Bills are due; go online and pay or mail in a check.
The kids have practice; get in the car and drive them there.
The house needs to be cleaned; pull out the cleaning supplies and begin to clean.
What we have here are assignments that need completion, but they will not take care of themselves. How do we know that the bills will be paid? We have money in our bank account which will cover said bills. How do we know that the kids will make it to practice? We have a vehicle with gas that will get them there. How do we know that the house will be cleaned? We have the cleaning supplies needed and the energy in our bodies to get up and make it happen.
We do these daily, weekly, monthly, and annual tasks without hesitation because we believe in the resources provided to take care of them. We have relied on money, cars, and cleaning supplies before, and they never failed us. We have heard stories of others successfully using these same resources to achieve the same goal. It must work, right?
When James 2 talks about “Faith without works is dead”, we are applying this scripture without realizing it. We have faith the bank will release those funds. We have faith our car will start when we hop in. We have faith that our cleaning supplies will do what they claim to do. They have done it before; they will do it again.
Now let’s go deeper. These are examples of having faith in physical things which we have grown accustomed to working on our behalf. Faith is a spiritual (heavenly) act that requires a physical (earthly) work. What does that mean? As Kingdom citizens, we live by the rules of Heaven and apply or act them out on Earth. Faith says that whatever Heaven has already permitted or allowed, it will be permitted or allowed in Earth. Whatever has been forbidden or struck down in Heaven, it will be forbidden or struck down in Earth. This spiritual law of binding and loosing is found in Matthew 16:19.
On January 22, 2022, my son, Taj, was lethargic and had a fever. I did not think anything of it until later that night his coughing got really bad. I gave him an at home Covid test, and it was positive. Taj has been hospitalized in the past many times. Each time my faith grows stronger and stronger as I grow in my relationship with my Heavenly Father. What was so powerful in this encounter was that God had prepared me for this moment by increasing my reading of the Word. What does that have to do with anything, you ask? Well, Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The word of God is His actual words that are eternal and apply yesterday, today, and forevermore. By increasing my reading of the Word, I was able to call God out on His word and execute the verdict of the cross by claiming Taj’s healing.
After going to war for Taj, I start to exhibit symptoms on Monday, January 24. I woke up at 4:30 in the morning with congestion. I literally rolled out of bed and starting warring in the spirit. Our testimony is that both of us experienced Covid like the common cold. Taj has a tracheostomy, chronic lung disease, and other medical issues. Patients like him would normally have a hard time dealing with Covid. But I do not live by the world’s standards, I live by Kingdom principles. The more of the Word we know, the more we can pray those scriptures back to God and claim what is ours.
Faith calls on God, believes His word, then lives it without a care in the world. Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them”.
Growing up, I used to hear people say, “If it’s the Lord’s will…”. How do I know I am supposed to live free of sickness and disease? Isaiah 53:5 and Matthew 8:17. How do I know I am supposed to live in prosperity? Deuteronomy 8:18 and III John 2. How do I know I am to live without anxiety and drama free? Isaiah 26:3 and I Peter 5:7. These are a few examples as well as a few scriptures. Whatever your situation, find the scripture for it, pray it back to God, walk in your faith, and watch Him move on your behalf.
I have made it a habit to worship instead of worry. I magnify God and make Him bigger than my problem. My faith tells me that anything of God and anything that He’s said is what will be. I do not care what it looks like in the natural, God’s word reigns supreme.
The next time you are in a situation that requires an act of faith, do not listen to your family, friends, coworkers, or someone on TV. Go to the word of God and do the works required to manifest Kingdom blessings. Walk in your victory (Romans 8:37). Build yourself up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20). God does not want lip service. We should SEE your faith by how you live your life and respond to crisis in the earth. So please, respond well in Jesus Christ because someone’s faith is built up by your testimony.
Father, I pray for the faith of every person reading this blog post to be increased. May they move from mustard seed faith to an unshakeable faith believing You for everything despite what the world may say. Hear our prayers, oh Lord, that we may be a witness of Your unbelievable works by Your mighty hand. And may our works of faith be pleasing to You, because without faith it’s impossible to please You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!