HOW FAITH WORKS:
Faith has been defined as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is believing the word of God in your heart. Faith is so important to a believer that God declared that “The just man shall live by his faith”.
That statement makes faith a spiritual force that cannot be ignored. Faith is to believe in the integrity of God’s word written in the bible. If God says Yes, a man of faith believes, without questioning or doubting. The just shall live by his faith makes the concept of faith a necessity and not voluntary.
But faith is not an event or a concept that you switch into when you need something from God, NO! Faith should be a way of life of a believer for the bible says without faith, no one can please the Lord. God expects us to be faith-filled, faith operated and faith-driven Christians. This is why you don’t just switch to faith when you are under oppression, rather you should live and walk by faith.
People who live and walk by faith are able to apply faith to every area of their lives – Health and divine healing, prosperity, family, spiritual warfare, business etc.
How is this faith operated?
The bible says in Rom 10:10 that faith cometh by hearing, hearing the word of God. Faith flows from the Word of God, His instructions and promises and the duty of man is to believe the Word, confess what he believes in his heart with his mouth and take some positive actions to prove his faith in God is genuine.
The rules of faith are simple: Believe the Word of God in your heart, confess with your mouth and walk in faith to take possession. You must believe without doubting anything and without waiting until you see the manifestation. Belief precedes possession, so, when you pray to God, you believe that your prayers are already answered and then you will receive the desired answer.
There are different dimensions of faith, but I just want to share how the belief in your heart can be sustained until you take possession of your answers.
How Faith Works:
Remember that at repentance, you received Jesus Christ into your heart as Lord and Saviour and you got baptized by immersion, indicating publicly that your life is under a new Master Jesus Christ, and you are a brand new person.
You become a new creature in Christ and old things are passed away. Old thoughts and beliefs are gone. Immediately that happens, you must realize who you are for you to counter the evil thoughts that the devil will be throwing at you. For instance, when the thought of accident or death comes into your heart…You say to yourself – People like me do not think like that, for I am dead and my life is hidden in Christ Jesus. When the thought of failure comes…You simply say People like us do not think failure because Christ lives in me, and there is no failure with Christ, so I cannot think of failure, poverty or similar things.
No, we don’t think disaster, death – for the Lord has promised that the number of our days He will fulfil.
Who is your Father? - When the devil comes around and asks you saying “who is your Father and How rich is your family”? Immediately, your heart should connect to your heavenly father, who is in heaven, and not your earthly father. Your heavenly Father is so rich and wealthy that you are not poor and cannot be poor. If you can see the picture I am painting to you now…surely your days of poverty is over. Faith is the substance of things hoped for!
How is your Appearance? – Does it represent your new position in Christ? You will do yourself a lot of good by guiding your appearance and ensure you are neatly dressed and smart looking, whether you are already employed or looking for job. Make sure your best ‘foot is put forward’ when it matters most, otherwise your appearance and sometimes speech could betray your faith position in Christ. You do not need to borrow to dress better, rather maintain your dress to the highest standard as you continue in prayer and belief for the job.
What about your countenance? Are you so worried that everyone around knows you are jobless? Are you dejected and low in the spirit that people around have to cheer you up? “ Have they told you to take life easy” before? That shows you are already overreacting to your present condition…which should not be. Faith is always in the positive and sees the future far away. That was how our heroes of faith used faith to obtain a good report, you can do the same!
Your duty is to pray hard, take the steps of faith while in a difficult situation. No anger, no bitterness, No name-calling – Never you think that someone is responsible, but focus on God and what He can do for you, after all, you are His now and you are living right.
Dominion - This brings me to the next level, 'Right living in Christ'. Live a holy life, obey the word of God and who what God says you should do. You must run away from sin and every appearance of sin – for without holiness, no dominion.
You must walk in love despite the present situation and the bible says in Isaiah 3:10 “Tell the righteous it is well with him, for he shall eat the fruit of his labour”. The Lord surrounds the righteous with favour.
Faith in
Hard Times
Jesus
tells us that we will have troubles in this world, it's a guarantee. However,
He also promises that we have victory through our faith because Jesus Christ
has overcome the world. If you are facing hard and uncertain times, you can be
encouraged to press on knowing that you are an overcomer!
Below is a summary of why we should be strong in the Lord when the times are hard. Faith in Hard Times is telling you to:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am
your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand. All you need to do is trust in the LORD with all
your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to
him, and he will make your paths straight. In Psalm 34:17-18, the
scriptures says, the righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers
them from all their troubles. 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and
saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Believers do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting
away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and
momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs
them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Though we
are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run
with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
You should cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Do
you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator
of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding
no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of
the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and
fall, but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will
soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and
not be faint.
Finally, on how faith works, remember brethren that as a man thinketh in his heart…so is he. So, never think disappointments and failure, otherwise, that’s what you will have. Such is not an attitude of faith. Think positive, act positive and your desires will be granted by God. Prove your faith is in God and not in man!
His grace be with you all.
FIRE...
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