Believers need to understand that FAITH is potentially a source of great power. That's God's intention for it but we have to develop and strengthen it. Indeed, the Book of Mark contains some of the most important statements about FAITH in the entire Bible that most folks tend to gloss over and today we want to focus on Mark 11:22-23:

And Jesus (said) to them, Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever SAYS TO this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he SAYS is going to happen, it will be granted him.

Friend, the first thing Jesus is telling us in verse 22 is to HAVE FAITH IN GOD when we want to control our environment and have our prayers answered. If you read the whole chapter you'll be able to see that this is the clear context. Whether we like it or not, everything in the Kingdom of God starts with FAITH. That's the way He set things up. So, if we're not ready and equipped to work by FAITH, the truth is we'll never get ANYTHING accomplished.

Now verse 23 is absolutely awesome! It tells us EXACTLY how to use our faith which is to start by SPEAKING directly TO the condition we're trying to change (or move) INSTEAD OF asking God to do it. He's already given us all the power and authority to do these things ourselves. Then once we've spoken, we're to BELIEVE (faith) and NOT DOUBT that what we've said will actually happen. Therefore, if BELIEVING AND NOT DOUBTING is the way to get things done in our lives, we need to find our how to do those things which is the purpose of today's article.

In general a Believer who has developed strong faith is someone who actively lives and walks by faith and not by sight. In other words a strong faith person is someone who lives by the promises of the Word and not by the five physical senses. A strong faith person is someone who rejects the values and principles of the World in order to follow the Word of God even when it seems to his/ her disadvantage. A strong faith person has developed their faith into an active force that rises far above passive belief; and when doubt or unbelief attack, they resist it and refuse to allow it to take hold and challenge their stand. How are they able to do these things? Following is a summary of the main things that strong faith people do to develop and strengthen the faith God has given them:

1. Strong faith people study the Word of God. No matter how much our Flesh wants it to be otherwise, a faith person is compelled to study the Word and grow in knowledge. This is THE basic requirement. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Faith people often rise early in the morning at personal sacrifice sowing their time into the study of the Word in order to develop their faith and receive the related benefits. Even after Believers have become mature in strong faith, they continue to study the Word and receive new revelation.

2. Strong faith people know and understand the promises of God. The Bible is full of promises God has made to His people. The Laws of Prosperity are just one example. But to cause those promises to bear fruit we have to first find out what they are so we can do something with them. That knowledge comes from studying the Word because that's the only place you can find them. Too many Christians fall short on seeing the promises of God manifested in their lives because they don't know those promises or don't know enough to activate them.

3. Strong faith people live their lives in agreement with the Word. To live in agreement with the Word means to line up one's life with everything that can be found there. In other words, a strong faith person is also a Word person. They meditate on the Word constantly because they know it will produce success (Joshua 1:8). If the Word says to do or not do some particular thing, they try to be obedient. And the strong faith person is acutely aware that to walk by the Flesh instead of the Word is to open the door to the consequences of the Curse.

4. Strong faith people speak specifically about what they want. They know they have to be specific with God. Likewise they know that the Bible says we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2) and that we can have whatever we ask for in faith (Mark 11:24). But they are careful to put the Kingdom of God first in their asking so they don't ask for things from wrong motives (James 4:3). Strong faith people ask specifically and then stand in faith on the Word believing that their prayers will be answered in due course.

5. Strong faith people believe they can have what they SAY. Strong faith people speak out what they've asked for as though they already have it. They do this because the Word of God tells them to (Mark 11:23-24) and they're eager to do what the Word says to do. They believe they've received the answer in the Spirit even though what they've asked for hasn't manifested yet in the natural. What is real for the strong faith person is what cannot be seen (2 Corinthians 4:18).

6. Strong faith people are trying to fulfill the love commandments. People of strong faith realize that to receive what they ask for they must walk in love (John 15:7-10). They must actively pursue fulfillment of Christ's commandments to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind and to love their fellow men as themselves (Matthew 22:36-40). A person of strong faith knows they can't walk in the Flesh neglecting God and treating other people selfishly with disrespect and then expect to have their own requests answered. Strong faith ALWAYS works by love (Galatians 5:6).

7. Strong faith people pray in the Spirit. People of strong faith pray privately and frequently in the Spirit (in unknown tongues) because they know that the Word of God says we build up our faith that way (Jude 20). They also know that they are EDIFIED (built up, enlightened) through speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:4) because the prayer of tongues comes out of the spirit (1 Corinthians 14:14). People of strong faith believe that if the Word of God counsels us to do something we should move eagerly in faith to do it.

