Jesus spoke in Mark chapter 11:
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.
23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
During the “faith” movement in the 1970’s, the evangelists promoted the idea of having “the God-kind of faith” rather than “have faith in God”. They either omitted the rest of the passage or at least de-emphasized the remainder. This omission was an injustice to those who were immature in their walk with Christ. Frankly, I fell into that group. I assumed that these faith teachers were teaching the Word without any of their own bias. Clearly, I was wrong.
The faith teachers allowed their own doctrine to infiltrate their teaching and promoted a “name it and claim it” doctrine thus you had everyone claiming houses, automobiles, and any other of the world’s trappings. Don’t get me wrong, FATHER is interested in meeting our needs but HE is not interested in promoting our ego.
A key to having faith is “when you pray” or communicate with FATHER according to HIS Word. HIS Word, whether written or spoken, is what HE will bring to manifestation on our behalf. HE will supply our needs and “GODLY” desires according to HIS riches if we will listen to HIM and respond when HE directs us to take certain actions. Those actions reveal our level of faith IN HIM.
In the early 1980’s, my wife and I were making mortgage payments on our house. FATHER spoke to me and told me to begin believing HIM for our house to be paid off. In response, I prayed accordingly and from that point on, I thanked HIM every day for my mortgage being paid in full. Nineteen months later, the mortgage was paid off. Money came in from unexpected sources and it was clear FATHER was confirming HIS Word to me. It was not due to my financial prowess but instead it was due to HIS involvement.
Another aspect of Jesus’ Words concerns forgiveness which translates to Agape Love. If you have unforgiveness in your heart, you will impede your faith from growing into great faith. If you are lawless, that too will impede your faith as well as causing you to have great difficulty in hearing FATHER.
FATHER is not reluctant to bless us. It was HIS idea to pay off our house early, not mine. I did not consider it an option at the time. Out of HIS Love for me did HE bring up the opportunity to teach me real faith. I heard HIS Voice and based my confession on HIS Word. It was that simple.
David wrote by THE SPIRIT in Psalm chapter 34:
1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
HIS praise came forth from my mouth on a daily basis. My faith became stronger because I would not let unbelief enter in and dilute HIS Word to me. I was at rest with HIS promise and simply walked out HIS Word.
This example is not meant to exalt me in any fashion but to encourage you that FATHER’S Word is as valid today as when It was written. The Words of Jesus contain the same power now as when He first spoke them 2,000 years ago. As it is written by THE SPIRIT in Hebrews chapter 13:
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.