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How to
Access Faith From Faith See more at the bottom of The Reality of
Faith All progress
in the Christian life is by trusting (faith). “This Good News tells us how God makes
us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by trusting
(faith). As the Scriptures say, The just shall live by trust (faith).” – Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:7, 11;
Habakkuk 2:4 How to Access Faith There are several ways to increase
faith. One who truly wants to believe God must take the following steps: 1. ENJOY BEING IN
CHRIST; AT ONE WITH CHRIST This is the first step of the Christian
experience. One who is in Christ is a new creature, and old things, including
unbelief, have passed away, and all things have become new, and all things
are of God (2 Cor. 5:17). Anyone who has had any experience with God in a
real, personal way will remember that the beginning of the new life was of
utmost simplicity and child-likeness in many ways. In the matter of faith,
the newly born-again one was so confident and simple that he would believe God
for anything. There were not the many arguments of unbelief or the many
questionings about what is the will of God in prayer. It was taken for
granted that anything which God had promised as good for
one is the will of God for every believer. It was easy to get answers to
prayers and to believe God for anything that was wanted. It was only when
questionings and reasonings about truth occurred and when one began to hear that
God doesn't answer every prayer, that it is not His will to give everything
that He has promised, that He knows best what to give and what not to give,
and that all prayers should not be expected to be answered and many like
theories that prayer began to be unavailing. As long as one was simple and
child-like and believed that God was good enough to give to His children
anything and everything that was good, prayers were answered in
such supernatural ways as to make a believer feel that s/he is indeed a child
of God. A simple faith is naturally born into
the new child of God by the Spirit. Faith at once takes root, and God is
taken at His Word. There is not a doubt to begin with that God will answer
prayer. If this confidence in God would be nourished and developed normally
as one grew in grace and knowledge we would never have had so many failures
to get prayers heard. But by listening to old converts who sometimes live in doubt and unbelief the
new one also begins to follow their example by wavering and questioning God
about everything. Christ is the author and finisher of
faith in everyone and naturally a life of faith begins when Christ is
received in the life (Heb. 12:1-2). As we receive Christ we are to walk in
Him (Col. 2:6-7), and if we would continue as we started, faith and zeal
would never be dampened, and one would never revert to a life of failure and constant
questioning as to what the will of God would be in the matter of getting the benefits of the
promises. 2. KNOW THE WORD OF GOD The second step to take in getting
faith is to get thoroughly familiar with the Word of God. "Faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17; Acts 10:44;
15:7; 1 Cor. 1:18-21; Gal. 3:11; 2 Thess. 2:13). After getting into Christ,
the next thing to do is to start reading the Word of God and meditating on it
day and night. We are promised that if a person would do this he would be
like a tree planted by the rivers of water that will bring forth its fruit in
its season and that whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Ps. 1, Josh. 1). So many people in praying never think of
what God says about what they are asking. If one should ask the average
person what promise of God he was depending upon as the basis of his faith to
get what he was asking, he would not have in mind any particular Scripture.
It is no wonder that such people are seldom heard of God. Jesus said,
"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye
will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7). The Word of God and
prayer must go together if definite results are to be expected. There is no
ground for answered prayer outside of the Word of God. It is the Bible that
reveals the will of God in all things and promises certain benefits through
Christ and faith, and no person can get prayers answered normally who does
not know the truth. Download
passages of the Word of God regarding faith. (This link requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) 3. DO NOT PRAY FOR FAITH
IN GOD Prayer for faith is a prayer of unbelief. Consequently,
it cannot be answered. Praying for faith is simply an attempt to evade faith
in the Word of God and get things from God contrary to truth. The Word alone
can give you the basis for answered prayer. Simple faith in the Word of God
may not be considered sufficient or even sensible to the natural person who
lives in their senses and who wants always to see and feel everything with
which he has to do, but this kind of confidence is necessary if one wants
what the promises
of God offer. We are not told to pray for faith, but to "have faith in
God" (Mark 11:22-24). 4. HAVE FAITH IN GOD If we would learn to put confidence in
God as we do in men and if we would have unwavering faith in the promises as we do in
the word of people, answered prayer would be a great success. Prayers would be
answered with little effort on our part. Prayer would be a simple transaction
of everyday business between God and us. It is sad to say that people will
trust people and put their whole confidence in people more than they will God
and His Word. At the same time we do this we claim that they believe God more
than any man. We would not boldly declare that we do not have confidence in
God or that we do not believe that God is faithful to His Word, but by action
we prove this to be so. If somebody says to us that it may not be God's will
to answer, or that if He does not answer He knows best, or some such excuse
for unbelief, it is
generally accepted that this is so. Very seldom do people go to the Bible to
see exactly what it says and intelligently follow it. Even if we find that we
are definitely promised the answer, the average person questions the will of
God by some unreasonable argument of unbelief. We would not possibly be
turned aside so easily if man had made such promises. We would go to court or
fight to the last breath to hold man to his obligations, but we are so full
of unbelief that we don't want to bother God with the same problems, or we
will not put forth the least fight against demon powers and unbelief
to get what God has promised or to hold God to His obligations. Is it any wonder that God will ignore
such unbelieving and disinterested requests for things that He has promised?
