Living with Expectancy: Embracing God's Promises
Summary
### Summary
Today's message centers on the power of expectancy in our walk with God. Expectancy is the foundation for breakthroughs, miracles, and deliverance. When we invite someone to our home, we prepare for their arrival. Similarly, when we expect God to move in our lives, we must prepare our hearts and actions. Expectancy is not just a passive hope but an active belief that God will fulfill His promises. The Bible teaches us that if we believe and do not doubt, we will receive what we ask for. This principle is illustrated through testimonies of healing and deliverance, showing that God responds to our faith and expectancy.
Expectancy is likened to a pregnant woman who prepares for the birth of her child. Just as she expects the baby to grow and be delivered, we must expect God to bring to fruition the purposes He has placed within us. Everything we need to fulfill our destiny is already deposited in us by God. We must not abort our destiny out of fear or doubt but trust that God will fulfill His word.
Living with expectancy means praying, reading the Bible, and going about our daily lives with the belief that God will act. When we pray, we should do so with the expectation that God will answer. When we read His word, we should anticipate His guidance and healing. Our daily lives should be filled with the expectation that God will move in miraculous ways.
The prayer of Jabez is a powerful example of praying with expectancy. Jabez asked God to bless him, enlarge his territory, and keep him from evil. God granted his request because Jabez prayed with faith and expectancy. We are encouraged to pray similarly, believing that God will bless us, expand our influence, and protect us from harm.
### Key Takeaways
1. Expectancy as the Foundation for Breakthroughs: Expectancy is crucial for experiencing God's miracles and deliverance. Just as we prepare for a guest, we must prepare our hearts and actions when we expect God to move. This active belief sets the stage for God to fulfill His promises in our lives. [01:53]
2. God Has Already Deposited Everything We Need: Everything required to fulfill our destiny is already within us. God has placed His purposes in us, and we must not let fear or doubt cause us to abort our destiny. Trusting in God's word and His ability to fulfill it is essential. [06:06]
3. Praying with Expectancy: When we pray, we should do so with the belief that God will answer. The Bible teaches that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much. Our prayers should be filled with faith and expectancy, knowing that God hears and responds. [08:25]
4. Living Daily with Expectancy: Our daily lives should reflect a constant expectation of God's intervention. Whether reading the Bible, going to work, or interacting with others, we should anticipate God's guidance, healing, and provision. This mindset transforms our daily experiences. [10:52]
5. The Power of the Prayer of Jabez: Jabez's prayer is a model of praying with expectancy. He asked God to bless him, enlarge his territory, and keep him from evil. God granted his request because Jabez prayed with faith and expectancy. We are encouraged to pray similarly, believing in God's ability to bless and protect us. [16:37]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:53] - Expectancy as the Foundation for Breakthroughs
[03:33] - Testimonies of Healing and Deliverance
[06:06] - God Has Already Deposited Everything We Need
[07:18] - Believing and Expecting Miracles
[08:25] - Praying with Expectancy
[09:28] - Speaking and Believing for Change
[10:13] - Reading the Bible with Expectancy
[10:52] - Living Daily with Expectancy
[12:02] - Waiting with Expectancy
[12:36] - Hopes and Dreams with Expectancy
[13:11] - Kairos Moments of Expectancy
[14:09] - Praising with Expectancy
[16:37] - The Power of the Prayer of Jabez
[18:05] - Praying for God's Hand and Protection
[19:57] - Expecting Supernatural Favor and Wisdom
[21:37] - Making Preparation for God's Move
[23:20] - Declaring Financial Breakthroughs
[24:27] - Shifting the Atmosphere with Expectancy
[24:59] - Closing Prayer and Declaration
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Mark 11:23-24: "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
2. James 5:16: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
3. 1 Chronicles 4:10: "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request."
### Observation Questions
1. What does Mark 11:23-24 teach us about the power of belief and prayer?
2. According to James 5:16, what are the two actions believers are encouraged to take, and what is the result of these actions?
