Because faith is based solely on God’s promises, only one source exists for biblical faith—God’s Word. Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing , and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17, emphasis added). God’s Word reveals His will. It is only when we know God’s will that we can believe it.
So, if you want to have faith, you must hear (or read) God’s promises. Faith does not come by praying for it, fasting for it, or having someone lay hands on you to bestow it. It only comes from hearing God’s Word. And once you hear it, you still must make a decision to believe it.
Beyond the acquiring of faith, our faith can also grow stronger. The Bible mentions various levels of faith—from little faith to mountain-moving faith. Faith grows stronger as it is fed and exercised, just like a human muscle. We should continue to feed our faith by meditating on God’s Word. We should exercise it by acting and reacting to everything based on God’s Word. This includes those times when we face problems, worries and concerns. God doesn’t want His children to worry about anything, but rather to trust Him in every situation (see Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:6-8; 1 Pet. 5:7). Refusing to worry is just one way we can exercise our faith.
If we truly believe what God has said, we will act and talk as if it’s true. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you will talk and act like a person who believes it. If you believe that God will supply all your needs, you will talk and act like it. If you believe that God wants you to be healthy, you will act and talk like it. The Bible is full of examples of people who, in the midst of adverse circumstances, acted on their faith in God and received miracles as a result. We’ll consider a few later on in this chapter and in a later chapter about divine healing. (For some other good examples, see 2 Kings 4:1-7; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 19:1-10; and Acts 14:7-10.)
