Stages, Levels, and Seasons
Your faith must grow daily. Romans 1:17 says, "Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith." According to this scripture, God's righteousness—the righteousness available through Him—is revealed from one level of faith to another.

The Amplified Bible states,
For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith].
It's important to understand that everything in life, whether in the natural or spiritual realm, goes through a period of germination (preparation) before producing a harvest. In other words, the seeds grow roots, then a blade, a stalk, and finally fruit. Take a corn seed, for example.

Once planted in good soil, the farmer must nurture it daily. This includes watering the seed and protecting it from animals and bad weather. If the seed is taken care of, it is only a matter of time before it grows and matures into a healthy stalk. This is the Law of Progression (Mark 4:26-29).

Now the Bible tells us that the Word of God is like a seed that must be planted in the soil of your heart if it is to grow and produce a harvest (Mark 4:14-20). The way that a faith seed is planted and nurtured to maturity is by a conscious decision to continually hear, speak, and read the Word (Rom. 10:17; Ps. 45:1; 2 Tim. 2:15). And although you may not immediately see evidence of your faith seed growing, you must trust that it is maturing at the perfect rate.

Feel the Burn
Have you ever met anyone who was excited about losing weight when they first joined a fitness club, but then stopped going after only a short time? After a few sessions of tough training they quit and returned to their old lifestyle. They got tired of having to "feel the burn" in their muscles. In other words, discipline hurt their flesh, and when they didn't see immediate results, they gave up.

The same thing is true of Christians who join the fitness club of faith. After a brief period of "exercise," many give up, cave in, and quit. For example, their church attendance drops or they stop making their daily confessions. Child of God, faith works! But quitting is not an option. You have to be the one to work it. No one else can do it for you. You can't expect the best out of faith unless you're willing to do your best to work for it.

In order for you to possess the manifestation of your faith, you must have a plan. You may think that money will fulfill all of your dreams, but you need much more. You need the wisdom of God to lead you to prosperity and abundant life. Here are several things you must do to develop your faith and see your vision manifest:

Build Your Resistance
The best way to build resistance and increase your faith is by refusing to give in to doubt and disbelief. These demonic weapons hinder your spiritual growth. The more you renew your mind to the things of God and reject the thoughts that are contrary to His Word, the more resistance you'll develop.

In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Paul commands us "to cast down every thought and imagination that exalts itself against the Word by using the weapons God has given us-our mouth and His Word." James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." When you do this, you open the door for the power of God to operate through you as never before, giving you victory over the devil and building your confidence in the Almighty.

Increase the Repetitions
One of the worst things you can do in your faith-building program is to be inconsistent. Creflo is always saying, "Consistency is the key to the breakthrough." By continually confessing aloud God's promises over your life, you keep the growth process of your faith active.

Instead of complaining about how little money you have in your bank account, focus on the Word that says, "[I will] be glad and say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant" (Ps. 35:27 AMP). Encourage yourself with God's promises. Repetition of His Word trains your spirit, soul, and body to faithfully live by it.

Don't Overdo It!
One of the most common mistakes Christians make is when they try to exercise more faith than they have the maturity for. In the same way that you can't lift more weight than you have trained for, you also can't do things like write "faith checks"—bad checks—believing that God will magically deposit the funds into your bank account. Child of God, that's not what it means to exercise your faith! You must ensure that your actions make sense.

Instead of writing a check you can't cover, give what you can. There's nothing wrong with believing for a hundred-fold harvest from a two-dollar check if that's all you have in your account. Starting small is nothing to be ashamed of. Job 8:7 tells us, "Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase." What matters most is that you allow God to direct you in all things. He knows exactly where you are and the best way to get you to where you need to be.

Pace Yourself
God doesn't want you operating in short bursts of faith. Your faith walk must be consistent. Yes, it may take you some time to reach your desired destination, but it doesn't matter as long as you stay focused and continue striving toward the goal.

Remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare? The Hare challenged the Tortoise to a race, and took off as fast as he could toward the finish line. He got so far ahead that he decided to take a nap while waiting for the Tortoise to catch up. What happened? As he slept, the Tortoise passed him by and won the race. The moral of the story was "Slow and steady wins the race." It wasn't the fastest animal that won, but the most consistent.

Remember, consistency is the key to achieving long-lasting results.

Creflo Dollar Ministries
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