Series: FAITH – A Refresher Study

 

The Christian life is a life of victory but all victories come through battles.

God has a purpose in battles and Satan has a purpose in battles.

God is not the author of battles and God is not the author of adversity.

But God will not necessarily yank you out of every battle either and relieve the pressure, but rather so He can bring us out of the battle victorious and stronger than ever before.

The life of faith in God’s Word has never been designed or purposed to exempt you from adversity, but rather to teach you how to go through adversity and come out on the other side victorious.

As long as we are in this curse-filled world, we will have battles and times of adversity.

Not every Christian comes out of adversity victorious because not every Christian knows what to do in adversity and not every Christian knows what the Word of God has to say and unfortunately, they don’t come out victorious.

How do we grow in our walk with the Lord?

1 Peter 2:2 NKJV as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

1 Peter 2:2 TPT In the same way that nursing infants cry for milk, you must intensely crave the pure spiritual milk of God’s Word. For this “milk” will cause you to grow into maturity, fully nourished and strong for life—

James 1:21-22 TPT So this is why we abandon everything morally impure and all forms of wicked conduct. Instead, with a sensitive spirit we absorb God’s Word, which has been implanted within our nature, for the Word of Life has power to continually deliver us. (22) Don’t just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let his Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life!

We grow by feeding on the Word of God and by applying it to our lives.

Some have the misbelief that we grow as we experience negative circumstances in our lives.

We grow BY the Word of God. We grow THROUGH circumstances not BY circumstances.

By (DICTIONARY) – identifying the agent performing an action.

Through (DICTIONARY) – moving in one side and out of the other side of (an opening, channel, or location); So as to continue in time toward the completion of a process, period, etc.

In other words, we develop endurance and patience as we go through trials but our faith does not grow as a result of trials.

Circumstances are simply the stage that is set before us to give us opportunities to grow through them.

Example: You cannot say you grow stronger because of weights. You grow stronger as you resist and exert energy against those weights. I can walk in the gym and have weights all around me, but it is not until I exert resistance against those weights that I will grow stronger.

Owning a Bible does not make you spiritually mature. You must get the Word off the page and into your heart and then begin applying it to your life and resisting the circumstances.

Circumstances don’t make you stronger; it is standing on the Word of God against those circumstances that make you stronger.

You hear some people say, “Trials make you stronger.” No, if this was the case then every Christian would by Supermen in Jesus because they are so strong.

Some Christians are devastated through circumstances and others grow through them.

Circumstances are simply an opportunity to use the Word of God and the weapons that God has given us to overcome.

James 1:2-4 TPT My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! (3) For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things. (4) And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.

When you come through adversity and you have stood on the Word of God, you come out on the other side more mature than when you went in the adversity.

Three things that can happen to you in adversity:

1. You get hardened by adversity.
2. You can be overwhelmed and crushed by adversity.
3. You can stand on God’s Word and grow through the adversity.

1 Peter 1:5-7 NLT And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. (6) So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. (7) These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold–though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

The power of God is present to help and protect you, but it happens by faith. Your faith is what activates the power of God.

We greatly rejoice in these times of adversity.

God’s purpose and design is that if we lift up praise and rejoicing during times of adversity, it causes those times to become precious because they are purifying your faith and causing it to become more and more pure.

The trial did not make you stronger. It is the faith you use that causes you to become stronger.

We can come out of the trial or adversity more pure than when we went into the trial.

We tend to be focused on the answer only, but God is also interested in the process that gets you to the answer because that is where character and maturity come from.

Instead of asking yourself, “What am I going to face today, ask yourself, how am I going to grow today.”

We should grow through circumstances. In other words, we can grow through every circumstance whether they are good or bad. When the devil brings bad circumstances into your life, let God turn them around for your good and not only enable you to overcome but grow in the process.

Romans 5:1-4 NKJV Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2) through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (3) And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; (4) and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 5:1-5 AMPC THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). (2) Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. (3) Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. (4) And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. (5) Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

Deuteronomy 8:3 NKJV (3) So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.

Notice that God allowed them to hunger, and He fed them but He wanted them to get the truth that food is not the answer, He is.

Whether I have money or I don’t have money, I must come to the realization that money is not the answer. The Word of God is the answer and can meet every circumstance.

In other words, during those times of adversity we come to the point where the Word of God becomes more precious to us than simply having the need met at that moment. Money comes and money goes but the Word lasts forever.

Money can never bring me the Word of God but the Word of God can always bring me money. Money can never bring me closer to God but getting closer to God can bring money into my life.

Coming through adversity should give you and me a greater appreciation for the Word of God during those times.

When you come through adversity and you have stood on the Word of God, you come out on the other side more mature than when you went in the adversity.

How are we not to handle tests and trials?

Hebrews 3:7-19 NKJV Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “TODAY, IF YOU WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, (8) DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS IN THE REBELLION, IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, (9) WHERE YOUR FATHERS TESTED ME, TRIED ME, AND SAW MY WORKS FORTY YEARS. (10) THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THAT GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN MY WAYS.’ (11) SO I SWORE IN MY WRATH, ‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.’ ” (12) Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; (13) but exhort one another daily, while it is called “TODAY,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (14) For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, (15) while it is said: “TODAY, IF YOU WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS IN THE REBELLION.” (16) For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? (17) Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? (18) And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? (19) So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Provocation (Rebellion) – marabah – grumble and gripe

• God delivered them from too much water at the Red Sea
• God delivered them from Mara which was bitter water.
• God delivered them from Merabah where there was no water.

The next generation showed up at the same place and did the same thing the first generation did. In other words, if you don’t overcome the adversity, you will face it again. You can never get away from tests and trials but as you grow the adversities grow as well.

With increased blessings come increased trials. With increased trials comes increased strength. With increased strength comes increased blessings…

Four wrong ways to handle adversity:

1. We become calloused to tests and trials and hardened towards them and God’s help.
2. Complaining – is a sure guarantee that you will face it again. (dross that needs to be removed)
3. Criticism – are critical of others, shifting blame (Examine yourself)
4. Apathetic – don’t see any profit coming out of it.

If necessary, repent of sin. You will know if you have done something wrong and this is contributing to the adversity.

Here is the key, remember what the Lord did for you when He brought you out the first time.

Remember that most of the time, adversity comes when are we doing something right and not necessarily something wrong.

Don’t give up and quit! The storm will pass… they all do!

Seven Hindrances to Your Faith:

1. Unforgiveness is probably one of if not the GREATEST hindrance to faith working.

This is the only hindrance Jesus mentioned specifically so it must be important:

Mark 11:25-26 NKJV “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Galatians 5:6 KJV  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Galatians 5:6 AMPC For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.

• • • Jesus pointed out that it was the faith woman who had the issue of blood that healed her.

Mark 5:34 NKJV And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

• • • The woman that had the issue of blood must have walked in forgiveness because her faith in Jesus was not hindered in any way.

Mark 5:25-26 NKJV Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

• • • We don’t think of this very much if at all, but Caleb and Joshua must have walked in love and forgiveness as well.

Hebrews 11:30 NKJV By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.

• • • David could have been bitter because of the way his father and brothers treated him with contempt and did not see what God could do through him.

2. Another hindrance to our faith is worry.

Matthew 6:25 NIV  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

1 Peter 5:6-7 AMPC  Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,  (7)  Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. [Psa 55:22]

Philippians 4:6-7 AMP Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. (7) And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

• • • Worry – the rehearsing of your problem in your mind trying to search for an answer.
    • If you face a new problem, then the answer is going to have to come from the Lord.
    • When you are searching for the answer in your mind by going over and over the problem to look for the solution, you only cause yourself more anxiety and frustration.
    • There is always a way! There is always a solution!
    • God has a thousand answers or solutions to every problem we face. All you and I need is one.

3. Practicing Sin will hinder your faith.

1 John 3:3-6 AMPC And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless). (4) Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God’s law by transgression or neglect–being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will). (5) You know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away [upon Himself] sins, and in Him there is no sin [essentially and forever]. (6) No one who abides in Him [who lives and remains in communion with and in obedience to Him–deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] commits (practices) sin. No one who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him [recognized, perceived, or understood Him, or has had an experiential acquaintance with Him].

1 John 3:20-22 NKJV For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (21) Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. (22) And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

1 John 1:9 NKJV If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

4. A sin-consciousness will hinder your faith.

We need to confess our sins and forget them.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Hebrews 10:1-4 AMPC FOR SINCE the Law has merely a rude outline (foreshadowing) of the good things to come–instead of fully expressing those things–it can never by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year make perfect those who approach [its altars]. (2) For if it were otherwise, would [these sacrifices] not have stopped being offered? Since the worshipers had once for all been cleansed, they would no longer have any guilt or consciousness of sin. (3) But [as it is] these sacrifices annually bring a fresh remembrance of sins [to be atoned for], (4) Because the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to take sins away.

Isaiah 43:25 NKJV “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

Psalms 103:12 NKJV As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

5. A lack of understanding who we are in Christ will hinder your faith.

We all must have a clear understanding of our rights and privileges that we have in Christ Jesus.

Most often, when we don’t know these things, we will live our lives below what Jesus bought and paid for and what God has planned for our lives.

6. Lack of understanding the power of the Name of Jesus and our privilege to use it.

John 14:13-14 NKJV And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

John 16:23-24 NKJV “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. (24) Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

7. We stop speaking the Word and acting on the Word when we don’t immediately see results.

Make up your mind that you are in it to win it. Stay with it for the long haul if necessary.

Galatians 6:9 NKJV And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9 TLB  And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.

Hebrews 10:35-36 NKJV Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. (36) For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

Hebrews 6:11-12 TPT But we long to see you passionately advance until the end and you find your hope fulfilled. (12) So don’t allow your hearts to grow dull or lose your enthusiasm, but follow the example of those who fully received what God has promised because of their strong faith and patient endurance.

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Liberating Your Faith by Pastor Bob Yandian

 Does the Amount of Your Faith Make a Difference?

How much faith do you need to meet your needs? The biggest miracle you ever received and will ever receive is the new birth. The little amount of faith you used to believe in Jesus as your Lord, moved you from Satan’s kingdom into God’s, from spiritual death into eternal life, and from satanic darkness into the kingdom of light. Any other need you may have in your life is eclipsed by your deliverance at salvation. Every other miracle in your life is temporary – healing, deliverance from demons, or even being raised from the dead. It lasts from the time you receive it until you die. But salvation is eternal. This is why angels rejoice over your salvation and not over your healing or physical miracle.

Nothing will ever compare with the power demonstrated by God when He removed you from Satan’s family and made you His own child. So why do you need more faith to receive a lesser miracle? Why do you need a mountain of faith to be healed, or be delivered from oppression? We are all guilty of telling others who did not receive healing, “you needed more faith.”  We have also been told by others or condemned ourselves with the same answer when we failed to receive an answer to prayer, “I guess I didn’t have enough faith.”  We spend time trying to build up our faith when this isn’t the answer at all. We are not in need of more faith, but liberating and setting free the faith we have. In foreign countries, we see people receiving Jesus as Lord and immediately being healed of incurable diseases, receiving their eyesight, or hearing, or having missing limbs restored. What is even more mysterious, many are healed of incurable diseases and then become saved. These people have not had time to build up a great amount of faith. What little faith they have is simply unhindered. 

The Day the Disciples Failed

In Matthew 17:14-21 Jesus was called on to cast out a demon from a young boy. His disciples failed, and the father now looked to Jesus for the answer.   And Jesus rebuked the devil, and he departed out of him.  The child was cured at that time. When the disciples came to Jesus later, they asked Him, “Why couldn’t we cast him out?” (vs. 18-19)

The disciples were confused about why they failed and were confused when Jesus was successful, and they were not. What was the problem? They had been successful before. When Jesus first gave them power over unclean spirits and every type of sickness (Matthew 10:1), they went out to try their newfound authority over Satan. They came back rejoicing that demons were subject to them (Luke 10:17). This instance in Matthew 17 was not the first time but one of many times they came up against demons. Why were they not successful this time?

The story is told again in Mark 9:14-27. Mark fills us in on details Matthew did not give. Mark tells us the disciples were surrounded by a large multitude of people who were watching. There were also a group of Pharisees who were antagonizing and questioning the disciples. The young boy who needed deliverance also fell to the ground wallowing and foaming from his mouth. The disciples were put on the spot for the first time. Each time before, the disciples had probably cast out devils in the privacy of a home or somewhere away from crowds. Now all eyes were on them, and the people were skeptical. They felt the pressure of the worried father, the onlooking crowd, and the critical attitude of the religious leaders. Under this great pressure, they failed for the first time. 

What Was Jesus’ Answer?

When the Disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast out the devil, He did not tell them they did not have enough faith. “Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

Apparently, before speaking with Jesus, the disciples tried to analyze their failure among themselves. They probably concluded they didn’t have enough faith. This is why Jesus mentioned the small amount of faith needed to remove problems in the Christian life. Between the last successful case of casting out a devil and this occasion of failure, something unnoticed had crept into the faith life of the disciples. The problem with the disciples was not a need for more faith, but less unbelief. In fact, a very small amount of faith, the size of a mustard seed, would move a mountain and guarantee no impossibilities from that time on. But the mustard seed must be unhindered. A little bit of unbelief will nullify the power of faith.

Faith was never designed to be a tug of war. When unbelief is absent, a mustard seed amount of faith will carry a mountain into the sea. Unbelief acts as an opponent to faith and pulls the mountain from the other direction. Faith is nullified and the mountain remains. This was Jesus’ answer to the disciples for their inability to cast out the devil. Jesus walked into the same situation as the disciples and was not moved by the attention of the crowd or the critical attitude of the Pharisees. He also did not become frightened by the young boy who fell on the ground wallowing and foaming but cast out the devil and set the young boy free. Jesus was a man of faith, but he also had no unbelief. His faith was free and unhindered.

The Power of a Mustard Seed

Do you remember the song many years ago about the ant who wanted to move a rubber tree plant? With high hopes (we would say faith), he did. Have you ever been on a picnic and watched a piece of popcorn or cake crumb go walking off? When you looked closer at the cake or popcorn, you found an ant underneath. The ant can move objects much larger and heavier than itself. But faith is even more powerful. Imagine a mountain moving without any visible means. If you could lift the mountain, you would find a measure of faith the size of a mustard seed carrying the mountain toward the sea. Jesus said the mustard seed, indeed is the least of all seeds (Matthew 13:31-32). After the mountain is gone, the mustard seed can keep on working and guarantee absolute success in every case from then on. This tiny speck of faith would ask only one thing, “keep me unhindered and free from unbelief.”

When Jesus met resistance to his healing and miracle power, he did not blame it on a lack of faith, but on a presence of unbelief. The scriptures tell us much more about ridding ourselves of unbelief than increasing our faith. Let’s look at a few scriptures. “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). 

“He marveled because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:6). 

“Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief…” (Mark 16:14).

What is the instruction to us as New Testament Church age believers?   “So, we see they could not enter in because of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:19, 4:6). 

“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:11). 

How Do We Get Rid of Unbelief? 

“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).

Jesus was not referring to the demon. There is no demon which is not subject to the name of Jesus (Luke 10:17-19, Ephesians 1:21-22). The object to which Jesus referred to that needed to be removed, was unbelief.  There are two types of unbelief, rebellious unbelief, and passive unbelief. Rebellious unbelief comes from sin. It openly defies the word and power of God. The exodus generation was guilty of this type of unbelief. When Moses gave the promises of God, they hardened their heart and spoke out against God and Moses. This was not the unbelief Jesus’ disciples faced. They faced passive unbelief when trying to cast out the devil from the young boy. The disciples honestly believed God, but their faith was nullified. They asked Jesus in all honesty why they could not cast out the devil this time.

Passive unbelief comes from over occupation with the legitimate things of life. It is described in Mark 4:18-19 as thorns which choke the word and make it unfruitful. The thorns of unbelief are described as the necessities of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the lusts of other things that enter in and choke the Word. Necessities, wealth, and things are all legitimate areas of life. This parable warns us about too much time spent with them and the result. God wants our time to be taken up with prayer and the word of God. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 we have a good definition of this type of unbelief. “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God….”  Unbelief comes with reasonings which come against the Word of God. This type of unbelief must be starved to death and can no longer exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.

Seven Steps to Great Faith (From Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin):

1. Know the integrity of the Word of God and to know that this Word is what it declares itself to be.

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16 AMPC Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),

2. We must know the actual reality of our redemption in Christ, not as a doctrine, philosophy, or creed, but as an actual redemption out of the authority of Satan.

