From the time I was born again in 1975, God taught me to come to HIM in prayer over each problem of this life and to depend on HIM to give me the Word to deal with the problem. Then I could stand on that Word or use that Word to give me information to know what to do in the situation of this present life. This never fails!
Jesus says: He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
I attended a Faith Movement church, Word of Faith, from 1977-1982, and they taught people to hunt a scripture and to stand on that scripture.
(I never heard anyone at Word of Faith say we should turn to God and ask God "HIS will" in the matter at hand.)
But I was taught by God to turn to HIM when I had a problem. Then God would bring to me a scripture or a concept and I "stood" on that which God brought to me.
If we hunt a scripture and stand on that scripture we are trying to "be God". That is antichrist.
There is a subtle difference between hunting a scripture and turning to God for help.
In one case you are doing everything without actually turning to God, thus being your own God by trying to find a scripture which fits your problem.
In the other case you are turning to God for help and depending on God.
In hunting a scripture you depend on yourself.
In the other case you depend on God and your faith is in God.
I didn't see the difference between what I was doing and what they were teaching at Word of Faith until I left Word of Faith and God showed me the difference.
In 1982, God brought me out of Word of Faith church by giving me a dream. Then God showed me the difference between overcoming through God and trying to have faith apart from God.
Jesus sas: (Ye) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of ME. And ye will not come to ME, that ye might have life. (Jn. 5:39-40)
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(Examples in this Podcast)
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After God showed me the difference between the doctrine of finding a scripture without turning to God, and turning to God for HIS help, I saw they, at Word of Faith, were doing something very different from that which God had taught me to do.
I said to my Bible teacher at Word of Faith, "I didn't know I was different from those people at Word of Faith."
Our Bible teacher said to me: "Joan, you were never like anyone at Word of Faith. They talk about faith, but you live faith."
Our teacher said this to me in 1982. In 2021, I still live by turning to God and letting HIM show me what to do when there is a problem.
No other way is safe. But when we trust God by turning to God in prayer and by waiting on HIM to reveal to us what to do, it is always safe. God knows future and HE will take you in a way that works as events come upon this earth.
We build our faith on that Word which is revealed to us by God by HIS Spirit.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
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