KEYWORDS: keys, power, lord, promise, promises, prayer

Introduction to the Keys Promises

Karen Zerby

By Maria #627 CM/FM 3428 8/02

Dear Family,

1. Peter and I are so proud of you who have been stepping out by faith to use the keys in your prayer times, to call on the keys at every opportunity and for each need. It's been thrilling to hear how the keys have gone to work on your behalf as you've claimed them, how you've experienced miracles and amazing answers to prayer when you've used this powerful spiritual weapon.

2. And now‚ because of your faith to obey and Jesus' desire for us to grow even more in our use of the keys, He's poured forth an abundance of new keys promises to enhance our prayer lives—a beautiful and powerful collection on a multitude of subjects and topics important to us all. I'm so happy to pass on to you this wonderful and priceless gift that our Husband has blessed us with.

3. Here is a message He gave when we were preparing these keys promises for you, which contains new instruction and insight on how we can become even more effective in wielding the keys of the Kingdom, and how to best utilize the new promises He's given. Jesus loves us so much, and He wants to make it as easy as possible for us to use the keys of the Kingdom and avail ourselves of their full power in every aspect of our lives and service to Him.

Memorizing the Keys

4. (Jesus speaking:) I have revealed to you many deep things about the keys of the Kingdom. I have instructed you in their use. I have given you basics in the ways of how to harness their power. I have counseled you to use the keys often, to say the words, "I call on the keys." I have promised that there will be no stopping you as you use the keys in conjunction with My will, in desperation of heart and humility of mind and spirit. I have said that the keys are activated through sincerity of heart, for it is through your deep love for Me, your dedication and yieldedness to My Spirit, that the keys are at your command.

5. I have asked you to wield the keys wisely, to handle them prayerfully. I have said that the keys will be your survival both today and in the future. I have asked that you do not shun the keys, but that you use them often, daily‚ at every opportunity. I have given you the keys of the Kingdom to accomplish My will. I have given you the keys so that the world may know that you are Mine and that we are one. I have given you the keys so that My light, force‚ and power may be clearly seen through you and so that you may glorify Me.

6. Thank you, My brides‚ for being willing to be used of Me. Thank you for being vessels of My light and power. Thank you for being willing to be keepers of the keys, for being faithful stewards of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Because I see your willingness, because I see your yearning and desire for Me, I have given you many new keys promises to claim and to hold Me to. These are priceless possessions.

7. Now I want to give you further counsel regarding your use of the amazing and awesome keys of the Kingdom. I want to give you further instruction in the use of these keys promises.

8. If you would utilize the keys to the fullest, you must let them become a part of you. You do this by hiding the keys promises in your heart. Read them, study them, speak them to one another, meditate on them‚ and commit them to memory. Many of you have already begun taking steps in this direction. Those who have, I urge to continue on; those who have not, I encourage to begin today.

9. Let the keys be one with you and they will keep your steps. Hide them in your heart and they will broaden your understanding as they guide you through each day.

10. If you'll make a concerted effort to commit the keys promises to memory‚ you will find that as they become more a part of you, your use of the keys will be more spontaneous. Just as I have instructed you to turn every thought into a prayer, if you will hide the keys promises in your heart, this will enable you to let every prayer you utter be empowered by the keys, and in this way you will also be utilizing your prayer power to a greater degree.

11. Each prayer you pray must now be guided by the keys, My loves, for the days require it. For you who have been given the keys of the Kingdom, prayer and the keys must go hand in hand.

12. As you let the keys promises sink deep into every part of your minds, hearts, and spirits, by meditating on them day and night, by reading them often, reviewing them, and committing them to memory—the keys will become one with you more and more, until your automatic reaction will be to call on the keys.

13. Will you make this resolution, My loves? Resolve to make a concerted effort to hide the keys promises in your heart; then call on the keys for the power to carry out your resolution. This is a vital step in letting your keys be turned to swords. You must become one with the keys!

14. Prayer is your link‚ your hotline to Me; the keys are your levers that release the power that will carry out your prayers. To use this power to the maximum degree, you must let the keys promises be one with you. Hide them in your heart so that they flow out of your mouth, so that your first reaction to each situation is to call on the keys. This is what will keep your steps from sliding, what will give you strength for the battle‚ and what will assure you the victory.