Colossians 1:12-14 NKJV (12) giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. (13) He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, (14) in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

3. We must know the reality of the New Creation, both from a legal standpoint and a vital living standpoint.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

1 John 3:14 NKJV We know that we have passed (to change place and condition) from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

4. We must know the reality of our righteousness in Christ.

Romans 3:23-26 NKJV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (25) whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, (26) to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 5:17 NKJV For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV (21) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

“That means that we can stand in His presence without any sense of guilt, condemnation, or inferiority. That means the prayer problem is settled…”

5. We must know the reality of the indwelling Spirit.

1 John 4:4 NKJV You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

2 Corinthians 6:16 NKJV (16) And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM. I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.”

6. We must know the reality of our fellowship with God.

1 Corinthians 1:9 NKJV God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 John 1:3-4 NKJV that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. (4) And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

7. We must know the authority of the Name of Jesus.

John 16:23-24 NKJV “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. (24) Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Ephesians 1:19-23 NKJV and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (22) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Seven Hindrances to Your Faith:

1. Unforgiveness is probably one of if not the GREATEST hindrance to faith working.

This is the only hindrance Jesus mentioned specifically so it must be important:

Mark 11:25-26 NKJV “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Galatians 5:6 KJV  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Galatians 5:6 AMPC For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.

• • • Jesus pointed out that it was the faith woman who had the issue of blood that healed her.

Mark 5:34 NKJV And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

• • • The woman that had the issue of blood must have walked in forgiveness because her faith in Jesus was not hindered in any way.

Mark 5:25-26 NKJV Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

• • • We don’t think of this very much if at all, but Caleb and Joshua must have walked in love and forgiveness as well.

Hebrews 11:30 NKJV By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.

• • • David could have been bitter because of the way his father and brothers treated him with contempt and did not see what God could do through him.

2. Another hindrance to our faith is worry.

Matthew 6:25 NIV  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

1 Peter 5:6-7 AMPC  Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,  (7)  Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. [Psa 55:22]

Philippians 4:6-7 AMP Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. (7) And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

• • • Worry – the rehearsing of your problem in your mind trying to search for an answer.
    • If you face a new problem, then the answer is going to have to come from the Lord.
    • When you are searching for the answer in your mind by going over and over the problem to look for the solution, you only cause yourself more anxiety and frustration.
    • There is always a way! There is always a solution!
    • God has a thousand answers or solutions to every problem we face. All you and I need is one.

3. Practicing Sin will hinder your faith.

1 John 3:3-6 AMPC And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless). (4) Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God’s law by transgression or neglect–being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will). (5) You know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away [upon Himself] sins, and in Him there is no sin [essentially and forever]. (6) No one who abides in Him [who lives and remains in communion with and in obedience to Him–deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] commits (practices) sin. No one who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him [recognized, perceived, or understood Him, or has had an experiential acquaintance with Him].

1 John 3:20-22 NKJV For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (21) Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. (22) And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

1 John 1:9 NKJV If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

4. A sin-consciousness will hinder your faith.

We need to confess our sins and forget them.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Hebrews 10:1-4 AMPC FOR SINCE the Law has merely a rude outline (foreshadowing) of the good things to come–instead of fully expressing those things–it can never by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year make perfect those who approach [its altars]. (2) For if it were otherwise, would [these sacrifices] not have stopped being offered? Since the worshipers had once for all been cleansed, they would no longer have any guilt or consciousness of sin. (3) But [as it is] these sacrifices annually bring a fresh remembrance of sins [to be atoned for], (4) Because the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to take sins away.

Isaiah 43:25 NKJV “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

Psalms 103:12 NKJV As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

5. A lack of understanding who we are in Christ will hinder your faith.

We all must have a clear understanding of our rights and privileges that we have in Christ Jesus.

Most often, when we don’t know these things, we will live our lives below what Jesus bought and paid for and what God has planned for our lives.

6. Lack of understanding the power of the Name of Jesus and our privilege to use it.

John 14:13-14 NKJV And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

John 16:23-24 NKJV “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. (24) Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

7. We stop speaking the Word and acting on the Word when we don’t immediately see results.

Make up your mind that you are in it to win it. Stay with it for the long haul if necessary.

Galatians 6:9 NKJV And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9 TLB  And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.

Hebrews 10:35-36 NKJV Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. (36) For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

Hebrews 6:11-12 TPT But we long to see you passionately advance until the end and you find your hope fulfilled. (12) So don’t allow your hearts to grow dull or lose your enthusiasm, but follow the example of those who fully received what God has promised because of their strong faith and patient endurance.

Seven Steps to Prayer That Brings Results

1. Decide what you want from God and get the scripture that definitely promises you these things.
2. Ask God for things you want and believe that you have them.
3. Never permit a mental picture of failure to enter your thinking. Let every thought and desire affirm that you have what you ask.
4. Guard against every evil thought that comes into the mind.

Thoughts are governed by observation, association and teachings.

Stay away from places and things that do not support your affirmation that God has heard and answered your prayer.

Philippians 4:6-8 NKJV (6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

5. Meditate constantly on the promises upon which you based the answer to your prayer.

See yourself in possession of what you’ve asked for and make plans accordingly as if it were already a reality.

Example of promise from your boss about a pay raise and we will go out and buy something based on that promise BEFORE we have seen one dime of the increase.

Proverbs 4:20-27 NKJV My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. (21) Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; (22) For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. (23) Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. (24) Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. (25) Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. (26) Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. (27) Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

If you don’t see yourself with the answer, then the Word is no longer before your eyes.

John 15:7 NKJV If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Joshua 1:8 NKJV This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

If you don’t stand by the Word, as much as God wants to stand by you, He can’t.

6. In your waking moments think on the greatness of God and His goodness and count your blessings and your faith will increase.

Lift your heart to God constantly in gratitude and increasing praise for what He has done and for what He is doing for you now.

Philippians 4:6 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Psalms 103:1-5 NKJV A Psalm Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: (3) Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, (4) Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, (5) Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalms 34:1-4 NKJV A Psalm of David When He Pretended Madness Before Abimelech, Who Drove Him Away, and He Departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (2) My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. (3) Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. (4) I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

7. Make every prayer relative to what you’ve asked, a statement of faith instead of unbelief.

You can say that you do have faith as easily as you can think thoughts of doubt and unbelief.

It is thinking faith thoughts and speaking faith-filled words that leads the heart out of defeat into victory.

Don’t undo your prayer of Faith!

Smith Wigglesworth said, “If you have prayed seven times for any one thing, you prayed six times in unbelief.”

Andrew Murray said, “It is not good taste to ask God for the same thing over and over again.”

Murray also said, “If, when you do pray again, what you’ve prayed for hasn’t materialized, don’t pray for it again in the same way because that would be unbelief. Remind God that you have already asked for it, and what His Word says, and tell Him that you’re expecting it and thank Him for it.”

Corresponding Actions

James 2:14-22 NKJV What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (17) Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (18) But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (19) You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble! (20) But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? (21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? (22) Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

James 2:18,21-22 Weymouth So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it–so long as it stands alone. (18) Nay, some one will say, “You have faith, I have actions: prove to me your faith apart from corresponding actions and I will prove mine to you by my actions. (21) Was it, or was it not, because of his actions that he was declared to be righteous as the result of his having offered up his son Isaac upon the altar? (22) You notice that his faith was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected;

It is not enough to believe and confess the Word of God in your situation; there must be corresponding actions to accompany your faith.

Worry is a great example of this. Many of claim to be in faith but yet we tolerate the sin of worry in our lives when the Word of God teaches us not to worry or have any anxiety.

God never condones foolish acts that we might call “doing the Word”.

God never told anyone to not go to the doctor. Matter of fact, God can bring about healing through medical science. God just does not want us to have our faith in them; keep our faith in God and His Word. But there are some that have missed it by believing that they should not go to a doctor because they are believing God for healing in their bodies.

If you need medical help, get medical help!

Simply put, corresponding actions are just acting as though the Word of God is true and that God will do what He say He will do.

What kind of faith gets the attention of Jesus?

