I learned something that I want to share. One of the biggest prayers for myself that I ask God for is for more faith. I've been praying this for a long time. Not faith in his existence, of that I'm sure of; but rather faith in his Word and his Power.From the time I was a child I grew up learning about all the ancient "Bible Heroes" who did incredible supernatural things. Moses parted the red sea. Elijah called down fire from heaven. Joshua made the sun stand still. Abraham conceived a child at nearly 100 years old. Peter and Paul healed people. On and on it goes. And the more I grew up and read the Bible for myself I read how these were just normal people.
"Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years." James 5:17The only thing that they have over us was faith. And if you read some of my earlier blogs you remember how I learned how the Bible itself says all things are possible with faith. Faith is limitless, and there are so many examples in the Bible of godly men stepping out in faith in God's power and doing incredible things. Lets be clear, it wasn't them, it was rather that God works through faith. Faith is the gateway to God's supernatural power.
So this is why I always pray for more faith, but I was reading a book I recently bought on the subject and God revealed a startling revelation to me. He doesn't give us faith through prayer, but rather tells us that faith comes through hearing the word of God.
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17I never knew that. I had always imagined I could just pray for more faith and he would give it out as he pleased. This changes everything, because now that I realize that purely studying and reading the Bible grows my faith I can actively pursue doing so! This is very exciting to me! It's one of God's promises, and those are rock solid! One other thing I'll share that this book taught me was the meaning behind the book of James in the Bible.
Anyone who reads the book of James probably can't help but feel a little convicted, myself included. Basically it talks about works. Its a legalistic christian's foundational scripture. Probably the essential verse that sums up the book is this:
"So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:17
I was always a little unsure of what this meant since all other parts of the Gospels teach that we are saved by grace, not works. Well what I learned was that REAL faith WILL have works (or actions). Its not a matter us making sure we have action with our faith, its a complete and absolute --it will happen-- type of thing to identify true faith! We don't even need to focus at all on the works/actions itself, b/c real faith will naturally produce them! Here's an analogy that I feel God gave me to explain this (remember the cake analogy...well God must know how I like food...)
There are two people who grew up on an island and have never seen eggs before. They are both starving. God comes to each of them and hands them a carton full of eggs. He says, "If you crack these eggs over a pan, and cook them, they will make food for you." The first man has faith in what God said. So he cracks the eggs, cooks them, eats, and lives. The second man also says he has faith in what God said. He does nothing. He keeps saying over and over how he believes God. He eventually dies of starvation.
The second man obviously didn't really have faith in what God said, why?....because if he did he would have cracked the eggs, cooked, and eaten! REAL faith has ACTION! The first man proved his faith through his action/works. That is what James 2:17 really means!
