Faith Is…

Faith is two empty hands held open to receive all of the Lord. Alan Redpath

Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation. Andrew Murray

When we are strong in faith, we have God’s power in our life.  One of the most important things about faith is when we exercise it.  When we pray to God for something we should first determine is it God’s will and does it align with what the Bible says.  If we haven’t determined that part first, we will be doomed to disappointment when our prayer isn’t answered. 

If the first two items are met, we then need to thank God in advance for what we are praying for.  If we thank God after our prayer is answered; we are expressing gratitude to God.  If we thank God in advance for answering our prayer, we express our faith in Him.  We are showing God that we believe that He will answer.

One of the problems we run into when we are waiting on God to answer our prayers is impatience.  We want Him to answer in our time not His.  So we get tired of waiting and we move forward without God’s blessing on it. 

Doubt is one of the worst things we can have in the midst of prayer.  If we doubt God will do it, we are lacking faith.  When we lack faith we miss out on what God can do in our life. There are numerous stories in the Bible of people who had extraordinary faith. When you pray; thank God in advance for what He will do.  Faith is believing He will do what we ask without doubt. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am often filled with doubt in my prayer life.  Sometimes I think this is because what I am asking for really doesn’t align with what You want for my life. I need to study Your Word more before I pray.  Help me to be patient when I pray for I know Your timing is different from mine.  Faith is knowing in advance that You will answer my prayer. 

    

Scripture:  The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  Mark 11:20-24