1. Jesus marveled at the faith of the Centurion.

Matthew 8:10 NKJV When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

Marvel (GREEK) – to wonder, be struck with admiration or astonishment, to be amazed

2. Jesus mentioned Great Faith!

Matthew 15:27-28 NKJV And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” (28) Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

3. Jesus made note of little faith.

Matthew 6:30 NKJV Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 8:26 NKJV But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Matthew 14:29-31 NKJV So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. (30) But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” (31) And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Matthew 16:5-9 NKJV Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. (6) Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” (7) And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” (8) But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? (9) Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?

Little Faith (GREEK) – incredulous, or lacking confidence

Incredulous – unwilling to admit or accept what is offered as true, skeptical

4. Jesus made note of missing faith.

Luke 8:22-25 NKJV Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. (23) But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. (24) And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. (25) But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

5. Jesus marveled at their unbelief in Nazareth.

Mark 6:6 NKJV And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Unbelief (GREEK( – faithlessness, disbelief

Seven Steps to Great Faith (From Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin):

1. Know the integrity of the Word of God and to know that this Word is what it declares itself to be.

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16 AMPC Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),

2. We must know the actual reality of our redemption in Christ, not as a doctrine, philosophy, or creed, but as an actual redemption out of the authority of Satan.

Colossians 1:12-14 NKJV (12) giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. (13) He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, (14) in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

3. We must know the reality of the New Creation, both from a legal standpoint and a vital living standpoint.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

1 John 3:14 NKJV We know that we have passed (to change place and condition) from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

4. We must know the reality of our righteousness in Christ.

Romans 3:23-26 NKJV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (25) whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, (26) to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 5:17 NKJV For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV (21) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

“That means that we can stand in His presence without any sense of guilt, condemnation, or inferiority. That means the prayer problem is settled…”

5. We must know the reality of the indwelling Spirit.

1 John 4:4 NKJV You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

2 Corinthians 6:16 NKJV (16) And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM. I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.”

6. We must know the reality of our fellowship with God.

1 Corinthians 1:9 NKJV God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 John 1:3-4 NKJV that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. (4) And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

7. We must know the authority of the Name of Jesus.

John 16:23-24 NKJV “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. (24) Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Ephesians 1:19-23 NKJV and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (22) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Seven Steps to Prayer That Brings Results

1. Decide what you want from God and get the scripture that definitely promises you these things.

You must base your prayer on the Word of God.

You cannot pray beyond your faith and you cannot have faith beyond the Word that you know and have in your heart.

John 15:7 NKJV If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

John 1:1-3 NKJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

God has attached Himself to His Word and you will never get Him to do anything apart from His Word.

You must have the Word in your heart because there will be a fight that must be waged for what you are praying for.

1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

It will take time for you to receive the answer to your prayer.

Be prepared to stand and fight for what you have prayed and believed for with the Word of God.

2. Ask God for things you want and believe that you have them.

Matthew 6:7-8 NKJV And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. (8) “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Matthew 7:7-11 NKJV “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (8) For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (9) Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? (10) Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? (11) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Matthew 18:19 NKJV “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

John 15:7 NKJV If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

John 15:16 NKJV You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

John 16:23-24 NKJV “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. (24) Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

We can see from all these Scriptures, that even though God know what we have need of, He still wants us to ask Him for those things.

Mark 11:24 NKJV Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Mark 11:24 AMPC For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].

Mark 11:24 BBE For this reason I say to you, Whatever you make a request for in prayer, have faith that it has been given to you, and you will have it.

Mark 11:24 NET For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Satan will try and tell you that you don’t have the answer.

Two kinds of truth:

• • • Sense-knowledge truth – those things that can be perceived with the five physical senses.
    • Revelation truth – those things that are declared to us by God’s Word.

That which is in the spiritual realm is made real and manifest in the natural realm through my faith.

My faith grasps it and creates the reality of it in my life.

Expressing a desire and asking the Lord for something are two different things.

When you ask you MUST believe that you receive the answer at the time that you pray.

3. Never permit a mental picture of failure to enter your thinking. Let every thought and desire affirm that you have what you ask.

If doubts persist, rebuke them. Pull them down with the Word of God.

Failure is not an option!

Uproot every thought, image, dream, impression, or feeling that is contrary to what you have prayed and believed that you received the answer.

All thoughts, dreams, images, impressions or feelings that do not contribute to your faith must be destroyed.

The enemy will try and get you to keep checking to “see” if the thing or situation has changed.

4. Guard against every evil thought that comes into the mind.

Thoughts are governed by observation, association and teachings.

Stay away from places and things that do not support your affirmation that God has heard and answered your prayer.

Philippians 4:6-8 NKJV (6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

5. Meditate constantly on the promises upon which you based the answer to your prayer.

See yourself in possession of what you’ve asked for and make plans accordingly as if it were already a reality.

Example of promise from your boss about a pay raise and we will go out and buy something based on that promise BEFORE we have seen one dime of the increase.

Proverbs 4:20-27 NKJV My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. (21) Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; (22) For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. (23) Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. (24) Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. (25) Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. (26) Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. (27) Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

If you don’t see yourself with the answer, then the Word is no longer before your eyes.

John 15:7 NKJV If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Joshua 1:8 NKJV This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

If you don’t stand by the Word, as much as God wants to stand by you, He can’t.

6. In your waking moments think on the greatness of God and His goodness and count your blessings and your faith will increase.

Lift your heart to God constantly in gratitude and increasing praise for what He has done and for what He is doing for you now.

Philippians 4:6 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Psalms 103:1-5 NKJV A Psalm Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: (3) Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, (4) Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, (5) Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalms 34:1-4 NKJV A Psalm of David When He Pretended Madness Before Abimelech, Who Drove Him Away, and He Departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (2) My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. (3) Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. (4) I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

7. Make every prayer relative to what you’ve asked, a statement of faith instead of unbelief.

You can say that you do have faith as easily as you can think thoughts of doubt and unbelief.

It is thinking faith thoughts and speaking faith-filled words that leads the heart out of defeat into victory.

Don’t undo your prayer of Faith!

Smith Wigglesworth said, “If you have prayed seven times for any one thing, you prayed six times in unbelief.”

Andrew Murray said, “It is not good taste to ask God for the same thing over and over again.”

Murray also said, “If, when you do pray again, what you’ve prayed for hasn’t materialized, don’t pray for it again in the same way because that would be unbelief. Remind God that you have already asked for it, and what His Word says, and tell Him that you’re expecting it and thank Him for it.”

Corresponding Actions

James 2:14-22 NKJV What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (17) Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (18) But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (19) You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble! (20) But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? (21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? (22) Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

James 2:18,21-22 Weymouth So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it–so long as it stands alone. (18) Nay, some one will say, “You have faith, I have actions: prove to me your faith apart from corresponding actions and I will prove mine to you by my actions. (21) Was it, or was it not, because of his actions that he was declared to be righteous as the result of his having offered up his son Isaac upon the altar? (22) You notice that his faith was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected;

It is not enough to believe and confess the Word of God in your situation; there must be corresponding actions to accompany your faith.

Worry is a great example of this. Many of claim to be in faith but yet we tolerate the sin of worry in our lives when the Word of God teaches us not to worry or have any anxiety.

God never condones foolish acts that we might call “doing the Word”.

God never told anyone to not go to the doctor. Matter of fact, God can bring about healing through medical science. God just does not want us to have our faith in them; keep our faith in God and His Word. But there are some that have missed it by believing that they should not go to a doctor because they are believing God for healing in their bodies.

If you need medical help, get medical help!

Simply put, corresponding actions are just acting as though the Word of God is true and that God will do what He say He will do.

Confession of Faith (Releasing your faith)

Romans 10:8-10 NKJV But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): (9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

These verses speak specifically about salvation, but you receive anything from the Lord the same way. You believe it in your heart and say it with your mouth.

You have to say with your mouth what you believe to receive by faith.

There is no faith without confession. Confession is faith’s way of expressing itself along with corresponding actions.

Faith grows with your confession.

Mark 11:19-24 NKJV (19) When evening had come, He went out of the city. (20) Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. (21) And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” (22) So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (24) Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Did you notice that Jesus said in verse 23, if a person confesses something “and shall not doubt in his heart” – in other words, if he believes the words he is speaking with his mouth – he will have exactly what he says. The word “doubt” is from the Greek word diakrinomai, which means to hesitate, to waver, to doubt, or to differ.

In context, Jesus is saying that when a person’s heart doesn’t differ from what his mouth is saying, the combination of his heart and mouth in agreement will always make things happen!

