Key Things to Know About Faith

We have been discussing faith for a while now, and how to strengthen your faith, so I thought I would wrap it up by highlighting the key points from this series. Faith can be tricky if you let it be, but God made it quite simple, so here are some critical points about faith.

Faith is Trust in God

Faith is nothing if you don’t trust God. That is actually where it all starts; you must believe and trust that God can do what you ask of Him! Hebrews 11:6 says, “for he who comes to God must believe that He is.” So when you ask God for something, you must believe He is! Believe in His power and His ability. You must know that God will never let you down and that He is faithful and more than able. You build your trust in God by simply knowing who He is. So, know that “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37) and “that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬). Meaning that He cannot let you down! God is too faithful to let His children down or disappoint them, which is why you can trust Him because of who He is. And when you fully 100% trust in God to do as He said, you will see the blessings flowing in.

To read more, go to What is Faith and The Fundamentals of Faith

Don’t Doubt or Fear

Faith cannot live where there is doubt and fear. Why? One, because doubt and fear are not of God, and it represents double-mindedness. James 1:6-8 says, “but let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let, not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” When you doubt, you question God’s ability to do something for you, yet you’re still hoping He does it. See, you need to make up your mind. Are you going to believe it or not? Because this verse shows you that you will receive nothing if you doubt, it is better to make an entire decision rather than a half decision. Be like God in this matter. Does God ever go back on His word? No. Does God change His mind fifty times a day about something? No. So neither should you; pick a side and stick to it. Believe or doubt, have faith or fear because you cannot have both!

That is why James says you are tossed by the wind. Being tossed around is uncomfortable and aggravating; you’re not still, continuously moving from side to side, and could even get sick. When you doubt and fear, you are being tossed around spiritually. You’re not grounded in anything; you’re looking at God and your circumstances, and it is making you spiritually sick. Not having complete faith is tormenting because you want these things to pass, but you cannot trust God 100% to perform miracles for you for whatever reason. Fear and doubt can lead to depression because when you are in that state, God cannot give you anything, meaning you’ll never see your faith work. And that means you will never get out of the situation you need God to get you out of. But all of that could end if you decide to trust God and be grounded in the Word. Aren’t you tired of being tossed, having your mind hop from one conclusion to another? Stop trying to figure it out in your strength and go to God and rely on His abilities. The key to getting rid of fear and doubt is simply knowing God’s character and standing on the Word and not budging.

To read more, go to Don’t Fear!

Have Patience

This is key because we often try to take matters into our own hands when things don’t happen in our time frame. But we must trust in the Lord’s timing! He knows what is best for us and the perfect time to execute the blessing. For instance, with Abraham, God told him he would have a son but Abraham thought God was taking too long. So, he went and slept with Hagar, Sarah’s maid, and had a son with her, Ishmael. Now, this was not the promise of the Lord. Abraham tried to make something work in his own strength and ability instead of waiting on God, which created a life-long conflict between two nations, Israel and Palestine. God said Abraham would have a son by Sarah, but Abraham just couldn’t wait anymore, and that was a mistake that still affects our society today.

What God has for you is better than anything you could ever think of! What God has in store for you is worth the wait! Even in a million years, your best can never be compared to God’s best, so it is wise to utilize patience. Galatians 6:9 says, “let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” You don’t know how close you are! So, don’t mess up God’s blessing because you can’t wait any longer, you could be right at the door, and you don’t even know it! Be strong and know that God is coming through for you and putting together something great, even better than you asked for! You just can’t grow weary or lose heart! God sees your faithfulness and is going to reward it! Just be patient because it will pay off in Jesus’s Name!

To read more, go to Patience and Trust

Know God’s Character

This is huge because knowing God’s character will put you on track for the rest of your faith walk! It will build your trust in Him, give you more patience, and eliminate fear, all because you know God’s character! For one, God will never fail you or forsake you. Psalm 37:25 says, “I have been young, and now am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.” God doesn’t leave His children, and He certainly never leaves them struggling. God is always with us, as it says in Joshua 1:9 that “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” So, don’t believe the lies that you’re alone or God left you because He would never! Numbers 23:19 states, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” So, know that God keeps His word and whatever He spoke to you, He will do! He hasn’t forgotten or changed His mind; He is just waiting on you to have the faith to fully believe for it!

God is a man of His word, so if you heard it from God or read it in the Bible, know it is true! God will do as He says! Psalms 89:33-34 says, “Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail. My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.” God is too faithful to fail or to change; once God has put something in place or has said something, it is set in stone. No need to fear that something isn’t gonna happen; if God said He was going to do it, He is going to do it. God doesn’t change, which is the most important thing to know about His character. God is reliable, so don’t worry, don’t get impatient, just trust and believe, and it will happen because we serve a good God!