We would do the same. In fact, we would not be as tolerant of others who
reject us and our word and constantly fail to believe us as God is toward
failing, unbelieving man. We would be so disgusted with such half-heartedness
that we would withdraw all offers of help. But in spite of man's failure, God
goes on year after year, seeking to prove to us that He means what He says
and says what He means. He is constantly trying to show us that He is
faithful to His Word and that He will not go contrary to His Word for any
person. He will meet His own obligations all right, but on the grounds of His
own revealed terms of faith, nothing wavering. Man is to blame for all failure
- so the quicker we realize the trouble and correct it, the sooner we will
get what we want from God. 5. LISTEN TO GOOD
PREACHING / TEACHING When we hear constantly the stories of
the triumphs of faith in the Bible, when we read of miracles such as God's
dividing the waters, raining manna from heaven, sending quails, giving water
from rocks, multiplying food, quenching fire, raising the dead, healing the
sick, defeating His enemies, and causing the hundreds of other miraculous events
that are written in Scripture for our instruction and to build up our faith,
our faith runs high. We fully realize that what God has done He can and will
do again in meeting His obligations to give to men what He has promised. Our faith
naturally becomes powerful and expectant. Personal experiences of men in all
ages are also a good source in building up faith. Accept and believe any
record of any dealing of God with any person if it is in harmony with the
Word of God. 6. REJECT When we go to churches where the
ministers question these miracles and make fun of them as being mere fairy
tales, and they try to explain away such facts by high-sounding, clever,
pseudo-scientific generalizations, our faith is hindered. We must consecrate
ourselves to renounce all such foolish theories as of the devil and cleave to the plain
Word of God in all things. No one can expect to enjoy faith and receive
benefits if s/he spends time going to places where the Word of God is
criticized. If one wants a simple, unwavering faith, s/he cannot listen to
this kind of preaching/teaching and come out without questioning some things. Yes, all faith-killing,
Spirit-quenching, truth-destroying, man-made traditions and sects and creeds,
be they ever so clever in doing away with the simple gospel truths, must be rejected
and renounced once and for all. Don't tolerate any person or church to
slander God or His Word, which is the source of your happiness, faith, and
eternal life. 7. COMPLY WITH THE WORD
OF GOD Comply with the Word of God to the
letter, regardless of how foolish it may appear. God's ways are not our ways
and His thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are as high as the Heaven
above the Earth compared to our ways; so accept His Word as the right thing on
every question and yield to the letter, and it will be proved the right thing
to do. It will be proved to be true in every respect. The test of this age is
"the obedience to the faith among all nations." People who fail in
compliance to the faith will have to be rejected of God in the end and
consigned to eternal Hell for their failure. Thus it is all-important that we
conform to the Word and yield to the letter what is plainly written. The secret of answered prayer is very clear in
Scripture. Note how simple the Bible is on this point: "Have faith in
God For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain,
Be thou removed, and 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 [Believe that you have got them], The central thought in all these passages is: "BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE 8. EXERCISE YOUR FAITH By exercising your faith
you will cause it to grow (Rom. 1:17). One of the best secrets of how to increase
faith is the use of what faith that one does have for use. It is a divine law
that whatever we do not use we lose: "Whoever hath, to him shall be
given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he
seemeth to have" (Luke 8:18). Just as any muscle that remains useless
becomes dead and lifeless, so it is with faith. We must use what we have if
we want it to become strong and dynamic. It is not only a natural law that faith
will increase when we use it in all the problems of life, but God will
supernaturally see to it that it increases. He will impart more faith - the
divine kind - to them that show the proper exercise of human faith. Our faith must
work by love; that is, we must exercise our faith for the good of all
persons, regardless of whether they are friend or foe (Gal.
