HOW FAITH WORKS Pt. 2
By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel
Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
In the prior post, we defined faith as the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. We established that faith isn’t hope or a presumption. Rather, faith is now! Faith says it is done! I have it now although I do not see it, I have it! Faith has a tangible, solid presence. In this post, we will discuss how faith comes and how to receive by faith.
HOW DOES FAITH COME?
FAITH COMES WHEN YOU HEAR GOD. By hearing God, I don’t mean an audible voice but an inward witness that you have got it. It is like a light burst into your heart and you now see it and know it to be true and real. The word has now entered your heart thereby producing faith. Inside, you have the assurance that you have received what you believed God for.
You must have a scripture you are standing on regarding what you are praying for. Proverbs 4:20-22 “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.”
You must take time to meditate on that scripture daily. As long as you keep on seeking, praying, and meditating on relevant scriptures that pertain to what you are asking. God is faithful. It will surely come. It also depends on how much you have trained yourself to believe the word of God. Some Christians are able to simply pray and believe God right away for things because they have trained themselves to believe the word. Others need more time to be persuaded that God keeps His word. It is important to not compare yourself with anybody else when it comes to matters of faith. Have your own personal experience. DEVELOP YOUR OWN WALK WITH GOD, A WALK OF FAITH. Keep at it. Stay in prayer and meditation as long as it takes. It is a personal journey with God. The entrance of His word brings light and understanding. When the word from God enters your heart, understanding will light up inside. You will see it as real and true. That is how faith comes, by the entrance of the word of God. The word has become a reality. It is now abiding in you. The word has become life in you!! You receive first with your spirit before it manifests physically. All issues of life come from the heart!
HOW TO RELEASE YOUR FAITH TO WORK FOR YOU
- First, you do so by saying what God says. Confess what you believe, say so! This is the first instruction for success given to Joshua.
Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” THE FIRST LAW OF FAITH IS TO SAY WHAT GOD SAID.
2 Corinthians 4:13 “And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,” THE LAW OF THE COVENANT IS TO SAY WHAT THE WORD OF THE COVENANT SAYS.
Isaiah 59:21 “As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”
Heb 10:23 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”
Heb 10:23 “We must continue to hold firmly to our declaration of faith. The one who made the promise is faithful.”
You overcome by the words of your testimony. Rev 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
YOUR ACTION MATTERS! Act on the word. Act like what you are saying is true not just mere words. Your actions lend credence and meaning to your words. Your words and actions must agree. You cannot say one thing and act another way. If you say are healed, then act healed. If you are blessed, then act blessed. Words without corresponding action are vain and worthless. They mean nothing and are not going to produce anything. This also applies to love. If we say that we love God, then let us show it by our actions too. If we love people words are not enough. Actions make our words meaningful. Actions speak louder than words.
Acts 14:7-10 “And there they preached the gospel.8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.”
In the above verse, we see that the crippled man had faith to be healed but was still not walking until Paul told him to act. Then the man jumped and that was when his feet got strength but not before that.
Another example of acting on faith can be seen in Acts 3:3-7.
3 So when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them to give him a gift. 4 And Peter directed his gaze intently at him, and so did John, and said, Look at us! 5 And [the man] paid attention to them, expecting that he was going to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, Silver and gold (money) I do not have; but what I do have, that I give to you: in [the a]”>[a]use of] the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk! 7 Then he took hold of the man’s right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankle bones became strong and steady,”
Pay attention to verse seven. Peter had to pull him up, that action proved Peter’s faith. What peter told him was not mere vain words. Peter believed it, pulled him up, and left him to walk on his own. This was also explained in verse 16.
3. Testify and share with people what God has done for you. Don’t let fear cheat you out of sharing your testimony because you might lose it. Fear will put you in the loss column.
WHAT IF MY FAITH IS NOT WORKING? If your faith is not working. Do not panic or resort to self-medication.
Meditate more on the word you chose.
Simply set out time and seek the Lord. Say, Lord, your word is true but I am struggling here. Guide me to what I need to do to make it work. Be sincere with God. He already knows anyway. He will show you through the Scriptures you study, group discussions, house fellowship, Sunday school or within your thoughts. Then when He tells you what to do, do not rationalize it or try to make it easier. Just go ahead and do what He says and your faith will work.
BEWARE OF THINGS THAT CAN HINDER YOUR FAITH
Unbelief and doubt.
Fear
Living in sin, especially when you intentionally continue to commit sinful acts.
Resentful and Unforgiveness
Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor at Fountain of The Living Word Church, New Jersey.