Have Delivered

Mark Batterson post:  Past Tense

I had a major revelation this weekend as I preached on the Battle of Jericho. The Lord says in Joshua 6:2: "I have delivered Jericho into your hands."

Did you catch it? It's not future tense. The Lord doesn't say "I will deliver." He says "I have delivered." The battle has already been won in the spiritual realm. So the Lord proclaims the promise in the past tense. I think there are moments when you need to stop pleading for God to do something and start praising Him for what He has already done. Faith is believing that God has already delivered on the promise. There is a confirmation in your spirit. You sense a breakthrough in your spirit. It is faith that allows us to praise God BEFORE the miracle happens! Why? Because it believes it will happen as much as if it has already happened. It turns the future tense into the past tense.