3. In 1 Chronicles 4:10, what specific requests did Jabez make to God, and what was the outcome of his prayer? [16:37]
### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of expectancy, as described in the sermon, relate to the teaching in Mark 11:23-24 about believing and not doubting? [01:53]
2. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between expectancy and the fulfillment of God's promises in our lives? [06:06]
3. How can the example of Jabez's prayer inspire us to pray with greater faith and expectancy in our own lives? [16:37]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you prayed with expectancy. What was the outcome, and how did it affect your faith? [08:25]
2. How can you prepare your heart and actions to live with daily expectancy of God's intervention, as suggested in the sermon? [10:52]
3. Identify an area in your life where you need a breakthrough. How can you apply the principles of expectancy and active belief to this situation? [01:53]
4. The sermon mentions that everything we need to fulfill our destiny is already deposited in us by God. How can you identify and nurture these deposits in your life? [06:06]
5. How can you incorporate the prayer of Jabez into your daily prayer routine to seek God's blessings, protection, and expansion of your influence? [16:37]
6. What practical steps can you take to read the Bible with greater expectancy, anticipating God's guidance and healing in your life? [10:13]
7. How can you cultivate a mindset of expectancy in your interactions with others, believing that God will use you to bring about positive change? [10:52]
Devotional
Day 1: Expectancy as the Foundation for Breakthroughs
Expectancy is crucial for experiencing God's miracles and deliverance. Just as we prepare for a guest, we must prepare our hearts and actions when we expect God to move. This active belief sets the stage for God to fulfill His promises in our lives. When we live with expectancy, we are not merely hoping for something to happen; we are actively believing and preparing for it. This means aligning our thoughts, actions, and prayers with the belief that God will indeed move in our lives. Expectancy is a powerful force that can transform our spiritual walk and open the door to divine interventions and breakthroughs. [01:53]
Isaiah 30:18 (ESV): "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him."
Reflection: Think about an area in your life where you need a breakthrough. How can you actively prepare your heart and actions in expectancy for God to move in that area?
Day 2: God Has Already Deposited Everything We Need
Everything required to fulfill our destiny is already within us. God has placed His purposes in us, and we must not let fear or doubt cause us to abort our destiny. Trusting in God's word and His ability to fulfill it is essential. Just as a pregnant woman prepares for the birth of her child, we must prepare for the purposes God has placed within us to come to fruition. This means nurturing our faith, staying connected to God's word, and not allowing fear or doubt to derail us from the path God has set before us. [06:06]
2 Peter 1:3 (ESV): "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence."
Reflection: Identify a fear or doubt that has been holding you back from pursuing God's purpose for your life. How can you replace that fear or doubt with trust in God's promises today?
Day 3: Praying with Expectancy
When we pray, we should do so with the belief that God will answer. The Bible teaches that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much. Our prayers should be filled with faith and expectancy, knowing that God hears and responds. This means approaching God with confidence, knowing that He is able and willing to answer our prayers. It also means being persistent in prayer, not giving up when answers don't come immediately, but continuing to trust in God's timing and faithfulness. [08:25]
James 5:16 (ESV): "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Reflection: Think of a specific prayer request you have been bringing before God. How can you increase your faith and expectancy in your prayers for this request?
Day 4: Living Daily with Expectancy
Our daily lives should reflect a constant expectation of God's intervention. Whether reading the Bible, going to work, or interacting with others, we should anticipate God's guidance, healing, and provision. This mindset transforms our daily experiences, making us more aware of God's presence and more open to His leading. Living with expectancy means looking for God's hand in every situation and being ready to respond to His promptings. It means living with a sense of anticipation, knowing that God is at work in our lives and in the world around us. [10:52]
Psalm 5:3 (ESV): "O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch."
Reflection: As you go about your day, how can you cultivate a mindset of expectancy, looking for God's guidance and intervention in your daily activities?