15. Thank you, My dear loves, for being willing. Thank you for being faithful keepers of the keys and the keys promises. Thank you for glorifying Me. Thank you for embracing the keys, for taking them into your bosom, for becoming one with them. The Words I speak to you are spirit and life; the keys I give you are strength, power, and victory. (End of message from Jesus.)

16. (Mama: ) As you can see from this exciting message, Jesus wants us to start committing these keys promises to memory so that we can be more effective in our prayers and use the keys more diligently. However‚ since there are literally hundreds of new keys promises, I'm concerned that some of you might get a little worried hearing this, especially those of you who find memorization difficult. If it's any comfort to you, I sympathize and understand. I feel the same way, because I don't have a good memory, but I know that if the Lord instructs us to do something, even if it's contrary to our natural abilities, then He will help us.

17. I've begun memorizing a few of these keys promises and He's been helping me, so I know that He will help you too. He wants to make it as easy as possible for us. His instructing us to commit the promises to memory is not an attempt to make life more difficult; to the contrary, He knows that if we memorize and use them‚ then our lives will be easier through availing ourselves of more of His power. It might be an initial investment of time in memorizing them, but the benefits will be well worth it.

18. Please don't feel overwhelmed with the sheer number of promises‚ feeling like you have to memorize them all at once; that's not the case. You can even start by memorizing three or four—that's what the Lord told someone in our Home. Use those for a while, and when you get those down and are accustomed to claiming them in prayer and you feel ready to tackle more, pick another three or four to memorize. Of course, if you are able to memorize one in each section, you'll have at least one key promise to use for almost every occasion and need, so that's a major benefit.

19. If you have a difficult time memorizing, you can start with some of the shorter promises; that's okay. It's not a competition to see who can memorize the most or who can quote the longest ones. The goal is to make these powerful promises a part of your life and to start storing them in your heart today. Pick the ones that speak to you the most and memorize those first. Ask Jesus personally what is realistic for you and which ones you should start memorizing.

Tips and Pointers on Memorizing the Keys

20. I know many of you are accustomed to memorizing King James Bible verses in which you stick very strictly to the exact wording, as that makes it easier for united review, etc. For that reason, your initial reaction to memorizing these keys promises might be to do the same‚ to feel there's not much "wiggle room" for adjustments or modifications that might make it easier. But you'll be encouraged to hear that when I was asking the Lord for more specific counsel on memorizing these keys promises‚ He said that He wants to make it as easy as possible for us. He gave some good tips and pointers, which I want to share with you here.

21. 1) You can substitute a different synonym for a word in a key promise if you find it easier to remember or more applicable. For example, if the promise says, "No child is past being helped by My love, the keys of the Kingdom, and My living Word," you could substitute the word "teen" for "child," if you don't have young children in your Home and want to adapt it when praying for your teens. Or if the key promise says, "Calling on the keys will lead you to the secret to building a loving relationship with even the most problematic personality," you could change "relationship" to "friendship" if you feel you would use it more in your prayers that way. Then you could memorize it as‚ "Calling on the keys will lead you to the secret to building a loving friendship with even the most problematic personality."

22. 2) You can simplify the grammar to make a promise easier to memorize (without changing the meaning). For example, if the promise says, "The power of the keys is life to those who hold them—using the keys brings health to your flesh," you could simplify the grammar to, "The keys are life to those who hold them—the keys bring health to your flesh."

23. 3) If there is a series of words in a promise, you can choose one of the words that is the most meaningful to you and memorize the promise with just that one word‚ especially if the three or four words contained in that series are similar in meaning. For example, if the key promise says, "Call on the power of the keys for fantastical, supernatural, out-of-this-world, incredible‚ and physically impossible miracles and healings," you could pick just one of the words and memorize the key as, "Call on the power of the keys for out-of-this-world miracles and healings."

24. 4) You can shorten a key promise. For example, if the promise says, "The keys are your strong defense, a constant help in every time of trouble. The keys are a strong tower. Call on their power and you will be safe from all harm or danger," you could just memorize the second half that says‚ "The keys are a strong tower. Call on their power and you will be safe from all harm or danger."