5:6). Unless we have fervent love for all persons,
our faith can never attain to the highest peak of
efficiency. Where there is love there is faith, for both are the fruit of the
Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Where love, unity, peace, and true
Christian fellowship prevail in a church there will be found little sickness
and defeat and few failures in prayer. Where malice,
jealousy, gossip, and constant division and strife exist, there will be much
more sickness and failure in prayer than in the other kind of church. Experience,
observation, and Scripture establish this fact. The fall would not have been possible
without doubt and
unbelief in God and His Word. God demands us to learn that He is faithful
to His Word and that He means exactly what He says, before He redeems us and
before He answers prayer. God must demand faith and freedom from doubt in
order to redeem us from the fall. These steps must be retraced in the redemption
and complete reconciliation of man to God. We must learn the lesson of faith
and absolute confidence in God sooner or later if we expect to live with God
forever; so there is no better time than while we are on probation to learn
this lesson. This is why God requires faith in all that He says, before He
obligates Himself to answer man definitely. At first there is naturally a
struggle on our part to trust God whom we cannot see, but after we learn to
do this, the hard part of faith in God is over, and we enter into a place
with God where we get things easily by simply asking and receiving through
faith in God and His Word. Whoever uses faith can master all, have all s/he desires, and has
no bounds to what s/he can receive. Faith will break through all barriers of
reasoning, questioning, doubt, and unbelief. It will take hold of what is
wanted with unshakable determination and refuse to be denied. Faith will do all
the Bible says it will do. Work what faith you have and refuse to be
discouraged. Every impossible thing has finally yielded to pounding and
increased pressure. What we do not use, we lose; this divine law never fails.
Likewise, it is a divine law that whatever we use increases (Luke 8:18; Rom.
10:17; Gal. 6:7-8). The Scriptures cited above also prove the unlimited possibilities
of prayer if one will use the faith that takes. Jesus said, "If thou canst
believe, all things are possible to him that believeth" (Mark 9:23) and
"All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive" (Matt. 17:20; 21:21-22). This is how men got answers in Bible
days (Matt. 9:2, 27-29; Heb. 11). This is the only way we will get answers
today, so we might as well stop deceiving ourselves into thinking God might
answer apart from firm, unwavering faith. He will not, for He said He will not,
and He cannot lie (Heb. 11:6; James 1:5-9). Faith and prayer will move
mountains, but faithless prayer will not move an anthill. 9. YIELD TO THE HOLY
SPIRIT Faith is not only a natural ability or
the exercise of a created faculty of humankind, but a fruit of the Spirit and
a gift from God (Gal. 5:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:4-11). When we use our faith in God
and His Word properly, we make contact with God in a
supernatural way and become a partaker of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:3-4). We are then free to
walk and live in the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit will naturally be
manifest in our lives (Gal. 5:16-26). We should
constantly add to our faith the virtues of God by yielding to God in daily
life (2 Pet. 1:4-10). This kind of faith becomes a natural
fruit of the Spirit and of holy living. It is not an effort to have this
faith. It grows in the life of one who yields to God and loves God enough to
draw near to God in daily conflict. It is a fruit, not a work. It is a gift,
not something we earn by works (Rom. 12:3; 2:4-5; 12:4-11; Gal.
5:22-23). The
human faith in union with the divine will make all things possible to the
believer. Let us all have faith in God, in Christ, in the Holy Spirit, in the
Word of God, in the atonement, and in all the gospel truths. Have faith in
God and look to Him for the daily grace you need for body, soul, and spirit.
The more we love God and conform to His Word, the more faith will grow. This
faith will grow until it rests solely in the Infinite. In this place in God,
we can reach up and pull down God's unlimited
blessings for ourselves and others. Remember this, the secret of faith is
faith in God. Confess
Who You Are in Christ How to Access Faith Audio
Lessons Unlimited
Possibilities How to Access Faith Audio
Lessons An Essential
Note About the Power of God’s Grace “Most of us are aware that it is by grace that we are saved [Eph. 2:8]. Everything we receive from God must come by grace through faith. And all knowledge of faith must be built on a clear understanding of grace, because even faith comes to us by grace, as a gift. When you understand grace, you can walk in faith and receive God’s blessings [benefits]. God’s grace isn’t complicated or confusing. It is simple, and that’s why many people miss it. There is nothing more powerful than grace. Everything in the Bible, salvation, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, fellowship with God and all victory in our daily lives, is based on it. Without grace, we are nothing; we have nothing; we can do nothing. Today, don’t just hear about grace; understand that everything in our lives depends not on our merits, abilities, or works, but on God’s willingness to meet our needs. This is grace. Focus on that truth and watch your faith grow.” -Joyce Meyer How to Access Faith Audio
Lessons Back to Faith See more about the kinds of faith Link to the “short list” of 99 benefits of the
750 New Testament promises The Key
That Unlocks All Promises Link to the list of 250 separate benefits
of the 750 New Testament promises “Beloved,
I wish above all things that you may
prosper and be in health, even as your soul
prospers.” – 3
John 1:2 See the reality of evil, Satan, or the
devil See the bondage of unrighteousness (sin) and
corruption See The Source of Sin, Sicknesses, and
Diseases See How to Get Health and
Healing From God Link to God's Plan for Mankind Thank you Finis Jennings Dake and Dake
Publishing Thank you Derek Prince Ministries and
his book Faith to Live By
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