FAITH ... A ‘RECEIVER’

by Victoria Thornton   -   FindingGodsWill.com

The Definition of lifestyle is this, 'a manner of living that reflects the person's values and attitudes.'

Could your lifestyle be keeping the promises of God at bay? Since faith is God's way of bringing into our lives the things He has already given us in His Word, yet there are some whose faith does not produce the results they need.

The Bible says in Matthew 6:33, 'But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.'
But does the kingdom of God have first place in your life or is it an afterthought at the end of the day?

Your faith, which is the 'receiver' for all the blessings of God, will not work in every environment. Jesus spoke about this in Mark 4:3-22. In these verses of scripture, He spoke about a man sowing the Word.

But since faith comes from the Word, it is safe to say that whatever affects the Word will eventually effect your faith. Therefore in order for faith to work in your life, the Word must have room to thrive.

So the conditions, lifestyle or environment of the heart, in which the Word is sown, plays an important role in whether we received or not.

The bible says in Colossians 3:16, 'let the word of Christ dwell in you richly . . . '. But how much does the Word have to compete with the things of the world?

Understand that your faith for your mate is an effect in spending time with God. The cause is a lifestyle dedicated to Him and the effect is receiving all the things you need on earth including your marriage.

But someone who seeks God only when they need something from him, who rarely reads the Word and spends the rest of their time being entertained by worldly things might have a more difficult time getting their faith to work.

Just like blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-50, you’ll have to be willing to toss aside the things that keep you from getting to know your Father and to turn away from the noise of the world.

Because a person who pursues the things of God, putting Him first at all times and not just when things get tough are prone to receive easily.

God already has a plan to bring your husband or wife to you, but will you allow the things of the world to draw you away from it?

Will you allow your favorite pastime to steal your faith and not receive the promise?

And, 'No', it is not being suggested that everyone who is struggling with his or her faith isn't seeking after God. But to the person who is doing the best they can, but still struggling may be lacking in wisdom and/or revelation. The struggles you could be experiencing may be rooted in a lack of revelation and not faith.

The Bible says in Hosea 4:6, ' My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge,…’.

Almost every problem you face in believing God for your mate is a problem of not having revelation or wisdom. Something is wrong somewhere and it is revelation you need to see where you could be missing it.

And one way to remedy this situation is through fasting. Fasting can be a great way to move beyond a ‘promise-with-no-manifestation’ to a ‘promise’ realized. In an area where you could be praying over and over again for something that God promised you, fasting can help you focus in on God for the solution.

Because when you fast and seek God's face, you are actually putting God first. Fasting shows God that you mean business, so much so, that you are willing to put Him above your natural appetite. And it makes a difference.

In Daniel 9:2-3, he saw in the Word the promise of God that in seventy years God would restore the people but, nothing was happening. In fact, it had been more than seventy years and nothing had happened yet.

Now Daniel had already been praying because he was known to pray three times a day (Daniel 6:13). But when Daniel set his face to seek God with prayer and fasting, God began to move.

And when the angel arrived to answer Daniel's prayer, one of the first things he told Daniel was that he was sent to give him skill and understanding. (Daniel 9:22-23).

Skill and understanding are what is needed when you, too, are faced with a promised of God that has escaped you. Here are a few examples of other Bible Believers who fasted and received a response from God. In your study time, review the following scriptures.

Judges 20:26
Esther 4:16
Jonah 3:5 -10
II Chronicles 20:3-18

Also, another benefit of fasting is it will help you subdue the flesh and strengthen your spirit man so you can hear God. Please note: while going on a fast won't give you faith, it will certainly strengthen the faith you already have and purify it.

Therefore, if you find yourself really wanting to pursue God more, but have to contend with things like work, school etc.; consider casting off those things that aren't important for your survival and spend that time with God through prayer AND FASTING. This small change in your lifestyle could make a big difference in whether you receive from Him or not.