BELIEVE TO RECEIVE

©1999 Anna Hazen

BELIEVE TO RECEIVE

Matthew 7:7–8 says, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.

This is not a vague suggestion—it’s a divine promise. Yeshua (Jesus) invites us into a pattern of bold expectation: ask, seek, and knock. Each word here increases in intensity. Ask implies desire; seek implies pursuit; knock implies persistence. But the foundation beneath all three actions is faith—genuine trust that God hears and responds.

Matthew 21:22 continues the theme: And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

This is one of the most foundational truths in all of Scripture. Without belief—without אמונה (emunah, faithfulness, trust)—there is no receiving.

Let’s anchor this with Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The Greek word used here for “substance” is ὑπόστασις (hypostasis), meaning assurance, confidence, or that which stands under. Faith gives spiritual weight to our hope. It turns the unseen into something substantial.

That means the faith you have right now—yes, this very moment—is already enough.

Yeshua said in Matthew 17:20b, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

A mustard seed is tiny, but when planted, it grows into something expansive and enduring. Faith doesn’t have to start big—it just has to be real. But we also must look at the context of this teaching:

In Matthew 17:15–16, a man pleads with Jesus, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed... I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

Yeshua’s response in verses 17–18 is pointed: O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? He rebukes the demon, and the child is instantly healed.

Then the disciples, bewildered, ask privately, Why couldn’t we cast him out?

Yeshua replies in verse 20: Because of your unbelief. The Greek word here is ἀπιστία (apistia), meaning a lack of trust or faith. The issue wasn’t power, but confidence in the One who gives it.

In verse 21, He adds, Howbeit this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.

Some battles—especially those involving spiritual warfare—require deeper intimacy with God. Prayer aligns our spirit; fasting weakens the flesh and strengthens our discernment. Together, they reinforce belief.

So, whether it’s a small need or a monumental one, God is willing to move—if we truly believe. But His character never changes, and He will not grant anything that would violate His nature, His timing, or His covenant. Still, He will do wonders—He stopped the rain for me in 1985, just as He turned back the sun’s shadow for Hezekiah.

In 2 Kings 20:8–11, Hezekiah is gravely ill. The prophet Isaiah offers a sign from the Lord. Hezekiah chooses the harder sign—the shadow going backward ten degrees. And God does it.

Faith didn’t just shift shadows; it rearranged time.

God has stilled storms for me and my husband, parted clouds, and shielded our neighborhood from destructive winds—because we believed and asked. Even unbelievers have stood in awe at what they saw God do.

In Mark 9:17–25, a father brings his son, possessed by a tormenting spirit, to Yeshua. The disciples had tried and failed. The father, desperate, says, If You can do anything, have compassion on us...

Yeshua’s answer in verse 23 echoes like a divine challenge: If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.

The man had projected his doubt onto Jesus—“if You can.” But Yeshua redirects it: “If you can believe.”

The father’s raw response in verse 24 is one of the most honest in Scripture: Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.

That is the battle many of us face. It’s not the absence of belief, but the mixture of faith and fear. Jesus honors his sincerity—and heals his son.

Another powerful account is in Matthew 9:20–23: a woman with an issue of blood for twelve years sneaks up behind Jesus and touches the fringe (צִיצִת, tzitzit) of His garment.

She had no right to be there. According to Leviticus 15, she was ritually unclean. She should have been isolated—kept from public interaction, let alone contact with a rabbi.

But she was desperate. She had spent all she had on doctors who couldn’t help. She believed Yeshua was her only hope.

Her inner proclamation—If I just touch His garment, I will be healed—was more than a wish. It was a declaration of faith. She acted on it. She reached out, despite the cost.

Yeshua turns and says, Daughter, be of good comfort; your faith has made you whole.

Faith doesn’t always speak with a shout. Sometimes it whispers through tears, pushes through crowds, or stretches out a trembling hand.

Let’s also remember the man in Mark 3:1–5, whose hand was withered.

Yeshua called him to stand in front of the synagogue crowd. Despite the critics watching for a misstep, He asked the man to do something impossible: Stretch forth your hand.

The man could have resisted. But instead, he obeyed—and his hand was restored.

Belief requires obedience. It requires action.

John 14:12 tells us, He that believes on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do...

Miracles are not relics of the past. They are the inheritance of those who believe. I’ve seen it in my own life.

A friend’s grandmother who was in the hospital, was told she needed surgery to remove gallstones. We gathered to pray. I asked her, Do you believe God will heal you? She said, Yes, Child, I do.

We prayed together. The next morning, doctors ran more tests—and the stones were gone. She was sent home, healed.

Faith opens the door to provision—not just for healing, but for all our needs: jobs, food, clothing, shelter.

Matthew 7:11 says, If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?

Sometimes, it's even something small. One night, I couldn’t find my daughter’s shoes. We searched everywhere. In frustration, I stopped everyone, and we gathered and prayed, Father, where are her shoes?

Immediately, I heard the Lord say, Go look on the floor on the right side of her closet, at the front.

There they were.

When you believe God will speak, you will hear Him. He is not silent. His sheep hear His voice (John 10:27).

But faith must be specific. Here are five simple, practical steps:

1. Know what you want. Be specific. Yes, down to the color and size!

2. Know when you want it—but surrender the timing to God.

3. Know where you want it.

4. Know why you want it. God examines your motives.

5. Know how you’ll receive it—by faith.

Romans 10:17 tells us, Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

We must hear the Word. We must fill ourselves with the promises of God until our hearts overflow with confidence.

Hebrews 11:1 again reminds us that faith is evidence of things not seen. It is the anchor that holds us until the unseen becomes seen.

John 10:10b says, I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.

3 John 1:2 says, Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.

God desires your well-being—in body, soul, and spirit. That doesn’t mean luxury. It means abundance—the fullness of life in Him.

And no, this is not the false “prosperity gospel.” I’m not talking about manipulating Scripture to fund someone’s luxury lifestyle. I’m talking about real provision—real miracles—real faith.

God does want to give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). But He often puts those very desires within us. When we delight in Him, He reshapes our longings to reflect His will. Then, when we ask, He fulfills them.

So please—take time to read Matthew chapters 6 and 7. Let these promises sink deep.

Yeshua said it again and again:

Matthew 7:7–8 – Ask, and it will be given. Seek, and you’ll find. Knock, and it will be opened.

Believe it.

Ask.

Receive.

Keep your lamps filled with oil and your wicks trimmed.

The King is coming soon.