Most of us spend a lot of time trying to have faith. We know that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6), so we work and strive at having more faith.
But faith is of the heart, and you get it only through a relationship of loving fellowship with God. I can't really teach you faith, but I can teach you the principles of faith and make you so hungry for it you will do anything to get it.
It only comes by revelation from God.
Stop trying so hard to get faith and please God, and start spending all that time and effort with God, loving Him. Just go around all day loving Him and letting Him love you.
"For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance" (2 Cor. 5:7 AMP).
Once when I was reading that Scripture, God started speaking some dynamic things to my heart. I am trying to walk by faith. In every single thing in my life, I want to walk by faith.
And the Amplified Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that "...we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God."
In other words, I am only going to be able to walk in faith based on what I believe about my relationship with God. Do you understand that? A person who believes he is unrighteous might as well forget walking in faith.
A person who believes he is an old worm in the dust and God does not love Him might as well forget the faith walk, too. A lot of people are trying to walk in faith, but they don't have these other things in their hearts.
Galatians 5:6 says faith works by love.
God put this in my heart: "Everybody thinks that this Scripture means that if they don't love other people, their faith won't work. That isn't what it means at all. What it really means is if they don't know how much I love them, their faith won't work."
Faith will not work without love. But it isn't your ability to love other people. It is your letting God Almighty love you.
There is a big difference in that. Trusting God and walking in faith is leaning on Him and trusting Him for everything. You can't do that with someone if you don't know he loves you. You might as well forget it. You are never going to be able to trust God if you don't know He loves you.
If you really knew how much God loves you, you would have less trouble receiving a healing. You would have less trouble receiving your financial needs met.
The reason you can't receive is that you don't really believe, totally, that God is giving it to you.
The Bible says, "We love Him, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). It would be impossible for you to love God if you weren't assured of the fact that He loved you first.
It is all down inside you, in your heart. It is in there!
God loves you! You are wonderful! You are beautiful! You are precious! You are tremendous! God loves you! Nobody in all the world will ever love you like God loves you.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A New York Times bestselling author, her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on the mind, mouth, moods and attitudes. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences so others can apply what she has learned to their lives.
