“Have faith in God.” This short simple sentence is what the whole of Christianity is based on. What do we know about faith? Let’s look at a few scriptures. "Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb 11:6; KJV). "The just shall LIVE by his faith" (Hab 2:4). So then, faith in God must be important, in fact, a whole chapter in the book of Hebrews (chapter 11) is devoted to people who were noted for their faith. We know that our faith is powerful and can move mountains or the challenges in our lives (Mark 11:23).

We know that we have all been given: "a measure of faith" (Rom 12:3). But we also know that we need to grow our faith. Well, how do we do that? In the Bible we read that: "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Rom 10:17). As we spend time in our bibles our faith will grow. As we pray in the Spirit, we also build up our faith: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 20). Praying in the Spirit is Spirit led prayer, including praying in tongues.

As you go through your day think about having faith in God and use your God given authority to speak to the mountains in your life and remember that you must believe before you can receive from God (Mark 11:23).

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Matthew 6: 25-34 is a wonderful exhortation for us not to worry about our needs. God says look at the beauty and magnificence of my creation; the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, see how I created them and care for them. If God can do that how much more will he care for us. God says, you focus on me and being like me and pleasing me and I will take care of the provision.

God is not short on supplies for our provision. Everything on this earth belongs to God. “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills” (Ps 50:10). “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts” (Hag 2:8).

I like his instruction to us to leave the worry with him.

In 1 Peter 5:6-7 we are told to humble ourselves before God, cast our cares on him and he will care for us. Now this does not tell us to sit idly by and wait for God to provide; no, we are to work with our hands to provide our needs. In the apostle Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians he wrote: “For even when we were with you, we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess 3:10). But, if we trust God and do our part we don’t need to worry, we need to trust God that everything will be taken care of; ends will more than meet. Trust God, take the limits off of him; he will provide.

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"And shall God not avenge his own elect which cry out day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth” (Luke 18:7-8; KJV)?

This verse is talking about persistent faith in prayer. A lot of people are persistent in faith for the first week or month or so but if they have to wait too long for their answer they give up. So, what is faith filled, persistent prayer? “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Luke 11:9). This verse implies persistent prayer but that must be done in faith. In other words, we don’t just ask the same thing day after day but we ask once in faith and then stand upon God’s promises, praising and thanking him for the answer until it appears in the tangible, natural realm.     

So how long do you have to stay in faith for something you are believing for? The answer is to stay in faith and keep waiting on God until you receive, no matter whether it is a week, a month or a year; or more. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise" (Heb 10:35-36). We always need to remember that: “faith and patience inherit the promises” (Heb 6:12). Promises, prayer, persistence, praise and patience, the P words.

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I think the only place in the New Testament where we are told to work is in John 6:29, where we read: “our work is to believe”. To believe is to have faith or trust in God. Faith is described in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 1 (KJV) as: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.

In Mark’s gospel he quoted Jesus as saying: "Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:22-24).

Faith is knowing that you know, that you know”. It’s believing in our hearts not just head knowledge. Jesus said that when we pray, we should believe that we have what we asked for. Paul said that our faith gives substance to our hopes and evidence to things not seen in the physical realm (Heb 11:1). In other words, when we pray in faith, we have what we ask for, we see it in the spiritual realm, in our hearts and if we stand in faith and patience (Heb 6:12), not doubting, no matter how the devil tries to convince us otherwise, we will see the manifestation of our faith in the physical realm.

A Sunday school Teacher told a group of youngsters that something they had all prayed for some time ago had come to pass. She expected jubilation in the class but the kids just stayed focused on their lessons with little or no reaction. She asked why they were not as excited as she was and they replied, well teacher, God answered our prayer when we first asked him and we have been thanking him, so we knew we would see the manifestation in the natural in due season.

Have faith as a little child (Luke 18:17) eh?

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The King of Syria laid siege to Jerusalem but Hezekiah, king of Judah and Jerusalem encouraged the people, as recorded in 2 Chronicles chapter 32 and verse 7 and 8 (KJV) saying: “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and fight our battles”.

That good news caused the people to be at rest.  Praise the Lord. So, what is the "arm of flesh”? It is trusting in your own ability or resources to get things done and that is not what God wants us to do. God wants us, like the people of Jerusalem, to trust in him and let him fight our battles for us.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote: "cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh FLESH his arm"(Jer 17:5). When the young shepherd David was fighting the giant Goliath, he said: Thou comest to me with a sword, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts". We all know how God honored David for that; David trusted God and God enabled David to kill the giant with a stone.

If you are going through some battles right now let the verses above encourage you and remember: "if God be for us, who can be against us" (Rom 8:31) and: "greater is he who is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). You may be fighting battles, but you are not doing it alone.

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Check out our web site ( www.onthewayinlove.com ) for information on our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training”, including how to purchase it and also to see more encouraging Bible based blogs. Please recommend our book to others.