The Test of our Willingness to Obey God’s Command 2: Activating our Great Faith

James 2:18 “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
 

There are several examples in the Bible of people that Jesus deemed to have demonstrated great faith to obtain what they needed in their lives from Him. By this, they showed their trust in Him and also that they were willing to act on the word He would give to them because they knew that He had the power to perform it in their lives.

My first example is found in Mark 7:24-28 of the Syro-Phoenician woman who had a daughter that was oppressed by an unclean spirit. She insisted to Jesus to deliver her daughter from the oppression. However, Jesus’s first response to her was, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” But her answer was in verse 28, “…”Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” NKJV

In this passage Jesus was explaining to her that His assignment on earth was to first minister to the children of Israel (descendants of Abraham by birth) and this way fulfill the law of evangelism which says that we preach the Gospel of salvation first to theJew and then the Gentile (Romans 1:16), and the Syro-Phoenician woman was a Gentile. But to demonstrate that no matter who we are, we can understand that when God gives a word of promise to us, we can rest assure that it will come to pass as we partner with Him and trust that He has the power to do what He said He would do.

This is evident in the outcome of her persistence. Verses 29-30 say, “²⁹ Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

³⁰ And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.” NKJV

Another example is the Roman Centurion who understood how walking and submitting to our heavenly authority releases heaven in a person’s life. The centurion’s servant was lying at home, sick, and dreadfully tormented. Jesus had told the centurion when he asked him to heal his servant that He would go to his house to heal the man. But the centurion understood that all he needed was for Jesus to give him a word and speak it, so he said to Jesus in Matthew 8:8-10, “⁸…’Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ 

¹⁰When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel….’

Verse 13 also says, “Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour.” NKJV

One last example in this post is the woman that had an issue of blood flow for twelve years. This woman had done everything humanly possible and spent a lot of money seeking healing for her illness but nothing had worked. Then, when she found out that Jesus was visiting her town, she decided to not care about the social consequences that could come for showing up in public in her condition. 

She chose to press in for her breakthrough no matter what and touched the hem of His garment. This caused virtue to flow out of Jesus for her and immediately she was healed. But Jesus marveled and noticing that virtue had flowed out of Him decided to inquire who had touched Him in such a way. For her act, He acknowledged publicly her great faith and said in Luke 8:48, “^48… “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”” NKJV

So what these three Bible personalities that were not necessarily children of Abraham by birth (but through their faith in Jesus and their acknowledgment that He is their Lord and Savior), have in common is that they knew that if the Lord had given them a word of promise, that was enough for them to know that as they chose to turn to Him, partner with Him for the manifestation of the word, and through their belief and obedience to every command, they were fully convinced that it would come to pass.

Mark 11:24 indeed reiterates, “²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” NKJV

So how do you trust God and like Abraham, who also demonstrated this persuasion, do the works that demonstrate and activate your great faith? 

1. Seek the Lord in prayer as demonstrated in 2 Chronicles 7:14. “¹⁴ if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” NKJV 

This Scripture highlights what is important for us to get that word of promise and guidance from God for our circumstances. We need to humble ourselves before Him with prayer (and sometimes with fasting) and inquire of Him to search our hearts and show us what is in us or in our lives that could hinder the manifestation of what He wants to do in us, for us, and through us. We are required to turn from what He shows are those wicked ways. This will open the way for Him to speak what He will do in our circumstances or a word of promise to help us fulfill our destiny.

In addition to that, praying with our spiritual language is important because it helps us have all the angelic assistance we need to remove hindrances, speak the revelations we need in order to advance in our journey to our promises, and will also reveal mysteries concerning this promise and the warfare that we need to partner with God for in order to remove any demonic hindrances that are obstructing the manifestation no matter how long it takes to see its fulfillment. 

1 Corinthians 14:15 tells us, “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.” NKJV

Romans 8:26-27 also states, “²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” NKJV

It is important to also explain that when God gives us a word of promise, He is also making a covenant with us. For this, we are required to partner with Him to obtain this great faith towards the fulfillment of our promise. Exodus 34:10-12 say,

^10 “And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. ¹¹ Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. ¹² Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst.” NKJV

In this covenant, God will give us our part that we must obey. In verses 11 and 12 He is asking us to obey His command as well as take heed to ourselves in what we do and should or should not allow in our lives. 

2. As part of our agreement with God for this covenant promise, we are to sow an offering of His choosing and in the place He also chooses. This can take any form whether in finances, or by serving others, or worship, but we need to allow Him to tell us what this offering will look like that He will accept.

Deuteronomy 12:14 says, “but in the place which the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.” NKJV

3. Confess the word of promise over your life and declare the things that are not as though they are. Romans 4:17 explains, 

¹⁷ (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;” NKJV

Hebrews 11:1-2 also says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ² For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.” NKJV

This is because faith comes to us as we hear the word of God and confess it, but also as we obey every command He gives to us concerning this promise and as we continue to pray with thanksgiving for what He has already done for us for He will not change His mind (Numbers 23:19). Therefore, we need not be anxious or afraid of anything.

Philippians 4:6 tells us, “⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” NKJV 

Romans 10:17 also says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” NKJV

 

4. Finally, allow God to order your steps and guide you by His Holy Spirit. This means that we trust Him and not lean on what our carnal mind can reason about your circumstances. Proverbs 3:5-6 describes, 

“⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.” NKJV

Psalm 37:23-24 also declares that God has our steps that will take us to our promises already planned out for us and even as we stumble and may fall in trying to obey His word and commands, we can be assured that He will help us get back up and see to it that we make it to the fulfillment of His promise to us.  

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the Lord upholds him with His hand. NKJV

These steps are always to conform to God’s command to love Him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind by spending times of intimacy with Him and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves for faith works through our thoughts and deeds that show this love. (Luke 10:27; 1 John 4:20). To Him alone be all the glory.▪

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