God’s creative power is released when the heart and mouth get into agreement!

That is why you must be careful about what you believe in your heart and say with your mouth, because when your heart and mouth get “in sync” with each other, it literally makes things come to pass!

• • Notice that Jesus did not pray about the mountain – He did not ask God to remove the mountain for Him. There is nothing wrong with praying about your mountain, but that is not enough. Speak to your mountain.
  • Jesus said that we could speak to the mountain in OUR lives, but we don’t have the right to speak to the mountains in the lives of others (except those we have authority over or have their permission – that’s where prayer comes in).
  • Notice that Jesus’ words went to work at the root of the situation and the effect was not immediately visible to the natural eye. The change started at the root (invisible) and then worked its way outward (visible).

WHY DOES SPEAKING THE WORD WORK?

John 17:17 NKJV (17) Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

God’s truth is the highest truth.

Psalms 138:2 NKJV (2) I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

God’s Word is the very foundation of His integrity and holiness.

Romans 1:22-25 NLT (22) Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. (23) And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. (24) So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. (25) They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

God has a problem with this because these people chose to worship something that is below the Creator instead of worshiping Him.

The creation is never greater than the Creator. So, the creation is subject to the Creator.

Only that which is part of God, the Creator is permanent. Everything else is subject to change or temporary.

Everything in this visible realm was created by the Word of God and therefore is subject to the Word of God.

Hebrews 11:3 AMPC By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NKJV (17) For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, (18) while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Those things that are temporary in our lives, are subject to the Word of God, and that includes us!

This is how God operates!

Romans 4:17 NKJV (as it is written, “I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS”) in the presence of Him whom he believed–God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Romans 4:17 AMPC As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. [Gen 17:5]

Romans 4:17 NET (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed – the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.

Releasing Your Faith

Releasing Your Faith By Your Words

Mark 11:22-26 NKJV So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (24) Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (25) “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. (26) But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

There are two applications of releasing your faith here:

1. 1. Releasing your faith in your confession of faith
   2. Releasing your faith in your prayer of faith.

Notice Jesus tells us what to believe in each application:

v. 23 – “…but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

v. 24 – “…whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

Here is someone who said what she believed and then acted on it and received from the Lord:

Mark 5:24-34 NKJV So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. (25) Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, (26) and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. (27) When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. (28) For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” (29) Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. (30) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” (31) But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” (32) And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. (33) But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. (34) And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

What did the woman hear about Jesus?

Malachi 4:2 NKJV But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

Mark 6:54-56 NKJV And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, (55) ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. (56) Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Releasing Your Faith in Prayer

Seven Steps to Prayer That Brings Results

1. 1. Decide what you want from God and get the scripture that definitely promises you these things.

You must base your prayer on the Word of God.

You cannot pray beyond your faith and you cannot have faith beyond the Word that you know and have in your heart.

John 15:7 NKJV If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

John 1:1-3 NKJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

God has attached Himself to His Word and you will never get Him to do anything apart from His Word.

You must have the Word in your heart because there will be a fight that must be waged for what you are praying for.

1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

It will take time for you to receive the answer to your prayer.

Be prepared to stand and fight for what you have prayed and believed for with the Word of God.

1. 2. Ask God for things you want and believe that you have them.

Mark 11:24 NKJV Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Expressing a desire and asking the Lord for something are two different things.

When you ask you MUST believe that you receive the answer at the time that you pray.

1. 3. Never permit a mental picture of failure to enter your thinking.

Failure is not an option!

Uproot every thought, image, dream, impression, or feeling that is contrary to what you have prayed and believed that you received the answer.

All thoughts, dreams, images, impressions or feelings that do not contribute to your faith must be destroyed.

The enemy will try and get you to keep checking to “see” if the thing or situation has changed.

1. 4. Guard against every evil thought that comes into the mind.

Thoughts are governed by observation, association and teachings.

Stay away from places and things that do not support your affirmation that God has heard and answered your prayer.

Philippians 4:6-8 NKJV (6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

1. 5. Meditate constantly on the promises upon which you based the answer to your prayer.

See yourself in possession of what you’ve asked from and make plans accordingly as if it were already a reality.

Example of promise from your boss about a pay raise and we will go out and buy something based on that promise BEFORE we have seen one dime of the increase.

Proverbs 4:20-27 NKJV My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. (21) Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; (22) For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. (23) Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. (24) Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. (25) Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. (26) Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. (27) Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

If you don’t see yourself with the answer, then the Word is no longer before your eyes.

Joshua 1:8 NKJV This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

If you don’t stand by the Word, as much as God wants to stand by you, He can’t.

1. 6. In your waking moments think on the greatness of God and His goodness and count your blessings and your faith will increase.

Lift your heart to God constantly in gratitude and increasing praise for what He has done and for what He is doing for you now.

Philippians 4:6 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Psalms 103:1-5 NKJV (1) A Psalm Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: (3) Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, (4) Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, (5) Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalms 34:1-4 NKJV (1) A Psalm of David When He Pretended Madness Before Abimelech, Who Drove Him Away, and He Departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (2) My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. (3) Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. (4) I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

1. 7. Make every prayer relative to what you’ve asked, a statement of faith instead of unbelief.

You can say that you do have faith as easily as you can think thoughts of doubt and unbelief.

It is thinking faith thoughts and speaking faith-filled words that leads the heart out of defeat into victory.

Don’t undo your prayer of Faith!

Smith Wigglesworth said, “If you have prayed seven times for any one thing, you prayed six times in unbelief.”

Andrew Murray said, “It is not good taste to ask God for the same thing over and over again.”

Murray also said, “If, when you do pray again, what you’ve prayed for hasn’t materialized, don’t pray for it again in the same way because that would be unbelief. Remind God that you have already asked for it, and what His Word says, and tell Him that you’re expecting it and thank Him for it.”

Faith is absolutely essential to your walk with God.

What is Faith?

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 (AMPC) NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

What Is Hope?

Hebrews 11:1 TPT Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.

Hope does have some limitations. There are certain things that it cannot do. Faith and hope DO work together and are connected.

Hope is a positive expectation of things in the future.

God always builds our hopes before we actually begin to operate in faith.

Faith and hope can be broken down like this:

Hope is a blueprint or a model.

It is not the building; it is the expectation of the building.

Hope is the ability to imagine what is going to happen.

This is where you start.

How Does Faith Come?

Romans 12:3 KJV For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

“every man that is among you…” is referring to each believer.

Romans 10:17 (NKJV) 17  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

“Word of God” (GREEK): Rhema – spoken word uttered by a living voice that brings revelation; a revealed word.

It does absolutely no good to pray for faith.

Your faith is fed and developed as you spend time in the Word of God and the Holy Spirit brings revelation of the Word before you. The Holy Spirit will speak a revealed word to your spirit and faith is fed and grows.

Faith for salvation comes as one hears the Gospel and that message is revealed by the Holy Spirit to your heart. One can then receive the New Birth because they now believe it and can act on it.

Faith for healing, prosperity, peace, etc. comes the same way. You avail yourself to hear the Word of God in that area and the Holy Spirit will bring revelation of that Word to your heart and then the blessing can be received.

The principles of faith are the same in any area, whether it be finances, Baptism of the Holy Spirit, healing or whatever it is. If you can learn the principles of faith, then it is easy to receive whatever it is that you are seeking from God or need to receive.

The principles and laws of God work the same every time and if you can learn them, they will for you every single time.

Dr. Lillian Yoeman said, “If I pray for any one thing, or I pray just one time for anything and I don’t get it, I start changing. I start changing. I start changing because if I pray and that prayer is not answered, there will have to be a change before the answer comes. And I know there can’t be any change with God, because He never changes, so if there’s any change, it has to be on my end. So if I pray and do not receive, then I start changing.”

Faith is of the Heart and Not the Head

Romans 10:8-10 NKJV But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): (9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Mark 11:23 NKJV For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

It is possible for one to have faith in their heart and doubt in their head.

As long as you don’t let doubt get in your heart, your faith will still work.

Romans 4:20 KJV He staggered (doubted) not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Romans 4:20 NKJV He did not waver (doubt) at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

The word doubt in the Greek means: decide, to be in strife with oneself, hesitate

Doubt gets into your heart by putting words to it.

