The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast) - Standing on God’s Word

Episode Date: February 24, 2023

What does it mean to stand on God’s word? All of us have something to pray for and face many challenges. Jeff shares the importance of walking in faith and praying with the Word of God. Snippet from the Show In the Word of God, we can find the heart of the Father and his plan for us. Email us with comments or questions at [e-mail]. Text “jeffcavins” to 33-777 to subscribe and get Jeff’s shownotes delivered straight to your email! Or visit ascensionpress.com/thejeffcavinsshow for full shownotes!

Welcome to the Jeff Kaven Show, where we talk about the Bible, discipleship, and evangelization, putting it all together in living as activated disciples. This is show 311, standing on God's Word. Well, we meet again this week to talk about all things discipleship and everything related to God's Word. we're going to talk today about standing on God's Word. Hello, I'm Jeff Kavens, and every week we get together as friends in the body of Christ, brothers and sisters in the Lord, and talk about good things from His Word. And this week we're going to talk about standing on God's Word in prayer, specifically. And it's a little bit unusual for me because I took a good spill yesterday at the seminary.

I was on my way to teach, and man, I slipped on the ice. We walk on water in Minnesota, and sometimes we slip on ice. And I took quite a tumble and broke some ribs. And so I got to think this morning, you know, when I barely got up and I thought, I wanted to share this theme with you. And then I thought to myself, well, maybe I'll just wait. And then I thought, no, I'm going to do it. because I really believe the Lord wants me to share what I'm sharing with you today.

And there are aspects of this I need to hear as well, talking about standing on God's Word or specifically praying verses of the Bible. When you have needs in your life and you want to know how to pray, then God's Word is what we turn to. And that is the source of our prayers. that is the certitude that we have. That is the material that we bring to our prayers and we communicate it before the Lord. We stand on solid ground.

Whether you have a chest full of broken ribs or not, it is the word of God. And so I really felt that there are those of you, my friends, who have so much to pray about right now. but oftentimes we really don't know how to pray. And I would suggest praying according to God's Word, praying to God's Word. There are people right now that listen to the show every single week and you have real heaviness when it comes to your children. And you have heaviness when it comes to marriage or to healing or to, you name it, needs in your life or a need for peace in your life or wisdom for, daily living and you know you you need that and you want to pray about that but you're not quite sure how to do it well that's what I want to talk about today and if you do need the show notes

all you have to do is text my name Jeff Kaven's one word and text it to the number 3377 and I've got a number of verses here today that I'm going to use as examples and we'll send those to you and you'll you will have them. So today's one of those days where I might not sound like it because of broken ribs, but I'm excited about this topic. And like I said, it's something that I need to hear myself as well. So what do we mean by stand on God's word? What does it mean to stand on God's word or to walk in faith or pray in faith? What does that mean? Well, faith, is really two things, is made up of two things. And we've talked about this so many different times. One aspect of faith is mental assent. And that is saying to God when it comes to the promises of God

in the word of God regarding our children, regarding our needs, regarding our healing, whatever that might be, we do make mental assent. And we say, Lord, I do agree with you. on that particular verse, Lord, I do agree with you. And so we make mental assent. But then comes the second part of this, which is entrusting yourself to God, entrusting yourself to God. That is stepping out of the boat and saying, Lord, I am going to live as though this were true. And I'm going to believe you. And I'm going to trust you with my life. And that's what biblical faith is. It's not believism it isn't a shot in the dark it's not it's not the role of the dice that's not what faith is it's not trying jesus you know i've heard so many people over the years say i told them

you need jesus in your life with your children with your health with your finances with your your emotional well-being you need jesus in your life and they'll say oh i tried that like it was a one-arm bandit at a casino or something i tried that i didn't get anything from that well Jesus isn't what you try it is someone you entrust yourself to and you agree with and so you are walking in or standing on scriptures in prayer and you are praying the verses standing on God's word for yourself the word of God is God breathed and that's what we mean by inspired the word of God is inspired and you know the word of God really really reveals two things. The word of God reveals your father's heart in heaven. And when it comes to prayer, you need that. You need that. Not only does it reveal your father's heart, the word of God, but it reveals his plan, the household plan of your heavenly father. Now, when it comes to praying for the various categories in your life right now, whether you are in pain as I am, or whether

