CHAPTER EIGHT
The Power of Faith

Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.

Hebrews 11:1 TPT

My late husband, Bill, would often give a testimony of faith about an event that occurred early in his Kingdom walk. In those days, Bill did not own an automobile and usually traveled by city bus. It had been warm and sunny when Bill left his apartment that morning, and he had not taken an umbrella or jacket with him. On his way home, he decided to forego the bus ride, choosing instead to enjoy the weather and walk the two miles or so back to his apartment. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and Bill knew that rain was imminent. Here he was, quite a distance from home without jacket or umbrella, and the path he had chosen to walk was not along the bus route. He could tell that a heavy downpour was coming.

So Bill began to pray. He asked the Lord to hold the rain until he got home. As he continued walking, Bill began thanking the Lord for holding back the rain for him. Bill knew that God saw him that day walking home without a jacket or umbrella. He recounted to me that he knew God did not want him to be soaked in the rain. Each step Bill took was a step of faith. The skies were dark, the smell of rain was in the air and Bill was thanking God for not letting it rain until he arrived at his destination. Twenty minutes after his initial prayer asking the Lord to hold back the rain, Bill walked up to his apartment and onto the porch. It was as though the moment his feet were planted on the porch, the signal for rain to fall was released in the atmosphere. The downpour began suddenly, and not one drop of rain had fallen on Bill. This is an example of how faith operates.

LAW OF FAITH

God’s supernatural ability working in us to believe is a key to seeing more of your prayers answered.

Faith operates in time and place. One of the best books I have read on faith is Prayers That Outwit the Enemy by Chuck D. Pierce and Rebecca Wagner Sytsema. It is full of wisdom to help you to understand faith, such as in this passage:

Faith is that conviction, confidence, trust and belief that we have in an object or person. Everyone has faith to some degree. But what causes our faith as believers to be different is that our object is God Himself. . . . Faith is the persuasion given to us by God that the things we have not yet seen, we will see. Faith is the pause between what God has said He will do and our seeing Him act upon His word.1

Another way to understand faith is as God’s capacity working within us to see what He has promised as though it were already accomplished. As believers, we have each been given a measure of faith. In Scripture, the word measure is translated from the Greek word metron and means “portion.”2 You have been given a portion of faith, God’s ability working in you to believe that He will answer your prayers. That is supernatural!

To further understand this, Chuck Pierce describes seven issues of faith:3

1. Faith is linked with covenant. In Genesis 15, God made a covenant with Abram and promised him an heir, though Abram and Sarai were well beyond childbearing years. More than twenty years later, God’s promise to Abram and Sarai was fulfilled.
2. Faith is linked with our vision and destiny. Faith is a supernatural ability to see beyond what currently exists. Without faith, we do not have vision, since faith is the ability to “see.”
3. Faith comes from listening to the God with whom we have a relationship. Hearing God’s voice during our times of prayer and reading God’s Word, the Bible, releases His voice to work in our lives.
4. Faith works from our love. God is pure love. Everything we do must be motivated by love for God. Without love, true faith cannot operate.
5. Faith is based on our understanding of authority. The centurion in Matthew 8 understood authority. Faith cannot operate in our hearts when we are resistant to authority.
6. Faith must be demonstrated. Faith results in manifestation. Whatever we are believing for will be seen in time. This is why the spirit of delay must be overcome.
7. Faith can be increased. As we grow in our walk with the Lord, trusting Him and believing for responses to our prayers, our capacity to believe expands.

Elements of Faith

And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who give all their passion and strength into seeking him.

Hebrews 11:6 TPT

Faith, then, is birthed in a heart that responds to God’s anointed utterance of the Anointed One.

Romans 10:17 TPT

For we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises].

2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP

But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.

Galatians 5:22–23 TPT

Faith is a fruit of the Spirit, a gift of the Spirit and a weapon given to us for war. Faith as a fruit of the Spirit is grown and developed over time. As you walk with the Lord, watching how He responds to your prayers, your capacity to believe increases. The more your capacity increases, the more you become a formidable opponent against demon forces that come against you. It is important that faith be developed in you. Without faith you cannot prevail over the powers of darkness attempting to hold back your portion.

We experience multiple attacks against our faith because faith is a powerful weapon against the powers of darkness. This was how hell was able to overcome Eve in the Garden. The whisper of Satan produced seeds of doubt in Eve, causing her to believe that God was withholding something good from her. That is typical of how hell works against our faith. In an attempt to damage our faith, the enemy uses well-timed attacks of murmuring, complaining and self-pity, resulting in us becoming more self-centered than God-centered. Satan will also delay our prayers while tempting us to react in anger and bitterness, which hardens our hearts before the Lord so that we cannot approach Him in faith.

