EXERCISING FAITH, FAITH IN GOD. A personal experience by Love from NGDw

Date: Monday, September 19, 2022.

Topic: Exercising Faith

Text: Hebrews 11:1, Mark 11: 22-24

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

“Have faith in God, Jesus answered. ‘Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” NIV

Three years ago, I sat for an exam in Financial Accounting at school, the paper was unbelievably difficult. After the exam time was up, every one of us who wrote it complained about how difficult the questions were and some even cried, believing that they will fail the exam. I also complained for a while, cross-checked answers with friends and it was not looking like I will pass either. I started on my way home and as soon as I got to my residence, I caught a revelation of faith from a book I was reading at that time “Recreating your Realities” by Chris Oyakhilome and that pushed me to pray and ask God for an unbelievable “A” in that course. Likewise, I started confessing excellence and creating imaginations of A on my portal. Not only that, but I so much believed it that I was sure I would pass with a distinction. Several months later, the results were released, and I fearfully checked my student portal I got an A and I was amazed.

Faith is evidence, it is solid proof that what we believe in exists. It is a conviction. The crux of faith is the element of trust or confidence. Faith means putting your trust in God and His promises. Just like Abram in Genesis 15, as a response to God's promise of innumerable descendants, Abram “believed the LORD, and he reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:6). Commenting on this, the Apostle Paul writes, “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:20-21). 

In the story above, I believed in God and in His ability to make things beautiful for me, so I declared excellence in my situation and I had what I requested. Take note that I was still scared to check my grade as a result of human nature, but I did it anyway, believing in the finished works of God.

Faith is not the total absence of fear, it is, however, the total belief in God that despite how you feel about a situation, you are even surer of God’s absolute power to do exceedingly abundantly more than what you can ever ask of Him or imagine.

Our faith is expressed in two steps. First, we believe in our hearts. We hold no doubt in our minds, and we fathom the possibility of whatever it is, we believe. Then, we confess with our mouths. Jesus told us in Mark 11:24 that “Truly if anyone says to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours”. We must declare that which we want to exist into existence. When God wanted light in the story of creation, he simply called it into being; same as in Romans 4:17. By the words of our mouth, we call forth things into being as if they were. 

Christ said in Matthew 7: 7 “ask, and it shall be given unto you…”. Prayers and confessions are ways through which we speak out our faith.

Whatever we received or are to receive from God will come through faith. 

John 3:16 says, “For God’s love towards humanity is so great, he gave his only-begotten son, that whoever believes in Him (the Son), will enjoy life eternal and not perish”. We received salvation through our faith in Christ Jesus.

 Ephesians 2:8 affirmed that “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…”. We receive all our inheritance and access God’s promises to us through believing in Him and His Son, Jesus Christ.

As we go out today, let us learn to build up our faith in Christ and this can only be done by actively practicing it in our daily works and walks as well as hearing the word of God (2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 10:17). Hearing the word of God could be in various forms like studying the Scriptures, through hymns and worship, dreams and visions, prophecies, words of knowledge and words of wisdom, etc.

Let us give our time to spiritual activities that build our faith.

Confession: Lord, I commit my hands to your life, help me. I pray for a stronger faith in you. Help me build up my faith. Help me to believe your words and promises. Help me to lay hold of your promises. Father, you want us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but losing you, and to cast all our anxiety on you because you care for us. Save us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties and grant us peace in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen