PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT STRENGTHENS FAITH

“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.” Jude 20

“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.” AMP

There is a way for your faith to be built up that enables you to make progress with your faith and in your faith, it is by praying in the Holy Ghost. Some believers do not understand that praying in the spirit strengthens faith, such that things you look at as impossibility and are afraid to reach for, when you pray in the Holy Ghost you find that you are able to reach for it. 

Now I know the Scriptures says faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God and that is accurate. But what happens is that by praying in the Holy Ghost over a thing, the Spirit of God will take the word of God in you and cause you to have a revelation that will release faith for that thing. Paul confirms this process in the book of Ephesians:

“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…” Ephesians 3:16,17A

Paul says when you are strengthened by the Holy Spirit in your inner man, the result among other things is that Christ will dwell in your heart by faith and that is what Jude too is saying that when you pray in the Holy Ghost, your faith is being charged more and more and then you will make progress life. So today, spend time praying in the Holy Ghost, it affects your faith.

BOLD FAITH

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand…” Romans 5:2

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

We are still continuing our thoughts on the characteristics of bold faith.

The fourth characteristic is that bold faith is not intimidated by whoever or whatever is around it. When the brother of David tried to intimidate him and make him keep quiet, he refused to be silenced. This reminds me of Blind Bartimeus, another person that exhibited bold faith, when the people tried to shut him up he cried out louder.

The fifth characteristic is that bold faith is also not intimidated by the bigness of the opposition or problem.

Finally, bold faith is clear and specific in its expectations in that situation. David told King Saul that Goliath shall be like the bear and lion that he had slain earlier. He also told Goliath what he David was going to do to him. 

This is one of the areas where we miss it most in our exercise of faith, our lack of specificity. I believe that one can use the level of specificity to measure one’s level of boldness of faith. The more bold you are the more specific you get in your exercise of faith. BE BOLD!   

FAITH THAT IS BOLD

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand…” Romans 5:2

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

We ended yesterday’s meditation with this thought that faith that is not bold is not faith. Let us today look at the characteristics of bold faith which I believe was exemplified in the life of David among many others. This we can see in the story of 1Samuel 17, since it involves the whole chapter, we will only bring out the verses needed.

The first thing you see about the faith that is bold is that it takes advantage of the opportunity presented to it immediately. It does not put off for tomorrow what it needs to lay hold today. When David came to the battle field and saw what was happening, he did not hide he jumped right into it.

The second thing about bold faith is that it speaks out. David asked what shall be done to the man who kills this uncircumcised philistine who had defied the armies of the living God.

The third thing is that bold faith is... CONTINUED @  https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss… 

NO BOLDNESS WITHOUT FAITH

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand…” Romans 5:2

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

If you are going to receive all that grace has provided then you have to come boldly but there can be no boldness without faith. This is one of the reasons people don’t enjoy grace. 

They come to the throne of grace begging, acting unworthy, calling themselves all sorts  of names thinking that impresses God but like we have seen earlier whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Therefore, they go away  empty handed. 

Yes, I know we do not merit anything and everything God has provided but Jesus has made us worthy, He has made us joint heirs with Him, it therefore would be a slap in His face for us to come to Him groveling. 

Approaching God by faith and in faith would necessarily mean coming boldly, for to know faith is to be bold. Faith makes a man bold, I have not known a man of faith that is not bold towards God. Note I did not say arrogant but bold. David was a man like that. Remember when he came into the camp of the army of Israel and he saw them in hiding? 

The Scriptures say he went around asking, what shall be done to the man who killeth this philistine? He did that until it came into the hearing of King Saul and when he came before Saul, he told the King, “let not your heart fail because of this man thy servant shall go and fight him.” 

That was some bold talking but it came from a heart of faith. That is the way... CONTINUED @  https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss… 

FAITH GIVES YOU ACCESS

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him…” Hebrews 11:6

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand…” Romans 5:2

Grace is described as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense made available to you the believer. Now this is not the only definition of grace but the above sums up everything. This means all of heaven’s riches are available to the believer. But do you know what gives you access to these riches? Faith! 

