You can have what you say. The woman who touched Jesus' garment received exactly what she said.

The Bible says, "For she said, 'If I may touch his clothes, I shall be whole'" (Mark 5:28).

What she said was her faith speaking. I know it was, for Jesus said, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole" (Mark 5:34).

What you say is your faith speaking. You can have what you say (see Mark 11:23-24).

In the Old Testament we see another wonderful proof text. In Numbers 13 it tells us that after the children of Israel reached Kadesh-Barnea, they sent twelve spies into Canaan. Ten of the spies brought back an evil report from the promised land, and two brought back a good report.

What is an evil report? It is a report of doubt. What is a good report? It is a report of faith.

Ten of them said, "It's true, all right, that the land is flowing with milk and honey." They even displayed the giant clusters of grapes, pomegranates, and other fruit they had brought back from Canaan. "But," they warned, "There are giants in the land. And in our eyes we are as grasshoppers in their sight."

When you analyze their report, they were saying, "We can't do it. We can't take the land." And all of Israel accepted this report. (Some people believe the majority report is always right, but if you follow the majority of Christians—even full-gospel Christians—you can walk in unbelief). By accepting the majority report, the children of Israel were saying, "We can't take the land."

The children of Israel got exactly what they said. They believed they couldn't take it, so they said they couldn't take it. And they didn't. After all, even when you doubt, you believe something; you just believe the wrong thing. That is the only difference.

You always get and have in your life what you believe for and say. If you do not believe what you are saying, you should not say it, because if you say something long enough, those words will eventually register in your spirit and control your life. Each one of those 10 spies got exactly what he said. Not one of them entered into the promised land. They all wandered in the wilderness until they died. What they said came to pass.

It was different for Joshua and Caleb. Caleb said, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it." (Num. 13:30) Joshua said, "Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not" (Num. 14:9).

Joshua and Caleb did not deny that there were giants in the land. "Yes," they admitted, "in our own eyes we are as grasshoppers in their sight." But when you analyze what they said they confessed, "Our God is well able to deliver them into our hands. We're well able to overcome the giants and possess the land."

People often come to me asking, "Will you tell me why I can't get healed?" I always smile and say, "Yes." Their eyes get big and they say, "Well, if you can, I wish you would." I say, "You just got through telling me you can't." Their words gave them away. You can locate people by what they say. Their confession locates them.

When I pray for people, I try to get a confession from them before I pray for them. I ask them "Will you be healed now as I lay my hands on your head and pray?" "Well, Brother Hagin, I sure hope I will." You see I've located them. They aren't in faith, they're in hope. Those who have a quick confession of faith receive almost instantly.

Some people, however, think that because I preach this way, they can just say it out of their heads without believing it in their hearts. I have noticed that these people do not look me in the eye when they say it, and I detect a note of hesitancy in their voice. That little hesitancy will defeat them.

It's the little foxes, the Bible says, that spoil the vine. It's not some great big something that's keeping most of God's children from being healed or filled with the Spirit.

It wasn't the giants in Canaan who kept Israel from entering in. If it had been the giants, they would have defeated Joshua and Caleb, just as they did the rest of the spies. No, the ten spies defeated themselves. It was their wrong thinking, wrong believing, and wrong talking that defeated them.

It's not the giants in life who defeat people. It is not the storms of life that defeat you. It is not the devil who defeats you. If you are defeated, you have defeated yourself by your wrong thinking, wrong believing, and wrong talking.

The woman with the issue of blood got exactly what she said. Those Israelites who accepted the majority report got exactly what they said: they wandered in the wilderness until every one of them died.

Joshua and Caleb were the only members of that generation who entered the promised land. Joshua became the leader and when they got into Canaan, Caleb came to Joshua and said, "Give me this mountain" (Josh. 14:12).

I think Joshua looked back 40 years and realized that he and Caleb had won a victory in believing and talking right. He wanted to locate Caleb, so he asked him (to get a confession out of him), "Are you able to take the mountain? There are giants in the mountain. The Anakims are in that mountain."

And old Caleb said, in effect, "I am well able. I am 85-years-old, but my natural strength is not abated. My eyesight is not even dim. I am well able to take the mountain." And bless God, he did!

Source: You Can Have What You Say by Kenneth Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications