Faith and The Power of Confession by Elaine Davenport ( Sunday, September 2, 2007)

CONFESSION, PLAIN AND SIMPLE IS AN ACT OF FAITH. No one told me this; I just figured it out from reading and hearing the Word of God.

When I talk about confession in this matter today; I am speaking of confession like Abraham who called those things that be not as though they were. Jesus did it many times. I call it talking faith. Faith believes before it is seen. The bible says so.

One of the most powerful illustrations of this is the story of the Woman with the issue of blood. There are three accounts by Holy men of God: Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Here they are:
And behold, a woman who was diseased with an issue of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the hem of His garment;

for she said to herself, "If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole." (THIS WAS HER CONFESSION)

But Jesus turned about, and when He saw her, He said, "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." And the woman was made whole from that hour. MATTHEW 9: 20-22


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LUKE 8: 43-49


And a woman having an issue of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living upon physicians but could not be healed by any,

came behind Him and touched the border of His garment; and immediately her issue of blood was stanched.


And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those who were with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, `Who touched Me?'"

And Jesus said, "Somebody hath touched Me, for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me."


47And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately.


48And He said unto her, "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace."


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MARK 5: 27-34

And a certain woman who had an issue of blood twelve years,


and had suffered many things under many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse,


when she had heard of Jesus, came up behind Him in the press of the crowd and touched His garment;

for she said, "If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole." (THIS WAS HER CONFESSION)

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned about in the press of the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"

And His disciples said unto Him, "Thou seest the multitude thronging Thee, and sayest Thou, `Who touched Me?'"

And He looked round about to see her who had done this thing.

But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done in her, came and fell down before Him and told Him all the truth.

And He said unto her, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

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THIS WOMAN PUT FAITH INTO ACTION, BY BELIEVING, BY TALKING AND DOING.

SHE SAID: IF I MAY BUT TOUCH HIS GARMENT (HIS CLOTHES) , I'LL BE MADE WHOLE.
SHE BELIEVED...THEN SHE WENT TO FIND JESUS.

SHE PRESSED TO TOUCH HIM
SHE GOT HER HEALING....

BUT IT ALL STARTED WITH THE POWER OF CONFESSION WHICH BUILT HER FAITH AND GOD HONORED HER CONFESSION. WOW. THAT'S POWERFUL. WHAT ARE YOU CONFESSING?

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Your confession doesn't have to be a dissertation; but it has to come out of your mouth.

Faith speaks and faith acts/ Faith doesn't just sit and wait and think good thoughts.
Let's look at Jesus in Mark 11`: 22, 23, 24 as he teaches the disciple of Jesus about the power of confession regarding problems or mountains that get in our way. Since I am a disciple of Jesus; I receive this as instruction for myself and other disciples. Here it is:

And Peter, calling to remembrance, said unto Him, "Master, behold, the fig tree which Thou cursed is withered away." And Jesus answering, said unto them, "Have faith in God.

For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, `Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea,' and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith.

IN ONE VERSE; JESUS TALKED ABOUT THE BASE WORD "SAY" 4 TIMES. THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.


So, I watch what I say knowing that my negative confession or my positive confession can shape my life. I believe it, put my faith out for it and back it up with the Word of God. In other words, whatever I am believing God for; I make certain that it is biblical, and in prayer; I make certain that God is directing me and ordering my steps and that it is pleasing to Him. Souls are important to God and I keep His mission in my heart. I work on becoming self "less" every day.

I might add that since Confession is an act of faith that one might remember that being in expectation of change, patience, praise and giving thanks are as well.