8. Faith people wait for the Word to manifest in their lives. Being a person of strong faith involves a lot of waiting. But that's what faith is all about. If everything came immediately, little faith would be involved and we wouldn't have to trust God. Strong faith people are willing to wait and they don't give up (Luke 18:1) believing that God will deliver on what they've requested. Abraham waited 25 years for the promises of God to manifest in his life but eventually they did, just as they also will for any Believer who'll stand waiting in faith.

9. Faith people confess what they are believing God for. While they wait, people of strong faith only confess verbally what the Word says instead of what they sense in the natural. They walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). For example, since the Bible says we were healed by the wounds of Christ (1 Peter 2:24), you won't hear faith people confess (say) that they're sick. They may be experiencing some symptoms but they won't agree with actually "having" the sickness and they believe their prayers of faith will cause the symptoms to depart from them so they can regain outward agreement with the Word. If the Lord leads them to seek medical attention, they do it in faith as a way to obtain someone's agreement in resisting the devil. Strong faith people also confess they're debt free (Romans 13:8) even though they have credit card bills to pay. They're not denying reality because for the faith person true reality only exists in what they are NOT ABLE to see.

10. Faith people are content while they wait and trust in the Word. While they wait for the promises of God to manifest, strong faith people don't complain to God or to others about the unfulfilled manifestation in their lives. The Bible tells us to be content with whatever our circumstances are (Philippians 4:11) and with what we already have (Hebrews 13:5). Instead of complaining about what they don't have, faith people are praising and thanking God for what they DO have and then confessing that they already possess the things they're still believing God for. They have taken ownership over God's promises even though they can't see them yet in the natural and they're thanking Him for His provision.

Now one of the greatest hindrances to the full release of our faith is DOUBT. As cited above, the Bible says you can have what you say if you believe (release your faith) and DON'T DOUBT IN YOUR HEART (Mark 11:23). Most Christians read this verse and gloss over it as something nearly impossible to perform; but why would Jesus have spoken it and encouraged us to do it if it's impossible? No, this is an invitation to move mountains with the force of one's faith! What's required is to speak out what we're believing for and to NOT DOUBT that God will deliver as He has promised.

Doubt (unbelief) is the principal thing that causes us to become passive and give up on the promises we're waiting for. The word "doubt" actually means to waver or stagger in one's belief or to be unstable. In other words, to doubt means to be double- minded (James 1:8). In fact, both of these words come from the same root. Doubt (double-mindedness) is what the enemy uses to weaken our faith, to separate us from God's promises and to delay their full and timely manifestation in the natural. What the Bible actually says is that if you have DOUBT you shouldn't expect to receive anything from God (James 1:7). Therefore, it ought to be apparent that there are MANY Believers who need to awaken to the principle that casual doubt interferes with the Lord's plan to manifest His promises in their lives so that they can then begin to focus on how to resist and overcome it.

The truth is MOST Believers completely overlook that resisting and overcoming doubt is an essential part of strong faith. Because of doubt and unbelief we routinely fall short of our faith potential and biblical prosperity doesn't fully manifest in our lives as we think it ought to. Because of doubt and unbelief we even ROUTINELY forget about many of the things we've asked the Lord for in the past because the answers didn't show up the following day. Strong faith takes time and therefore a basic requirement for having strong faith is to acknowledge that doubt is actually a challenge we ALL have to deal with. By dealing with it we mean to RESIST AND OVERCOME it so it doesn't defeat our FAITH and cause us to lose out on what we're hoping for. Every time you release your faith for something, you should begin a process of resisting doubt and unbelief by applying the following tactics:

1. Ask Jesus to help you with your doubt - The Bible shows us that Jesus is available to help us with the problem of doubt. On one occasion in scripture a certain father brought his demon possessed son to Jesus and asked Him if He could do something to help him. Jesus responded that "all things are possible to him who believes." And the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; HELP MY UNBELIEF" after which Jesus delivered the boy from the oppressing spirits (Mark 9:14-29). The point is Jesus wants to help us with our unbelief. All we have to do is ask Him and then release our faith that He HAS DONE it.

2. Study the Word to make your faith grow and strengthen - As already mentioned the development of strong faith requires that we immerse ourselves continually in the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing the Word (Romans 10:17) and strong faith is essential for resisting doubt. If we're negligent in studying the Word, our faith will grow weak and cause us to act in unbelief (1Timothy 1:13). Even if it has been strong at times in the past, if we stop studying, our faith will regress and return to weakness. Overcoming doubt requires a steady diet of God's Word as well as our commitment to obey and live by what we find there. Soon you can come to the point where your faith becomes a force that moves God's promises from the supernatural to the natural.

