It is very good to have faith even if it is as small as the mustard seed. Without faith it is impossible to please God. If your faith has not translated into reality or perhaps you would like to know how to turn the faith that you have in God from the spiritual realm into something tangible in the physical realm, then keep reading.
To know how to turn your faith into reality, we must first understand what faith is all about and the different types of faith seen in the bible.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible (Hebrews 11:1-2)
Types of Faith
Faith as a belief (with or without evidence)
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29). Some people will only believe after they have an encounter with Jesus himself like Saul on the road to Damascus. Others believe when they hear other people’s testimonies.
Jesus stated clearly that the later are blessed because they have acted in faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God. Receiving Jesus into your heart as our saviour is faith.
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation’. Romans 10:9-10
You are blessed if you believe in Jesus through the testimony of others and do not doubt like Thomas did.
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:23-24)
Faith that comes by hearing.
So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17). What we hear can either input faith or fear. Hearing the word of God constantly creates faith within us and gives us a confident that no one can take away unless we allow them. Faith grows stronger with constant hearing of the word of God. If our faith is weak, it is probably due to not hearing enough of God’s word.
Having selective hearing is vital to growing in faith. Do not listen to everything and anything as it can affect your faith in God.
Faith that comes by speaking.
If faith comes by hearing the word of God, then we can continue speaking God’s word or positive words to create or increase our faith. When we speak God’s word to ourselves, we hear it and hearing it increases faith. When we encounter situations that require faith, we might believe in our heart that it is going to be well, but we must also speak out what we believe into existence.
God created the world using the spoken words. The more we hear our words of faith, the greater our faith grows to handle the situation.
Declare the word of God against obvious negative facts or reports you might be presented with (a bad medical report, empty bank account etc). What is seen is temporary and whose report will you believe? Your medical report might say you have a chronic or terminal disease, but the word of God says by his strips we were healed, and healing is our inheritance. Admitting, acknowledging, agreeing with what God says about us and speaking it out or acting on it, is faith.
And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Rom 4:19-22)
So how do you turn your faith into a reality?
By acting on it! It is amazingly simple. Put your faith into action, practice what you believe daily, show that you have faith by your deeds because ‘faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead’ (James 2:17). If we have faith because we heard the word of God then we must act on the word, in other words we must practice or do what the word says.
If God said we are healed by the stripes of Jesus then that should be our declaration and not entertain or throw a pity party for sickness. Same applies to every situation we find ourselves in. We must check what the word says concerning that situation and by faith declare that word over the situation.
Our actions must be in sync with our faith. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (James 2:18)
The woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of his garment by faith (after suffering 12years and spending all she had on treatment which failed). Blind Bartimaeus shouted the more for Jesus’s attention when he heard that Jesus was passing by ‘Jesus son of David have mercy on me’, he shouted.
One of the ten lepers also returned to thank Jesus for his healing. To all these three people Jesus said, “your faith has made you whole”.
Notice it was not their prayers or days of fasting or giving or service to God that made them whole but it was their faith. Their faith was not passive (in their heart) but was active (seen by their actions). The bible says, ‘be anxious for nothing’ so refuse to be fearful or anxious when you have faith that God is in control of your situation.
The words you speak daily must reflect your faith. Take actions in line with your faith to create the kind of life you want for yourself, family and loved ones. Speak to any situation in your life that is out of order, to align with what you believe, and you will see your faith become your reality.
So, Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you’. (Mat 17:20).
Read the whole chapter of Hebrews 11 to learn more about faith and examples in the bible.
Shalom.
