Pastor Robert Miller

     Does living by faith seem elusive to you?  Are you unsure about what your responsibility is?  This devotion will show you three specific principles of faith so that you can fulfill your responsibility. We find these principles in Mark 11:23-24, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain be removed and be cast into the sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them.”

     Believing is the first principle of faith.  Believing is our responsibility. Of course, what we believe should come from God’s Word that is then accepted as the answer to our problems. To believe means to accept as truth or have a firm conviction.  We seek God to find what He says about our problem with the intention that when we find His answer, we will make a choice to live by it. Believing always involves agreement with God’s Word.  So many times we seek answers from sources other than God’s Word. Make a vow to put God’s Word first in your life, then let it define what you believe. 

     The second principle of faith we must apply is confession.  Confession is a controversial topic in religious circles.  Many believers get out beyond what the Word of God says.  While confession brings to mind the words we speak, it actually encompasses more than that.  According to its definition, confession includes our manner of life, not just our words.  Our manner of living originates in our heart, the root of our behavior and words.  Jesus taught us in Matthew 12:35, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” The truth of the matter is that many speak words that they do not believe, and many speak words that they do not expect nor want to take place.  Here in lies a great truth: we must not be ruled by emotions nor let them define what we believe and say.  When emotions and feelings determine behavior and language, we miss God’s best.  When we allow our belief to determine our behavior and language, our emotions and feelings change.  Faith’s victory requires that we treasure God’s Word and speak God’s Word to our problems.  We must learn to make scriptural confessions.  God uses our words to bring His influence to our circumstances. (IS. 51:16)

      The third principle that we need to learn about faith is receiving.  This is sometimes a difficult principle to understand but it is really simple if you keep in mind the definition of faith.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.  We must keep in mind faith refers to things God’s Word says about our life.  They are results yet to be seen.  God is able to work in our lives through our confession to create the results. Receiving refers to taking possession of God’s results and acting like they belong to us before we see them.  This requires the believer not to look to the physical, natural circumstances as proof of receiving.  We actually receive when our knowledge of God’s faithfulness persuades us that God will do what He said.  Receiving comes before seeing.  Most of us want to see the result before we say we have received it.  Yet God requires that we agree with Him before He can create the solutions to our problems.  Receiving is based upon the integrity of God’s word and your fellowship with the Lord.  The more time you spend with Him the easier it is to receive. 

     These three principles can change your life drastically and put the power of God to work for you. Practicing them will make you God’s partner. I pray that you embrace these and begin living by them today!