Have you ever met someone truly skilled at something? It could be a trade, hobby or craft. They are so adept at what they do that its impressive to watch. Maybe you know someone like that. Well, did you know that just as one can develop being highly skilled at a trade, you can develop being highly skilled with your faith? You can!
God has given each of us faith that we can develop (Romans 12:3, New King James Version). You can grow your own skilled faith and put it to work not only in your life, but you can also use it to help others. You can become someone who knows how to stand on the Word, declare and release their faith, and see their prayers working.
As you read these 3 Keys To Developing Skilled Faith, receive what Christ has paid for and refuse to accept anything contrary to what the Word says. Grab hold of these truths and begin to walk in more victory in every area of life!
1) Be Moved Only by the Word of God.
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:17, NKJV
It’s easy to be moved by what we see, what we feel, and what we experience. It’s a discipline to only be moved by the Word of God. But learning to be moved by the Word is not only possible, it’s valuable when it comes to developing skilled faith.
Study the Word by reading it and meditating it. Listen to messages, and as you do, your faith will develop. You’ll find yourself having more faith in the Word than what you’re experiencing. The Word will begin to take precedence over what you see in the natural realm. As you grow and continue these practices, no matter the size of any challenge that comes your way, you’ll be able to remain steadfast in the Word. Because you will have renewed your mind to what the Word says (Romans 12:1-2), the Word is what you will think and what you will say when challenges come.
Granted, it’s easier said than done, but our goal is to remain unmoved in the face of adversity. Let’s face it, in such times, our emotions can get the best of us, but if we have hidden the Word in our hearts, the Word is what will come to mind and that is what we’ll speak. We’ll speak faith!
When David faced Goliath, the giant looked troubling before hundreds of cowering, fearful soldiers. He appeared so big and strong that not even the king or any of his generals stepped out to face Goliath. The Israeli Army just kept repeating what they saw: a giant who was taunting them night and day, intimidating them. With an entire Israeli Army befuddled in fear, a young boy, David, stepped forward. Full of faith and adept with a sling, he fearlessly faced and defeated Goliath. You see, David wasn’t moved by what he physically saw in Goliath’s size. David was only moved by his spiritual promises in the living God. Instead of speaking confusion, disappointment and fear at a bad report (Goliath), David spoke the promises of God, thus releasing his faith, and he defeated the giant easily (1 Samuel 17).
2) Develop a Spirit of Excellence.
“My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.” – Proverbs 4:20-22
God has called each one of us to develop a spirit of excellence and to operate in it in everything we do. It’s something that should be part of our character. We develop a spirit of excellence by first hiding the Word in our hearts, abiding in it, and then applying it in every area of our lives.
It’s not only a standard of living, but also a description of how we live, work, conduct our affairs, and manage our relationships. It’s going the extra mile and doing the right thing at all costs. It’s living a life of integrity at all times.
Now developing and acting upon a spirit of excellence doesn’t mean we have to be perfect. But it does mean that we have a desire to live a godly life and do things the right way as defined by the Word. It means being Christ-like in all our affairs.
After all, the ministry of Jesus was one of excellence, and one that laid the foundation for success. This is why people who operate in excellence do their job unto the Lord and let Him do the promoting (1 Corinthians 7:17; Psalm 75:6-7). No matter what position God has called you into, He fully intends to lead you into excellence, success, and a life beyond what you could ever imagine on your own, equipping you every step of the way. Your responsibility is to develop a spirit of excellence and walk in it.
3) Do Not Waver.
“But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” – James 1:6-7
When we waver between listening to God and standing on His promises, versus entertaining all the thoughts running through our minds that are contrary to the Word, our loyalty becomes divided. As much as we want to stand on God’s Word and cling to His promises, we’re lending our ear to the devil and what the world is throwing at us. When we speak what we’re hearing that’s contrary to the Word, we give it authority in our lives. And just like it says in the verse above, our choice is simple: We can waver, or we can receive.
God makes it clear that we cannot waver and receive at the same time. Knowing this, Satan has one tactic in mind—to get us to doubt. If he can get us to doubt who we are in Christ Jesus, and how effective we are with the Word, then he can deceive us out of our BLESSINGS. In fact, that’s the only power he has. All other power he has over humanity was stripped by the Son of God. The only way he can steal, kill or destroy is through telling us idle threats and lies.
So, the next time Satan tries to lie to you, start laughing, “Ha, ha, ha! You have no power over me, Satan! It is written that I live by the faith of the Son of God who died for me (Galatians 2:20)!” When you do this, you’re not taunting Satan, you are refusing to believe what he is telling you and answering his lies, out loud, with the Word of God—the ultimate truth. Jesus answered Satan’s threats with the Word when He was confronted in the wilderness, and that’s what we’re to do, too (Matthew 4:1-11).
The next time Satan tries to encircle you with lies, submit your thoughts to the Word, and resist the devil by answering with the Word, speaking it out loud (James 4:7; Romans 12:2). As Kenneth Copeland says, “Your faith is how you access those BLESSINGS and promises. Don’t let the devil steal your faith—what you believe. When it looks like things are going the opposite way, Hold fast. When it looks like you’re going under. Hold fast.”
There’s a story Gloria Copeland tells that illustrates this so well. At a time when helium balloons were used to transport product, one of the large helium balloons became unhinged and started to fly away. Several men jumped up and held onto the rope to try to hold the balloon down, but it still shot up, and most of the men let go. However, there was one man that astonishingly kept holding on, no matter how high the balloon flew up. It was a very long time before they could get the balloon down. Once they got this man back on the ground, they noticed he wasn’t exhausted, shaking or unconscious, he was absolutely fine.
The medical team asked him, “How did you do that?”
And he said, “Well, when I saw what happened, I just took the rope that I was holding on to, and I tied it around myself. And instead of me holding the rope, the rope held onto me.”
This is an illustration of how we hold fast and conquer with the Word of God—by wrapping our minds, our hearts, and our mouths with the Word and allowing it to hold us up through any trouble. If we intently apply the Word like this, then we will overcome wavering between thinking what’s contrary to the Word and believing God’s promises.
Grab hold of these 3 Keys To Develop a Skilled Faith, and you’ll learn how to be moved only by God’s Word no matter what situation you’re facing. As you develop a spirit of excellence and refuse to waver, you’ll walk in total victory and help others along the way!
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