What's your definition of faith? I remember when I first became a Christian, I thought faith meant just believing. But then I read Hebrews 11:1 and found out that faith was actually a real substance. It was then that I realized I needed a better understanding of faith and how to get it.

Often I hear people say things like, "I'm believing by faith that I'm going to get this or do that."

My response to them is, "Show me your faith."

Don't get me wrong. I'm not asking them to demonstrate something to me. I'm really asking them to tell me the scripture on which their faith is founded. Scriptures are the substance - the faith - of what they are believing for, or in better terms, the proof for their belief.

You can't say you live by faith or that you are believing by faith, and not have the Word of God to back you up. - Creflo Dollar

Child of God, things don't just happen. God honors His Word. And scriptures are faith. They are the substance by which prayers are answered. Do you need to be healed? Do you need money to pay your bills? Do you need peace and joy to get you through a difficult situation? Then go to the Word of God, get your scriptures, write them down and begin making your confessions.

Faith is the Word of God. You can't say you live by faith or that you are believing by faith, and not have the Word of God to back you up. Without the Word, there's no foundation. In other words, there's nothing to uphold what you say you believe.

And just because someone gets healed, or gets something they want, doesn't mean they have faith. People who have no faith get healed, become prosperous, and get things they want every day. However, without the Word of God, there is no certainty that those things will last.

When your faith is based on the Word, and what you're believing for comes to pass, it may be a big surprise to everyone else, but it shouldn't be to you. Those scriptures weren't just words you wrote on a piece of paper. They were the Word of God that you kept before your eyes, in your ears, heart and mouth. That's called feeding your faith.

Feed Your Faith
In order to feed your faith, you must provide your spirit with an abundant supply of faith food. Some examples include reading the Word, and listening to Word-based Christian programming and videos. It also requires membership with a church that teaches the truth concerning the Word of God.

Someone might say, "Brother Dollar, I go to church. I get the Word." That's good, but you can't stop there. You can't feed yourself doubt and unbelief all week and expect a one-hour sermon on Sunday to fix it.

Doubt and unbelief can be easily transmitted through gossip, talk shows, and newscasts. The more you listen to them, the more they become a part of you. Likewise, the more you feed your faith, the more faith-filled you will become.

Treat It Like a Seed
Now that we have established that faith is the Word of God, let's look at another aspect concerning God's Word. In 1 Peter 1:23, the Word is referred to as incorruptible. In essence, it will always produce and will never fail. That means God's Word is incorruptible seed. God always wants you to treat your faith as a seed.

Think about this example: A seed comes from within an apple. That seed is then planted in the ground and watered. Over time the apple tree grows and later, with proper care, produces apples. In the same way, when you find scriptures that match your situations and circumstances, you are gathering seeds.

By consistently speaking the Word of God, those seeds are planted in your heart. As you continue to meditate on the scriptures and make positive confessions concerning your situation, you water the seed. In time, your harvest will manifest!

Be Patient
Even though you may not see what you're expecting immediately, consider that seed in the natural. Before you see it grow up and bring forth fruit, realize that there is a work in progress underground. The roots are growing. Even though you can't see them, those roots are developing and becoming stronger in order to build a firm foundation.

Sometimes we allow our faith to waver when we don't see things happening right away. Basically, we allow what we can't see talk us out of what we can have!

Child of God, it is not the will of the Father for you to believe for your healing, get healed, and then get sick again. I believe when the Father heals you, you stay healed. And when He prospers you, you stay prosperous. You shouldn't be able to lose your healing, your prosperity or anything else when your roots are grounded.

But beware of the enemy. The Bible says in Mark 4, the enemy comes immediately after the Word has been sown. He wants to steal it from you. And he's looking for an opportunity to discourage you and diminish your faith. You have to understand, it's the things you can't see that are working for you right now. Your harvest may not come through today, but it's coming. Romans 10:17, says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

You may have been sowing, believing and confessing, and you may even think, God doesn't hear my prayers. But He does. The Word of God confirms this truth in 1 John 5:14, "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us."

When you apply the principles of faith, have confidence that God will work things out on your behalf. No matter what it looks like, trust God. He's bigger than any circumstance.

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