Yes, faith is what gives you access into grace and everything wrapped up in it. Why is it important for you to understand this? Have you ever asked someone if they would do something and they respond, by the grace of God they will? You see they are trying to tell you if I don’t perform it is the fault of grace. I know not exactly in those words but people have made grace a cop out for not performing. But God has given grace, we access it by faith, we take hold of what grace has made available by faith.

What I want you to see is that to enjoy grace you need faith. Though grace has appeared unto man, if you do not apply faith to take hold of grace, you will go without the benefits of grace. Remember Apostle Paul, when he was being buffeted by the messenger of satan? (2Corinthians 12:7-10) 

The Scriptures say,he cried out to God three times but God’s answer was “My grace is sufficient for thee”. When Paul received that word he concluded with this: “for when I am weak, then am I strong.” That is faith talking! He is accessing grace... CONTINUED @  https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss… 

STRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT

Hebrews 11:6

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him…”

Another thing believers also try to do in their strength without success is love, loving the God way. You cannot love, the agape love except you approach it by faith. Paul in his prayer for the church revealed as much:

“...That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love…”

Notice what what came after being strengthened with might, it is that Christ may dwell in your heart by faith which leads to you being rooted and grounded in love. So faith is the platform upon which the love life is built. If you are having problem loving people therefore, take Scriptures about love and sow them in to your spirit in so doing faith to love will be birthed in your spirit man and you will be able to love. 

Another way to look at this love is not a feeling, I know you think it is, but love is not a feeling. It produces feeling but it is not. Faith also is not a feeling, faith also can produce feeling. The way therefore to love people you do not have feelings for, is by faith. The way to love people who seem to be unlovable is by faith. Confess love for them and you will find them lovable. This is the answer to people who “fall out of love” after being in love.

CONFESSION: I AM A LOVE CHILD OF A LOVE GOD. I AM LOVE. THE LOVE OF GOD IS SHED ABROAD IN MY HEART BY THE HOLY GHOST. I AM NOT MOVED BY WHAT I SEE OR HOW I FEEL, I AM MOVED BY THE LOVE OF GOD.

LIVING A HOLY LIFE BY FAITH

Hebrews 11:6
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him…”

Rom 14:23
“… for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

I am still on the subject of living a holy life by faith. The Scripture says we are to be holy as God our Father is. But until we do this by faith, remember, this means taking the promises of God on this subject and letting it be part of us, we will just be struggling in the flesh. How does faith help me with this?

Firstly, in addition to what was said yesterday, faith calls the things that be not as though they are. This means don’t describe yourself by your struggle to be holy rather, call yourself what the Scripture says, you have the seed of God in you and Jesus has been made your sanctification (1john 3:9; 1Cor 1:30).

Secondly, realize that holiness is much more than outward conduct because the Scriptures talk about perfecting holiness in the spirit and flesh and the need for our whole spirit soul and body to be preserved blameless. 

So how do you ensure that you are holy in your spirit soul and body? Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh… for if you be led of the Spirit ye are not under law. (Gal 5:16,18). What other thing does the Scripture say when we walk in it we are not under law? It is faith. So living by faith is living or walking in the Spirit, which takes the struggle out of living holy. 

Now I know that knowing this is one thing and doing them is another ball game. The problem has been people trying to do this without a deposit of the word in them but the more you put the word(or promises) regarding holiness in your heart, the more faith will arise in your hearts for it. When faith is there, the rest is easy. Remember, you can...CONTINUED @  https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss… 

HOLINESS & FAITH

Hebrews 11:6

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him…”

Rom 14:23

“… for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

Many believers are struggling to live a holy life which should not be and it is because unconsciously they are trying to separate living by faith from living a holy life. What they don’t realize is that you need to live by faith in other to live a holy life. Once you are not living by faith you are not living a holy life because when you are outside faith you are not pleasing to God. 

Secondly the Scriptures say, what is not of faith is sin, surely you cannot be in sin and be holy at the same time. What I am trying to get you to see is that you need faith in other to be holy. This is so because faith is built on the promises of God, also when it comes to living a holy life it is based on the promises of God and you laying a hold of them.

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2Cor 7:1

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2Peter 1:4

Peter says we are given promises and Paul says having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves… perfecting holiness but people are trying to perfect holiness without having or laying hold on promises. You cannot...CONTINUED @  https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss… 

MIRACLE THROUGH FAITH

Acts 14:7-10

“And there they preached the gospel. And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.”