You cannot stop the thoughts of doubt from crossing your mind, but if you do not attach words to them, they will not be fruitful.

If we want to walk by faith, the Word must be superior to everything else and anything else or knowledge, whether that knowledge is ours or somebody else’s knowledge.

Proverbs 3:5 NKJV Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

Believing with the heart means that we have seen a truth with our spiritual eyes and we get it.

Think about the truth that this is the way we get saved. We “see” the truth of the Gospel and we get it and believe in our hearts that we need to be saved and receive it.

To believe with the heart means to accept what God says as the truth.

Example:

1 Peter 2:24 NKJV (24) who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed.

God has already done the work. We don’t have to pray and ask the Lord to heal us. He has already done it. The same is true with salvation.

Let’s say my Mother was to make me a pecan pie and bring it to me. If I call her up on the phone and ask her to please bake me a pie, her response will be, “I already have done it.” The issue is really me learning how to receive and appropriate what she has already done. It is not now about her giving it; it is about me receiving it.

Once something is established over in the spirit realm, it must come to pass in this natural realm.

Matthew 18:18 AMP (18) Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.

The scriptures say we were already healed.

To believe with the heart means that we believe God’s Word is a fact.

To believe with the heart means that we refuse to worry and cast all of our worry over on Him.

Confession unto Faith:

Romans 10:17 NKJV (17) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

You will believe what you hear yourself say. Faith is built in you by the words that you speak.

While you are building your faith does not mean that your words are not having any effect. They are working in you.

Philemon 1:6 KJV  (6) That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Paul is letting you know that it is essential for you to possess:

• • a knowledge of exactly who you are in Jesus Christ.
  • a knowledge of what Jesus has purchased in your redemption.
  • a knowledge of every good thing that God has placed in you by Jesus Christ.
  • A knowledge of what God can do through us or what His Word will do through our lips

To make these truths real in your life, you have to put the key in the ignition switch.

• • The key is the Word of God.
  • The ignition is your mouth.
  • The key is turned in the ignition when you open your mouth and start to speak the truth.
  • The good things in you are activated the moment you start confessing the truth.

The way to make these blessings real in your life is to:

1. 1. thoroughly know them through diligent study;
   2. put these truths into your heart; and
   3. speak them out loud!

That is how you turn the key in your ignition and energize these truths until they begin to manifest in you!

So quit talking negatively about yourself, and begin to bring the words of your mouth into agreement with the truths God has deposited in your life.

• • God’s Word says you’re healed, so begin to say you’re healed.
  • God’s Word says you have the mind of Christ, so begin to say you have the mind of Christ.
  • God’s Word says you’re blessed, so begin to say you’re blessed.

You turn the key in the ignition by getting your mouth in agreement with God’s Word. And as you start speaking what God says about you, all your potential will start becoming a manifested reality!

Confession of Faith (Releasing your faith)

Romans 10:8-10 NKJV But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): (9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

These verses speak specifically about salvation, but you receive anything from the Lord the same way. You believe it in your heart and say it with your mouth.

You have to say with your mouth what you believe to receive by faith.

There is no faith without confession. Confession is faith’s way of expressing itself along with corresponding actions.

Faith grows with your confession.

Mark 11:19-24 NKJV (19) When evening had come, He went out of the city. (20) Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. (21) And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” (22) So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (24) Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Did you notice that Jesus said in verse 23, if a person confesses something “and shall not doubt in his heart” – in other words, if he believes the words he is speaking with his mouth – he will have exactly what he says. The word “doubt” is from the Greek word diakrinomai, which means to hesitate, to waver, to doubt, or to differ.

In context, Jesus is saying that when a person’s heart doesn’t differ from what his mouth is saying, the combination of his heart and mouth in agreement will always make things happen!

James 1:5-8 NKJV (5) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (6) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. (7) For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; (8) he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

I call this concept “the heart-mouth connection.”

• • For instance, if you believe in your heart that Jesus purchased your salvation, and you put your heartfelt faith together with the confession of your mouth, you can literally receive that salvation and make it an eternal fact.
  • For instance, if you believe in your heart that Jesus purchased your healing, and you put your heartfelt faith together with the confession of your mouth, you can literally bring that healing into manifestation in your physical body.

God’s creative power is released when the heart and mouth get into agreement!

That is why you must be careful about what you believe in your heart and say with your mouth, because when your heart and mouth get “in sync” with each other, it literally makes things come to pass!

• • Notice that Jesus did not pray about the mountain – He did not ask God to remove the mountain for Him. There is nothing wrong with praying about your mountain, but that is not enough. Speak to your mountain.
  • Jesus said that we could speak to the mountain in OUR lives, but we don’t have the right to speak to the mountains in the lives of others (except those we have authority over or have their permission – that’s where prayer comes in).
  • Notice that Jesus’ words went to work at the root of the situation and the effect was not immediately visible to the natural eye. The change started at the root (invisible) and then worked its way outward (visible).

WHY DOES SPEAKING THE WORD WORK?

John 17:17 NKJV (17) Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

God’s truth is the highest truth.

Psalms 138:2 NKJV (2) I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

God’s Word is the very foundation of His integrity and holiness.

Romans 1:22-25 NLT (22) Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. (23) And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. (24) So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. (25) They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

God has a problem with this because these people chose to worship something that is below the Creator instead of worshiping Him.

The creation is never greater than the Creator. So, the creation is subject to the Creator.

Only that which is part of God, the Creator is permanent. Everything else is subject to change or temporary.

Everything in this visible realm was created by the Word of God and therefore is subject to the Word of God.

Hebrews 11:3 AMPC By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NKJV (17) For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, (18) while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Those things that are temporary in our lives, are subject to the Word of God, and that includes us!

This is how God operates!

Romans 4:17 NKJV (as it is written, “I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS”) in the presence of Him whom he believed–God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Romans 4:17 AMPC As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. [Gen 17:5]

Romans 4:17 NET (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed – the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.

Faith is absolutely essential to your walk with God.

What is Faith?

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 (AMPC) NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

Faith is… – if it’s not now, it is not faith.

Hope is always future tense or pointing to the future. Faith says I’ll receive it now or I have it now.

What Is Hope?

Hebrews 11:1 TPT Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.

There are a lot of people who think they are operating in faith, but they are not. They are actually working in high hopes.

Hope does have some limitations. There are certain things that it cannot do. Faith and hope DO work together and are connected.

Hope is a positive expectation of things in the future.

“I see good coming to me. Something good is going to happen to me this week…”

“I believe things are going to get better.”

God always builds our hopes before we actually begin to operate in faith.

Faith and hope can be broken down like this:

Hope is a blueprint or a model.

It is not the building; it is the expectation of the building.

Hope is the ability to imagine what is going to happen.

How Does Faith Come?

Romans 12:3 KJV For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

“every man that is among you…” is referring to each believer.

Romans 10:17 (NKJV) 17  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

“Word of God” (GREEK): Rhema – spoken word uttered by a living voice that brings revelation; a revealed word.

It does absolutely no good to pray for faith.

Your faith is fed and developed as you spend time in the Word of God and the Holy Spirit brings revelation of the Word before you. The Holy Spirit will speak a revealed word to your spirit and faith is fed and grows.

Faith for salvation comes as one hears the Gospel and that message is revealed by the Holy Spirit to your heart. One can then receive the New Birth because they now believe it and can act on it.

Faith for healing, prosperity, peace, etc. comes the same way. You avail yourself to hear the Word of God in that area and the Holy Spirit will bring revelation of that Word to your heart and then the blessing can be received.

The principles of faith are the same in any area, whether it be finances, Baptism of the Holy Spirit, healing or whatever it is. If you can learn the principles of faith, then it is easy to receive whatever it is that you are seeking from God or need to receive.

The principles and laws of God work the same every time and if you can learn them, they will for you every single time.

Dr. Lillian Yoeman said, “If I pray for any one thing, or I pray just one time for anything and I don’t get it, I start changing. I start changing. I start changing because if I pray and that prayer is not answered, there will have to be a change before the answer comes. And I know there can’t be any change with God, because He never changes, so if there’s any change, it has to be on my end. So if I pray and do not receive, then I start changing.”

Faith is of the Heart and Not the Head

Romans 10:8-10 NKJV But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): (9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Mark 11:23 NKJV For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

It is possible for one to have faith in their heart and doubt in their head.

