I have recently been group studying the book of Romans with two incredible women of the word, and the subject of faith has been so enlightening. It’s known that Paul wrote Romans as a letter to the believers in Rome whilst he was in Corinth. He introduced them to the absolute truth about the righteousness of God. We have learnt that God’s righteousness gives us the power to live by faith. I will not spoil it if you are not overly familiar with the book. I pray that you will be encouraged to read this incredible book for yourself by the end of this message.
Meet the Father of faith
In Romans chapter 4, we meet Abraham. He exhibited such an incredible level of faith that he was later named the Father of faith. I was motivated to start looking into my faith journey because I couldn’t get over how Abraham could take a simple word from God and make it his own. To paraphrase, God said to Abraham in Genesis 17:6 NKJV, ‘I will make you fruitful and make nations out of you’, knowing that Abraham was very old and childless. The astonishing thing is that Abraham believed in God! He had no frame of reference to take God at His Word. He looked at his wife in her old age and still believed that, indeed, God could bring out something extraordinary in their state. I began to wonder how I could apply this level of faith to my own life. Unlike Abraham, I have a frame of reference; I have seen God do so many things in my own life, yet still, often, I falter in taking God at His word.
We live in a day and age where it’s easier to read and enjoy the Bible stories than see these stories manifest in our lives. Today, God wants to take you on this faith journey so He can bring you back to the root of your Christian journey. So, buckle your seat and enjoy this ride of faith with me. Let’s ponder over these questions. What does it mean to have faith in God? What has God said concerning your life, and how do you press on until you can lay hold of it without giving up and giving in to what the world is presenting to you?
What is faith?
There are many expressions of faith among the Christian circles. We have all had different experiences in life, and people’s definitions of faith may differ. However, what connects us is our belief and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah who died to save us from our sins. Through faith in our Saviour, Jesus Christ, we receive the righteousness of God and are made right in Him, Romans 3:22-24 NIV.
The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:1 NLT that faith believes in God for what we cannot see and comprehend. It essentially means to believe in God for the impossible. Faith requires you to look beyond what is natural and visible. You will have to allow your spiritual eyes to be opened to what God is doing in the spiritual. So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable, 2 Corinthians 4:18 AMP. It is easier to relate to visual things as physical people, but to look beyond that, can be challenging. We will have to step out of the boundaries of our comfortability and what is obvious and step into what cannot be seen.
Source of faith
The source of your faith is God Himself, Hebrews 12:2 ESV. God gave us faith as a gift for believing in Jesus Christ, Ephesians 2:8 ESV. Your desires and wishes, all the things you want, stem from the Father. God sows these seeds of faith in us and steps aside, and allows us to believe Him for it. Whenever we allow ourselves to imagine, we create an environment for God to create whatever we imagine. If you are striving to receive something from God, I’ve come to tell you this: ‘STOP! There is no need to strive. If the source of your desire is God, then you can be sure that He wants to work with you to bring into fruition what he has already planned for you.’ God already has a plan to manifest everything He has planted in your heart. You don’t need to overwork yourself or beg God to fulfil anything. He planted that seed, so all you need to do is believe Him at His word. So, what if your prayer language changed? Instead of praying for God to give you your desires, what if you prayed like this: ‘God, whatever you have planned for me, stretch my faith to see you bring it into fruition.’
A measure of faith
Paul sounds a warning for us to live our lives according to how much faith God has given us, Romans 12:3 NLT. Are you aware of how much faith has been measured out for you? If faith believes God for the impossible, then it’s fair to ask you this: ‘what impossible thing are you trusting God for?‘ How far you are willing to believe God will help you measure your level of faith.
You will admit that usually, when you receive a word from God, you instinctively assess the validity and possibility based on your current situation. Today, I encourage you to take God at His Word and allow your spiritual eyes to see His Word for what it is. Abraham didn’t need to see a body transformation before God’s Word could be fulfilled; he just took God at his word and ran wild with it until Isaac showed up. Abraham trusted God to turn a useless and worthless situation into something unique and fruitful when he had no frame of reference. We have been blessed with Bible stories and sometimes our own life experiences. We have lived contented in hearing these Bible stories and being inspired, but now God is calling us deeper to see these things manifest in our lives too. All the miracles we have in the Bible can manifest in our lives and generations.
Today, God is challenging you and me to stop looking at our surroundings and what is visible; instead look into the spiritual realm. Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm, Colossians 3:2 TPT. Whatever your situation, when God gives you a promise, don’t focus on all the stumbling blocks around you, instead take hold of that word and let it sustain you. Every time you wake up and see your desperate situation, let that truth of God empower you again and again until you see the full manifestation.