3. Confess the promises of God - In order to resist doubt, what you speak must agree with the Word of God and with your understanding of what He has promised to do on your behalf. When doubt presents itself, speaking is your first line of defense. If you're believing for debt freedom for example, then your speech should agree with it even though your circumstances appear to be entirely to the contrary. It's not "denial" to agree with the Word instead of your circumstances because you're agreeing with what God already has done for you in the supernatural. Your job is to let the power of your confession draw the promise by faith from the supernatural into the natural. When you decide to let your speaking agree with your faith instead of your doubt, you'll be resisting that doubt and you'll soon see the promises of God manifesting in your life.

4. Speak directly to your problems - Once you've asked the Lord to solve a particular problem in your life, you should believe that He's heard and answered your request. That means you don't have to ask Him anymore to take care of the same problem. Rather by faith you should begin to speak directly to the problem (Mark 11:23); command it to get in agreement with the promises of God and to get out of your life. You can also speak directly to the good things you have asked for and command them to manifest. If your faith is strong in the Word, your commands will move the promises of God into the natural.

5. Cast down negative thoughts - When thoughts of doubt come, instead of passively entertaining them and allowing them to weaken your faith, cast them down. Speak to them and cast them away in Jesus' name. The Bible says to cast down every reasoning that's raised up against the knowledge of God and to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This is NOT impossible to do! By casting down wrong thoughts with your spoken words, you'll be resisting doubt and strong faith will produce results.

6. Write down what you've asked for - One of the biggest impediments to the development of strong faith is that we often forget what we've asked God for. Friend, our forgetfulness betrays our underlying unbelief. We forget to follow up with faith-filled speech and confessions that agree with the Word of God and our petitions die for lack of attention. The Bible says to WRITE the vision so you can run with it (Habakkuk 2:2), so you can remember it and speak over it frequently. Don't let the enemy steal your vision by distracting you away from the object of your faith

7. Rest, don't worry - Once you've heard from God, begin to rest on His promises instead of worrying about how and when they're going to manifest. Worry is the outward evidence of a lack of faith (Mark 4:40). In fact, it's one of the primary things that chokes the Word and causes it to be unfruitful in your life (Matthew 13:22). When you start to worry you need to get yourself into the Word so you can transfer your focus from the thing(s) you're worrying about to Jesus. If you focus on Christ, you won't be worrying. Rather you'll be enjoying the peace that passes all understanding where the force of a mature faith can move mountains.

8. Walk in love - Finally, the essential requirement for overcoming anything in the Kingdom of God is walking in "agape" love. Your faith won't work without love (1 Corinthians 13:2) and the result of faithlessness is doubt and fear. God is love (1 John 4:8) and perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Since fear is the opposite of faith, the logical and correct conclusion is that perfect love RELEASES your faith. You can't be in strife or unforgiveness and simultaneously walk in either love or faith. You also can't be rude, quarrelsome or easily offended. Lack of love will always produce doubt. Every principle and law of biblical prosperity depends on love (Matthew 22:37-40) because God is love.

Many Christians don't actively pursue living by faith and some of them give as the reason that a faith walk is the denial of reality. We've shown though that true reality is connected to what is NOT seen. Others say they want a more balanced walk with the Lord. Perhaps they mean they want to balance faith with its opposites: doubt, unbelief and fear. Such a "balance" is of course unscriptural. The truth is many Believers are stuck at the beginning of their Christian Walk with little more than the measure of faith they were given to be born again with (Romans 12:3). But God is pleased when Believers actually LIVE by a faith that is growing and becoming stronger.

PLN never claims to have all the answers on any particular subject. Our objective is to just sow our revelation from the Word for your consideration. Then, the rest of the journey is for you and the Holy Spirit to work out together. But, if you're struggling with your faith today, our prayer is that you'll lift up to God the various ideas you've read about on this subject and then let Him show you His will for your life. We believe by our faith that He WILL show you that with strong faith you can be assured God will send biblical prosperity into your life in the abundance Jesus promised (John 10:10).

Thanks for reading Prosperous Life Newsletter today and we'll see you again in three weeks on August 15. In the meantime may the Lord bless you and your family with the fullness of biblical prosperity and every spiritual blessing just as He has promised (Ephesians 1:3).

If you have never invited Jesus to become the Lord of your life, you can do so today by saying the following simple prayer:

Jesus I believe in you. I believe that you are the Son of God and that He raised you from the dead. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me for my sins and come into my life today.

If you were sincere as you prayed, God has already come into your life and you are a new creation. Now ask the Lord to lead you to a good faith based bible teaching church where you can be developed to fulfill your potential in the Kingdom of God. If you're unable to find a church, give us a call and we'll help you find a good one.

Please e-mail your prayer requests to: theway@makeaway.net. We'll be honored to bring them before the Lord each Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM, Eastern Time.

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