25. 5) The Lord uses a lot of different expressions in the keys promises, such as "call on the power of the keys," "reach out to the keys," "call on the keys of the Kingdom," "focus on the keys," etc. He does this for variety, but if you'd rather just pick your favorite expression and use that with every key promise, that's fine too.

26. The Lord doesn't mind if we prayerfully adapt these keys promises to make them easier for us to memorize and use. A little variation, without changing the meaning of the promise, isn't going to make them less "real" or less powerful and effective. The main goal is to memorize the keys promises‚ and if there are ways that make it easier for us to do so, the Lord is more than happy to allow us the leeway. He doesn't want us to feel boxed in or that we have to memorize everything word for word. The important thing is to store them in our hearts, claim them in our prayers, and make the keys more a part of our everyday lives.

When the Keys Don't Seem to Work

27. Jesus also wants us to realize that although we now have these awesome and amazing new keys promises, it doesn't mean that things are all of a sudden going to be perfect or that our lives will be problem-free. He will continue to allow us to experience battles, problems, sicknesses, and other difficulties in our lives to keep us close to and desperate with Him, to teach us valuable lessons, and to ensure that we are able to relate to and sympathize with others and the difficulties they face.

28. The ante is upped and the spiritual warfare is intensifying, so our all–seeing and wise Husband is giving us even more high-tech weapons for the job. With bigger battles, we need bigger and more powerful weapons to defeat the Enemy—that's why the Lord gave us the keys and the keys promises. But even with our new "key artillery," we'll continue to have battles and problems, because they're necessary and for our good. The Lord won't spare us from everything, even if we call on the keys. Even the Lord "learned obedience by the things which He suffered" here on Earth, and we often learn many good and necessary things as well. But we can be sure that our difficulties or tests will be much easier to bear if we're availing ourselves of the power of the keys of the Kingdom, and we can know that when the Lord has accomplished His purpose, we will come through our various battles victoriously and stronger for them.

29. The Enemy would want to discourage you and convince you that the keys don't work‚ especially if you pray, claiming the power of the keys‚ and the Lord doesn't seem to answer your prayer, at least not as you had hoped. It might look to you like the promise you claimed was not fulfilled. But we know from the Word that there are many reasons why He doesn't always answer our prayers as we expect or want Him to, or possibly not as quickly as we would like. And whether we're claiming a Bible verse or a key promise‚ the principles are the same. Our Husband knows best‚ and we should still claim the keys as He's instructed us to and trust Him to answer our prayers in His perfect way and time. He loves us and wants to answer our prayers and do miracles! When events related to our prayer lives are a mystery to us, our reaction should be one of trust and faith‚ not discouragement and doubt.

30. If you have questions about why something didn't work out as you had prayed, even if you claimed a very definite key promise, ask the Lord. He will explain what's going on behind the scenes and in the spirit world. Also, study the Word on the subject. And while you're waiting for the Lord to make things clear to you or to resolve some question you might have, please don't stop claiming the power of the keys and holding the Lord to the keys promises. They are from Him and He wants us to use them‚ believe them, and let them work for us!

31. We have been claiming very definite and specific Bible promises for years, and even though sometimes it seemed our prayers weren't answered, it didn't stop us from continuing to stand on those promises. For example, we've probably all claimed the verse, "If ye shall ask any thing in My Name‚ I will do it" (Jn.14:14) in our prayers for years. But there have been times in each of our lives when, for one reason or another, the Lord didn't answer our specific prayer as we thought He should or give us what we were hoping for—but that doesn't mean we stopped claiming that verse and using it as the powerful promise it is.

32. Of course, with every promise, whether a Bible or keys promise‚ there are conditions to be met when praying. Some verses are very explicit with detailed conditions: "If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (Jn.15:7). And, "Whatsoever we ask‚ we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1Jn.3:22). Other verses don't specifically spell out the conditions, but the same principles apply, principles that we have learned through our many years of studying the Word.