Dishonour in unbelief
The Bible says in Hebrews 11, popularly called the Faith Hall of Fame, that the ancient people won God’s approval by their faith. When we collaborate with God to stretch our faith, we will get His approval. We dishonour God with our complacency and unwillingness to exercise our faith because we essentially imply we don’t need Him to move in our lives. When we stay comfortable and don’t allow God’s thoughts and desires to manifest in our lives, we displease the Father, James 1:6-8 ESV. Ouch, James! God is not applauding us for being comfortable; He is waiting on us to co-partner with Him, to bring to manifestation His will on earth.
Is there an idea or desire you have had for a while now, and it never seems to go away no matter how much you try to ignore it? I want you to know today that it is a faith seed from God, and until it fulfils its purpose, it is not going to disappear from your heart. The Bible says in Isaiah 55:11 NKJV that His word doesn’t return void until it has achieved whatever He sent it to do. I am reminded of a desire God placed in my heart a few years ago as I type this. Then it sounded like a good idea, and as I explored it further, it became a massive idea until it was so huge I packed it away and moved on. What do you think happened? It’s still at the back of my mind, occasionally popping up into my thoughts. Now, I firmly believe that’s something God wants to partner with me to bring to fruition.
When you wake up to fresh ideas and insights about situations in your life, remember these are from your heavenly Father. He is waiting for you to say, ‘God, you have given me this desire; let’s bring it to pass in my world’. It’s easier to ignore your desires and get on with your daily routine than try to work something far-reaching from you. Everything that seems beyond you is from your Father, so dare stretch your faith and believe God for the impossible.
Sustaining faith
In Luke 17:5-6 ESV, we find the disciples asking Jesus to increase their faith. We can increase or decrease our faith by our actions. Hebrews 12:2 NIV tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. Fixing our eyes on Jesus requires us to give Christ our undivided attention. Our faith in Him will be strengthened as we centre our all on Him. The more we know Him, the more we will increase in the gift of faith He is offering us. Often, our faith wavers because of all the distractions in our lives. To sustain our faith, we will have to be intentional about our communion with God through prayer. In prayer, our hearts are opened to the Father’s desires, and we can receive all He has for us. God can also strengthen our faith through the word. We receive God’s truth about our situation through His word. As we see others experience the faithfulness of God in the Bible, it encourages and motivates us to stay the course, Romans 10:17 ESV.
Additionally, it’s imperative to surround yourself with people of faith when you are trusting God for something. Nothing crushes faith like unbelieving allies. Fellowshipping with other faith-filled people will help your faith walk because faith needs community. You don’t need to walk your journey alone and so pray that God surrounds you with people who can help you to stay grounded in God.
Occasionally you may have to drill into your past experiences for strength to help navigate your current season. Looking back at what God has done for you will help you believe in God for the future. Further on in Abraham’s journey, God asked him to sacrifice his one son. His previous experience with faith proved helpful as He believed in God for resurrection. He had seen God resurrect a dead womb, which strengthened him to trust God to restore his son, even if he died. This level of faith gave him the right to be called a friend of God and a father of faith, James 2:23 NKJV.
The next
We all have desires burning in us that are either locked away because of the magnitude or desires that are eager to come out, but we don’t know where to start! I have a few pointers for you.
- You must first believe that what you believe God for is from Him. God is the God of abundance who does not withhold good things from His children, Psalms 84:11 ESV. There is nothing good that you desire, that God has placed in your heart, that will be withheld from you.
- Secondly, see the desire for what it is. Open it up, and chat with God about it. Let the Spirit of God put flesh on your desire. Let your faith strengthen you.
- Through your faith, God’s will can be fulfilled on earth as Jesus taught us to pray, ‘your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.‘ God’s desires on earth have already been manifested in heaven, and we need to pull the kingdom of heaven down on earth.
- Finally, before you dismiss this year, take inventory of all the desires God placed in your heart and start working through them with your Father. He is eager to bring meaning to His word!
Prayer
Thank you, Father, for the seed of faith you have placed in me. Help me to see it for what you intended it to be. Please give me a fresh zeal and desire to pursue that which you have placed in me and like Jeremiah, let it burn in me until it fully manifests itself in your time. Please stretch my faith to a new wavelength to see you right. Amen!
May you be filled with the Fullness of God and the Power of His Love!
