Every believer has a measure of the God-kind of faith—a measure of the faith that created the worlds in the beginning. Every believer has a measure of the mountain-moving faith!

...according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Rom. 12:3)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
(Eph. 2:8)

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(Rom. 10:17)

The clincher is Second Corinthians 4:13.

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.
(2 Cor. 4:13)

Notice we're not trying to get faith. We're not praying for it. We have it.

From this verse, you can readily see that this is the same spirit of faith that Jesus talked about in Mark 11:23, because He said, "... 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 saithshall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."

Every believer already has a measure of the God-kind of faith. You see, God gets everybody started off the same way. He doesn't give one more faith than He does another one. He gives to every man the measure of faith (Rom. 12:3). Then your faith grows according to what you do with it.

A lot of people have done with their faith what the fellow in the Bible did with his one talent (Matt. 25:25). They've just wrapped their faith up in a napkin and hid it. They haven't used it.

It's up to you what you do with the measure of faith God has given you. So my second thought to you is this: This measure of faith can be increased. But you're the one who increases it, not God.

Certainly God furnishes the means whereby faith can be increased. But this measure of faith is increased by you doing two things: feeding it on the Word of God and exercising it or putting it into practice.

The Bible very often uses natural, human terms to teach spiritual thoughts. For example, this is how Jesus taught in Matthew 4:4.

...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
(Matt. 4:4)

Jesus is using a natural, human idea to convey a spiritual thought. He's saying to us that what bread or food is to the body, the Word of God is to the spirit—to the heart of man.

You know that if you eat good food regularly, it will build you up physically. But even if you eat right but don't exercise, all you'll do is get flabby and out of shape.

In much the same way, you need to feed your faith on God's Word. But you also need to exercise your faith, because if you don't, your faith muscles will be flabby. They won't be able to do much spiritually in the way of moving mountains in your life.

I've seen people who were big people, yet they could hardly lift any weight at all. They hadn't used their muscles. Then I've seen some little fellow come along and lift weights over his head that a big fellow couldn't even get off the ground!

What made the difference? Was it size? No, because the one fellow was bigger than the other fellow. But he hadn't used his muscles. That's what made the difference. The big fellow fed his body, but he hadn't exercised it.

You can feed your spirit and feed your faith, because God's Word is faith food. But you also need to exercise your faith in order to develop it and cause it to grow.

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.
(Rom. 10:8)

Paul called the message he preached the word of faith. He calls the Word of God the word of faith, because the Word will cause faith to come into your heart (Rom. 10:17). God's Word will build assurance, confidence, and faith in your spirit or heart. Then you're to exercise that faith.

So we know that the measure of faith we've received can be increased by doing two things: by feeding it on God's Word and putting it into practice or exercising it in everyday living.

Source: Mountain-Moving Faith
by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications