10 indicators of the attitude of faith

[Some notes based on messages by Past Craig Field at Promise of Life Church and Jay Eberly]


Faith itself does not take huge efforts but it does require effort, action, attitude.

1. Staying in the Word 

The word is enough for the Holy Spirit knows how to influence each listener individually. Some of us have felt that Scripture is too general and feels too far away to speak directly to our hearts. That is because we have not spent enough time in it. If we make a habit of reading it it comes alive and becomes the main conduit for the Holy Spirit to direct our lives.

Romans 10:17

Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Faith makes it so that the word is never common. 

2. Staying in prayer

If we pray according to His word the "yes" is instant. Whether he takes 5 minutes or five years to answer that does not matter. All we do is receive, thank Him and wait for the manifestation. God wants our heart to be right in our prayer.

The reason we walk by faith and not by sight is because when we pray Satan tries to distract our prayer by egging us to keep questioning the result of the prayer: "why isn't it here?", "has God heard me?", etc. When we keep doubting by wanting to check results all the time (walking by sight) as opposed to waiting on God patiently (walking by faith) we actually put a stop on the flow. We must stand firm with confidence 

Hebrews 10:35-36

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

3. Following the commands

With faith it's always exciting. Our faith is augmented by hearing the word. Through it we can get to know God better but it is only by following God's commands the word that we are deemed worthy to know God even deeper. He does not cast pearls before swine and he will give more to those who use what they are given wisely.

John 14:21 

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.

4. Expecting

Faith comes by hearing but it is exercised by doing. When we have the Holy Spirit and let him operate the true attitude of faith is demonstrated. There is a boldness, expectation, joy and security which is above going through the motions. We walk in it natural and automatically. 

5. Keeping the enemy where he belongs

When the enemy attacks through people we don't feel bad for us but for them because we know they are missing out the blessing. We know we are protected by God and Satan is not a threat, he is a small little thing.

Satan keeps attacking Christians because he knows some of them will buckle. We should have an attitude of standing our ground. The Devil should know when he attacks us He will be defeated miserably and retreat.

“Your picture should be in a post office in Hell” Jay Eberly

6. Speaking to obstacles 

Zechariah 4:6-9

[6] So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty. [7] “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' ” [8] Then the word of the Lord came to me: [9] “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

Zechariah was building the temple and was speaking to the obstacles. Once we know who we are and that the spirit gives us victory we can have the bold attitude of diminishing any obstacles in the face of the God we serve and the Spirit which empowers us in all things. That capstone, in buildings, is usually the last stone put there to embellish the structure and give it identity. When we look at the last stone we know that the work will come to pass. We don't need to look at the other obstacles. We deal with them but we look at the end result and receive it as accomplished.

7. Rejoicing for its own sake

We should always rejoice even when we don’t feel like it. Joy always comes first. Other things flow from there. 

Matthew 27:50 (NKJV)

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Jesus shouted a victorious war cry in front of Romans who knew what that meant. Here was a supposedly defeated man shouting victory.

Jesus’ shout brought forth this completion.

The best way to follow Holy Ghost is to lose all preference. Rejoicing is an action, a discipline which flows from an attitude of faith.

8. Disregarding the weather

Faith is easy when you're in peace because peace is a companion of faith.

I had a tiny bit of faith and acted on it by declaring that God would change my present circumstances. Then the peace, end to worries, end to anxiety, end to fear and end to anger gave me a greater faith to stand on the rich knowledge of God. There is a cost otherwise it would not be faith.

9. Confessing our faith

Just as we confess sins, we confess hopes and that will not only help us stand in faith but it defines faith itself. Hebrews 10:23 shows the hope we profess is the hope we confess. This means we are in agreement with God about what hope is and we stand on that truth.

10. Welcoming the test

The same way we need faith to persevere in waiting on God's promises, the testing of that faith produces that very perseverance (see James 1:3) just like exercising a muscle. Muscles at the gym have to be put through work and attack with exercise to become stronger.

Andy De Campos

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4 PRACTICAL STEPS of FAITH

[Taken from notes from Promise of Life Church]

Faith is the intertwining of believing, speaking and receiving. It follows this process:

1.   Desire

2.   Prayer

3.   Belief

4.   Having

1.     Desire 

Mark 11:24

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them , and ye shall have them.

God wants us to desire things first so that we know what to pray for. But the desires must be placed in our heart by the Holy Ghost and not from the soul or flesh. Sometimes we don't need it to come out of our spirit. If it is something we need then the Bible says God wants us not to be in lack so, obviously, it does not need to be prompted by the spirit.

