It is so amazing all that has happened to challenge my Faith since my last post. It would appear that Satan was just saying OK let me see if you really know what you are talking about? Let me briefly share some with you. On Thursday 8/25/11, my 38 week pregnant niece realizing that her baby was not moving went in to see her OB/GYN. 14 or so ours later she delivered a stillborn baby 7lbs 5 oz. The following day my husband and I went to Maryland to help our daughter move , our son drove down to help us the following day, after a very busy day moving and getting wet with rains from hurricane Irene we set out to go back home to Delaware, my son was driving by himself ahead of us about 5 minutes. My phone rang and my son’s voice was on the other end- mom I was in a bad accident, I am getting ready to call the police, I lost it for a moment, and then I started to pray, his car was such a mangled mess, but he walked away without any obvious injury. In the midst of ever thing happening, our car would not start, it is raining and Triple A could not give us a time that they would be there, one of the 3 police cars that responded to the accident gave us a jump start and we started on our way home. We were happy to get home 1.5 hours before the state of emergency went into effect in Delaware. Emotionally and physically tired we sat down to eat something , then the lights went out, so our sump pump could not work, we bailed water from our basement until 6 am that morning when we stopped totally exhausted, our basement of course completely flooded. With my tired and weak voice I burst out in singing “I have the victory hallelujah” I am still waiting on my electricity to be restored and a call back as to when someone can come to assess the damage to our basement, but I refuse to let my Faith be shaken, because God is faithful and promises that what the enemy means for bad He will turn around for our good. As bad as things seem, I rejoice because it could have been worse.
What is Satan throwing at you to shake your Faith in God? Is it your job, your children, your marriage, your finance, whatever it is, stay anchored and know that God is able to bring you through.
As mentioned previously, Without Faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) and it was also established that as Christians we have all been given the measure of Faith (Romans 12:3).
However, If we look at Romans 10:17 it says: Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (NIV). What is this message that we should be hearing in the word of God? The message I believe is the good news of Salvation and all that comes along with being born into the family of God, and being an heir of God’s Kingdom, joint heir with Jesus. The word of God is necessary for our faith to expand. The more knowledge that we have of his word the more our Faith should grow. So I do believe that instead of praying for more Faith- we need to be more focused on getting to know God’s word. Knowing God’s word is also knowing God. The more we know someone the more we are apt to trust them. Could this be a reason why it is so difficult for some of us to trust God?
Faith is also a mentioned in Galatians 5:22 as a fruit of the Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith (KJV). Paul use fruit not fruits, which suggest that this is like a cluster or like a tangerine -one tangerine has many pegs, therefore this kills the argument of person saying I have peace but no faith, or I have love but no peace. We all have this clustered fruit.
The subject of Faith is a very big topic, which I have just dented, however I do hope you have gotten the picture of why this is important as we pray for and with our children. Sometimes it would seem that nothing is happening as we pray, but do not look at what it seems instead see it happening in the spirit. Call things that are not as if they were. Romans 4:16-18 16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were (KJV).
In my bible study class we have been looking at the first 3 chapters of Ephesians and I would like to share with you a portion of this. I found it so reassuraing, and I hope you will find it so as well.
Ephesians 1: 15-23 15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
So here’s our prayer today:
Father, I thank you that your word contains all that I need to know about who you are. The more that I read your word, the better that I know you and the more I realize that I can trust you completely. Open the eyes of my heart, Lord so that I may be enlightened in order to know the hope to which you have called me. Thank you for your incomparable great power, the same one that raised Christ from the dead. Help me to call those things which be not as though they were as I wait for their manifestation. In Jesus name Amen.
In His Service
Vilma
Oh – my lights are back on Praise the Lord !!!!!!!!!