you are in need, as I'm sure I am, you need to know your father's heart. You need to know his plan for your life. And that's what you bring to prayer. It's like I said, it's not a shot in the dark. Those two things are great to know when it comes to praying. Otherwise, you are really just kind of taken a chance, you know, and throwing requests up there, but you have no grounding for those requests. You have no sure foundation on which to pray. And that's why praying the word of God, whether it's Lexio-Devina, or whether it is doing what I'm suggesting today, and that is praying verses of the Bible, standing in faith on God's word in your need. Either one, the Bible is the key. I really believe that. You know, I remember when I had first given my life to the Lord as

young adult, and really said yes to Jesus at 18. And I was around a whole bunch of people who were so excited about God's word and praying for each other. You know why? Because they had a sure foundation. They knew that was God's word. And they said, let's pray. Let's pray God's word, let's, let's stand on this in faith and believe God for supernatural things. Believe God for meeting the need at hand. And I just, I know you're there. I know you are, that is where you are in your life. There are so many people right there right now. And that's why we're doing this show today. You know that walking in or standing on me, scripture is really a starting point for praying for God's will in your life. If you want to pray

God's will in your life, the starting point is, well, what does God say? What has God revealed? And when you pray from God's word, you also learn how to pray. That's what the Psalms do. The Psalms will teach you how to pray. And that's the beautiful thing. And so we, we, we have in the Word of God, our Father's Heart and His Plan, and that is the foundation on which we pray. I love what Joshua says in Joshua chapter 1 in verse 8, this book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Notice what he said there. This book of the law shall not depart

out of your mouth. You shall meditate on it day and night. Be careful to do according to all that is written in it. That really encapsulates those two phases of faith, right? And that is, number one, I believe, I make mental assent, but now I am going to be careful to do all that is written in it. And that is the personal and trusting of yourself. So we're right where we need to be today. And that is we have a need and we're going to go to the Lord and we're going to say, Lord, I'm going to pray that your word be done in my children's life, in my life, in the needs in my life, healing, whatever it might be. So we're going to take a break here. When I come back, I want to go through a number of categories right now that you might have a need.

And I want to give you some suggested scripture, which I'll put in the show notes, and I want to show you how you can make this the Word of God, the source of your prayer in your need right now in your life. Sound good? You're listening to the Jeff Kaven show. 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ chose corrupt, broken, imperfect, sinful men to be the foundation of his church.

And because these broken and perfect men chose to remain in relationship with Jesus, they became saints. And they were used by Jesus to transform hearts and minds 2,000 years later. I invite you to check out my book. book, Broken and Blessed, where you'll find practical tools to overcome habitual sin, to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and to walk with an imperfect church toward a perfect God, who is calling all of us to perfection over time. To order the paperback book or audio book broken and blessed, visit ascensionpress.com or Amazon.

Well, thank you for coming back. And we're in the midst of really learning how to stand on God's word, how to believe God's word, how to trust in God with Scripture being the source of our prayer. Not only the source of our prayer, but the direction of our prayer, knowing the will of God and standing on faith, standing by faith, on his word. So one of the biggest prayer requests that I get, especially when I'm on the road, is people say, well, you pray with my children. And I can't tell you the number of people who have children who have left the church or children who are just wandering aimlessly in life. And they are in tears saying, would you please pray for my kids? They've left. They are wandering.

They are lost. And I don't know what to do. So what I would suggest is... that you read God's Word and the verses in the Bible that are God's will, obviously, and God gives us promises, I would claim those promises for your children. By claiming them, I'm not talking about name and claim. I'm talking about standing on that particular verse. For example, Isaiah 5413, and it'll be in the show notes, says,

Isaiah 5413 says, all your sons shall be taught by the Lord and great shall be the prosperity of your sons. Well, I can take a verse like that and I can say, Lord, I'm going to make that my prayer for my children, for both my sons and my daughters. All your sons shall be taught by the Lord and great shall be the prosperity of your sons.

And so I could say, Lord, I have been teaching my children all of these years. And Lord, I'm going to continue to stand on your word and believe that that my sons, my daughters shall be taught by the Lord and great shall be the prosperity of them because of the teaching. I'm not talking about name it, claim it, I'm not talking about just money or physical prosperity or anything. I'm talking about the deep, deep, rich prosperity that comes from knowing Jesus, walking

with Jesus. and if God has physical prosperity, you know, in his will for your children for a purpose that we don't know about, yay. But the prosperity that I'm interested in for my children is not just money or anything like that, but it is a deep, deep prosperity of the soul. And so I stand on Isaiah 54 at 13. Another one is 3 John 1-4. 3rd John 1-4. John says, no greater joy can I have than this to hear that my children follow the truth. Doesn't that resonate? Oh, that resonates. And surely you would say that. If you have children, surely you would say that. No greater joy can I have than this to hear that my children follow the truth. Oh my in the world today, everything

