Introduction
Do you think you need more faith to see change in your life? Or to have your prayers answered?
Growing up, I recognized faith was valuable but felt continually challenged to develop even greater faith. I felt driven to “believe more” through Old Testament stories and New Testament verses like, “This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4, NKJV). Over time, I realized that if we’re not careful, focusing on growing our faith “bigger” will lead us back into works. Without noticing it, we can quickly end up relying on our abilities to be “good enough” for God to do something for us.
In this eBook, I want to give you six building blocks to help you strengthen your faith. When you understand these principles, you'll begin to develop an unshakeable, confident expectation in God and His promises.
Great faith doesn’t mean more faith. It doesn’t mean we need to try to drum up deeper faith on our own or beg and plead with God to show we’re serious or desperate. It's trusting Jesus completely. That’s great faith!
The Presence of God is in You
When Moses came down Mount Sinai after spending time with God, his face was glowing so much that he had to wear a veil. As incredible as this must have been, 2 Corinthians 3:7 shows us that this glory didn't last. It soon began to fade.
Why? It's because Moses was not a born-again believer. The glow on his face revealed that he'd been in God's presence, but the evidence was temporary.
When we give our lives to Christ, His Spirit comes to live inside us, and this makes all the difference! The glory of God's presence didn't last for Moses because before Christ, the best that we could experience was God’s presence WITH us. But as believers, this Spirit of God is not just on us—it's WITHIN us, which means His glory never fades away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:17–18 (NKJV)
This verse teaches that wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. This liberty He brings is freedom in every sense of the word. Holy Spirit inside you brings freedom and healing to use the body God has blessed you with. He brings you freedom to use the mind He has given you, free of anxiety. His presence sets you free to experience the abundant life that Jesus came to give you (John 10:10)!
As you become aware of Holy Spirit empowering you from the inside, you begin to walk in victory in every area of life. Understanding that you don't have to work it up on your own, but that His presence is at work within you, builds your faith in a powerful way. From glory to glory, He is transforming you! (2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV)!
Jesus Loves You
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, "I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!" Matthew 8:10 (NLT)
There are only two people in the New Testament who Jesus said had great faith.
The first person was a Roman officer who wanted his servant healed. Being a military man, he understood how authority works. He told Jesus that He didn't have to come to his home—Jesus could just say the word, and the servant would be healed (Matthew 8:8–9).
The other person was a Gentile woman—a foreigner. When she asked Jesus for a miracle, He told her that miracles were for the Jews, not for the dogs, which was what people called her race (Matthew 15:21–28). But she was insistent. She replied, "Even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters' table" (v. 27, NLT).
In both cases, Jesus was amazed by their faith, and they received their miracles. So, what was their secret? We’ve heard that understanding our authority in Christ and being persistent are keys to faith, and there's a lot of truth to that. But what did these people have in common that caused miracles to explode in their lives?
The only thing we find is that neither of them were religious. Neither were wrapped up in all the rules and laws that the legalistic leaders believed you had to follow to please God. They simply saw Jesus, came upon His mercy and believed—and they received miracles.
Many times, building great faith means going back to the basics. Simply believe that Jesus loves you and wants to do incredible things in your life!
It’s Not How Much You Believe, But What You Believe
My whole life, I’ve heard about the value of faith. I knew that miracles were God's will, but that I had to believe to experience them. I would read Scriptures like 1 John 5:4, and I would be challenged to have more faith.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (NKJV)
Yet, I found that results in my life would be sporadic. Sometimes I experienced miracles, but then there would be dry times too.
If we're not careful, the concept of believing can get us into trouble. We start to think, "I've got to believe more. I need more faith." But this perspective falls back into works. Pretty soon, you're right back where you started before you gave your life to Christ, trying to be good enough for God to do something for you.
As I began to study God's Word and understand faith, I realized that it's not how much I believe, but what I believe that matters.
You see, as believers, all of us have been given the measure of faith (Romans 12:3). So it's not that you don't have enough faith. But what do you believe about finances? Relationships? Yourself?
Let's turn to God's Word to determine what we believe, because everything God has promised us in His Word is ours in Christ. Those promises have been “stamped with the Yes of Jesus” for us as believers. We need to get our hearts into agreement with His will, adding our “Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together” (2 Corinthians 1:20, MSG). Confessing His promises over your life is what will bring you victory!
Know Your Source of Power
So many of us were raised in religion. Religion says that if things don't work out for you, it means you've broken a rule or you're not doing enough. Religion says that to get a miracle, you need to somehow believe harder to produce more faith.
