Faith not working?

Does it ever seem to you that sometimes your faith to believe for what you need is not working or is dead? You know faith works, but you seem to come up lacking. If you are endeavoring to believe God for healing or any other manifestation of the good provisions of God (wisdom, prospering, peace) you know that faith is essential. Faith is given to us by the Holy Spirit of Christ. It is very powerful. Faith works miracles. Faith works.

But there is a aspect of faith working that we often overlook and therefore do not activate. Two things we know:

1. Faith without works is dead (lifeless)
2. Faith works by love

The "works" that activate faith are these:

1. Forgiving, forgiving, forgiving

Forgiving is a work of faith that SHOWS you believe the complete work of Calvary. You believe that Christ, the Savior of all mankind, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world has truly paid in full for every sin done by you or done to you. For that reason, you can accept the grace of being forever and completely forgiven AND you can give the grace of forgiveness to others (especially those who have offended you, transgressed against you or even despitefully abused you).

The despiteful abuse you've suffered and the process you've gone through to get rid of it brings us to the next truth that will set us free and the next "work" faith...

2. Pray FOR those who despitefully abuse you

It is hard to pray for an abuser.  We can pray about them and tell God about all the bad they've done and how we feel about it, but that is only the FIRST step of getting out from under that burden baggage. Often, after we have stirred ourselves up by remembering and reporting on the offenses, we feel hatred and not faith. Sometimes we even pray against that person. We want God to give them a taste of their own medicine or some other curse. Those kind of prayers do not work out the way we think they should - they actually work against us!

Why?

The principal of God that rules in this scenario is this:

"Give and it shall be given to you"[Luke 6:38]

What is the "it" referenced above?

"It" is whatever you yourself has given. If you have given the abuser curses, hatred and fear - that is what will show up on your doorstep. Better to pray for them rather than against them because the "measure you mete (give out to others), shall be measured back to you".[Mark 4:24] Also, "whatever you sow, you reap". [Gal 6:7] Plus, the Golden Rule is "do unto others what you would have done to you." That is why you are instructed to pray FOR those who despitefully abuse you. This truth sets you free from oppression and bitterness, fear and other snares of the enemy. When you obey Christ's instruction to pray for and to bless and curse not, you are utilizing

The Way of Escape...the Way of Triumph

that God provides in every trial. Your enemy desires to oppress you, depress you, rule over you, harass you, incapacitate you so you won't use the power and authority you have been given over all the power of the enemy [Luke 10:19]. Conversely, your Savior desires you to believe Him, obey His Spirit's prompting, value and do His Word (which is to pray for).

He said to to pray for one another so that you may be healed.

How much more light do you need? He is shining the light on your situation so you can take the faith He has given you by these simple works of love and put them in to practice to overcome the evil of that despiteful abuse with the good of forgiving, praying for and blessing.

These are our weapons of warfare that defeat the kingdom of darkness who desires us to be imprisoned by that despiteful abuse or transgression or offense. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. The human is not the culprit or the problem. The enemy BEHIND the actions or the words are the culprit. Defeat the enemy by forgiving the offender. Defeat darkness by praying for. Defeat Satan by blessing and cursing not.

All of these actions are putting into practice the good word of God to overcome the evil works of the devil.

So how do you pray for?

First pray for them to come out from under the oppression and vexation of the enemy so they no longer further the enemy's work via offense and abuse.  Pray Romans 5:17 over them because when the offender receives God's grace and gift of righteousness, they reign in life by the One, Christ Jesus rather than the evil reigning over them. Pray Eph 3:16-20 so the eyes of their understanding may be enlightened so they can receive God's love. Remember the second half of Luke 6:38 that what you give comes back to you pressed down, shaken together and running over.  What you are praying for them, you are receiving multiplied back to you so pray for the things you hope will show up on your doorstep.

All of these works of faith remove the impediments to the blessings of God flowing to you and being received by you by faith.