going on, all the garbage floating around in the news and everything else, to know that my children are following the truth? Oh, that's the source of my prayers now. That's what I would pray. This is what I'm talking about is I would say, no greater joy can I have than this, Lord, than to hear my children are following the truth. God, I pray my children would follow the truth. I lift up my children to you today. And I pray that all that I've taught them would germinate, would grow, the seed would grow, and they would follow the truth. You see how that works? Is that we make that verse 3 John 1 4 and I'll put it I'll put all these in the notes that becomes the source of my prayer that's my teacher that's my tutor to help me pray for my children another one is philippians 413

and this is related to your children maybe your children are struggling in school maybe they're being bullied and philippians 413 says paul says to the philippians i can do all things in him who strengthens me and I can say, Lord, that I know that, I know that your will, that I can do all things through you who strengthens me. Lord, I pray that for my children. I pray that they would come to know your strength and that they would know that they can do whatever they're facing with your help. We've taught them that.

We're asking the Lord to bring that to their memory today. See how we did that? How that scripture, Philippians 413, becomes a real source of prayer. And, you know, I love, you know, in marriage, you know, you go back all the way to Genesis and you see that God called Adam and Eve as husband and wife, and he said, for this reason,

a man will leave his mother and father and shall cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. Leave cleave and become one. That can become the source. Just that. is the beginning of Genesis, the creation of Adam and Eve, that can become the source of prayer. Lord, may we in our marriage learn to leave our mother and father, leave our backgrounds,

and cleave to one another, and may we truly be one in everything. So I love taking these portions of scripture and making them the source of prayer. Like, for example, healing. Let me give you three verses on healing. Psalm 6-2, Be gracious to me, O Lord, for our God. I am languishing. Oh, Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. Now, there's a literal one.

There's a literal one right there. You know, when you break ribs, Lord, heal me. I'm asking for you to restore me. Oh, God. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for I am languishing, for my bones are troubled. And thank you, Lord, that you are the source of healing. And however you want to heal me, Lord, I'm open to that.

And I know you are the Lord of. healing. I know that. I love Psalm 41.3. The Lord sustains him on his sickbed. In his illness, thou healest all his infirmities. Maybe you're sick right now. Maybe you have something you are struggling with. Maybe it's a disease or something's broken, whatever it might be. To know that in Psalm 41,3, it says the Lord sustains him on his sick bed. Lord, I thank you for sustaining me. I thank you, Lord, for healing me. I thank you, Lord, for being with me.

You are with me. And 1. Peter 2 in verse 24, He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed. And so, Lord, I pray, and I receive your healing. I receive your wholeness in my body, in my heart, in my mind. I thank you. And Lord, I can take this and I can pray it for my children.

I can pray it for my spouse. I can pray it for my friends. That you bore our sins in your body, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By your wounds, O Lord, you have healed us. Beautiful, isn't it, to take God's word there and really make that the heart of your prayer and you claim it, you stand on it, you believe it, because it's God's will. It's better than anything you're going to find out there in the world. Better than anything. Trust me. And then what about needs?

Do you have needs in your life right now? Well, how do you pray? Will you pray according to God's will? That's how you pray. And of course, Philippians 419 is incredible if you're facing needs. and my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. Isn't that beautiful? What a place to start from in prayer.

My God will supply every need of mine according to his riches and glory. Lord, I am not left behind. I am not forgotten. Lord, you will supply all my needs in your riches. And I thank you for that. And you can pray that for people in your family as well. Isaiah 41.10, fear not for I am with you. That's what the Lord's saying that.

Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Isn't that beautiful? Fear not for I am with you. Don't be dismayed.

I'm your God. I'm your God. now you can use that right there put that on an index card take it with you throughout the day make that the source of your prayer pray the scriptures stand on the word of god stand on the promises of god it's a lot better than standing on a talk show host word i'll tell you that right now stand on the word of god or romans 12 too don't be conform to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the will of god what is good and acceptable and perfect.

And then what about peace? Here's three verses from the Bible that you can stand on, trust in, use as a source of prayer. Isaiah 263, thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusts in thee. And right away you could say, Lord, I pray that my mind would be stayed on you. I'm going to trust in you. and your word says that you will give me perfect peace.

