Living By Faith

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

AT A CONFERENCE for pastors’ wives, I heard Jill Briscoe recount a painful circumstance in her family life when she prayed frantically, asking and demanding of God. She caught herself and said, “I am praying like a woman who has no faith.” Then she began to praise God for what she knew to be true about him instead of praying her feelings.

She said, “I asked myself, How would I live if all my prayer requests were answered?” Prior to this she had felt anxious, frustrated, discouraged—but after she decided to live as if all her prayer requests were answered, she found new peace and hope.

That is really the essence of faith. Faith can be defined as the persuasion or moral conviction of the truthfulness of God or a religious concept, especially reliance upon Christ for salvation.

Taking the definition apart, faith is living fully persuaded of God’s abilities and character. Faith is a conviction, a full commitment to the truth and living out what you know intellectually. Faith is relying consistently on God because you believe.

How are you living? Are you shouting at God? Are you angry at his plan? at his timetable? What prayer requests are dominating your days and keeping you up at night?

Write out how you would live if God answered them all. Would you be less preoccupied? Would you be able to “be in the moment” rather than always planning and fretting? Would you have a longer fuse? Would you treat people differently? Write it out—then live it out!

Live as if God has answered—that’s what a walk of faith is all about!