The following is from the previous post and you should consider it both as a map as to where we are going but also as instruction in how we might carry out these new insights into living with and for God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Faith comes with the hearing the Word of God (knowledge) but it doesn't stop there. First we know about God, but as time goes on our faith leads us to knowing Him personally. That knowledge doesn't leave us where we are, but transforms us and changes the way we view the world and how we interact with it. Faith changes how we act and how we treat others;
without transformation there is no evidence of faith, there is only dead words and dead works.
The following was inspired by a post on Facebook that encouraged me to write a responsive prayer. I pray that this prayer leads you from mere knowledge about God to living for Him and to living by his principles. Real faith is carried out not just in the mind or the heart but once it has taken root in our hearts is is carried out by our actions; it becomes our life.
Faith must bear fruit in due season.
Instructions:
There are 52 individual prayers so you can use it for a devotion for the next year. Read each line aloud stopping at the hyphen contemplate the meaning of the words then read aloud “Lord, increase our faith!” I encourage you to journal each of these points as Christ works in your heart by his Holy Spirit to increase your faith. Write out what the
Spirit is saying to you and make a plan of action for how you are going to petition God for help in this area and what you want to change about your attitude and actions that currently doesn't reflect living as a new creation in Christ. As you read God’s Word, I also encourage you to write your own prayers as the Holy Spirit convicts you of areas that are not fully conformed to His will for you. Feel free to reword the prayer if any line seems awkward to you.
I would also encourage you to ask yourself how knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior has changed your life. I pray that you will have a holy dissatisfaction that will cause you to draw closer to the true source of faith and life which is found in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Faith is:
- knowing God knows what’s best for us - Lord increase our faith
- knowing Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God born of the Virgin Mary - Lord increase our faith
- knowing Jesus was crucified for our sin - Lord increase our faith
- knowing Jesus Christ is risen from the dead - Lord increase our faith
- knowing Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit so that we might live for Him and by Him - Lord increase our faith
- knowing that Jesus Christ is the only true way, truth and life; there is no other way to God the Father - Lord increase our faith
- knowing Jesus is the Good Shepherd and following his voice - Lord increase our faith
- knowing that Jesus Christ is our soon and coming King - Lord increase our faith
- knowing that Jesus Christ is the one who baptizes us with fire and the Holy Spirit - Lord increase our faith
- knowing that Jesus Christ is our Healer - Lord increase our faith
- knowing that the circumstances and people God allows in our life help us to become more like Him - Lord increase our faith
- knowing that trials and temptations can only make us stronger if we trust in Him - Lord increase our faith
- knowing that God is more interested in our character than in our comfort - Lord, increase our faith
- knowing that Christianity is not merely a philosophy but rather a supernatural relationship with the Creator of Eternity - Lord increase our faith
- knowing that God knows all the dark recesses of our hearts and still loves us - Lord increase our faith
- knowing that the Love of God transcends all things - Lord, increase our faith
- knowing that nothing can separate us from the Love of God - Lord increase our faith
- knowing that we are incompetent in and of ourselves but God still uses us - Lord increase our faith
- realizing there is nothing good in us apart from Christ - Lord increase our faith
- receiving Christ supernaturally in the communion elements - Lord increase our faith
- loving God with all our heart, mind, strength and soul - Lord increase our faith
- seeking first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness - Lord increase our faith
- always forgiving others because, in Christ, God has forgiven us - Lord increase our faith
- worshiping God with our whole being; body, mind, and soul - Lord increase our faith
- faith is seeing others as created in God’s image - Lord, increase our faith.
- loving the unlovable because God first loved us - Lord, increase our faith
- caring for the widow and the orphan - Lord increase our faith
- growing in love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - Lord increase our faith
- suffering for righteousness sake - Lord increase our faith
- being condemned by the world while still living by the Law of Love - Lord increase our faith
- living out the good works that God has foreordained for us to do - Lord increase our faith
- not becoming tired of doing good - Lord increase our faith
- not judging our or others' success by transitory worldly standards like wealth, popularity or physical appearance - Lord increase our faith
- being ministers of reconciliation - Lord increase our faith
- becoming slaves to Christ - Lord increase our faith
- being freed from the fear of man - Lord increase our faith
- giving up the right to avenge being wronged - Lord increase our faith
- dying to self, that we might live for Christ - - Lord increase our faith
- taking up our cross daily - Lord increase our faith
- giving up our perceived rights yet defending others’ - Lord increase our faith
- suffering abuse, while refusing to abuse others - Lord increase our faith
- proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those perishing - Lord increase our faith
- giving water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, clothes to the naked and visiting the prisoner -Lord increase our faith
- living by the Spirit and not by the letter of the law - Lord increase our faith
- respecting our parents and elders - Lord increase our faith
- seeing that our real adversaries are not human but rather spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly realms - Lord increase our faith
- not complaining about others but rather giving thanks in all things - Lord increase our faith
- blessing those who curse us - Lord increase our faith
- using our spiritual gifts to build up others - Lord increase our faith
- realizing that its not all about us - Lord increase our faith
- allowing ourselves to decrease that He might increase - Lord increase our faith
- considering others before ourselves - Lord increase our faith