God pays for our desires. When people think they have to pay for it themselves they are more austere. If they believe in God’s 

(a) nature to bless and 

(b) the supply 

He has to do it with, then they would desire, truly, what their hearts want. This is what the true desire is in our hearts, because if it is in our minds then we rationalize ourselves out of the blessing.

“The word desire is God’s word for dream.” 

Craig Field

2.     Prayer

Philippians 4:6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

We should mostly pray that we will do it, not how to do it. We were not built to figure out how it should come to pass. That is God’s job. When people try to do this themselves is when the stress and physical ailments come.

3.     Belief

Mark 11:23-24

[23] For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. [24] Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them , and ye shall have them.

The belief is the receiving. How do we believe? We speak to things and this helps our belief because the belief is the receiving!

Just as the case of the centurion (Matthew 8:5-13). Jesus equated speaking with authority with faith. The moment the centurion spoke that he knew Jesus would heal his servant was the moment he was healed. The process of speaking was the same as receiving.

“The Devil fights this tooth and nail because it's who we are in Christ.” 

Craig Field.

Part of this belief is how we carry ourselves. We are supposed to act as heroes just as our daddy in Heaven is a hero. Hope is in the future but faith is now. As God framed the world with His words we frame our world with our words. Having is God’s part. The belief is ours.

4.     Having

It is done in heaven when we pray. All we do is receive it.

God told us to count it as nothing. He Himself did not count it as nothing but we do; because it is done.

The assurance of receiving it before it manifests in the natural is a testament to God’s kindness. God is so kind He lets us have it before we have it so we can rest.

When we receive, like, for instance receiving healing by laying of hands, we stick with it. All we have to do is stay where we are. The only action to do is to add more word, not more logic and certainly not move out of it.

Having, receiving, is part of faith.

Receiving is believing what we speak things obey

Receiving is speaking with authority

Receiving is commanding.

As soon as we receive something the Devil tries to devour it. This is why we must speak with authority.

1.    Rebuke the Devil.

2.   Command angels.

3.   Speak to the thing for obedience.

4.   Praise God; rejoice and give thanks.

There is a supply

The first 3 are for us to do. The last is God's.

If we have a desire for something God has a supply for it.

The only time God would not provide it is:

a) not biblical

b) not His perfect will for our life

c) if we do not have the faith supply for it.

  

Andy De Campos

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10 coolest things about FAITH

1. It's the only thing that pleases God

Hebrews 11:5

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

It is not possible to please God without faith. If you want to please God take Him at His word like Enoch. 

2. It allows God to pour out His blessing

It doesn't mean God is angry at us without faith, but it's because He takes pleasure in blessing us that He wants us to have it. Lack of faith puts a clog on blessings that God wants to pour on us.

3. It is real and measurable

Faith is quantifiable; it is a substance.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

4. It gives us character

Increasing faith gives us character and spiritual form. We become something that God respects. God is a respecter of faith not of people (Acts 10:34). For us to have identity with God or faith must be big in the same way with more faith we start to know God and his identity.  

5. It is our spiritual currency

Faith is the great connecter between us and God it is our currency. It is all we have to give. What we get in return is everything! We are to propagate that currency and make it the "hard currency" of the world.    

6. You can pray to have more faith 

You can pray for faith just like you can pray that you have abundant riches. Faith is a resource so you can pray for it.

Our role as believers is to pray the prayer of faith and follow its course.

Mark 11:23-24

[23] For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. [24] Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them , and ye shall have them .

7. God allows as much as you allow

  

When you are a believer, "God allows what you allow." Craig Field, Promise of Life.

Matthew 16:19 AMP

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.

8. It's takes faith to give. 

Giving is not a loss to the believer because when he separates himself from his money he is sowing seed which will yield substantially more gain.

9. Faith does not create anything

Faith does not heal or prosper anyone. Faith is the vehicle where grace flows through to bring abundance. (Nancy Dufresne)

This is right because anything good comes from the Lord. He can get some to us but mostly, the quality blessing, which will yield more blessing, comes only through faith. We receive, by faih not only the provision for our needs but the provision for use in  God’s own plans. In other words, God gives us, through our faith, the very means for us to abide in Him.

10. Faith has a cost

Faith, which we cannot see, has more value than those things in the world we are enamoured with; distractions, flesh, sin etc.

So strengthening the faith has a price. which is giving up our worldly inclinations, our habits, our comfort, offence, our negative emotions.

Luke 14:28-30

[28] For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

Although Jesus was speaking of the cost of discipleship we can still apply the principle that things that are worthy have a cost. We must be willing to pay this if we want our faith to be useful and keep the flow unhindered.

Andy De Campos

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