By faith we receive God’s rich blessings. As Christians we acknowledge that we are saved from our sins by faith in Jesus Christ. And we believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, and that we are His beloved children. The Bible declares that we are overcomers through Christ. So, when trouble strikes, we must look to the Lord for help, not others. “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor 15:57 God provided a mighty shield for us. Take up your shield of faith and stop the enemy’s attacks (Ephesians 6). Put on the righteousness of Jesus and the helmet of salvation. Feed your spirit on the fresh bread of God’s Word and pray continually in the Spirit. The Apostle James told Christians that faith without works has no life. It’s dead. If we have faith, our actions will show it. Fear makes Christians weak and vulnerable to attack. Faith is bold, not passive. Fix your mind on Jesus and banish doubt and fear. If we waver back and forth, we are like a ship without a rudder. The rudder is our resolute faith. Without a rudder, a ship is tossed around by the storm. It will not reach its destination while it zig zags around in the sea. Fear and negative emotions are like the wind and the waves. The howling storms of adversity can cause us to doubt God’s Word and His love. Learn to walk in the Spirit, not judging situations by the natural senses. The Spirit gives us the ability to see with eyes of faith. The disciples asked Jesus how to have more faith. They witnessed Jesus raise the dead and cast out demons. In Matthew 17:20, the Master said that faith like a tiny grain of mustard seed was enough to speak to the mountain and command it to throw itself into the sea, and it will obey you. According to scriptures, when we pray, we must believe that we will have what we ask for. We can receive every covenant promise that Jesus paid for when He died on the cross. Christians have the Name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to do the same miracles that He and His seventy disciples did because Jesus already defeated the devil. Sometimes we pray and do not get the answer we wanted. Know that God completely understands the reasons, even if we do not. It is not wise to conclude that it is time to stop praying in faith. The Lord is doing great miracles today. When a doctor can’t explain why their patient on life support suddenly opens their eyes and people were praying, God gets the glory. And when people are praying for a family who will lose their house because dad lost his job, and God provides money from an unexpected source, He gets the glory. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen.” Trust God and resist fear. Fear paralyzes and traps us in negative emotions. The spirit of fear is not from God. God gave us power and love and a sound mind. 2Timothy 1:7 Fear is the devil’s weapon that he uses to rob people. He tries to steal our property and our joy. Let’s look at David, a man of faith. David’s older brothers were in the army. The Philistines wanted to destroy Israel and the giant, Goliath, mocked them. He told them to send one man to fight him, but the entire army was paralyzed with fear. David’s father sent him to the battle ground, and he was shocked. Goliath mocked the God of Israel! David responded with pure faith. The anointing of Spirit was on David, and he boldly declared that he would kill this giant and cut off his head. By faith in God, he killed Goliath. David spoke to the mountain and declared victory before he went to face the giant. Believers have the Spirit within and the power and authority of Jesus’ Name. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines while the devil steals from us. Be courageous and take back the territory that the devil stole. We are more than conquerors through Christ, our Lord. Speak to the mountain! The best way to know if we are trusting God is when we face adversity and trials that we cannot resolve on our own. In those times, God tests our faith. Be determined in your faith like a bulldog that won’t let go of your favorite shoe. The more you try to get it back, the harder the bulldog bites down. Study the faith hall of fame heroes in Hebrews 11. By faith the saints received their dead back to life. God is looking for heroes of faith that will take a stand against the wiles of the devil, people who will receive miracles by their tenacious faith. By faith in the Lord and His Word people are healed, relationships are restored, and chains of bondage are broken. And God gets all the glory. Whatever trials you are facing, remember that all things are possible with God.
God’s grace and peace be with you,
Chp. Rhet Peterson