How to Grow Your Faith Part I

The question is not, “Do you have faith?” This may surprise you, but you already have faith. A Houston Pastor named John Bisagno put it this way: “Faith is the heart of life. You go to a doctor whose name you can’t pronounce. He gives you a prescription you cannot read. You take it to a pharmacist you have never seen. He gives you medication you do not understand – and yet, you take it.” Now, that is living by faith!

Since you already have faith, the important question really is, “Where do you put your faith?” It’s ironic, but we may find it easier to trust a doctor than we do the One who created everything. Why is that? Think about it this way. If our doctor messes up, we know we can find another doctor (as long as he didn’t mess up too bad!). On the other hand, if we don’t like what God does, there isn’t a plan “B”. God is Almighty—the One and Only. Putting our faith in Him is an eternal, life-altering decision.

There are other reasons why trusting God is hard. In order to do it, we must believe that God is smarter than we are before we can put our complete faith in Him. We all struggle with this. For example, anytime we make plans without first seeking the face of God for directions, we are acting as if we’re smarter than God. That is why Solomon, a highly educated man said, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6).

Why should we put our complete faith in God? Solomon’s father, King David, gave us one very good reason WHY we should put our faith in God. “Lord, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as The question is not, “Do you have faith?” This may surprise you, but you already have faith., and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; surely every man at his best is a mere breath” (Psalm 39:4–5). Our existence is a mere blip on the radar screen of eternity. God, on the other hand, has always existed. There is no way our knowledge and wisdom can hold a candle to God’s eternal knowledge and wisdom.

Here is another roadblock to faith: our own ignorance of the promises God has given us. Before we can trust His promises, we must first know what they are. In other words, we can’t just “make up” what we think God’s promises are. If we claim to have faith in the Almighty, we must know what we are trusting Him to do. The Bible is filled with amazing and specific promises. I have compiled a short list of them. If you would like a free copy, just let me know. Studying them will change your life and grow your faith.

To whet your appetite, let me close with just one of God’s promises. Jesus said that He is the good shepherd who gave His life for His sheep (John 10:11). That made it possible for Jesus to declare that He is “the door;