I want to be more spiritual and gain more faith. How can I do that? Sometimes it is hard to maintain faith, especially when we hear and see so many dreadful catastrophes happening around the world. But it is at these times when we really need to seek out What God wants for us! Where do we find faith? Faith is found in places where one cannot look with the eyes. Faith is a feeling we generate through our knowledge of God and His son Jesus. Faith is derived through complete trust and confidence in God and we bring faith into our lives by using the power of it through our convictions and beliefs. Faith becomes apparent in our lives when we are constant with our prayer and daily living and through His words and Holy Spirit within us. Though God hears our prayers, they may not get answered the way we think they should. What we want and ask for in our prayers is probably not what God wants for us. Many of us pray only when we are in dire need of something. But this is not using faith properly. This is being selfish to God. We can find faith through the understanding of how God works through the Christian's life. We must always seek His will for our lives when praying and through that faith prayers will be answered. When we utilize our faith through the word of Jesus Christ, we are doing the will of God. If we are lacking in faith it is because we have stopped pursuing God's word. Staying faithful is an ongoing matter. Participating in Church services on Sunday is not enough to keep the faith. We must humble ourselves to Him at all times, and in all things, and let Him decide what is best for us. Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Jesus Christ. Romans 10:17 We also gain more faith by acting on it. When we act on faith because of our belief in God that means we trust in what God says he is going to do for our lives, instead of using self-based faith. Most importantly, we should read and study the Bible daily, even if it is only three or four verses at a time and we should never stop praying for what God wants for us in our lives. Too many times we pray out of selfishness and ask of God those things which WE WANT. This is why prayers are not answered. We wonder what all this faith stuff is about since our prayers are not being met. But God does not work like this. Faith is a tool that God gives us because He wants us to use it for our salvation. He has gifted us with the ability to put our complete trust and faith in Him. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8 When we do not utilize the gift of faith we are imprisoned within our sins, and choked by our selfish desires that we know are wrong. God knows that we are prisoners to weakness, and that is why He has provided a way for us to escape life of bondage and slavery to sin. It is only through our faith in Jesus Christ that we begin to live not for ourselves, but for God. Without Jesus everyone would be lusting after their selfish desires and holding hands with Satan. But by placing our faith in Jesus we come out of the bondage of sin and begin living God's desire for us. But the scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Galatians 3:22 Two words can best describe faith, sure and certain. Having faith has two parts. The first part is believing in God's character. God is who He says He is! The second part is believing in His promise for us. He will do what He says! Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Hebrews 11:1-3 ~~~~ |