Day 5: The Power of the Prayer of Jabez
Jabez's prayer is a model of praying with expectancy. He asked God to bless him, enlarge his territory, and keep him from evil. God granted his request because Jabez prayed with faith and expectancy. We are encouraged to pray similarly, believing in God's ability to bless and protect us. This means being bold in our prayers, asking God for big things, and trusting that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. It also means being specific in our prayers, asking God for exactly what we need and trusting Him to provide. [16:37]
1 Chronicles 4:10 (ESV): "Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!' And God granted what he asked."
Reflection: Reflect on the areas of your life where you need God's blessing and protection. How can you pray with the same faith and expectancy as Jabez, asking God to move powerfully in those areas?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Expectation is the foundation for your breakthrough. Expectation is the foundation for your miracle. Expectation is the foundation for your deliverance, for your healing, for your financial restoration, for the restoration of broken relationships. Whatever it is that you are expecting, that you are believing for, if you will expect it with everything that is within you, believing the word of God, standing on this word, he said you will have what you ask." [02:10] (37 seconds)
2. "When you pray, do you just pray to hear yourself talk? Are you just praying to put words into the atmosphere? Or do you believe? Do you have expectancy? James 5, 16 says, Confess your faults or your trespasses to one another and pray for one another. Look at somebody say, he's talking to you right there. Pray for me. Pray for me. Tell him. Pray for me. Tell him. Confess your faults, your trespasses to one another. Pray for one another that you may be healed." [07:59] (28 seconds)
3. "Do you live with expectancy? Do you get up in the morning with expectation? Psalm 25. Let integrity and uprightness protect me for I wait expectantly for you. I'm waiting on you, God. This is your day. This is the day that the Lord has made. I can't wait to see what God did tomorrow. I can't wait. I can't wait to see what God did this next week because he's already done it. I'm just coming with expectancy. I'm living with expectancy." [10:13] (36 seconds)
4. "My soul waits silently. For God alone. For my expectation is from Him. My job is not my source. My rich uncle is not my source. Nobody's the source. God is my source. God is our supply. God is the one that takes care of us. He is the one that protects us. He is the one that keeps us. His mercy is everlasting. His power is beyond what we can imagine. Are you waiting? Are you waiting with expectancy?" [12:02] (33 seconds)
5. "Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him. Put your hope in God. Wait on Him. He will do what He said He will do. He is the ultimate promise keeper. For I shall yet praise Him. The help of my countenance and my God. You see, He's praising, praising, praising. While you're dancing, dance some more to praise Him. While you're paying your tithes, praise Him. While you're praying for somebody, praise Him. Do you hope with expectancy? Is your heart filled with expectancy?" [13:43] (46 seconds)
### Quotes for Members
1. "There's some things that are in you that God put in you. He deposited in you. As a matter of fact, everything, don't miss this, everything you need to walk in your destiny, to fulfill your purpose, to be all that God has called you to be, has already been deposited in you. It's in you now. And God put it in you because he wants you to push it out. He put it in you because he wants you to deliver it to the world. He put it in you because he wants you to fulfill your purpose, to walk in your purpose." [06:06] (33 seconds)
2. "When you read his word, do you read with expectancy? Psalm 107. He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from all their destructions. When you read his word, when you have your daily devotion. Do I need to say that again? When you have your daily devotion. And you read this. When you read his word, the B-I-B-L-E, what do you expect? Do you read it with expectancy? Do you read it with anticipation of what is God going to do today? What's he going to do in my life today? Who am I going to meet today?" [09:28] (38 seconds)
3. "What about your hopes, your hopes, your dreams? I know you've got some. Your hopes, your dreams. Did you bury them? Are they dead? You say, well it hadn't happened yet. So what? God's timing is perfect. There's chronos time. That's the chronological. But He has kairos moments. Where He steps in and gives us a suddenly. Right now. Right then. Right there. When you least expect. But if you'll expect. It'll happen more and more and more and more in your life. You will have kairos moments." [12:36] (41 seconds)
4. "We wait expectantly for the Lord because he is our help and our shield. When your mama can't help you, when your daddy can't help you, when your husband, your wife can't help you, your kids can't help, when the pastor can't help, when the banker can't help, when nobody else can help, God is our help and our shield. And then we got to be a praiser. We praise with expectation. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand. Psalm 149 verse 6. Be a praiser." [14:58] (33 seconds)
5. "We are in a season of expansion. We are in a place of expectancy. We are in a season of expansion. You need to stretch out the cords of your tent. You need to get out and walk and believe God for the promises that he's already made and start thanking him for it with expectation that he's going to give you the business, he's going to give you the songs, he's going to give you the books, he's going to give you the increase, he's going to give you the people, he's going to give you all the breakthrough that you prayed for that you believe for for your life, your family, your business, your ministry." [16:37] (30 seconds)