted over 8 full pages that simply use the words “promise” or “promises”.

God’s Promises Have Multi-Layered Benefits

Because God’s promises are His words proceeding out of His nature, they have multiple benefits, layers, and insights woven through them.

God’s promises reveal God to us, teach us how God designed us to live, are the words both the Old and New Covenants (Testaments) are built on. And they are essential to experiencing the abundant life God wants us to have.

There are so many wonderful layers and aspects to understanding and then living in God’s promises that it really is an adventure. That means there is not just one step to receiving these incredible promises.

But there is one that stands out as most important.

It’s repeated consistently throughout the Bible. It is most often attacked by the devil.

Here are just a few Scriptures that identify it:

“By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” (Hebrews 11:11, ESV)

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”(Hebrews 10:23, ESV)

Here it is again using a little different wording.

“He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:19–21)

Putting this together, here’s the #1 key to receiving God’s promises:

Believing in my heart that God is able and faithful to do what He has promised.

Or

We receive God’s promises when we believe God is powerful enough and faithful enough to fulfill them.

When I believe in my heart (I’m truly convinced in my soul) that God is able to do what He says and is faithful to do it; life-changing promises are received.

Look again at how powerful this is:

Simply believing God is faithful to His word transformed Sarah from too old and unable to have children to birthing Isaac. It was God’s power that did this miracle, but her faith in God’s faithfulness connected to His power.

Abraham didn’t ignore the impossibility of their situation. He was almost 100 years old and Sarah was 90. Both of them past the years of conception. He did not pretend they were in this condition.

But Abraham too considered God’s power and faithfulness to what He had promised them greater than the physical realities.

Abraham was “convinced” that God had the power to do what He had promised. He also joined Sarah in believing that God not only had the power but was faithful to do it.

As a result, they could receive what God has promised.

This is one reason Satan consistently attacks God’s truthfulness and faithfulness.

From the very beginning, he said to Eve and Adam (Adam was standing right there), “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4, ESV)

“If God is lying, telling us eating from the tree will kill us when, in fact, it will give us insight, knowledge. We will gain new levels of independence and divinity; then don’t believe Him,” the serpent whispers..

“He is not faithful to do what He says. He doesn’t want you to have the best lives possible. You can’t trust Him. You can’t count on Him,” he now shouts.

If the enemy can win this faith battle, he can block us from receiving God’s best and lead us into spiritual territories we’re not built to live in.

Jesus Taught This

Jesus taught it so clearly in the parable of the sower. Notice how important receiving God’s word seed is and what happens if the enemy can steal it.

The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.” (Luke 8:11–12, ESV)

Faith in God’s ability and faithfulness to fulfill His promises is how we receive. Faith comes from hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:17, ESV).

The devil’s goal is to steal the word of God, to steal the seed of God. No seed = no growth, no harvest.

The Word of God is the Seed of God

No word of God in the heart = no faith = no salvation.

If the devil can steal the word, especially the words of God’s promise, then there can be no kingdom growth in our lives. He especially does that by casting doubt on God’s truthfulness, faithfulness, and power.

Through the centuries, using various arguments, new scientific discoveries, or different philosophies he keeps beating the “don’t believe the word of God” drum.

“Dont’ listen to God. You can’t trust Him. Believe what I say instead of what God says.” That is his most important tactic.

We need to remind ourselves regularly

Through the promises, through the word of God, we receive the life of God, the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:3–4, ESV)

If we grasp this and embrace it, we can become promise receiving forces for good.

We receive God’s promises by faith.

We believe God is able and faithful to fulfill His words, His promises.

The devil always tries to steal the word from our hearts because God’s word is His seed.

This is the big battle. Win this and you will consistently receive God’s promises and live the abundant life Jesus promised.

If you want more resources, many FREE, on receiving God’s promises and living the life He intends head over to www.TruVineMission.com and get your FREE resources on the homepage.

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Mark Furlong
Mark Furlong

Written by Mark Furlong

Author, Coach Helping busy, active people know and live ALL of God’s purposes for their life: the COMPLETE life. www.markfurlong.substack.com