Doubt in YOUR HEART Can Lead to Unbelief

Matthew 17:14-21 NKJV  And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying,  (15)  “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  (16)  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”  (17)  Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”  (18)  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  (19)  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”  (20)  So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  (21)  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

The disciples could not cast out the devil because of their unbelief.

Notice Jesus did not say because they did not have enough faith. That seems to be the answer that we give or get sometimes these days. We think that the answer to everything is that we need more faith. We need to grow our faith and grow in our faith but I believe that nowadays, perhaps the issue is not that we don’t have enough faith but rather dealing with the issue of unbelief.

Matthew 10:5-8 NKJV  These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  (6)  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  (7)  And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  (8)  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Jesus gave the Disciples the authority and power to cast out demons here when they were called and sent out.

They had been successful up until this time.

Luke 10:17 NKJV  Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

Again, Jesus did not say that they could not cast out the demon was because of their lack of faith. It was because of their unbelief.

Jesus pointed out that if you have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, that it was sufficient to get the job done.

The mountain represents problems or challenges in your life that just seem to be huge like a mountain. What Jesus is saying is that it does not take a mountain of faith to move a mountain of problems.

That is due to the power of God that is resident in speaking by faith to the mountain.

Think about it, something as “small” as a faith-filled word can wither a fig tree or move a mountain.

Faith filled words go out into the realm of the spirit where the root of your problems really are and works on the situation at the root.

It is not a ton of faith but a small mustard seed size of faith that will get the job done.

But remember, Jesus did not say that it was because your faith was so small but because of your unbelief.

Somewhere since Jesus anointed, called, and sent them to go out and this incident in Matthew 17, their faith was being hindered.

We have thought the way to address unbelief is to gather more and more faith like a tug-of-war to see who can move the mountain.

The life of faith is not a tug-of-war. The life of faith is not a struggle between faith and unbelief.

Mark 9:14-29 NKJV  And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  (15)  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  (16)  And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”  (17)  Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  (18)  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”  (19)  He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”  (20)  Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  (21)  So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.  (22)  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”  (23)  Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”  (24)  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”  (25)  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”  (26)  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”  (27)  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  (28)  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”  (29)  So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

So the Disciples had been successful in casting out demons before but Mark points some things out that contributed the unbelief of the Disciples and kept them from being able to cast this demon out.

1. 1. They were trying to cast the demon out in front of a large group of people.
   2. Their critics were standing right there disputing with them while they were trying to do this.
   3. When the child came to them, the spirit probably responded to them by throwing the boy down in front of them just like it did with Jesus.

The unbelief came when they had the report of their eyes, the report of their fears, and the report of their critics.

They felt the pressure and it allowed the unbelief to surpass the power and anointing that was on their lives that Jesus had put on them to do the work.

Jesus shows up on the scene and Jesus did not care what the people thought, He did not care what the scribes thought, and He was not moved by the report of His own eyes looking at what was happening to the boy. He was only concerned about pleasing His Heavenly Father and doing the Word of God.

Jesus had schooled Himself in not being moved by the emotions of the people when ministering to someone. Smith Wigglesworth had done the same thing.

Just like faith is fed, unbelief is fed. The way unbelief comes and grows is by listening to the reports of people, the reports of circumstances, and the reports of what you can see with your own eyes.

The tug-of-war started in the Disciples and the unbelief overcame their faith.

Scriptures pertaining to unbelief:

Matthew 13:58 NKJV  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (not lack of faith)

Mark 6:6 NKJV  And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Mark 16:14 NKJV  Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

Hebrews 3:19 NKJV  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

This is where unbelief comes from:

2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

You cannot stop unbelief from coming at you but you can refuse to accept it.

The way you stop unbelief is to starve it to death and not feed it.

You can have food all around you yet starve to death if you refuse to eat any of it.

Jesus explained how he was able to overcome unbelief this way:

Matthew 17:19-21 NKJV  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”  (20)  So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  (21)  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Prayer and fasting does not drive out demons.

Prayer and fasting has to do only with your relationship with God NOT driving out unbelief. In other words, it causes your relationship with God to go deeper thus not permitting unbelief to be able to prevail over you because your confidence is totally in God.

Again, there seems to be the misunderstanding that we simply need more faith when things aren’t working. When in reality we need to address the challenge of unbelief.

Jesus did not say in this story that the disciples needed more faith; He said that they needed to get rid of their unbelief.

It is not the size of the faith but rather the size of the unbelief that causes the faith not to work. Remember, He said that faith the size of a grain of mustard seed is enough to get the job done.

God is actually the one that does the work, not your faith. But unbelief in your heart can tie the hands of God and keep Him from being able to work in your life like He desires.

Remember, if the faith you received from God at the new birth was powerful enough to cause you to be re-born, death unto life, and to move you out of Satan’s kingdom into the Kingdom of God’s Son, then it is powerful enough to move the mountains that may be in your life.

Jesus had schooled Himself in not being moved by the emotions of the people when ministering to someone. Smith Wigglesworth had done the same thing.

Just like faith is fed, unbelief is fed. The way unbelief comes and grows is by listening to the reports of people, the reports of circumstances, and the reports of what you can see with your own eyes.

The tug-of-war started in the Disciples and the unbelief overcame their faith.

Faith is absolutely essential to your walk with God.

What is Faith?

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 (AMPC) NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

Faith is… – if it’s not now, it is not faith.

Hope is always future tense or pointing to the future. Faith says I’ll receive it now or I have it now.

What Is Hope?

Hebrews 11:1 TPT Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.

There are a lot of people who think they are operating in faith, but they are not. They are actually working in high hopes.

Hope does have some limitations. There are certain things that it cannot do. Faith and hope DO work together and are connected.

Hope is a positive expectation of things in the future.

“I see good coming to me. Something good is going to happen to me this week…”

“I believe things are going to get better.”

God always builds our hopes before we actually begin to operate in faith.

Abraham is the father of faith. He is the classic case study of faith. Nobody matches him in terms of the quality of their faith.

What we see is that God did not begin Abraham in faith. He began him in hope.

Genesis 12:1-3 NKJV (1) Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. (2) I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:7 NKJV (7) Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Genesis 13:14 NKJV (14) And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are–northward, southward, eastward, and westward;

Genesis 13:17 NKJV (17) Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”

Notice the tense of the words that God is using while He is speaking to Abram. They are words like, “I will…, shall be…” This is all hope.

We see that God is instilling hope into the heart of Abram first because faith is required to work WITH hope.

Faith and hope can be broken down like this:

Hope is a blueprint or a model.

It is not the building; it is the expectation of the building.

Hope is the ability to imagine what is going to happen.

This is where you start.

God began to build Abram a picture of what He is planning to do not only for him but this people that He is going to make.

Genesis 15:5-6 NKJV (5) Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” (6) And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Abraham did not walk a walk of faith for 25 years. He clung to hope for all that time, but he walked in faith for the last year of the time he was childless.

God wanted Abraham to arrive at a place where it was completely and totally impossible for him to have a son.

If Abraham is to be the father of our faith (Romans 4:11) and he and Sarah are going to be our model of faith, they needed to believe for something that is completely and totally impossible and no reason to hope for.

Romans 4:18 AMPC [For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. [Gen 15:5]

Romans 4:18 ERV There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, “You will have many descendants.”

Romans 4:18 MSG When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, “You’re going to have a big family, Abraham!”

Romans 4:18 TPT Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at his word, and as a result he became the father of many nations. God’s declaration over him came to pass: “Your descendants will be so many that they will be impossible to count!”

We face problems in our lives every day that are not complete and totally hopeless. Very few of us face situations that are completely hopeless.

This means that if the principles of faith that we learn from Abraham worked for Abraham, they will surely work for us.

All of a sudden in God’s dealings with Abram, something changes.

Genesis 17:1-4 NKJV (1) When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. (2) And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” (3) Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: (4) “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. (5) No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

God says for the first time, “I have made you a father of many nations.” He says to Abraham, if you accept this, change your name and get circumcised.

Romans 4:16-17 NKJV (16) Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (17) (as it is written, “I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS”) in the presence of Him whom he believed–God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Romans 4:17 AMPC As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. [Gen 17:5]

When God wants to change something, He calls those things that are not as they were.

Hope is the blueprint. Hope says, “It is going to happen…” But faith is the construction crew.

Faith is like an invisible construction team; a team that works while you are at home asleep and does not want you watching them work yet you show up each day and are amazed at how much has gotten done behind the scenes.

Faith works in the invisible arena where God lives.

Romans 4:18-20 NKJV (18) who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” (19) And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. (20) He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

Consider (GREEK): to observe, notice, consider, contemplate, to have respect to, to regard

You will not be able to stay strong in faith if you continue to look at the natural negatives.

If you look at the natural negatives, you will talk yourself out of the promises that God has made to you.

Abraham DID NOT CONSIDER his body.

Some think that God always works in measurable degrees. We think that there should be measurable progress as you go along. But there also may be times when things get worse instead of better.

Abraham stayed strong in faith even when the news did not get better. He does not deny it. He refuses to focus on it.

Romans 4:21 NKJV (21) and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

Who was it that fully persuaded Abraham? Did God do it?

If that is the case, then all God has to do is persuade everyone that they need to get saved and they would receive it.

Who then persuaded Abraham? Abraham persuaded Abraham.

You and I have the responsibility to persuade ourselves to believe what God has already said.

How Does Faith Come?

Romans 12:3 KJV For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

“every man that is among you…” is referring to each believer.

Romans 10:17 (NKJV) 17  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

“Word of God” (GREEK): Rhema – spoken word uttered by a living voice that brings revelation; a revealed word.

It does absolutely no good to pray for faith.

Your faith is fed and developed as you spend time in the Word of God and the Holy Spirit brings revelation of the Word before you. The Holy Spirit will speak a revealed word to your spirit and faith is fed and grows.

Faith for salvation comes as one hears the Gospel and that message is revealed by the Holy Spirit to your heart. One can then receive the New Birth because they now believe it and can act on it.

Faith for healing, prosperity, peace, etc. comes the same way. You avail yourself to hear the Word of God in that area and the Holy Spirit will bring revelation of that Word to your heart and then the blessing can be received.

The principles of faith are the same in any area, whether it be finances, Baptism of the Holy Spirit, healing or whatever it is. If you can learn the principles of faith, then it is easy to receive whatever it is that you are seeking from God or need to receive.

The principles and laws of God work the same every time and if you can learn them, they will for you every single time.

Dr. Lillian Yoeman said, “If I pray for any one thing, or I pray just one time for anything and I don’t get it, I start changing. I start changing. I start changing because if I pray and that prayer is not answered, there will have to be a change before the answer comes. And I know there can’t be any change with God, because He never changes, so if there’s any change, it has to be on my end. So if I pray and do not receive, then I start changing.”

Faith is of the Heart and Not the Head

Romans 10:8-10 NKJV But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): (9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Mark 11:23 NKJV For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

It is possible for one to have faith in their heart and doubt in their head.

You really are not going to be able to understand God, if you do not get what we are talking about in this series.

Faith is absolutely essential to your walk with God.

If you do not have faith in God, you will not walk with God closely.

Why do we need to study faith?

1. You cannot be saved without faith.

Ephesians 2:8 | NKJV (8) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

2. Faith is required to please God.

Hebrews 11:6 | NKJV (6) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

3. You cannot live for God without faith.

Habakkuk 2:4 | NKJV (4) “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

Romans 1:17 | NKJV (17) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

Galatians 3:11 | NKJV (11) But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

Hebrews 10:38 | NKJV (38) NOW THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; BUT IF ANYONE DRAWS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.”

4. Faith is what allows God’s grace to work in our lives.

Romans 4:16 | NKJV (16) Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

5. Faith in Jesus Christ and His Blood is what makes us righteous before God.

Romans 5:1-2 | AMPC (1) THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).  (2)  Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.

6. You cannot walk the Christian walk without faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7 | NKJV (7) For we walk by faith, not by sight.

7. You cannot grow spiritually without faith.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 | NKJV (3) We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,

8. Faith is instrumental in defeating the devil in spiritual battle.

Ephesians 6:16 | NKJV (16) above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

We will study other topics as well because they all work with our faith.

Galatians 5:6 | NKJV (6) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Faith is important and therefore we must spend time studying it.

To understand faith, you must understand a little bit about the spiritual world.

John 4:24 NKJV (24) God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

You cannot worship God just in the outward sense because God is a Spirit, and you must make a spiritual connection with Him by worshipping Him in the spirit.

God is not a physical being at all, although He is very real.

God created this natural physical world out of the world in which He lives called the spirit world.

He created this world out of His Word.

Hebrews 11:3 NKJV (3) By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

If I limit my scope of my understanding to the natural realm only then I can never really begin to understand God or the realm in which He lives.

1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV (14) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Natural man says, “I will not believe in it unless I can prove it by feeling it, seeing it, etc.” He says, “I have to prove it in order to believe it.”

There is a spiritual world that the natural man cannot understand.

1 Corinthians 2:15 NLT (15) Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things…

When you begin to understand spiritual things, you will learn that you have a spiritual nature that is different from your physical nature.

This is why people can be very successful in the material or physical, they are not satisfied or fulfilled.

That is because there is a spiritual God-sized void inside all of us until we have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.

Faith is the force of God that creates.

1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV (13) And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Faith is what moves the creative power of God from the spiritual world where He lives over to this natural world where you and I live.

Faith in God has superiority over any of the natural laws that are in operation in the earth.

The very first thing we see that Jesus did in the Gospels, was to show His superiority over the natural.

John 2:1-8 NKJV (1) On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. (2) Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. (3) And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” (4) Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” (5) His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (6) Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. (7) Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. (8) And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.

Jesus had never worked a miracle up to this point so Mary probably was not expecting a miracle. But He was full of wisdom and His mother knew that He could solve the problem.

Jesus could have turned air into wine as easy as it was to turn water into the wine.

Water pots were at a minimum of 3 firkins each which was 9 gallons per firkin or 27 gallons. We are talking about close to 150 gallons of water and it took quite a while to fill them up and the pots were very heavy. This took a lot of work.

We think it would be easier to turn the water into wine because it is a liquid but that is not true.

Jesus had them fill the water pots because He wanted them to be involved in the process of God’s power showing up to change the situation.

God could do everything that ever wanted to do without us because He is God and leave us out.

He chooses to bring us into the process and let us have a part in what is going on.

God wants to work WITH us in His plan in the earth but He must have faith to work with for that to happen.

Faith is the invitation we give God for Him to move in our situation the way He wants to and we need Him to.

Notice in verse 11, it says that because of this miracle, His disciples believed on Him and it was because they were involved.

John 2:11 NKJV (11) This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

Matthew 18:2-4 NKJV (2) Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, (3) and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (4) Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Little children intrinsically trust that they will be taken care of. This is the way that we should be in our faith in God.

Jesus was showing us that we must approach the Kingdom of God as a little child believes without any hesitation and question.

Why is faith such a big deal to God?

God wants to work with us all through faith to be able to get His power over into our lives so that He can make the difference He wants to make.

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1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT (13) Three things will last forever–faith, hope, and love–and the greatest of these is love.

Notice in his teaching on love, Paul states there are three spiritual forces that will last forever: faith, hope, and love.

In saying it this way, Paul is telling us that there is a difference in hope and faith.

Hebrews 11:1 NIV Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

There are a lot of people who think they are operating in faith but they are not. Hope does have some limitations. There are certain things that it cannot do. The two do work together and are connected.

Hope is a positive expectation of things in the future.

“I see good coming to me. Something good is going to happen to me this week…”

“I believe things are going to get better.”

God always builds our hopes before we actually begin to operate in faith.

Abraham is the father of faith. He is the classic case study of faith. Nobody matches him in terms of the quality of their faith.

What we see is that God did not begin Abraham in faith. He began him in hope.

Genesis 12:1-3 NKJV (1) Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. (2) I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:7 NKJV (7) Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Genesis 13:14 NKJV (14) And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are–northward, southward, eastward, and westward;

Genesis 13:17 NKJV (17) Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”

Notice the tense of the words that God is using while He is speaking to Abram. They are words like, “I will…, shall be…” This is all hope.

We see that God is instilling hope into the heart of Abram first because faith has to work with hope.

Faith and hope can be broken down like this:

Hope is a blueprint or a model.

It is not the building; it is the expectation of the building.

Hope is the ability to imagine what is going to happen.

This is where you start.

God began to build Abram a picture of what He is planning to do not only for him but this people that He is going to make.