Faith That Is Not Afraid to Try

Faith not only has substance, but it has evidence. (See Heb. 11:1.) And faith, it is said, is the investment that brings the answer.

So, let me ask you this: What kind of investment are you making in your faith? Are you praying in your answer every day? Are you calling that which is not as though it is? Sometimes, it’s not a quick one-and-done kind of prayer. No, it’s sticking with it and not leaving God alone. It’s making a faith demand and refusing to take no for an answer. But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).

I want to share with you seven principles of faith to keep in mind when looking to God and expecting your miracle.

1. Faith stretches your imagination. Man’s ability to create comes from God, everything from skyscrapers to cotton balls, from computers to electric cars. Concepts and philosophies created in the mind of man come from a God-given ability. (See Eph. 3:20-21.)

2. Faith takes the initiative. God spoke a prophetic word to Abraham when he was 75 and Sarah was 65 about having a child, but it didn’t come to pass for another 25 years. Abraham stayed in faith and believed God, and as promised, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Now, that’s the kind of faith I believe God desires each of us to have. (See Rom. 4:20-22.)

3. Faith is not afraid to try. My father, Oral Roberts, was always willing to pray—at any time, for anyone. And that’s the spirit of faith that I believe we should have in our lives, to be willing to pray for anyone who has a need. Faith is not being afraid to try—to pray—and then leaving the results up to God. (See 1 Thess. 5:16-18.)

4. Faith is expecting the best. It takes no more faith to believe for the best than to believe for the worst. Faith is expecting the best and giving the best of what we have to give. We look to God as the author and finisher of our faith and believe Him for miracles. (See Mark 9:23.)

5. Faith is waiting on the answer. My longtime friend, Jerry Savelle, explains it this way, “The distance between when you pray and when you receive the answer is your faith.” Although the answer can come instantaneously, it usually doesn’t. There’s generally a waiting period. And while you’re in that waiting period, your faith is also waiting on God for His best answer. (See Gal. 6:9 and Isa. 40:31.)

6. Faith is persistent. The Syrophoenician woman in Matthew 15 had this kind of faith when her daughter needed healing. She just kept pressing in and kept pressing in to Jesus until finally, Jesus acknowledged her and said, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and to throw it to the dogs.” (Now, He was referring to the wild way in which she and her people lived.) However, she didn’t curse Him, and she didn’t get upset. Instead, she began to worship Him saying, “Yes, Lord, yet even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (Matt. 15:27). Now that’s persistence! Jesus said, “Woman, great is your faith” (Matt. 15:28b).

7. Faith is rebounding after a failure. One of the hardest things in life to do is to get back up when you fall. But … it’s not how we fall; it’s how we get back up. The people of faith in the Bible were human beings just like you and me. Abraham lied. Moses murdered. David committed adultery. Peter denied. Paul persecuted the Christians. Yet when they sincerely repented, God forgave every one of them. (See Prov. 24:16).

Friend, if you’ve slipped, if you’ve fallen or made a mistake, it may look like all is falling apart, and you’ll never be able to get back up again. But, I have good news. You can rebound from a failure. When you fall, get right back up. No mistake or failure is as bad as not trying again because God is the God of a second chance.

For more Spirit-filled content like this, subscribe to Expect a Miracle with Richard Roberts on the Charisma Podcast Network.

Richard Roberts, D. Min., is chief executive officer of Oral Roberts Ministries and co-hosts with his wife, Lindsay, a daily inspirational TV program, The Place for Miracles. Dr. Roberts is also the founder of the Richard Roberts School of Miracles, hosting thousands of online students from more than 140 countries. Richard conducts healing meetings throughout America, as well as ministers to and teaches pastors in underdeveloped countries the fundamental principles of healing, seed-faith and the Holy Spirit, so they may do the greater works of Jesus in their regions of the world.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.