Praying for God’s promises

People make different kinds of promises in different relationships. Some are made merely with words, while others are supported by legal documents. From a father’s promise to be there at his son’s soccer game to an entrepreneur signing a promissory note for a loan with legally binding terms and conditions, promises come in many forms. Some people are able to keep their promises, while some fail miserably, and the consequences of not keeping one’s promises vary. A child who neglects his household chores due to wilful disobedience may experience momentary discipline, like being grounded for a day. A father who has not kept his promise of going to his daughter’s piano recital may have a lifetime consequence of a strained relationship between him and his daughter. Our inability to keep our promises may be due to several reasons, such as negligence, rebellion, unwise decisions, poor resource management, or the lack of capacity to deliver. That is why we often hear the expression, “Promises are made to be broken.” This idea is rooted in our limited ability and capacity to accomplish what is expected as finite beings. Our moral and spiritual flaws also hinder us from fulfilling certain promises to other people, especially to God. Such realities make trusting another human being feel volatile and fragile. So, if human beings are hardly trustworthy to keep a promise, what about God? Can we trust God to truly keep His promises when we pray?

According to Isaiah 55:11, when God releases a word or makes a promise, it will never come back to Him empty but will, unfailingly, accomplish the purpose for which God sent it. Unlike human beings, God is perfect, unlimited in His power, gracious, and can never be hindered by anything when it comes to keeping His promises.

Joshua and the Israelites experienced how God fulfills His promises. In the accounts written in (Joshua 21:45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.) and Joshua 23:14, every good thing that God promised to Israel came to pass. All throughout the Bible, you can find that God never fails to do what He has promised, from Genesis to Revelations. In different circumstances and throughout the ages, His word remains true and does not diminish or get broken. This is really because of who God is. He can keep His promises due to His ability and nature.

1. His Ability (He Can).

God can fully keep His promises because He can. He has limitless power and wisdom to deliver, regardless of any obstacle. Unlike God, human beings have many limitations in our ability to keep promises.

For instance, a foreign exchange trader may promise a huge return to investors. In the first two years, investors may enjoy a good return on investment, but perhaps a bad rumor breaks out that causes a huge loss in their investments. As a lot of investors believed the rumor, they panicked and started withdrawing all their invested funds. With the sudden loss of a significant amount of capital for trading, the foreign exchange trading company was unable to deliver its promised returns to the remaining clients, leading to its eventual collapse.

• He is All Powerful and Unlimited

Many times, we are hindered in accomplishing our promises due to our limitations and lack of ability. No matter how hard we try, there are certain circumstances that bring us to a dead end. Man may have the intellect, strength, and will, but when faced with impossible situations, we become powerless and hopeless. However, since God is all powerful and unlimited, no circumstance on earth can stop Him from fulfilling His promises (1 Chronicles 29:11-12). In the first chapter of Genesis, we see that God created everything simply by speaking it forth. As finite creatures, we are dependent on other things from creation in order for us to materialize what our mind conjures. God only needs to speak something into existence. That unlimited power gives us the confidence that God truly can fulfill all His promises.

• He is All-Knowing and Has Perfect Wisdom

Like the example above, we often fail in fulfilling some of our promises because of our limited knowledge and wisdom. We simply don’t have the ability to see the  future clearly; in fact, we miss out on details of the past and present. The uncertainty of the future and other factors beyond our control and knowledge pose a great challenge to our already limited wisdom. Our present condition is composed of a series of decisions being acted upon in the past. As wise decision-making is determined by our understanding of past and present circumstances and how we navigate toward the future, many times, we make mistakes. Aside from our very narrow perception of time and its consequences, there are many extraneous variables that transcend our knowledge and understanding. We find ourselves committing to something that goes way beyond our control or capacity.

Unlike us, God sees and knows everything, and His wisdom in dealing with things is flawless. His ways are infallible and absolutely reliable. We can definitely trust that God can do anything, and when He keeps His promises, He is unstoppable. When God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child, despite their old age, Sarah laughed because she just couldn’t believe it. God asked her, “Is there anything too hard for the LORD?” The answer to the question was obvious. Later, God kept His promise, and Sarah bore Isaac at 90 years old.

2. His Nature (He will)

Not only does God have the unlimited capacity to fulfill His promises, it is in His nature to keep His promises. God does not lie or change His mind and back down on His word. He loves to give good things to His children and intends for His promises to be kept.

A rich, smart, and powerful politician may have the capacity to grant his promised plans for a city, but his shrewd reputation of changing terms in the middle of business contracts makes him very unreliable. One may have the ability to deliver, but a questionable character can change one’s trustworthiness. Unlike man, God is very trustworthy due to His flawless character.

• He is unchanging

God’s character is immutable. His immutability means that God cannot and will not change because He does not need to. After all, He is perfect. We can trust that God will always keep His promises since He does not change His mind. When He says He will do something, nothing can stop Him from doing it. According to Numbers 23:19, God is not like humans, who can lie or change their minds. When He releases His word, He acts on it, and when He promises something, He always fulfills it.

James tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from God. These good gifts came from the Father in heaven, who does not change like shifting shadows (Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17). That is why we can trust in Him and His promises when we pray.

• He is faithful

It is not just God’s power that makes His word reliable, but also His heart to give what is good for His people. God is both powerful and faithful in keeping His promises. We learn from Psalm 33:4 that the word of the Lord is right and true, and He is faithful in all He does. In His faithfulness, He keeps His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love and obey Him (Deuteronomy 7:9).

