Lord, Strengthen My Faith

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1

The Greek form of the word “faith” is used 243 times, the verb 249 times, the adjective 67 times. It’s one of the most common words in the entire New Testament. The apostle John said that faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4). Faith was constantly on Jesus’ mind as he ministered and lived His life on earth.

Faith is….

· Believing the Word of God…Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. (Rom 10:17) Believing is more than just shallow hope and more than “wouldn’t it be nice if.” It’s all your eggs in one basket, unwavering, belief.

· And acting upon it….This is where faith gets feet. Genuine faith downloads into all areas of life. We say we believe, but we really don’t unless it shows up in our lives. (A wayward child, unbelieving spouse, finances.

· No matter how I feel…Faith discounts how we feel and boldly acts on the Word of God. Will we do what God has asked us to do & trust Him to do His part? Will we obey God when we don’t feel like obeying? Unless we want to be roller coaster Christians for the rest of our life, we have to get this down.

· Because God promises a good result…The message of faith permeates the Bible. Every step with God is a step of faith. Every lesson learned is a lesson of faith. Every victory is won by faith.

• Faith is the way to salvation.
• Faith is the way to live your life in God.
• Faith is the way to persevere when difficulties come into your life.
• Faith is the way to walk with God.
• Faith is the way to resist Satan and his attacks.
• Faith is the way to please God.

Barriers to Faith:

1. Our view of God.

2. Our addiction to sight. When we live by faith, we win. When we live by sight, we lose. If you’re a Christian, winning means you have victory over the trials in your life. You remain strong and true even when it’s tough. It means conquering temptation and living without compromise. And it also means not needing to see the next step before you trust God’s Word and follow Him.

3. Doubt. (Review last week’s lesson.) John 10:10

What Makes Faith Stronger:

· God’s Word gives faith. How much time are you spending in God’s Word? If you want faith, memorize God’s Word, meditate on God’s Word, devote yourself to reading and studying it, and your faith will increase. (Romans 12:2- renew your mind.)

· Confess your faith. Ephesians 6:19-20. Faith is like a muscle, it gets stronger when you use it.

· Practice genuine prayer. The power of prayer to build faith is phenomenal. Luke 22:32. Remember to pray, and prey without ceasing, fervently.

· Walk faithfully. Daily. Consistently. It takes practice.

Examples of Faith in Hebrews 11:1-40:

Abel: Brought a more acceptable offering to God.

Enoch: Was approved as pleasing to God.

Noah: Built an ark to save his family from the flood; believed God; who warned him about something that had never happened before.

Abraham: Obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance; went without knowing where he was going.

Other examples: David, Rahab, Samuel, Moses, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph

What the Lord is Teaching Me About Faith:

1. Faith is believing the Word of God and acting on it no matter how I feel because Gof has promised a good result.

2. Faith is not part of the Christian life; it’s the whole thing.

3. Faith is what gets us to God.

4. True faith is rooted in God’s character.

5. Faith is the switch that turns on the power to the Holy Spirit.

Scriptures:

2 Corinthians 5:6-7 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Ephesians 6:16 (KJV) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Matthew 17:20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Jesus Speaking)

Luke 12:27-28 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! (Jesus speaking)

Matthew 21:21-22 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Mark 10:52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Acts 15:8-9 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

2 Corinthians 4:13-14 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

Reference: MacDonald, James. Moody Publishers; New Edition edition (April 1, 2008)