Faith is an external action based upon an internal belief. It is stepping out towards what God has shown you is yours in the invisible realm. If we believe, then we must make an action consistent with that belief.
Noah believed God’s warning about a flood and so built a boat. He believed something; there was an external action that went with that belief.
Abraham believed in his inheritance and went out to find it even though he didn’t really know where he was going. He didn’t stand there and wait for it to come to him. He went out to look for it because he knew it was out there, and God had told him.
Sarah believed that God was faithful and received the ability to conceive beyond her years, beyond her physical ability to do so.
Joshua believed the prophecy about Jericho’s walls falling down and by faith marched around it for a week, just as God had instructed.
When the internal, that is, belief, and the external, faith—when they are in partnership, we become single-minded.
Our inner belief depends upon what we know to be true about the nature of God. When God promises you something, everything in His nature is on the line.
When you believe implicitly that God cannot lie, so the promise He has given to me is true, if you believe that, you must step out towards the provision. There must be an action consistent with your believing. God has given us faith so that we can see the invisible and move towards it. Therefore, faith is not a demand. It is a help, it is a gift.
I think faith is a gift in two forms.
Firstly, there is a measure of faith given to us so that we can be in relationship with God in our circumstances. That is the coolest thing about having circumstances: God is with you in life. He has given you a measure of faith for your circumstances so that you can see what He has planned and what He is promising. So you have a measure of faith to be in relationship with God now in the circumstances that you are in. Then there is also a gift of faith for bigger things so that we can function in partnership with God in the supernatural. So faith is both relational and it is a functional gift. The measure of faith is relational so that you can relate to God in the circumstances you are in, and you know that you have a capacity from Him to see into the spiritual realm. When we get into our circumstances and situations, we do need to stop. We do need to worship God because worship preps your spirit. It gets you ready to see something.
So we need to stop. We need to worship God before we pray because prayer is part of a celebration sandwich. We rejoice always. We pray without ceasing, then we give thanks.