To read more, go to The Character of God

Be Like Joseph

When it comes to faith, we must see the mistakes or victories of people in the Bible. This will allow us to understand what to do and what not to do. Joseph is an excellent example of what to do! I did a series of God’s Character Through the Story of Joseph, and you can read all about Joseph’s journey and how God showed up for Him. While doing this series, I realized that there must’ve been a certain way that Joseph acted to be so blessed. So, here are some pointers. One, Joseph remained righteous before God; when he was sold into slavery and worked for Potipher, there was a moment when Potipher’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. Though he most definitely could’ve as no one was around, he instead said, in Genesis 39:9, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Though no one was physically around to witness him sin, he was mindful of God’s presence and resisted the temptation. Joseph knew God had been good to him and wanted to honor Him by remaining righteous.

Sometimes we delay our blessings because of our behavior. We still let sin slide, but we must be like Joseph, remain 100% righteous unto the Lord, and not commit wickedness against Him. Additionally, Joseph was patient. While in prison, the Bible never mentions how he complained, so I imagine Joseph praising and expecting God to do something great for him. God had already elevated his status in prison, so I’m sure Joseph knew there was more, and it wasn’t the end. We must not grow weary, but we must be patient and expect God to do good for us! Joseph became the most valuable and important man in Egypt besides Pharaoh because he remained righteous before the Lord and was patient.

Have a Good Mindset

This is vital because nothing mentioned above will matter if you don’t have a good mindset. There is a certain way we must think for our faith to work. ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” We are not to dwell on our situation but rather on the things of God. By focusing on these virtues mentioned, you will see your mindset about life change. It’ll be more positive, and you’ll expect more and get more from God! A good mindset reflecting on these things will get you far in life and your faith journey! God values Christians who expect victory because it demonstrates their trust in Him! And trust is faith, and faith is what pleases God, so examine your mindset and figure out if it will end up pleasing God?

Know the Power of Your Words

Your words have such a significant impact on your life, so you must speak carefully. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” So, know that you can either build your life or tear it down with your words. Listen to yourself talk. Are you saying things you want to take place in your life? Or things you never wish to happen. It is important to note these things because your words can make or break you. God gave us the ability to speak because He wanted us to use our words like He does, to give life to a situation, heal, cast out demons, and say His Word over ourselves and our lives. Listen to yourself! You will get nowhere in your faith walk or life if you never change how you talk.

To read more, go to The Power of Your Words

Know the Power of Prayer

Just know that prayer works! Once you get into your secret place and start taking authority over things in the spirit, you will be unstoppable. Do not underestimate prayer! Prayer can change someone’s life, and it probably changed yours! You’re probably living out someone’s prayer right now because I know I am. I know that I am living some of my own prayers right now! God told us through His word that our prayers are heard and answered, so don’t be afraid to ask God for anything. He is able! And He will! There is no prayer too big or too small for God to answer! James 5:16 says, “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Our prayers move mountains; our prayers change lives and make a difference. They go out immediately, and angels are sent working on our behalf, making our prayers a reality. So don’t doubt it! It works; keep praying; it doesn’t matter if you don’t see it right now because you will eventually! God has the answer for you; He just needs you to keep praying and believing, and then you will see it! Have faith, and don’t give up, no matter how tempting it is.

To read more, go to Important Things to Know about Prayer

I want to leave you with this, Galatians 3:11, which reads, “no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” It doesn’t matter what you do if it isn’t backed up by faith. God doesn’t care about your works if faith isn’t involved. You can give and pray and be patient all you want, but if there is no faith involved, then it doesn’t matter. We are not judged by our works or the “law” but by our faith! Every action must be carried out by faith! By believing and trusting in God! Also, our works will never be good enough for God; He sent Jesus in the first place because we were not good enough. But because of our faith in Jesus, we are good enough for God. We appear to God spotless and blameless because of Jesus and His blood, not because of anything we do! So, know that nothing you do will be good enough if faith isn’t involved, and that starts with faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We must live by faith to please God as that is the only way to please Him, so evaluate your walk with God and determine whether it is faith-filled or if you are just trying to be a good Christian for Him? There’s a difference between not sinning because it’s the right thing to do versus not sinning because you want to be closer to God and grow in your relationship. Faith can be tricky, but the closer you get to God, the easier it is; I hope this helped, and God bless! See you next year!