Have faith in God—the miraculous power of faith

When our 3rd grader was afraid to give his book report in school, I did what the Bible said: I took him to Jesus. As I prayed, my son stopped me and said, “Mom, Jesus is here, and he’s pulling all this gray stuff out of my heart.” The fear was totally gone!

God’s power works through faith

My topic is one of the most important themes in the New Testament: faith. God has carefully laid out in His Word, His conditions and what He expects from His people concerning faith. The Bible says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

God’s spiritual realm does not work through “magic,” but through faith. There are no magical words that will make God answer our prayers. Only an honest heart that recognizes its need and a tiny bit of faith that God cannot lie, that what He said is true.

The Scriptures make it clear that genuine faith is necessary to obtain and receive something from God. The extent to which we receive God’s blessings depends precisely upon the degree to which we can believe God.

Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea’, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him—Mark 11:22-24.

The phenomenon called faith

Faith is hard to describe because we often confuse it with our church, its theology and doctrine. The Bible tells us that faith is far more than our ideas or mental beliefs about God: it is the confidence and assurance in our heart that what God says about something is true.

Now faith is the assurance [substance] of things hoped for, the conviction [evidence] of things not seen—Hebrews 11:1 (NASB).

Real faith is a dynamic spiritual reality that resides in our heart, in the inner core of our being, not in our mind.

… the righteousness based on faith … [says], “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” ― that is the word of faith which we are preaching, …  for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation (Romans 10:8-10).

Our Western world has not known very much about our heart. Trapped in our heads, we have tried to make our relationship with God work through thinking.

Author Ralph Nault says, “If you look to your mind, you will find what you believe. But if you look to your heart, you will know what you have faith for.”

Faith, the most powerful force in the world

Faith is the most powerful force in the world. According to Jesus it can move mountains and hurl obstacles aside. Faith overrides the so-called impossible. It crushes fear and transforms the weakest personalities.

Truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you— Matthew 17:20.

Faith grows—if we use what we have

The Bible says that faith comes from hearing the word of God. God can make His words known to us in many different ways.

The Holy Spirit can illuminate a word in Scripture, making it come alive to us. Faith is also quickened as we listen to another person’s testimony―their experience with the healing presence and power of God in some area of their life.

Sometimes faith comes when we hear the Lord speaking a personal word directly to us, when someone speaks a word from the Holy Spirit, when we have a dream or vision, or when we receive a revelation or insight into some truth.

But great faith does not happen overnight. It begins when we use it in some small things, and it grows as we continue to use it. Scripture says God is interested in even tiny things; He knows when a sparrow loses a feather.

So we have to start by seeing God work in some very little things—like providing a parking space in the middle of a busy town. Many times over the years I prayed, “Lord, please provide me a parking space.” Then just as I approached, a car would pull out.

If we learn how to use our faith, it will bring joy to our heart. Also we obtain a testimony—a story to tell to others.

Strengthening our faith—faith anchor points

We all have times of distress when we wonder, God, where are you? The nation of Israel went through this over and over, including the great heroes in the Bible. The Lord told them: “Look back, remember the things I have done for you!” We call these memories our faith anchor points (Ralph Nault, www.thenewlife.us).

Can you recall times some of your faith anchor points, perhaps when God worked some wonderful miracle, a healing in your life or answered your prayer? Can you remember a word from God that has sustained you over the years?

One word from God that has sustained me through the years was this promise: “When you open your mouth, I will fill it.” I remind myself of this every time I am about to speak or go on Radio Horeb. Instantly faith will rise up in me, and the fear will depart.

“Wake up and strengthen the things that remain…for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of God. Remember therefore what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent”—Revelations 3:2-3.