When we lack faith, we lack vision. Vision is connected to our future. Without vision, we cannot see the portion God is bringing to us. In Psalm 68:19 (NKJV), David sang, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits.” Doubt robs us of joy and expectation of God’s daily benefits, deepening the root of unbelief. When I experience a setback, I ask the Lord to help me guard my words. Often during setbacks, our faith is attacked by demon forces working against us, causing us to speak words that are not filled with faith. When we speak words that do not align with the Word of God, we experience greater adversity. When we complain, we create cursing rather than blessing. Our words are that powerful.

Lord, I thank You for the portion You have given to me. I repent for any words I have spoken that are not aligned with Your words. I decree that all adversity released into my life from words I have spoken is broken, and every dark force operating against me ceases its operations now, in Jesus’ name.

The Gift of Faith

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God who worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit thereby: For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:4–9

In 1 Corinthians 12:1, the apostle Paul instructs the church in Corinth concerning spiritual things. He warns the believers, “Don’t be ignorant.” In other words, do not be without understanding of spiritual things.4 God has given us spiritual gifts, God’s supernatural ability operating in us, to accomplish Kingdom purposes. The gift of faith is the supernatural ability to believe God’s Word and promises in difficult situations. I have seen that many who operate in the gift of miracles and healings also operate in the gift of faith. Chuck Pierce writes,

The gift of faith is a supernatural manifestation of a holy God within our spirit man. It is an instant impartation of faith with regard to a specific need. . . . The gift of faith goes beyond natural faith and saving faith into supernatural trust. When we have supernatural trust, no doubt can shake us from what we have heard.5

If you are going to see more of your prayers answered, experience restoration and go beyond to seeing retribution manifest on your behalf, you will need to operate in the gift of faith. Put to use the following strategies to help you begin to operate in the gift of faith:

1. Change your mind by receiving the mind of Christ according to Philippians 2:5–8.
2. Allow Holy Spirit to show you areas of unforgiveness or any toxic emotions in your heart. Let the Spirit of God help you to release those who have wounded you.
3. Change your atmosphere and speak faith. I have always found it difficult to be in the company of people who consistently complain. It feels as though all of the joy and peace is pulled from the atmosphere. Speaking faith-filled words fills the atmosphere with joy and hope. Remember the law of language creativity: You will have what you say. Speak the Word of the Lord over your situation and expect God to move on your behalf!
4. Guard your heart. Do not allow hope deferred to capture your heart. Hope deferred is a robbing spirit that blocks your faith. Continuing in worship, prayer and thanksgiving will keep your faith active and move you into a “suddenly” moment, when manifestation takes place on your behalf.
5. Let your capacity be increased. Overcoming is simply learning to come up and go over obstacles. This is a war process. Learning to war into your promise is necessary if you are going to see more of your prayers answered. As you war in faith, your capacity is increased. Allow the Spirit of God to shift you beyond your last place.
6. Develop a Kingdom mentality. Matthew 11:12 says, “The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” Seeing more of your prayers answered, experiencing restoration, going beyond and experiencing retribution will require you to develop a Kingdom mentality. This is spiritual warfare—taking up your God-given promises and not backing down. It is praying until your manifestation occurs. “In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the Evil One!” (Ephesians 6:16 TPT).

I make the following decree over you today:

I decree that new dimensions of faith are being released in you. Every assignment of frustration that has come against you is now broken, in Jesus’ name. I speak strength over you to war, fight and prevail over every enemy of your provision. I activate a new season of manifestation in your life, shifting you beyond restoration into retribution. Like David, you will pursue, overtake and recover all!

In the same way, I encourage you to make these decrees over your life daily:

I speak to every evil power holding back my blessings and I command you to let go, in Jesus’ name.

I speak to every demon of discouragement, and I command you to leave my life, in Jesus’ name.

I command every demonic whispering spirit to be silent, in Jesus’ name.

My ears are filled with revelation. I hear what the Spirit is saying to me.

My eyes are filled with Kingdom vision for my life, family, business and ministry.

I will only speak words aligned with God’s Word, words of faith and hope, in Jesus’ name.

Today I receive a fresh release of the anointing of the overcomer upon my life, in my family, business and ministry, in Jesus’ name.

Key Scriptures: Hebrews 11:1; 1 Corinthians 12:4–9; Ephesians 6:16

Key Points: Law of faith: God’s supernatural ability working in us to believe is a key to seeing more of our prayers answered.

Reflection: Looking at the strategies for operating in the gift of faith, what areas are strongest in your life? What areas are weaker and need to increase?