Faith Is God’s Word
Activated
by Rick Warren
“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17
NIV)
Most of us are not confident or
courageous. Most of us are flat out scared to death. We’re afraid to take
risks, afraid of failure, and afraid of dying. We’re not walking confidently
because we’re not people of faith.
Do you want to be a person of faith?
Faith is God’s Word activated.
The Bible says in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing the message,
and the message is heard through the Word about Christ” (NIV).
If you’ve ever read a verse in
the Bible and all of a sudden thought, “I
can do this! I can do this!” you’ve just had your faith activated by the
Word of God.
It’s the difference between the
Bible and self-help books. Self-help books often give you helpful insight. They
can tell you the right thing to do, but they just don’t give you the power to
do it.
Self-help books tell you that you
should stop worrying or you should give up all your bad habits. Helpful, yes,
but you don’t have the power to keep the advice. Those books aren’t
alive.
But God’s Word not only tells you
what to do; it gives you the power to do it. And it increases your faith as
When I read the thousands of
promises in the Bible where God says he’ll act on our behalf if we obey him in
some manner, it gives me confidence. I know that if I do what God asks of me, he
has promised a certain result.
I was depressed for most of 1981.
I had just moved to Southern California to start Saddleback the year before. I
was exhausted emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. I felt like I
had a cloud over my head that I just couldn’t escape from.
I’ll never forget some of the
verses that really activated my faith, Exodus 23:29-30: “But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would
become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by
little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to
take possession of the land.”
God had promised the Israelites
the Promised Land. They were going to go across the Jordan River into Israel
and take on some tribes that were already living there. They didn’t think they
could do it. They thought the goal was too big.
In Exodus 23:29-30, God is saying
to the Israelites, “You know these enemies? They’re bigger than you.
But I’m not going to give you the whole land in the first year. You’re going to
take it over a little bit at a time — one battle at a time. You’re growing
stronger. When you’re strong enough to handle it all, you’ll get it all.”
When I read those verses, it was
like a promise coming directly to me. I realized I didn’t have to
That understanding gave me
confidence to take on enormous goals. The Word activated my faith. God’s Word
can activate your faith, too.
What do you want God to
accomplish in your life? Do you believe that he will do it?
If you
have not yet trusted Christ as Savior, believe that only he can change your
heart today.
Ask God to show you what to do. Pray the following prayer:
“Heavenly Father,
I admit that I am a sinner
and my sins have separated me from You. I now want to turn away from my past
sinful life and begin a new life with You.
Please forgive me. I now
receive your Son, Jesus Christ as my Savior, my Master and my Lord. I believe
and confess that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried, and rose from the
dead.
I want to receive all that
Jesus Christ has provided for me as my Savior. Your Word says, ‘Whosoever shall
call on the name of the Lord shall be saved’
(Romans 10:13).
I believe and confess that
Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes unto the
Father, but by Him.
Lord Jesus, I pray and ask
You, to come into my heart and be Lord of my life. I thank you that You have
given me eternal life, and according to Your Word, I am born again.
Heavenly Father, thank You
for the gift of the Holy Spirit that is in me now. I surrender my life to You.
Use me for Your glory.
In Jesus Name. Amen.”
Related Posts:
“His Strength Is Perfect”
STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN,
lyrics
I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength
But sometimes I wonder what He can do through me?
No great success to show, no glory on my own
Yet in my weakness He is there to let me know
But sometimes I wonder what He can do through me?
No great success to show, no glory on my own
Yet in my weakness He is there to let me know
His strength is perfect when our strength is gone
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect
We can only know the power that He holds
When we truly see how deep our weakness goes
His strength in us begins, where ours comes to an end
He hears our humble cry and proves again
When we truly see how deep our weakness goes
His strength in us begins, where ours comes to an end
He hears our humble cry and proves again
His strength is perfect when our strength is gone
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
His strength is perfect when our strength is gone
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
Hell carry us when we cant carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
His strength is perfect
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
His strength is perfect
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect
His strength is perfect
Rick Warren has helped people
live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor
of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books,
including “The Purpose Driven Church” and “The Purpose Driven Life,” read by
more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant
churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for
the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196
countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered
across America.
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