Let us conclude our meditation on the passage that we began with yesterday, talking about three things that you can do to receive a miracle through faith. Firstly, I said you must be where you can hear the gospel preached or taught. 


The way you know this, which is the second thing is: does it produce faith in your heart? This is because what results from hearing the gospel is faith to receive.


The third thing the man did was that he acted on the command of Paul when he told him to stand up straight. In other words he acted out his faith. These three things are interwoven. 


That is, the proof that the gospel was preached to you is that faith is born in your heart. 

And the proof that you have faith is that you will act it out, for without corresponding actions, faith is dead. 


If this was enough to make a man who had never walked all his life to walk, then it is enough to deliver whatsoever you desire into your bosom.

RECEIVING A MIRACLE THROUGH FAITH

Acts 14:7-10

“And there they preached the gospel. And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.”

I want to share with you today three keys to receiving a miracle through faith from the story in our text for today.  We see in it a man who has been a cripple from his mother’s womb got up instantly whole and walked away not because of the great Apostle Paul but because he the cripple man had faith to be healed. 

I can hear someone protesting that I have not related accurately what happened. But you read the text again and you will see what I am pointing out to you. Let me point out the three things the man did that gave him the miracle.

Firstly, he was at a place where the gospel was being preached and he heard the gospel. What did he hear? The Gospel! And what is the gospel? It is the power of God unto salvation or the power of God that brings salvation. The word salvation means deliverance, wholeness, soundness of mind,etc. This is what the man heard Paul preach.

The second thing that we see is that the man had faith to be healed because he heard the gospel. Listen, if what you hear does not produce faith in your heart, you have not heard the gospel. I don’t know what you heard but it surely was not the gospel because in the gospel is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith. 

Let me say it again, if what you hear does not produce faith, you DID NOT HEAR THE GOSPEL and you need to find another place where you will hear the gospel preached to you.

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

I want to point out to you that it is only the just that can live by this kind of faith, that is, the God kind of faith. This is because the Scriptures say clearly all men have not faith (2Thess 3:2). 

Now I understand that you might have heard that everybody has faith but that can’t be true if the Scriptures say all men have not faith. What is happening is that when people say every one has faith, they are referring to the confidence that people have that make them get into an airplane and fly from one place to another and such like things. But that is a natural faith that depends on what we see, feel, touch and hear in the physical.

For you have the God kind of faith you must belong to God, you must have been born again. It is at the point of being saved that this God kind of faith is deposited in one’s heart.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

This God kind of faith that the just is supposed to live by is a gift from God to you the just. It is because God wants you to live at His level so He gave you the ingredient that would enable you to live like that.

Therefore if you are a just person you CAN live by this type of faith. If on the other hand, you feel you cannot qualify to be called just because you are yet to surrender your life to Jesus, then pray this prayer: O God, forgive me a sinner. I receive Jesus as my Saviour and I confess Him as my Lord.

WHO IS A JUST PERSON?

Rom 1:17

“…The just shall live by faith.”

Living by faith is at the core of the believer’s life. When you do not live by faith you become unsettled at the very core of your being and when that happens, frustration and an unsettled mind is what results. Our scripture for meditation is very clear and direct, it has no ambiguity, “the just shall live by faith” and it is so important that the Holy Spirit had penned down four times altogether (Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38). Who is a just person? 

Those who have made peace with God in turning away from sin and surrendering to the Saviour (Romans 8:30). Now having being saved, your life has to be lived by faith, a total leaning of your personality towards God in confidence and trust (according to Amplified Bible rendering of faith). 

This is like saying a fish has to live in water. When you take a fish out of water, it will die. The just not living by faith is to die spiritually speaking, and literally to live a frustrated, struggling life. I can hear someone say but the fish was made to live in water but I am not. Yes you are. 

Your spirit, your recreated human spirit was recreated after God in righteousness and holiness, so you have the ability to live like that because that is the way God lives. I know you have to learn it because you have not being living this way before but it is all there in your spirit.

CONFESSION: I AM THE JUST AND I KNOW HOW TO LIVE BY FAITH.   

BE REAL WITH YOUR FAITH

1 Tim 1:5

“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” KJV

“The whole point of what we're urging is simply love — love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God.” The Message

“The purpose of this command is for people to have love, a love that comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a true faith.” New Contemporary Version

One last thought on this counterfeit faith. There are people who in the name of faith live a fake life. Like some one put it they spend money they do not have to buy clothes and things they do not need to impress people who are not looking at them.

 

They claim that shows they have faith, no it shows they are dumb. That is counterfeit faith!!! This is because the word “unfeigned” means without pretense. Living like that is not living by faith but foolish and presumptuous living and it means you have thrown away good conscience (one of the things that enable one to maintain true faith). 

Paul tells us the end result of such is that they make a shipwreck of their faith. Don’t live in pretense; be real with your faith. Start where you are in your faith walk, don’t despise the days of small beginning.

FAITH IS A FORCE IN YOUR SPIRIT

1 Tim 1:5

“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” KJV

 “The whole point of what we're urging is simply love — love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God.” The Message

 

“The purpose of this command is for people to have love, a love that comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a true faith.” New Contemporary Version

 We are still examining counterfeit faith. Jesus said whosoever shall say to this mountain be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass , he shall have whatsoever he saith.

The place where doubt can begin to have negative effect on you is in your heart, not in your head or mind. Therefore, real genuine faith too resides in your heart. 

 If faith is in any other place it is counterfeit faith and will not produce result. I heard a man of God say that what some people call faith is nothing but a strong mental assent, that is, a strong persuasion of the mind.

Though that is a good place to start but it is not real faith until it becomes a force in your spirit. Meditation will transfer your strong persuasion from the mind to the heart.

THE TRUE AND REAL FAITH

1 Tim 1:5

“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” KJV

“The whole point of what we're urging is simply love — love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God.” The Message

“The purpose of this command is for people to have love, a love that comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a true faith.” New Contemporary Version

      I want you to see that as there is real, true faith, so also there can be counterfeit or fake faith. What will make one’s faith counterfeit or fake? In  understanding the fake we must identify the true one. Your faith is true and real if: 

````1.  It has its source from the word of God. Real Bible faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Some try to believe God off some one else’ testimony, such faith does not last because it is not standing on solid ground.

2.  Some also mistake positive thinking and speaking to be faith. Faith is more than that. Real faith’s thinking and speaking has its roots also in the word of God.

3.  Real Bible faith also has God as it’s source and goal. Jesus said, “have faith in God.”

4.  Real faith is not a mind over matter game, it is a spiritual force.

WHAT CAN MAKE FAITH FAIL

Luke 22:31-32

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail..."

We are still answering the question what can make your faith to fail.

“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” Hebrews 12:15

“Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God's best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.” TLB

“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace…” Romans 4:16

Notice that it calls the grace of God, God’s best blessings in the Living Bible translation. 

So when the grace of God fails in my life, I have failed to find God’s best blessings. Now ultimately what makes one fail to find God’s best blessings, it is when your faith fails. 

But what is responsible for it is allowing root of bitterness to stay in you, that is, walking in unforgiveness. Unforgiveness will truncate your faith. This means your faith might be alright when you started out, but along the way you allowed unforgiveness into your heart and did not deal with it. 

This will make your faith to fail and it will not deliver to you the blessings of God. This is why Jesus said when you stand praying, forgive… But I will add that when you are on the walk of faith, also forgive immediately you are offended.

THE FAITH THAT DELIVERS

Luke 22:31-32

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail..."

Can one’s faith fail? Yes it can, if not Jesus would have been lying. What does it mean for your faith to fail? Firstly, I believe it means your faith did not deliver the expected results. What would make your faith to fail?

The first thing is wavering or staggering:

Rom 4:20(KJV)
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief…”

“No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God...” (AMP)

From the above passages we see that unbelief, doubts and questions will make a man’s faith to fail and not deliver the expected results.

Let me say a little bit about questions. The Scripture says in Romans 10

Rom 10:6-7

“But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)”

The faith that delivers does not ask questions that raise doubt or unbelief, it is not interested to know who will do what or how will such and such happen. It only believes and speaks.

Your faith shall not fail in Jesus name.