33. We know that God answers prayer and that we should pray without ceasing. We know that prayer changes things. We know that the Lord is more willing to give than we are to receive. But we also know that there are many factors that affect the Lord's ability to answer prayer—people's choices, the timing, unseen factors that are still coming into play, whether something is the Lord's will, etc. More often than not, the Lord answers our prayers in a wonderful way, even giving us above and beyond what we'd asked for. But at times He's limited by these various conditions‚ or by other things we're not aware of. So if the answers to your prayers don't come as you think they should‚ please don't give in to doubt or resentment toward the Lord or the Word. The promises of the Lord are broad and the conditions are often unspoken, but you can grow in your understanding of those conditions through your general knowledge of the Bible and the nature of the Lord. Likewise, you can understand the conditions for using the keys as you study the Letters describing them and their use.

34. The Lord has given us an abundance of instruction in the GNs about the use of the keys. Within the full counsel from the Lord on the keys there is a fair bit of instruction about how to really make the key power work for you, how to be in a position to "command the Lord." You need to be doing such things as faithfully drinking in His Word; being strong in faith and desperate with Him; being doers of the Word, not just hearers only; staying right with Him without having unconfessed sin in your life; living the life of a disciple, etc. Please understand that the Lord couldn't repeat all of the various "requirements" and how-tos in every key promise, as otherwise they would be too lengthy. But regardless of whether the conditions are stated in a promise that we claim, it behooves us to do all we can to stay right with the Lord and fulfill those conditions, so we can pray in full faith, and then trust the loving care and wisdom of our dear Husband. He will answer as He knows is best.

35. It would also do us all good to reread and study the GNs on the topic of the keys of the Kingdom so that we're very clear on our responsibilities as we claim and use these keys promises He's given.

36. Here is some counsel about how we should react when the Lord doesn't seem to answer our prayers, even though we claimed the power of the keys.

37. (Jesus speaking: ) When someone has a question, is hit with a doubt, or is wondering about something, the right thing to do is to go to the Word, search the scriptures, and see whether these things be so. The answer is usually right there in the Word, or if not specifically, if they are seeking with an open heart, I can speak to them directly while they are searching and strengthening their faith. I can punch through and help them apply scriptures or instruction in a new light, one that chases away the darkness and brings peace and understanding. I can speak to them and put things in perspective as they hear My voice in prophecy.

38. At the foundation of each of My children's faith is an underlying trust in Me. I work in mysterious ways, and that is My prerogative. I know best, and sometimes My children just have to trust that, and not worry when something doesn't turn out like they thought it would. Of course‚ when there is considerable personal loss involved, it can be more of a test of faith. But it is not possible for Me to write all the conditions in each one of these promises. That's where the foundation of faith comes in, the knowledge of the scriptures, the daily drinking in of My Word to strengthen your faith and prepare you for the tests that inevitably come.

39. This is a principle that I wish to remind My children of: Claiming these keys promises, like all other promises, must be used in context with living the life of a disciple, daily drinking in My Word so that you are strong in faith and in tune with Me‚ and having that foundation of trust that assures you that no matter what, you firmly believe that I know best and will work that which is best for you when you are doing your part. (End of message from Jesus)

Message After an Accident

40. (Mama:) Recently two of our Home members were out in a vehicle and they had an accident. It was not our driver's fault and our car did not suffer very much damage, especially given the fact that the other two cars involved in the accident were totaled. It was a big miracle of protection, but still, we couldn't help but wonder why the Lord allowed the accident when our Home members had specifically prayed and claimed the power of the keys before leaving the house. I asked the Lord to speak further on this topic and He gave the following very helpful answer.

41. (Jesus speaking: ) The power of the keys is a spiritual phenomenon, a mystery, a reality. The keys are a part of Me; their power and My power are the same, just like the Word is a part of Me and prayer is a part of My Spirit. All the spiritual weapons are in some way a part of Me‚ an extension of My Spirit, something I give you to help you fight the spiritual warfare and stay connected to Me.

42. I've told you that every prayer is heard and answered. This is true. Even though you don't always see the results of every answer right away, they are answered in My way and in My time. When you pray in My Name and claim My promises, you have My power at your disposal to work for you, to do miracles‚ open doors, whatever you're praying for. Even though you might not always see the immediate fruit of claiming My Word, it stands firm and is true.

43. It's the same when you pray in the power of the keys and claim the keys promises. They work for you in the spirit and answer your prayers. You don't always see the physical manifestation of the power of the keys on the spot, but their power is at work just the same. Sometimes I allow "bad" things to happen in spite of the fact that you prayed and claimed My promises, or prayed in the Name of Jesus‚ or claimed the power of the keys. It might seem like prayer or the keys don't really work and don't make a difference, especially in cases when you pray for protection or healing or something you feel you really need, and you don't seem to receive it.

44. The results are up to Me and My will at the time—how I know it is best to answer your prayer. Sometimes I allow negative circumstances to happen in order to accomplish My higher will. For example, I might allow you to have an accident, even though you claimed My protection and claimed the keys. That doesn't mean that prayer and the keys don't work; it just means I have a higher purpose for allowing those circumstances. Ask Me about it and I'll tell you why.

45. Ask Me to explain the reasons why I allow something "bad" to happen in your life. If you pray specifically for a good night's sleep and claim the keys—and then you don't sleep well—that doesn't automatically mean the keys aren't working for you. Ask Me about it, ask Me why I allowed that situation to happen, and I'll explain it to you. Maybe I want to speak to your heart in the quiet of the night, or guide your thoughts, or convict your heart about something. Sometimes I want you to pray about something. I'll show you the reason for everything I allow if you ask Me.

46. I choose not to guard you from every single thing in life, because if I did, then you wouldn't learn and grow in the spirit, and you wouldn't learn how to fight in the spirit and use your spiritual weapons. I have to allow some "bad" things to happen so that your faith will grow and your use of your spiritual weapons will be sharpened more quickly.

47. You are surrounded by the protection of the keys when you specifically claim them to protect you, but if something happens to you anyway, it just means that it could have been much worse if you hadn't prayed and specifically claimed the keys. Every promise of the power of the keys is fulfilled in some way when you claim them, but exactly how I choose to fulfill those promises is according to My wisdom and what I know is best at the time.

48. It might seem odd to you that I don't choose to protect you from every possible hurt or negative experience, especially when My promises indicate that I will, but remember that it's often the deep, dark experiences of life that teach you the most valuable lessons. If I were to protect and keep you from every negative thing, then you would be in Heaven and not on Earth.

49. The power of the keys is a spiritual weapon that I have made available to My children who live in the physical world. Without their power a lot more "bad" things would happen, but because you pray and specifically claim their power you have much greater protection and help from the spirit. When you pray, claim their full protection or their full anointing, full wisdom‚ whatever you need their help with, and then leave the final decision up to Me as to how to fulfill My promises. Don't limit your faith and don't belittle the power of the keys because of doubt or a lack of faith, but trust in My promises completely, even if you don't see the answers as you'd like them. (End of message from Jesus.)

50. Thank You, our wonderful Husband, for such bountiful‚ amazing, and powerful new keys promises that we can use for Your glory and to perform Your will!

I love you! Happy memorizing!
Much love, Mama

With this GN, we're happy to be able to send you the first batch of key promises. There will be more coming soon, Lord willing—a few hundred more!

We're sending one set of promises to each Home. They're printed back to back to reduce the printing cost‚ but you're welcome to photocopy them as many times as you wish. We're also using normal paper (again, for the sake of economy in the mail), but you can copy them on heavier paper or cardstock, making them single-sided or double-sided, according to your preference.

The key promises will also be posted on the MO site, so the files will be available for you to download if you happen to lose your master copy. You can print straight from those downloaded files.

Since there are so many key promises on a variety of topics, we've added the category at the top of each promise for your easy reference.

Another thing we plan to do, time and finances permitting, is to compile all of the key promises and reproduce them for you in booklet format—either GN-size or smaller. It will be handy to have all of these powerful key missives in one handy little book that you can take with you anywhere. We really want to be able to do this as soon as we're able, so please pray with us for this.

We love you, and we pray these new key promises will be a wonderful blessing to you!

Copyright © 2002 by The Family