Praise & Pray

The Epistle to Titus begins with the following declaration: Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness (Titus 1:1). Recently, these words had me thinking - how far along has my faith come? This was a tough question to confront, but I could thank God for His grace and kindness in bringing me from where I once was to where I am.

You see, I used to live in constant fear. I'd run with my children from a relationship when things got dangerous. And for a while, I constantly looked over my shoulders. Have you ever been in a store, seen someone who happened to look like somebody else, and frozen in place? Well, that was me. However, God constantly promised that He would take care of me. As I studied the Bible, certain scriptures on this topic would jump out. There was John 11:40 - Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" I held on to that word for a very long time, repeating it over and over as I handled an onslaught of legal documents and other issues.

Then I received revelation through Jairus's story. Luke 8:50 - Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” When I latched onto this verse, another layer of fear fell off of me. People wondered where I got my faith and peace from. I pointed them to the scripture and my testimonies. Still, as God built my faith, layer by layer, I experienced hard moments. But with each, I leaned into the newly 'unlocked' faith level. I discovered that as I applied the 'small' faith I had, it suddenly was big enough to carry me through that situation.

And God was faithful. Each time I stretched my faith muscle, I noticed how He took care of things and held me up even if my knees felt weak. I watched Him come through repeatedly in a dance that soon became familiar. As a challenge arose, I'd take a deep breath, remember the Jericho Moments I'd been in with God before, and remind myself that if He did it before, He would do it again. And as I relied on His faithfulness, I saw more of His faithfulness in all manner of situations. He did immeasurably more than I imagined possible.

I cannot claim perfection, but I can say that my faith in the Lord has come a long way. The car accidents that should have taken my loved ones and me out, but didn't. In fact, one almost happened two weeks ago, but I am here to attest to His might. What about the doctor's 'declarations' over loved ones that, if believed, would have led to debilitating problems? Instead, they were quickly rejected because of God's promises to us. There were mistakes I made along the way, but they never slowed God down. He remained God, providing a soft landing and unmerited favor.

Whatever faith I have now is a direct result of God's deliberate covering and protection. He showed up and loved me down. I had no choice but to grow in my trust of Him. Having experienced His grace, I also knew I had to do what He said in His Word. As I did so, His love and faithfulness changed me. And fear wasn't the only thing He got rid of. Anger, gossip, impatience, lies, and more had to go for Him to take up more room in me. He also had to correct and discipline me. It all has helped me grow in Him, and I pray to grow all the more.

What about you? What have you been through with the Lord, and how has that caused your faith to grow? How far along has your obedience and trust come, brother and sister in Christ? Now, I haven't shared my story to suggest that God only does such for a select few or for those who are perfect. Neither could be far from the truth, as I'm neither unique nor perfect. As I noted above, there was a dance of sorts. Though not always easy, I applied the faith I had, and He did exceedingly more than I could have asked for or thought of. Just as His word promises in Ephesians 3:20.

I want to encourage you to do the same. Trust Him for strength to deal with a troublesome person, for instance. Pray for that strength with a verse mentioning that His strength is a promise. Then keep speaking it before, during, and after encountering the person in question. Trust Him to find cheaper gas for your car. Psalm 23:1 is a perfect word to declare, as it speaks to God as guide and protector. If you are struggling to sleep, declare God's word about sleeping.  Proverbs 3:24 - When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

Open the Bible and make it a habit to study and practice what it says. God said don't lie, so pray for help and be aggressive to stop doing so. Jesus said we should treat others as we want to be treated, so do so. If you say you are His, then obey His commands. He loves His obedient children and wants their obedience regardless of whether things are up or down. Regularly praise Him, thinking of what He's done for yourself and others. And submit to His Holy Spirit because He works with Jesus and the Lord to help us be more like who we were created to be.

Let God help your faith in Him, and your faithfulness to Him increase from season to season. He is able, so trust Him. Regardless of how low you feel or how far from Him you know you've gone. The Prodigal Son simply had to start walking to his father for things to change in his life. His dad ran to him long before he got home. God is like the father in that parable. He's watching the road to see if you are coming. No matter how you look, He will wrap you up in His arms and welcome you home. Then He'll guide you back to the righteous path to increase your faith, taking it farther than it's ever been. God bless you!

As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:

1. Exceeding Expectations

2. Getting through the challenge

3. God is Responsible for you: Prodigal Son

4. Don't Turn From God

5. Trusting God When Things Go Wrong

6. Our Godly Inheritance: The Prodigal Son

7. Expect the Exceedingly and Abundantly

8. Does Sin Eliminate Us From God's Plans?

9. Desire God's More For Yourself

10. Topic: Faith At Work Series

11. Topic: Faith, Trust, Belief in God

12. Topic: Fear

13. Topic: Obey/Obedience

14. Topic: Testimony, Testify, Be God's Witness