Kids have a great understanding of the Word. That is why you hear so much about childlike faith. Think of the way a child acts, and you’ve got a good idea about the essence of faith.
For example, when a kid sees a piece of candy at the checkout counter in a grocery store, he zeros in on it and commands you to do what? Produce! That child locks his little mind on that candy, and buddy, you’d better know that he isn’t asking for it next week! When is the time for candy? Now is the time for candy! Do you understand what I mean? If you’ve ever dealt with a kid having a candy fit at the checkout counter, I’m sure that you understand what I mean.
Breaking the power of natural law through faith is much the same way – it has all the elements of childlike faith and tenacity without the childish tendency toward whining and complaining. It is about realizing that power flows now and suddenly and that you don’t give up if something doesn’t go perfectly along the way.
Childlike faith is about sticking to it until you make the connection with God’s Word and draw on the blood of Jesus. It’s not about when you get healed; it’s about realizing that by His stripes you were healed (Is. 53:5). You’ve got to know in your heart that “were healed” can change “are sick.” Stop and think about that for a moment.
The grown-up in you talks away the issue. The grown-up looks at the facts so much that he misses the truth. As adults we are taught not to be childlike but to give up on our dreams, be logistical, and never take what people say literally. Basically, we’re taught to give up our childlike faith in favor of cold, hard facts, and cynicism. But Jesus didn’t tell us to do that. He didn’t instruct us to act that way at all.
Jesus told us and showed us through His example that we should strive to have childlike faith. He showed us through His example that we should hit the root of problems instead of wading around in logistics. Throughout His life, Jesus continually shoved rules and regulations out of the way and spoke on the heart of matters.
If you think about it, that’s exactly what children do. They don’t have to know the methods of making candy in order to enjoy it! They don’t care how much corn syrup it takes to create a cherry flavored lollipop. They just grab that sucker and start licking and chewing until that thing is gone!
That is what you do with the Word of God too. You just keep taking it in until it’s within you, until it’s a part of you. You may be a person whose childlike faith is easily tapped. You may be a person who can put aside logistics and believe pretty quickly. Consequently, you may also receive quickly. Or you may be like a lot of others who need to hear a bit more of the Word to help stimulate their childlike faith. You may need to wade through some of the “adult” thinking and get into the habit of using the childlike faith God put in you!
After all, you don’t have to know exactly how an engine runs to drive a car and get where you’re going. You don’t have to know all about gravity and the law of lift to ride in a jet. All you really need to know is that God’s Word is for you and if you believe it, it can simply work a miracle for you – regardless of the complications of the situation.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Jesse Duplantis, minister of the Gospel, motivational speaker, television personality, and best-selling author, has been in full-time ministry since 1976 and is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries, located in the Greater New Orleans area of south Louisiana in the United States of America. With over four decades of sharing his unique blend of humor and faith around the world, generations of believers have been inspired by his messages and countless numbers have come to know Jesus Christ as Savior through his ministry.
Known for his unflinching, status-quo-breaking messages and humorous take on experiences in the life of the believer, Jesse continues to draw large audiences of believers through social media, television, and meetings held around the world. With speaking engagements booked years in advance, Jesse Duplantis continues to keep an intense traveling schedule, flying throughout the United States and the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With no booking agents pursuing meetings for him and no set fees imposed upon churches for speaking engagements, Jesse chooses his outreach meetings based on the same two criteria he always has: invitations that come in and prayer over each one. This uncommon way of scheduling in today’s world means Jesse’s many followers may find him speaking in some of the largest churches and venues in America and the world, as well as a great many small and growing congregations, too. No church is too big or small for the Holy Spirit, as he says.
Side by side with his wife Cathy Duplantis, the co-founder and chief of staff of Jesse Duplantis Ministries and the senior pastor of Covenant Church in Destrehan, Louisiana, Jesse continues to fulfill his life’s calling by daily taking up the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Through social media, television broadcasts, books, and other ministry products, as well as through many evangelistic meetings, the JDM website, the JDM app, and Voice of the Covenant magazine, Jesse Duplantis continues to see growth in his ministry and expand each year while maintaining his roots. Jesus is the center of his life. The salvation of lost people and the growth of believers is the purpose of his ministry. And for both he and his wife, every day is another day to “Reach People and Change Lives, One Soul at a Time.”