I hope you had a fun Fourth of July holiday!  For my family, the 4th of July celebration is extra special and significant.  After 18 operations and 12 years of dialysis, my mother received a kidney transplant.  The doctors told her that on average, kidneys from a deceased donor usually last around 10 years.  However, immediately after her surgery, she began telling everyone, “God gave me this kidney, and nothing will ever happen to it!”  As of this weekend, July 4th, 2020, her kidney is 27 years old and going strong!  Doctors are always amazed each time they evaluate her.  We continue to give God praise for all he has done!

SPEAK FAITH-FILLED WORDS

My mother is a woman of faith.  She had prayed for years for her breakthrough and was confident that if God could bless her to receive it, he would bless her to keep it.  She spoke exactly what she believed.  Our words reflect what is in our heart.  Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:13, “It is written: I believed; therefore I have spoken. Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak”.  Jesus said in Luke 6:35  “… the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.“

BUILD YOUR FAITH

For our hearts to become full of faith, we must be intentional and active in feeding our faith and starving our doubts.  Trials, tests, and problems are inevitable, but God doesn’t want us to fall apart.  He wants us to be able to stand firm in the faith.  I John 5:4 says, “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”  Building your faith requires effort and diligence – in essence, it requires work.   In John 6:29 Jesus replied, “This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger]”.

WAYS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH

• Using a concordance, find and meditate on scriptures that pinpoint your issue.
• Listen to an audio or video sermon message more than once.
• Take notes during biblical teaching and review them.
• Pray the scriptures.
• Memorize the Word.
• Hang out with encouraging people.

PRAY THIS PRAYER:
“I praise you God because you are the LORD, and there is no other; apart from you there is no God.  Without faith, it is impossible to please you and I want to please you.  I come to you because I believe you are the true and living God who hears and answers prayer.  I can look back over my life and see all the wonderful things you have done for me and I am thankful.  Please help me to continually walk by faith and not by sight.  In Jesus’ name – Amen.”