Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.
(2 Corinthians 4:13-14 ESV)
I believed, even when I spoke,
“I am greatly afflicted”;
(Psalm 116:10 ESV)
I grew up in the "faith movement." In that system of thought, you find out what the Word of God says about your situation, seek His will through prayer, and then because you believe you have revelation of God's will in the situation, what you say matches what you believe. If you believe that God heals people, you will of course say that you believe God heals people and will heal you if you get sick. Some would say that if you don't yet believe that you will be healed, you should speak like you do believe it until you convince yourself. And don't you dare ever say that you are sick! Because, you know, that means you're not "in faith."
But Paul, who is talking about the persecutions he has experienced for the Gospel, quotes a Psalm in which the thing spoken is not "By His stripes I am healed," but "I am greatly afflicted!" The Psalmist seriously thought he was going to die, and he wasn't afraid to say that there was something wrong. And God delivered him anyway! How about that?
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