Faith is one of the fundamental elements of our Christian lives. It is by faith that we are saved, justified, and cleansed. Faith is how we please God, admit our reliance on Him, and incessantly rely on His grace and mercy.
Faith helps us to evaluate the present through the light of eternity by giving us the courage to trust. Faith does not free us from living in the world. It does not exempt us from the trials or tribulations of the world, but it does bring a realization that there is more to life than earthly matters. When we have sound conviction about the spiritual world, then we began to develop a perspective that would allow us to begin enjoying eternal life with God right now.
Every time we display faith in God, we are fulfilling our side of the covenant. God has already promised us many things such as healing, answers to prayer, receiving blessings, deliverance in a trial, etc., but it is our duty to contend for the promise ñ doing our part by trusting that God will keep His word. What does this mean? It means using our faith to claim a specific promise God made to us - staking our claim on the promise regardless of circumstances around us - perseverance.
However, no promise of God can be claimed unless e know what the promises of God are, which is why it is important to find out what God says about a situation before making a judgment. The easiest way to do that is to open the bible and read it. Now that is a pretty simple thing to do but many christians do not do it enough. Instead, we react first and then later think "oops, I should have consulted God on that one." This is not the way to lead a successful Christian life. Always consult God first!
When we use our faith by claiming good promises God already has in store for us, we can come up with a powerful and positive vision for our lives. We do not have to settle for what our lives have become. God wants us, to use our faith, to enjoy all the good things that he has just for us.
It will not be easy though, when we begin to claim the promises of God for ourselves, situations and circumstances arise to the contrary of what we believe God for. This is where the battle of wills begins. Whose report will we believe? Are we going to be consistent n our faith and trust in God's word no matter what? Or will we fall prey to the destructive nature of the world around us and believe in our mitigating circumstances? These are the questions that, when answered, will determine what our destiny will be - success or failure. Many readers may be thinking "Wow this all sounds so serious." It is!
When our faith is strong, it can withstand all the heated situations and every type of fiery dart thrown
by the enemy. Then, how do we remain a person of the faith when everything surrounding us exudes doubt and unbelief. Letís face it; we live in a world full of broken promises and negativity ñ to put it mildly. This doubt and unbelief seeps into our consciousness day in and day out and is often even projected through some of the people we are in close contact with daily. And then, after absorbing this poison all the time, it's no wonder that it is easier to believe in the negative things and doubt good can even happen.
Yes, it is not easy, but we must stay strong in our faith and contend for the promises of God. It is what faith is all about! Trust in God, not in man, not in circumstances, and most certainly not in the Devil! We can also influence others to want what we have if we show them by example. Plus, that's not all, the more we exercise our faith, the more we increase the level of faith that we can use. In order to grow, we must do our faith exercises everyday on purpose. The following are some practical steps to take in order to whip that faith into get shape:
Dream big! - Write down the vision and make it plain.
Make the right confessions consistently and do not waver.
Find scriptures to support it and read them over and over.
Make steps toward the dream and keep your focus on achieving this dream.
Look for uncommon favor and expect God to make things happen!
Be patient and consistent ñ All good things will happen in God's perfect timing.
Pray for strength to endure the journey to your destiny.
Always remember, faith is like a muscle, to get it to function properly, it must be exercised everyday!