I've noticed something interesting in the Bible. When Jesus performed miracles, He often told people, "Go your way. Your faith has made you whole." But after He died on the cross, we don't hear that anymore. Something had changed.
But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. Hebrews 8:6 (NLT)
Jesus' death and resurrection set up a new agreement between us and God. When you look at the incredible miracles of the Old Testament, you'll find people parting seas and bringing dead bodies back to life. Yet the Word says you and I have a better agreement with God than they had! This covenant is based on what Jesus did for you, rather than what you do for Him.
He qualified you for every blessing in the book. When we think we have to be more, do more or have more faith to get a miracle, we fall into self-righteousness. We start to act like it's all up to us. But faith is not your power source. Jesus is! You don't have to earn your miracle. It's not about how much you believe, but about who you put your trust in.
Keep studying God's Word and let it take root in you. As you find out what Jesus died to give you, incredible things will begin to happen in your heart.
Faith Works Through Love
Growing up in my dad's church, we would sing certain songs about loving God. I remember tears streaming down my face as I told God, "I want to love You more, but I don't know how." Was I supposed to do more things for Him? Sacrifice more for Him?
Meanwhile, I had it backwards. First John 4:19 says that we love God because He first loved us. When you begin to realize that everything in Scripture points to God's love for you—not your love for Him—it changes your world.
In fact, this is the key to faith that works. I don't know about you, but there have been many times it seemed like my faith didn't work. If we're not careful, we can become caught up in trying to figure out, "What did I do wrong? Why didn't I get my miracle?"
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. Galatians 5:6 (NKJV)
This verse shows us that following the law doesn't bring the results and miracles we want. Faith works through love. If you want to live a life of growing, trusting and seeing God's favour, it's time to go into the Word and recognize how much He loves you.
Instead of anchoring our faith in trying to believe more or do more, we need to anchor our faith in Jesus. He made a way for you. He paid the price, not only to deal with sin, but so that you and I could have the life of God within us.
As you begin to experience this incredible love, you'll develop a rock-solid faith that says, "My deservedness is irrelevant. Every promise in God’s Word is already mine because of what Jesus has done for me!"
Knowing God
As I’ve travelled around the world, I've met brilliant people who know God's Word backwards and forwards. Some of these people were wonderful and radiated the joy of the Lord. However, others seemed to exude the opposite of joy.
At first, I wondered how this could be possible considering the amount of time they spent in God’s Word. Then I came to a revelation: it doesn't matter how much you know about someone, it's actually knowing them that makes a difference.
As Sally’s husband, I wouldn't be happy to only have a room full of books about her. I want to know her, grow with her and experience life together. That's how we need to look at Jesus.
Paul prayed a beautiful prayer in Ephesians 3. The end of this prayer says that when we begin to recognize how much we're loved by God, then we experience "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (v. 20).
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height––to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19 (NKJV)
We often pull back, expecting God will judge our behaviour before loving and blessing us, but His love is unconditional. You can always expect love and acceptance from God, just as little toddlers expect love and affection from their parents and grandparents no matter how many times they’ve messed up.
Take another look at Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 and consider praying it over yourself every day. Ask God to help you become rooted and grounded in His love for you. His blessings are yours!
Conclusion:
The power of faith lies not in how much you believe something, but what you believe about it.
I used to think God was responsible for everything, good and bad. However, once I began to understand faith, I realized that what I believe about God is more powerful than how much I believe in Him.
Whether it’s about news, political situations or different religions, people will often tell me, “I just don’t know what I believe anymore.” Well, it’s crucial to figure out what you believe, because that will change your world more than anything else.
As free-will individuals, we are free to believe whatever we want. However, our upbringings and life experiences can cause us to accept misguided theories. So, when it comes to faith, the issue is not how much you believe in God’s goodness. The issue is what you believe about it.
One lady told me, “I believe if God wants to heal you, He can.” Frankly, even the devil believes that! You see, faith is not a belief that God can do something; it is what you believe about God Himself. What do you believe about God seeing you through any situation, sickness or calamity? What do you believe about financial success? What do you believe about eternity? What do you believe about God’s character?
So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Romans 10:17 (NLT)
This verse says faith comes by hearing the Gospel. Let me put it another way: Faith comes by understanding the Word of God, and comprehending what Jesus accomplished through the cross.
Immerse yourself in God’s Word. The more you begin to know what you believe, the more your faith will grow. You'll develop a confident expectation that no matter what life throws your way, God's love and faithfulness toward you never change. Through faith, all things are possible!
