There is a deception in the Church today that is destroying lives and keeping people from walking in the full victory and blessing that Jesus intended! Its hard to explain this deception, since I don't fully understand it myself. Its never taught, and yet its highly prevalent! It seems to suggest that if you have weak faith, then you're a worthless or evil person. What this does is to prevent people from admitting to themselves or others when their faith is faltering. This leads to isolation and despair and bondage. It also seems to prevent people from seeking God about certain issues, maybe because this may expose the weakness of their faith. Ultimately this makes people afraid of admitting when their under attack and as a result the enemy walks among us unhindered. I believe the root of this problem is a misunderstanding of faith itself. As if once you have weak faith you will always have weak faith?! Or maybe its because people are trying to have faith as opposed to allowing God to impart faith to them. We must understand that faith does not originate with man, but has its source in God! So what should we do about this? Does the Bible have anything to say on how to strengthen our faith? Thankfully it does:
Consequently faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Rom 10:17 NIV)
But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith --make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher--praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20 Amplified)
So here's two ways of strengthening your faith, getting into the Word and praying in the Spirit. Now this doesn't just mean memorizing verses or reading out of a sense of duty, but rather thoughtfully and PRAYERFULLY considering, meditating on and most importantly, APPLYING the Word to your life! If you trust what the Word says and Who said it, then you'll do what it says! Likewise praying in the Spirit is not the dead forms and rituals that characterize many people's prayer lives. The Greek word for 'in' (Gr. 'en') can mean in, with, through, and by. So let's read it that way; ...praying in, with, through and by the Holy Spirit. Your prayers should be led and guided by the Holy Spirit Himself, so that every word you pray deepens your relationship with the Father and with the Son! Beware of allowing your time spent in the Word or in prayer to become a drudgery; something that you do just because that's what 'good Christians' are supposed to do. That kind of attitude will rob you of your peace and joy and destroy any progress you're making! This should be a time of rejoicing as you worship and fellowship with the Lord from the heart. Now be careful! Don't expect instant results, and don't think that this will be easy. If you do, you'll quickly become discouraged and you'll want to give up. Satan will resist any attempt on your part to get closer to God, so at first it may seem like you're not getting anywhere, that God's not listening or just doesn't care. Don't let that discourage you, faith never gives up! Just keep praising and worshipping and seeking the Lord with all your heart, asking Him to help and strengthen you, knowing that His Presence is with you, not because you feel it, but because He gave His Word:
...Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col 1:27 NIV)
As you continue to seek Him and deepen your relationship with Him, your awareness of His Presence within and around you will increase and as a result your faith in Him and in His promises will continue to grow. If you start where you are, and don't let trials and difficulties discourage you, then those same trials and difficulties will end up strengthening you for:
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the LORD delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19 NAS)
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4 NIV)
It's not the trial itself which benefits you, but rather the testing of your faith. By faith you hold on to the promises of God for deliverance (whether it be for peace, spiritual growth or healing etc.) despite all your circumstances that are against you. Then when His deliverance comes, the very circumstances that were against you become a testimony of God's faithfulness and power! And then everything about you is stronger, including your faith. I believe that patience in the midst of trial is the missing element in many people's walk of faith. Far too often we will pray for something, and then when it doesn't manifest right away we give up, concluding that it wasn't God will! God's will has been established forever in the Word of God! So pray based on the promises God has already made in the Word, and then never waver on those issues again. God's promises are not subject to change, they are forever and for everyone, otherwise God would be a liar! So find the promises that cover your particular circumstances, ask in faith for wisdom in the situation and claim the promise that your standing on. And then stand firm and don't give up. Prepare for a battle, but know that as you continue to trust in God, He will strengthen you and fight for you. Be prepared to stand for as long as it takes, and victory will come quickly:
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they ought to always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, I will see that she gets justice , so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!"
And the Lord said, "listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:1-8 NIV)
Since the Lord said to pray and don't give up, when do we have the right to judge that something we're praying for is not His will? If its covered in the promises of God, it is, and from this parable its clear that God is pleased when we are persistent and cry out to him day and night! So whatever you do and whatever you're seeking the Lord for don't ever give up! As a note of caution, make sure that as you seek the Lord, that you ask specifically for His wisdom in the situation (see James 1) and that you submit fully to His will for your life. Stay open to the Lord's guidance and correction (often this will come through other believers--judge it by the Word!) and always make it your ambition to please Him and to glorify Him in everything you do. Remember the same Word that says:
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us unto the glory of God. (2 Cor 1:20 NIV)
Also says:
You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:2,3 NIV)
So be aware of this, and make sure that your claiming of the promises of God is to the Glory of God, and not for some other motive. We can't be too careful about this! Sometimes we deceive ourselves and even our own true motives are hidden from us. This is why we should always ask the Lord to test and try our hearts, for only He can reveal these things to us. We should pray as David prayed:
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.(Psalm 51:10 KJV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23,24 NIV)
As we continue to seek Him in this way , what we're actually doing is walking in the Spirit! We're setting our hearts and minds on what God desires, rather than what the world desires:
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.(Lit; flesh) For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law....But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal 5:16,17 and Gal 5:22,23 NIV)
So here is a promise from God of the things you can expect as you continually set your heart on Him and live in submission to Him! Notice that one part of the fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness? That comes from the Greek word for faith, pistis! I was excited when the Lord showed that to me because it took all of the pressure off me to realize that faith (and love, joy, peace etc.) was entirely the work of the Holy Spirit. This is how the Amplified Bible phrases it:
But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit. [the work which His presence within accomplishes]--is love, joy ....
Praise the Lord! His presence within accomplishes faith! We don't have to beg God for more faith, its His desire to create faith within us. He is the potter, we are the clay, so let's trust Him, walk with Him and let Him work in us what is pleasing to Him. And as the Word says:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (of those who lived and walked by faith in the past), let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance that race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Heb 12:1-3 NIV)