It’s sad that, despite God’s goodness, we are often unfaithful to Him. Despite His mercy and grace towards us, we still find ourselves running after things that betray God. However, what is amazing about God’s faithfulness is that, despite our unfaithfulness to Him, He remains faithful because that is just who He is, and He cannot deny Himself ( If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 2 Timothy 2:13). When God makes a promise, its fulfillment will never be based upon what we have done, what we do, or our individual circumstances, but upon His faithfulness.

• He is Benevolent

He is faithful because He is naturally good. God is not obliged to give good promises to us and fulfill them. None of us deserve to receive God’s goodness, but since it is His nature to be good, He dispenses His grace to all mankind, to both the righteous and the wicked (Matthew 5:45). However, this does not mean that God tolerates wickedness. God is also just; He disciplines unrighteousness, but because He is good, He still takes care of us and patiently gives us a chance for repentance. Because His promises are given out of His perfect goodness and generosity, we can rely on Him when we ask for our needs and take hold of His word. Because God loved humanity so much, He gave the greatest gift, His one, and only Son, for the salvation of sinful man (John 3:16). Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of His promised ultimate salvation from our condemnation, which has been a threat to humanity since the fall of man. This is the biggest reason why we can put our hope in God’s promises.

This is our confidence; if God did not even withhold His own Son for us but gave Him up for our benefit, don’t you think He would give us everything else that is good (He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32)? For that, we can pray:

“Our Father in Heaven, who loves us so dearly, I know that you care so much for me that you will not withhold anything that is good for me. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with all that I need and being very patient and gracious despite my shortcomings. Lord, I hold on to your promises for me, knowing that you are able and faithful and true to your word. I am sorry for my doubts; please help me overcome this unbelief as I draw closer to you. Help me in this journey of faith to trust in your power and your character so that I may grow in faith as I walk with you. May my life of faith bring you glory and honor. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!”

Can you pray for God’s promises in the Bible and claim it for yourself?

There are more than 7,000 promises from God that you can find in the Bible, from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Can everyone claim those promises?

We may claim God’s promises, but we must understand that not all biblical promises are for everyone. Only believers who have a covenant relationship with God can claim these biblical promises, aside from the promise of forgiveness and redemption for all who receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 

The Apostle Paul said that for all the many promises of God, they are all “Yes” and fulfilled in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:2,19-20). However, remember that this only pertains to promises that are relevant to us. Even for believers, not all promises written in the Bible are applicable to everyone. Some promises are for specific people, situations, and times. There are also promises that you will not want to claim. We must learn to study the Word and its proper interpretation to rightfully claim certain promises. For instance, God made the promise of child-bearing to Abraham for the propagation of His people. That promise is specific and time-bound and cannot be claimed now, but we can extract the general principle of promises like this and claim it. Such a promise may be specific, but gleaning from its general principle that God can do the impossible despite the circumstance and His generosity towards His people, we can claim it based on God’s character and ability. 

Aside from the context of the promises found in the Bible, there are also promises that can be divided into 2 categories: unconditional and conditional.

Conditional promises are those that require compliance to a certain command from God in order for the promise to be fulfilled. For instance, Jesus said that the end will come if the good news of the kingdom has been preached to everyone in the world (And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14). Its time of fulfillment is dependent upon the action of the church.

Unconditional promises are those that, even if we do something or not, God will still fulfill it. A good example can be found in Genesis 9:11, where God promised that He would never again wipe out humanity with another great flood. God will keep this promise, whether we sin against Him or not. The fulfillment is based on God and not on our ability or inability.

Even so, we must understand that whether the promises written in the Bible are for specific contexts, either conditional or unconditional, God loves us so much that He will dispense His blessings to His children and keep His promises. In the name of Jesus, we can claim those promises that are applicable to us.

• Romans 8:28 KJV – 8 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

We are confident that God, who deeply cares for us, works all things for the good of those whom He loves, to those whom He called according to His great plan and purpose.

How do you thank God for his promises?

God’s love for us and His faithfulness in keeping His promises should make our hearts grateful with the understanding that none of us deserve this kind of attention from Him, nor is He obligated to be generous to us. We often forget what God has done for us and don’t reciprocate His love. You will find that in many parts of the Bible, God continually reminds His people what He has done for them. Remembering the goodness of God and honoring Him makes us thankful. When we are thankful to God, it must show not just with thoughts and words.

Paul tells us in Romans 12:1 to give our bodies to God, a lifestyle of submission to Him and His cause, in view of everything that He has done for us. A thankful life does not give mere lip service but lives an active life of worship. In gratitude, whatever we do for Him, is a reasonable form of worship.

It is good that we express our gratitude to God in prayers for His promises, but it must not stop there. A life that is grateful to God is a life lived in obedience and service to God.

• Psalm 100:4-5 KJV

The psalmist exhorts us to have an attitude of thankfulness and worship when we enter into God’s presence. God is always good, and His mercy and loving kindness has no end. He is always trustworthy because of His faithfulness and patience towards us, for all generations past, present, and future.

“Lord, thank you for being so good to us, despite our unfaithfulness. Thank you for your promises that give us hope and encouragement. Help us to always trust in you and not to easily be swayed by faithlessness. May our lives be lived in obedience to you. Help us to offer our lives as a living sacrifice so that we may please you. We are forever grateful to you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!”