And Lord, I believe that. I believe that perfect shalom, perfect peace will fill my heart because my mind is stayed on you. And I trust you with all of my heart. See how that verse becomes the structure of your prayer, of your heart going out to God. Even when you're hurting, even when you're in need, even when you are broken. 1. Peter 5.7. I call it my fishing verse. Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you. You have anxieties in your life right now? Stand on 1st Peter 5.7. Cast your anxieties on him. Now, some people look at that like fishing and they cast their cares upon the Lord.

And 10 minutes later, what are they doing? They're reeling it in. They're reeling in their cares and their anxieties again. Cut the line. Cast your cares upon the Lord. Give them. them to him. Why? He cares about you. This is not a game or something. This isn't just a tri-it religion. This is the faith. This is God. This is his love for you. Cast your cares upon him. Take that verse in 1. Peter 5.7 and pray it. And may it be a source for you. Matthew 1128's one of my all-time faves. I just love it. Come to me all who labor and are heavy. laden and I'll give you rest. I can take that verse right there and can I stand on that. Yes, I can. I know that if I come to the Lord, people like me who may be, you know, in labor now or

heavy laden, I know that God will give me rest. So Lord, I'm going to come to you in the time of need. And you can make that a source of prayer for you. In whatever need you have in your life, Here's another one. This is another category, wisdom. Don't we all need wisdom in life? Proverbs 3, verses 5 through 6, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not rely on your own insight.

In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Now that is a beautiful source for prayer. To stand on that in faith, that I'm going to trust in the Lord with all of my heart. I am not going to rely on my own insight and my own sense of wisdom. But I'm going to trust in the Lord

and in all of my ways I am going to acknowledge God and he's going to make my way straight. And Lord, I can just pray that in so many ways and bring that to you. My friend, I know you can too. What about James 1.5? If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God,

who gives to all men generously and without reproaching and it will be given him. Isn't that great? That's wisdom. That's the heart of your father. That is the plan of your father. That if you lack wisdom today, today, 2023, then ask him. He gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him.

So if you lack wisdom today, pray and say, I need it, Lord. I need it for my kids. I need it for my business. I need it for my emotions. I need it for my body, I need it for my finances, I need it for my relationships, whatever it might be. And then Proverbs 1616, to get wisdom is better than gold, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. And so wisdom is so valuable. Lord, make that the center of my life. May I go for wisdom more than advice any day. And Lord, I know that wisdom is better than gold. And so I'm

I'm going to search for it, I'm going to act on it, and I'm going to seek it out with all my heart. And I'm asking for wisdom for my kids, and I'm asking for wisdom for my spouse. I'm asking for wisdom for my business, whatever it might be. See, this is how we do it. And so what I'm going to encourage you to do this week, and I'll have all those verses in the show notes, by the way. But what I'm going to encourage you to do this week is I'm going to encourage you to take some of these scriptures that I provided. or to go through the Bible yourself and take some of the verses from the Bible and make your stand. That this is what you're going to pray about this week.

This is what you're going to go to the Lord with. And you're going to say, Lord, you're revealing my Heavenly Father. You're revealing the heart of my Father. You're revealing the plan of my Father. And this is going to be the source of my prayer. And then actually do it. Actually do it. Stand on God's word.

stand on his word believe walk in faith trust the lord with all of your heart now i said uh you know earlier at the top of the show that it's just easier to to just say well i'm gonna skip a show this week it's just easier you know especially if you have broken ribs but as i was sitting there thinking about that you were on my mind and i felt like the lord was saying they need to stand on my word and trust me and they need to be told that now this week in the circumstances that they're facing. And so I would take that as a word from the Lord that he wants you to come to him in his word and he wants you to trust him and he wants you to use that word to pray and for you to commune with God. It's the source, it's the starting point of your prayer, it will take you deeper with God.

that is the sure foundation that we live on. The word of God. Isn't that beautiful? I love that. And I need that in my own life. It doesn't matter how bad you're feeling or anything. You still need it. You still need to go to God's word.

It's not vacation time. You don't have a couple days off, you know, and say, well, I'm going to do without God in prayer for a couple days. No, you go to God, especially in those times when you're hurting or when you are struggling, whatever it might be in your life. let me pray for you in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit jesus i love you i thank you so much for giving us your word and lord it's precisely in the midst of pain and in the midst of need and uncertainty that we we definitely need your word and so lord we come to your word the scriptures we come to

your word today and ask you to speak to us and we make that word the source of our prayer to you knowing that we must pray according to your will. We know that your word is your will, and we trust you. We ask for the intercession from our dear lady, Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God.

Pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. I love you, my friend. I really do, and I pray that this week, your prayer will change. God bless you.