"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us."
Ephesians 3:20

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Cor. 3:17 PUTTING FAITH TO GOD'S WORD "For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them because it was not united by faith in those who heard." (Hebrews 4:2) What can we do to profit from God's Word? First, seek a relationship with God. Faith is from God and flows into us as we know Him better. As we seek Him, we come to love Him in return for what He has done for us. (1 John 4:19) Love is a springboard to faith because all the necessary ingredients are easily accepted with love. Faith works through love. (Galatians 5:6) Faith is a response to a need, which God has told us that He will meet. Our love for Him allows us to hold on to the promise until God brings the answer. Love for God and others is what allows us to push through the tough times. Without love we become noisy gongs. Love expresses itself in practical ways. The second aspect of allowing faith to grow from the Word is to live for the purposes of the spirit instead of the flesh. We have been called to continue the race of faith. But how? Hebrews 12:1,2 says to lay aside the sins and hindrances that have kept us from following God. And look to Jesus. Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. But how did he do it? He considered God able to give life to the dead and call into being that which did not exist. (Ron. 4:17) "Yet with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God." (Ron. 4:20) Abraham considered God and His ability to perform a miracle. He fought doubt by giving glory to God. If we live in the presence of the Lord, we can live with a prayerful heart always considering our steps before the Lord. "I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psalm 16:8) "My eyes are continually toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net." (Psalm 25:15) During Jehoshaphat' s reign, Moab, Ammon and some of the sons of the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat as a great multitude. They were so great that Jehoshaphat feared defeat and called a fast to seek the Lord. He prayed to God, "0 our God, wilt Thou not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on Thee." (2 Chron. 20:12) The Lord brought a great victory by causing the enemy to fight against each other until they were destroyed. When Israel looked, all they saw were dead corpses; not one escaped. A third way to build faith is shown by the Israelites as they marched toward the enemy, praising God. Praise is an excellent way to keep our mind on God and defeat doubt. It is an expression of trust that God will fulfill the promises that He has given us. God is enthroned upon our praises. (Psalm 22:3) Fourth, encouragement gives us strength to hold on during a trial and not be discouraged. Encouragement builds us up and strengthens those whose faith is faltering. (Hebrews 3:12,13) Barnabas was the one who encouraged Paul and brought him to the church. (Acts 9:27; 11:25,26) When Moses spoke to the Israelites just before they entered the promised land, he asked them to encourage Joshua. Joshua was the one that would cause Israel to inherit the promised land. (Deut. 1:38; 3:28) Expect God to move on your behalf. Zeph. 1:12 David encouraged himself in the Lord when his home base of Ziglag was captured and burned. All turned against him, but he found strength in the Lord. (1 Sam. 30:6) STRONGS HEB. 2388 to fasten upon; hence to seize, be strong, (fig. courageous, a causing, strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify) Fifth, to allow faith to grow, we should expect God to move on our behalf. (Zeph. 1:12) What some fail to realize is that faith is in what God has promised for the future. Otherwise it would not be faith. We should look at the outcome of the promise and not dwell on the outcome of our circumstances. That is not to say that we should ignore our problems, but we should be looking to God to meet our needs. God has spoken to us, and as we are faithful to how he has led us, faith will be solidified. Sixth, prayer plays an integral part of our holding onto faith. Prayer is the vehicle that moves things from ideas to actions. We really can't do anything of ourselves (John 15:5) Prayer moves us. Prayer moves God. He wants us to fight in prayer to acquire what God is calling us to do. "On your walls, 0 Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth." (Isaiah 62:6,7) Prayer is what touches peoples' hearts. Prayer can move a concept in the Bible to faith. If we touch God we can't help but be changed more into His likeness. Prayer is the life of the Spirit. And when you are at the end of your rope, pray; don't give up. "... at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart." (Luke 18:1) Praying in the Spirit, keeping yourself in the love of God and waiting expectantly for the coming of our Lord will build our faith. (Jude 20,21) Tongues would be a part of this. Our faith grows as we focus on eternal things and less on things for ourselves. This also is an expression of our love for God. Seventh, reading and paying attention to the Word of God brings faith. (Romans 10:17) One of the best ways to allow God's Word to get into our hearts is to meditate on it. (Joshua 1:8) (If you have lost my study on Bible memory or haven't received it, let me know and I will send you one.) When we receive the Word in humility, we will act on it because then we will not be rationalizing. "Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the Word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (James 1:21,22) Meditate on the Word. If we spend time thinking about the Word, we are giving it room to grow within our hearts. Faith starts out like a seed; it needs time to grow. Meditation is the nurturing of the Word that has been planted in our hearts and fertilizes the seed and causes faith to spring up within our heart. Memorization is a way to allow the Word to be in our mind throughout the day and the longer it stays within us the more it will grow and faith can take hold of our hearts and change the direction that we are taking with our life. When we hear preaching and receive it as being from God and not man it will perform its work in us as we believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13) John 6:27 "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set his seal." God will give us work to do and that work is to believe on Him. He will show us how to accomplish it. Many times God will give us something that we aren't qualified to do. He does this because He wants us to call on Him and seek answers from Him and to study the Word to know how to better serve Him. This opens up an opportunity for belief that God will bring us to the place that He has for us. We are to believe and that is work. When we have a job to do we are able to seek God for the anointing to believe. "This is the work of God that you believe in Him who He has sent." (John 6:29) If we just read the Word and expect to grow, there will be little growth. We would have then become a stagnant pond and not a flowing river. But if we serve God, it will be a work of love and this will bring us into a deeper understanding of the things of God. "... Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies." (1 Cor. 8:1) We hear the Word and unite it by faith, as we apply it in service to God. Salvation is through faith. (Eph. 2:8,9) The righteous will live by his faith. (Hab. 2:4; Heb. 10:38;Rom. 1:17; Col. 2:6) If we are seeking God and are at rest, than faith is there. (Heb. 4:3) Hope anchors your soul, so that we can live by faith. (Heb. 6:19) Faith will confess hope. (Heb. 10:23; Phil. 2:16; Rom. 10:9,10) The key to guidance in your life, is hearing God's voice. (John 10:27) Faith is used to obtain God's goals. (John 5:19) You can't please God without faith. (Heb. 11:6) God is able to do much more than we have faith for. (Eph. 3:20) Useful faith produces works. (James 2:17,20) Our faith overcomes the world. (1 John 5:4,5) God gives us the seed of faith. (Matt. 17:20; Ron. 12:3; 2 Cor. 9:10) Water from the Rock Bible Studies Written and edited by /Scott McCrae All Scripture references are quoted from New American Standard Bible Home | Back to Top

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