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“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1).
“Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
“If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and thrown into the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (Luke 17:6)
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, it is inaccurate to say that you don’t have any faith. God has given us all a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). The question is, what are you doing with your faith? Jesus observed that the Centurion was a man of great faith (Matthew 8:10) and the disciples occasionally exhibited little faith (Matthew 8:26). What made the difference between great and little? It was their ability to trust in God, regardless of how their circumstances appeared. The Bible calls it “walking by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Some Christians never grow in their faith from the day of their salvation. Make a decision to go deeper in your faith.
Most “giants” of faith will tell you that their faith developed through adversity, not through ease. It is in those difficult times when we have to wait on God or depend entirely on Him for deliverance that our faith and trust are developed. We tend to resist hard times, but God has a spectacular promise for those who are serving Him: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). In other words, if you are seeking God and serving Him, He promises to take even your most difficult trials and work them for your ultimate good.
| GO DEEPER The Bible says “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34). Want to know if you’re really standing in faith? Two tests ~ one, what do you say when you’re going through a trial? Do you speak words of faith that line up with God’s word or do you speak words of doubt, worry and fear? Do you grumble and complain? Secondly, when you awake in the middle of the night, just you and God, do you praise Him for working in your situation or do you allow fearful thoughts to run through your mind? |
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Plug Into The Power Source
Imagine a lamp that is never plugged into the power outlet. As the sun goes down, the house becomes darkened. It is not because the power isn’t available, it is because the connection to the power source has not been made.
FAITH is the connection to the power of God. Romans 4:20 shows that it is through faith that we appropriate the promises of God. It is by faith we are healed. It is by faith we speak to the mountains in our life and they are cast into the sea (Mark 11:24). Faith is more valuable than gold or silver. Faith connects you to the will and power of the Most High God!
| GO DEEPER Consider the fact that God has given us over 3000 promises in the Bible. Why did He give them to us? Wouldn’t God want to fulfill those promises? Why else would He offer them? Do you have faith to claim those promises? Look up Bible promises (you can use the internet, a book of Bible promises, etc.). There are a few promises that were for select individuals or situations, but most of the promises, particularly in the New Testament, were made for you. Meditate on those promises. Ask God to show you one or several to claim. Know that God will make good on His promises as long as we stay plugged into the power source by our faith. |
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Where Else Do You Place Your Faith?
We are told to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and we are to have no other gods before Him (Luke 10:27, Ex. 20:3). So where do you put your faith? Is it entirely in God or is it in your work, your social position, your bank account, your appearance, etc.?
| GO DEEPER Go to God in prayer. Ask Him to show you any areas in which you are trusting a person, situation or possession more than you are trusting Him. Confess to God if you are not trusting Him completely. Ask Him to reveal the root problem. For example, if you’re not trusting Him to meet your needs, it may be that you don’t trust His love for you. In another situation, it may be that you are seeking approval from people more than from God. Spend time on this exploration with God. It is critical to your intimacy with Him and developing your faith. |
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How Do I Get Rid Of Doubts, Fear and Worry?
Keep in mind, fear is not from God. “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound and disciplined mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is the opposite of faith. It is a spirit. Satan will use fear to get you out of faith. He will use it to make you shrink back from the things God is calling you to do. We are commanded not to worry or fret: “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6). The reason we are not to be worried about anything is because the Lord will take care of our situations if we will commit them to Him. We are to “cast all of our worries and anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7). The word CAST means to throw or propel something strongly. In other words, get that care away from you. Don’t hold on to it. Don’t nurse it or feed it. Get rid of it. Give it to God.
- Read, study and meditate on the word of God. You can’t believe what you don’t know. Start out in the gospel of Luke or John. See how Jesus interacted with people. See how He always met their needs and healed their bodies.
- Use a topical index or book of Bible promises to meditate on scriptures that speak to your specific situation. Keep in mind that the Jesus IS the Word (John 1:14). If you don’t believe the word, it is like calling Jesus a liar. Realize that Jesus can not lie and that the Bible is true. We are told to “renew our minds…” (Romans 12:2). You have to turn from what the world says is true and put your confidence in what God says is true.
- “Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18). When you really begin to understand how much God loves you and has sacrificed for you personally, your trust will grow. Fear will eventually move out if displaced by love and trust.
- There may be times when you just have to “do it afraid.” One of your most exciting “God-incidents” can occur when you step out in faith to do what God has told you to do, even though you feel fear. You override your feelings and respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When you see that God “won’t drop you”, your faith will grow for the next event.
- Speak the word of God out loud. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). Listen to teaching tapes in your car or on your computer. Saturate yourself with the truth, and doubts will begin to disappear.
- Do not consider contrary things. When God had promised Abraham a child when he and his wife were way past child-bearing years, “Abraham did not consider the deadness of his body (since he was about 100 years old) or that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” (Romans 4:19-21). Even though Abraham certainly had reasons in the natural NOT to believe God, he didn’t even consider those circumstances. He was fully persuaded that God could and would do what He had promised. Are you fully persuaded? Do you give consideration to things other than what God has promised? Notice also that he gave glory to God. Are you praising God through your trials?
| GO DEEPER Spend time in prayer. Confess your fears to God. Follow the road-map of Philippians 4:6 by approaching God with thanksgiving and laying out all of your concerns and needs. Do as He has commanded you. Cast those cares on Him. Commit not to pick them up again by worrying or being fearful. Trust God. Show that you trust Him by praising Him for the answer. Whenever that situation comes to your mind, praise God for working out the solution. Ask Him for guidance as to doing your part and then trust Him to do the rest. Faith is closely connected with prayer (communicating with God). Go to the pages on Prayer, Why Prayers Aren’t Answered and Mountain-Moving Prayers. You may also find the pages on Healing and the Holy Spirit to be helpful. |
Please feel free to email us if you would like prayer or have questions.
A Deeper Walk 